Chapter 7
Author's Notes: In response to Duj's question, here is the best defin ition I could find of both types of deities (from Pantheon dot org):
In Roman mythology, the Penates ("the inner ones") are the patron gods of the storeroom. Later they gradually changed into patron gods for the entire household. T heir cult is closely related to that of Vesta and the Lares . They were worshipped at the hearth and were given their part of the daily meals.
The Roman state had its own Penates, called Penates Publici. They were rescued by Aeneas from burn ing Troy and via Lavinium and Longa brought to Rome. Upon their arrival, the Penates were housed in the Temple of Vesta, on the Forum Romanum.
The Lares: Roman guardian spirits of house and fields. The cult of the Lares is probably derived fr om the worshipping of the deceased master of the family. It was believed that he blessed the house and brought fertility to the fields. Just like the Penates , the Lares were worshipped in small sanctuaries or shrines, called Lararium, which could be foun d in every Roman house. They were placed in the atrium (the main room) or in the peristylium (a small open court) of the house. Here people sacrificed food to the Lares on holidays. In contrast to their malignant counterparts the Larvae (Lemures), the Lar es are beneficent and friendly spirits.
There were many different types of guardians. The most important are the Lares Familiares (guardians of the family), Lares Domestici (guardians of the house), Lares Patrii and Lares Privati. Other guar dians were the Lares Permarini (guardians of the sea), Lares Rurales (guardians of the land), Lares Compitales (guardians of crossroads), Lares Viales (guardians of travelers) and Lares Praestitis (guardians of the state). The Lares are usually depicted a s dancing youths, with a horn cup in one hand and a bowl in the other. As progenitors of the family, they were accompanied by symbolic phallic serpents.
Thank you to silverthreads, Oya, saiyanwizardgirl and mirthless laugh. I am very flatter ed by your continuing patronage.
A terrible animal howl pierced the night sky; even the shadows of the trees seemed to shudder in revulsion. Instinctively, the little band snaking their way through the woods gathered closer together. Emerging fr om the forest, they solemnly and silently climbed the bare hillside that led to Hogwarts. The two wizards, the witch, and the half-giant, their faces fixed ahead, formed a circle around the woman in their midst as they approached the castle, to obscure her from view.
The group climbed the stairs of the front entrance to the castle, and the heavy doors opened before them. As the moonlight spilled into the hall, it illuminated the figure of a centaur – half-man, half-horse – who stood there, his arms crossed, tail swaying slightly to and fro.
"I have watched for you," the centaur intoned. "You bring a great power into the castle. Let me see her."
Dumbledore and Snape, who had led the group, parted, and allowed the woman to emerge.
&q uot;A centaur," she breathed. Blinking slightly at the sight of the being in front of her, she suddenly gathered her robes around her and bowed low. Keeping her head low, she bent her knees until she knelt on the stone floor of the Hogwarts hall.
Firenze nodded, and slowly walked up to her. Extending his hand to touch her chin, he bade her to rise. "What do they call you?" he asked.
"They call me Lara," the woman answered, now looking directly at the centaur.
"I am Firenze. I saw in the stars that you would come." He frowned and fixed Lara with a stern gaze. "Though you have great power, it will not help these humans in the way they hope."
Lara bowed again, slightly. "It is my duty to try," she said quietly. Turning back to fa ce those who had invoked her, she spread her arms in mimicry of the gesture of her marble statue, and asked, "What help do you hope to receive?"
Before anyone could answer her, a loud clanging sounded from the upper levels of the castle, followed shortly by the sight of a spirit careening wildly down the balustrade of the great stairs. It wore bells on its head and toes, and made a mad clanging as it moved.
"Oooh, a visitor!" the spirit shrieked. "Peevesy loves a visitor!" Swooping down until he was nearly face-to-face with Lara, he squealed "And a lady visitor! But such a big nose the lady has! Almost like the potions master!" He brought his hand up to his face and put his thumb to the tip of his nose, spread the fingers and wiggled them, lau ghing wildly.
"Peeves!" exclaimed Minerva McGonagoll, stepping forward to admonish the poltergeist. "Do be quiet! It is the middle of the night and you will wake the students!"
