Chapter Thirty-One

Conflicting Memories

Despite the hour, Severus found the door to Toby's shop open and Toby himself…Merlin to those who truly knew him, sat on the counter with a coat of magic varnish, polishing the wand he had been working on. When Severus strode in, he gazed at him with an intense expression that made Severus feel as if Toby already knew what he was going to ask.

"Several years ago when Alicia first came to the school, a painting of yours came up with a way to keep her from using Hogwarts paintings to travel outside of the school. I need something to keep her away from someone she should not be around."

"Yes, so you do," Toby agreed and then gestured up to the wall, Severus' eyes following to see a simple painting of geometric figure… or was it? "It's a paradox, Severus. There is nothing that stops up any sort of magic like a paradox does, you know that. I believe it will also hold true for paintings as well. She would not be able to travel anywhere near the thing. More than likely, she would find herself back in the frame she started out in, and it's cursed so that once given to someone it'll follow that person around. Of course, there is a catch, Severus."

"What this time?" Severus said, squinting.

"Simply that the curse goes away in seven years, and at that point, the owner can dispose of it if he likes," Toby said, watching the emotions crossing the other man's face. "Severus, you are right that now is not the time for them to go down this avenue…but once your daughter is an adult and has properly gotten her feet in the world, it would be quite unwise to not let her make her own decisions on the matter. Your relationship is going to be tarnished by this enough."

"Perhaps tonight I learned that there are things more important than preserving a child's opinion of me," Severus snapped.

"I know, Severus, I know," Toby said with a sympathetic smile, gesturing. "Help yourself," he said, nodding as Severus threw some coins in and grabbed the painting off the wall. "Until tomorrow then."

"What makes you so sure I'm coming back here tomorrow?" Severus scowled at him. But Toby merely touched a finger to his forehead and smiled. Aggravated by the old man's surety, Severus vowed to avoid the shop the next day.

No student in the school could miss the fact that the ghosts in the school were quite out of sorts the next morning…especially Alicia. Groups of them who seemed to never talk to each other were huddled in rooms and corridors and under staircases. But every time Alicia came around they would suddenly all grow quiet and float away or fade from view. If that wasn't enough, she began to notice that the paintings all seemed mysteriously vacant when she passed them on her way to breakfast.

"What is going on?" she asked, but it was quite clear that none of them wanted to answer. Finally, Alicia turned back to the main stairwell, ignoring the students who were passing her curious looks. Immediately the frames near her began to clear out. "Stop it! Stop avoiding me! I demand to know what's going on at once!" she said angrily. "Have you all gone mad or something? Or have I done something to make you mad at me?"

"They're not angry with you, Alicia," said the voice of Caprica Dusthorn. Alicia looked up to see the painting working her way into a closer frame. "In fact, they're not angry with anyone, just a bit upset about certain circumstances."

"What circumstances?" she asked.

"Actually…actually, perhaps you had better talk to your father about it," Caprica decided.

"No, not until I find out why all of you are avoiding me," Alicia said stubbornly. "Tell me what's going on!" Many of the paintings in the stairwell began exchanging glances with each other, their faces growing in concern.

"Alicia, Francis Pyther is no longer at Hogwarts," Caprica said softly. "He's moved on, as it were. I don't believe he's even in the country any longer."

"What do you mean, not in the country? He wouldn't have left without saying goodbye! Why did he leave?" Alicia asked angrily, but Caprica grew quiet again.

Alicia turned and ran down the hall, not stopping until she got to the Defense room, and despite the fact that her father was in the middle of an early double stormed right in, the first year's turning to peer at her curiously. Severus, who happened to be in the middle of a lecture, frowned at her.

"Couldn't it have waited?" he asked with annoyance.

"I want to know what happened to Mr. Pyther," Alicia said.

"In my office, Miss Snape," Severus said.

"No! I want to hear it from you now!" Alicia said. In the corner, Descartes began to protest the raised voices.

"Mr. Pyther is no longer at Hogwarts. But I will not have you interrupting my class with…"

"What did you do to him?" she shouted, Descartes protesting again. "Oh shut up, you metal chicken!"

"You are out of line, Miss Snape! Your choices are to go to my office or otherwise leave my classroom until a more appropriate time. If I must tell you again, I will be taking points off…"

"You can stuff your points up your ass! I don't care anymore! I'm going to go find Pyther, and I dare anyone to try and stop me!" Alicia shouted. Jamie and Joanie stared at her with their jaws dropped.

"Be my guest," Severus said evenly gesturing her to the door. Furiously Alicia stormed out, the entire class stunned into silence. "Now, where were we?" Severus said as if not in the least bit ruffled by what had happened, turning to the blackboard.

It didn't take long for word to get out after that, both about Alicia's actions and the fact that the painter had indeed left the school. A solid drop of Hufflepuff's points was the first indication; but the explosion of information truly hit after Severus released the class.

Severus knew very well it was bound to happen and slipped through the passages until he came out just down the corridor from the One-Eyed Witch, stopping a rather large group of students right in their tracks; Alex, Aurelius, Andrew, Mandria, Halbert, Stock, Heph, Phoebe, and Morfinn were all there.

"And just where do you think you are going?" Severus asked.

"To find our sister, where else?" Aurelius said.

"She will return when she's ready," Severus said. "I know she is upset right now and I know you are concerned, but I need you to be concerned with your own affairs and let the school handle this issue. Now, back to the Great Hall, all of you, it's lunchtime. I will be watching."

"You should be watching her," Alex said angrily. Andrew took her arm.

"Come on, he said he had it under control," Andrew said, and reluctantly they turned and headed back towards the stairway, glancing over their shoulders every now and then to see him still standing there.

"You can't blame them for being worried," said a soft voice from behind Severus.

"When she realizes she can't reach him through paintings and has a chance to calm down, she'll return," Severus said, glancing at his watch. "She's at Corey's now."

"You're correct, of course, she will return by evening," Icarus agreed, materializing behind him. "Although I fear the more she learns about the events, the more your relationship will deteriorate."

"It couldn't be helped," Severus said curtly, putting an alarm ward on the statue before walking down the hall.

"No, no, you're right, it couldn't be helped, Severus…no one on staff questions that. And I think once Pyther has time to cool down, resettle, and actually think the whole situation over, he is going to understand as well," Icarus said.

"Frankly, Icarus, I hardly care if he understands or not," Severus snapped.

"I know. You had every reason to be concerned, and we are all very glad that you found out this was going on before things went farther than they had, but it was a rather heartbreaking situation. Pyther should have very much known better, yes, and even if this occurred a year or two later, Alicia would not truly comprehend the ramifications what such a relationship would mean. And yet… I feel quite compelled to tell you something, Severus, about something I remember," Icarus said.

"Spare me, Icarus. I've had enough future memories to give me headaches as it is," Severus sighed.

"She is the only one of the four who will find their cosmic match, Severus," Icarus said firmly, causing Severus to stop in his tracks. "And yes, it's very, very tragic that they met when they did, and that he had to watch her grow up. In some ways, I imagine this is as traumatic for Pyther as it is for you."

"Even if that is so, he is dead."

"Oh come, now, Severus! He has a mind, soul, and a body!" Icarus snapped. "So long as the soul is present, what else matters? You know, there have been cases, too, where a body has been revived from such an anomaly…"

"Not after six hundred years!"

"No, that is quite true," Icarus said. "But eight or nine years from now when Alicia's age matches that of his physical age and they are both mature enough to make up their own minds, the two of them will ask you to try, knowing full well the risks but wanting a chance to have a normal life together. That, I think, is when you will be glad that he understands why you did what you did."

Severus' shoulders slumped then and he leaned over the rail looking down into the stairwell as Icarus continued on, letting out a long sigh as he thought about what the ghost had said. A moment later, a startling realization jolted through him and sent him back into the hall, calling Icarus by name as he hurried over to where the somber spook was still lingering.

"This event you told me of, eight or nine years from now? This was a memory of yours?" Severus asked.

"Yes, Severus, a memory of mine from when I was alive, of course. I told you before that I have always remembered Alicia quite well."

"Yes, but what you're telling me is direct conflict with one of Ciardoth's own memories. How is that possible?" Severus demanded, the ghost staring starkly back at him. "How could that be possible at all unless the future can be changed?"

"Memories cannot be changed, Severus," Icarus said firmly. "To even try is to invite disaster. No one knows that better than I."

"Then how do explain the conflict?" Severus asked.

"I don't know, Severus, I'm simply a ghost, and a mad one at that. Surely there is someone else who could answer that," Icarus said calmly.

Severus let out a long groan.

It was just after dinner when Severus made his way to Toby's Tinker shop, attempting to remain expressionless as he went over to the counter. Ashley Bailey, who was leaning on the counter keeping the old man company looked up at him curiously, but was unsurprised to see him at the same time.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to really speak to you, Toby. Privately," he added.

"It's quite all right, we were done here anyhow," Ashley said with an enigmatic smile, Toby matching it. "Did Alicia get back to the school all right, Severus?"

"I understand that she did, although she is not having much to do with me at the moment," Severus said, waving it off as if it didn't matter.

"That is going to take some time, I'm sure," Ashley said, nodding in understanding. "Good evening."

Toby watched her go with a smile, while Severus impatiently drummed his fingers across the counter until the door closed behind her.

"I see you're back again…"

"I am not here to watch you gloat," Severus said sourly, growing annoyed when he saw the look on Toby's face. "I am here to ask you about future memory. Can it be changed?"

"I'm surprised that you of all people would ask me such a question, Severus. I thought you had made up your mind on that…"

"No double talk this time, old man, this is much too serious for that," Severus snapped.

"True enough," Toby said somberly. "Memories are memories, Severus, not visions. They don't really follow the same rules."

"So you are telling me then, that they cannot be changed?" Severus pressed.

"How the deuce would I know, Severus?" Toby said, gazing at him fixedly. Severus stared back at him.

"You wouldn't, would you?" Severus murmured. "You would only recall the memory that replaced it, you wouldn't know there was anything different! And if you did try to change a future…"

"I wouldn't even recall what it was that made me want to change it in the first place," Toby finished with a thin smile. "Very good, you are catching on, Severus…although…"

"Then what Icarus was seeing of the future may be what it should have been and things have changed since then…"

"Interesting theory, Severus, however…"

"Which means that what Ciardoth sees can be changed," Severus murmured in conclusion.

"Now, just when was that ever questioned, Severus?" Toby said, raising his voice slightly. "Are you or are you not the man who has always argued in favor of free will?" Severus looked slightly off balance, and then nodded.

"True, however, certain events, I admit, have made me wonder, at times…"

"Goodness, Severus. I can see why Wart might be questioning free will right now, but surely you have no reason to. You have always done your best to teach everyone... students, family and friends alike... that they are ultimately responsible for their own destinies, and to see you falter like this is rather disheartening. It's time you start practicing what you preach," he scolded firmly. "Time may be a flowing force, yes, but it's not the grains of sand that fall before or after this moment that matter. The past may be a teacher, and the future a road of consequences, but ultimately the only time that matters is the present, whether you speak of physically, metaphysically, or personally, Severus. It is the only time one can decide in. It is the only time you can act in, and damn it all, Severus, it's about time you realized it is the ONLY time you've got. Now, you can spend that time like hundreds of others do by reminiscing about the past or worrying about the future, or you can use it as it was meant to be used. To decide. To act. To live. Not to spend the entire time second-guessing yourself! You of all people should know what comes of those that do that. Now, I understand at this point you are just attempting all the facts straight, and that means delving into the past and yes, perhaps looking at possible paths of the future to get those facts as well. But I don't want you to ever forget that the present is what really matters. Honestly, Severus, you really ought to know better," he finished, picking out the ornate wand he had been working on to put another coat of gloss on it. "Oh, and one other thing before you walk out of here to chew on that. Don't forget that this piece of wood is simply there to handicap and control one's power, not to enhance it. If you are going to face Ciardoth, you'll probably need to use other methods before the end. See you at Solstice, Severus."

"That remains to be seen," Severus said starkly, but Toby merely smiled at him and kept rubbing the wand.

"So it does, dear boy, so it does," the Enchanter said. "I only hope you remember that in the days ahead, regardless of what happens." Severus frowned slightly, very aware that the statement was to be taken as a warning. So he would take it to heart, he mused, turning to the door. But he knew better now than to let it dictate any decisions he would have to make.

Even though Alicia had returned, it was obvious to everyone around her that things were far from all right. Questions from her siblings were immediately ignored, with her passing them in the halls in stony silence. She didn't want to have anything to do with any Snape right then. Even her best friend Morfinn had very limited success when he tried to talk to her at dinner.

"My father has always hated him," Alicia said, poking at her food viciously.

"Who? Mr. Pyther?" Morfinn asked quietly.

"He hates all vampires. He almost became one himself," Alicia said, Morfinn's eyes growing wide. "Ask him yourself. I bet he's afraid Pyther would start turning us into them, especially me. I almost wish I were one."

"Alicia! You don't really mean that!" Morfinn said, horrified. "You're just upset."

"I do mean it! He'd have to deal with it then! What is he going to do, send me away too? At least then perhaps I could find out what happened to Mr. Pyther," she said, standing up, leaving the majority of the food untouched. Worriedly, Morfinn looked over at Phoebe, who shrugged slightly.

"Could be just raging hormones. Late bloomer and all that," she confided to him.

"Maybe, but I hope she doesn't do anything foolish, all the same," Morfinn said, watching as she left.

Alicia simply felt she needed to be alone. Ignoring the greetings of a couple of her housemates who had returned from dinner early to study, Alicia went up to her dorm room, taking a moment to gaze outside at the rain that started just before the sunset. What would it be like, she wondered, to never see the sun again? She lay down on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Noticing her, Marion began pushing at the top of the cage until she sighed and let the Chameleander out, petting him gently. Francis had accepted that restriction and more so gracefully…of course his daily meals had always been a problem, for Francis would sooner starve than cause harm to anyone. Fear gripped her then, dropping her familiar back in his aquarium before lying down again, pulling her legs up. How would he survive now without the donation network Hogsmeade had long provided? Would he be able to find donors wherever he was, or was he going to be left on his own, attempting to fend for himself? Alicia's heart sunk at the idea. Could a vampire starve? She felt her eyes begin to tear up… worried, angry, heartbreaking tears that didn't want to stop once they started, the idea of never knowing what happened to him unbearable in her mind. Putting a pillow over her head to hide herself from the world and cut out the light, Alicia cried herself to sleep, lulled by the tears and the pelting down rain outside her window.

The rain echoed in her mind, even in her sleep, hitting the ground with such force it almost sounded as if it were hailing. She could almost feel it upon her skin, she thought, and realized then that she was walking through the rain in the blackest of night, unsure of where she was, or even what time it was. She had been wandering for some time before she heard her name called, and a voice that thrilled her to hear.

"Mr. Pyther!" she called out, looking around. "Francis, where are you?"

"Here, Alicia! Follow my voice!" he said, calling out from the darkness. "Come find me, please! Your father is planning on killing me! I'm tied up, waiting for first light!"

"No!" Alicia said, taking a cautious step in the darkness.

"Hurry, Alicia! Hurry, we can leave together!" the voice said.

"I'm coming! Just keep talking!" Alicia said, running into the darkness.

Albus had only closed his eyes for a moment when a sudden fear went through him and he opened them wide. Without hesitation he leapt from his desk, diving out of his office and sliding down the stairs in a maneuver many have his students and staff wouldn't have thought him capable of doing, then dashing out the door. All the staircases began to move at once, startling many students on them as he raced towards them. Hermione, who had been heading for his office, cried out in surprise as he ran past.

"No time, no time! A student's life is in danger!" Albus shouted as he ran down the stairs. But even with manipulating the staircases so that he immediately found himself on the landing leading to the Hufflepuff rooms, Albus knew he wouldn't reach her in time this way. Making a rash but necessary decision, Albus collapsed.

The longer Alicia traveled through the darkness, the harder it seemed to breathe, every now and then calling out for Pyther to hear his coaxing voice leading her further and further on. It never occurred to her that it was a dream…everything had seen so real…the idea that her father would try to kill him was quite believable in her mind at that moment, and she so wanted to see him…she would have done practically anything in that instant to do so. Finally she thought she made out a patch of something grey in the distance and began to go towards it, imagining it to be the image of a tree. But as she began to close in she slowed down, for there was no sign of Pyther there at all. Just then, the tree suddenly burst into a swarm of bats and Alicia had to cover her head as they flew around her. Finally they stopped, and Alicia looked around to see a circle of red flashing eyes around her.

"So you want to be a vampire?" said a woman's mocking voice from out of the darkness. "Yes, I'm sure that would solve everything. Death does do that, you know. Nothing left to worry about. Nothing left to care about," Ciardoth went on. "It is something I myself crave, so don't despair, child, I understand your plight, and will grant your wish. Of course, I can't guarantee your soul will stay, but that's quite all right with me. It will be such fun to see Snape's expression when he sees my newest, loyal, servant," she said, gently raising one hand to tell the vampires around Alicia to close in.

Alicia let out a piercing scream as they grabbed her, desperately trying to fight them off as they tried to force her still. But just when she thought she was done for, she heard a voice call out from the darkness.

"Lumos solem!"

Strong sunlight brighter than midday on a summer's afternoon penetrated the darkness and let up the castle grounds, causing the soulless vampires to scream in pain and terror. It left Alicia momentarily blinded, still crouched on the ground where they had encircled her. When her eyes finally cleared, she looked up to see Albus Dumbledore himself, looking much stronger than she remembered seeing him since well before Fawkes died.

"Ah! Look who's come to meet his fate!" Ciardoth said on the other side of Alicia, a mad sparkle in her eyes as her mouth curled in obvious satisfaction. "I was, really, quite content to be so easily handed this little morsel, and yet here you are…out of your body, no less…one to which you will never return to."

"What happens to me no longer matters, Ciardoth," Albus said evenly. "Alicia is a student of Hogwarts and is under my protection, even now. She will be returned."

"Perhaps so," Ciardoth said smoothly. "But you will not!" Suddenly she raised her hands and pointed them at Alicia, causing Dumbledore to instinctively leap in front of her. As the lightning came down upon them, Alicia woke up screaming.

"Professor!" she shouted, leaping out of bed and racing out of her dorm and through the common room, bolting down the corridor to the main stairwell. But as she neared the landing it was crowded with people, including Madame Pomfrey and Professor Weasley, attempting to shoo everyone back as they lifted Albus Dumbledore up on a stretcher. "Professor Dumbledore! Oh no!" Alicia said, falling to the ground and bursting into tears.

They had taken a walk through the castle after Severus had returned that night, talking about what Toby had said while Jennifer listened thoughtfully, and with true hope in his words.

"You know, now that he's said that and after what you've found out, I feel a little foolish for being so afraid of her memories now," Jennifer said quietly, gazing out one of the windows at the rain on the Quidditch Pitch.

"Well, it's not as if it still isn't a possibility," Severus said in a low voice. "But really, what guarantee is there for any of us at any moment of our lives? All any of us can do is safeguard what we can and try to do what's best in the present. It isn't our place to question the past or the future, really."

"Then why do we make Time-Turners?" Jennifer teased.

"Perhaps because whoever invented it hasn't learned that lesson yet," Severus frowned at her. "Although…" he paused then, a strange expression on his face as he attempted to work something out.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, it's… I rather tried to wrap my head around that problem and got lost for a moment," he mused.

"Well, what's that supposed to mean?" Jennifer chuckled, taking his arm.

"I'll think I'll need to look something up first…"

"Oh, no you don't, Severus Snape! You promised me after what happened last night that you would spend some quality time with me, and I'm holding you to it," she said, leading him back to the front corridors. "It's time you used the present to think about your wife for a change."

"I think of you no matter what it is I'm doing, Jennifer," Severus protested in a low voice. "At the very least, because of you." Jennifer smiled warmly at him as they turned the corner towards the front of the Great Hall.

Jennifer heard the sound of a woman sobbing then and glanced around, feeling strangely disoriented. The two of them looked up to see Hermione walking in from the side corridor, her face red and obviously shaken by something.

"What is it? What's happened?" Jennifer asked in alarm.

"It's Albus, Jennifer. He just…he said there was a student in danger and took off running and then he just…collapsed," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "He's in some sort of coma and Sagittari says…he's doesn't think…he may not wake up at all," she finally got out. Unable to bear it anymore, Hermione walked on towards her office. "I need to send out some letters."

"Dumbledore," Jennifer said in terror. "Severus, it's just like in the nightmare!"

"Only this is real," Severus said, and the two of them took off in a run towards the hospital wing.

As they dashed in, Jennifer saw Alicia crying heavily near the door and stopped cold while Severus continued on in.

"Are you all right?" Jennifer said, sitting beside her worriedly.

"It's all my fault," Alicia said. "It's all my fault, and now he won't wake up!" Confused and stunned, Jennifer pulled her daughter close, wondering what could have happened to pull Alicia into the mix, while inside, Severus sat by the unconscious Headmaster's side, shaken from the thought of a Hogwarts without an Albus Dumbledore.