Instead of quieting, the spirit did a backflip in the air and cack led. "Peeves caught the students out after curfew! They should be punished, yes they should…" His eyes gleamed and darted around the hall in search of something with which to cause more mischief. McGonagoll shook her head in frustration.
Calmly, Lar a raised her arm up into the air with the palm out facing the poltergeist. "Go away," she said evenly, and with a sudden rush of energy that rippled the air, Peeves was sent flying upwards, through the ceiling to the floors above. They all stood still for a moment, waiting to see if he would reappear. To the surprise of the Hogwarts staff, he did not.
Dumbledore was the first to speak. "In light of this disturbance, I suggest that we move to my office to discuss things further. Firenze, you are most welcome to join us. Your advice will be welcome."
The centaur shook his head. "I must return to the Astronomy Tower. I have wasted enough of the night already. Mars is bright and the moon will soon set. You," he addressed Lara, "must not assume your invincibility. You still depend on the humans." Lara bowed again in acknowledgement, and the centaur cantered off.
Their way lit by torchlight, the group made their way to Dumbledore's office. The headmaster seated himself behind his desk, but it was still uncomfortably cramped, and Snape's back was pressed painfully against the corner of the stone fireplace surround. Hagrid, still carrying the marble figurine, awkwardly tried to stand it up, and ended in a sort of embrace with it, as the statue's marble arms enfolded his waist. Minerva stood in a corner free of bookshelves and nodded for Lara to sit in the only chair. On his perch, Fawkes cooed softly, and flapped his wings several times.
"Yes, Fawkes, what shall we do?" asked Albus, steepl ing his fingers in front of him. Snape had always found the headmaster's habit of conversing with the phoenix unnerving, and this instance was no different. The two seemed linked, even when the old wizard was using the conversation to ask rhetorical quest ions that the bird could not possibly understand.
"No doubt you have one or two ideas, headmaster" Snape remarked silkily.
Albus looked over his half-moon spectacles, first at the potions master, and then at Lara. "I admit, I have considered a few options. Miss Lara, what is your particular area of expertise? What is it that you are usually called upon to do?"
To torment me like a guilty conscience, thought Snape.
"I have always been asked to take care of the children of the family, to protect them and keep them from harm," answered the deity. "After my mother died, my father took another wife, and they had children of their own. They had two sons, fine young boys they were. I was some years older, and I looked after them.
'My father's slaves were careless, and one day, a fire started in the kitchen. The boys were playing in the storeroom and I ran to save them. They ran, and so did I, but my dress caught fire, and so numerous were my wounds and so deep my burns, that I thought I would perish.
'My stepmother was a powerful witch, and she stayed by my side in my illness. She said she would grant me eternal life so long as I would do her bidding. I agreed, and she placed my essence into a statue. Through prayer and propitiation, my spirit could be awakened and I would come to her aid if she needed me to protect her children again. The women of the household have done the same ever since."
"And would you be willing to do the same for the children of this schoo l?" asked Dumbledore as Fawkes flew over his head and perched on one of the arms of the marble statue.
"Yes," answered Lara slowly. "But what could I do that you cannot? There is powerful magic in this place already."
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair. "We will, of course, do what we can. It is my earnest hope that Voldemort will not attack the school, or at least not without enough warning that we may evacuate the students." He looked over at Snape. "Should my hopes be in vain, however, the teachers, as adults, will be called to action. Someone will have to stay with the children and keep them from harm in whatever way possible. You have already shown that you hold power over some elemental forces; perhaps you have other methods that we do not possess." Dumbledore spread his hands. "If you are to do this, you will need to win the students' trust."
"How, Albus?" objected Minerva. "You can't simply introduce her to them at breakfast!"
Dumbledore smiled. "I can introduce her at din ner, if you feel that would be more appropriate, Minerva. And if I also tell them that she will be fulfilling some useful function –"
"What useful function?" Snape queried. "We already have house elves, a groundskeeper, a caretaker, and, unless I am very much mistaken, we have enough faculty to staff the classes. What necessity have we overlooked?"
Dumbledore sighed. "I have often said that this castle holds many mysteries and there are rooms and objects unknown even to me. It would take an en tire mortal lifetime to divine all the magic in Hogwarts; magic, it must be said, that might come in very useful in a battle with Voldemort. If Miss Lara agrees, we might give her gainful employment in preparing the castle for an attack."
"But she d oesn't even have a wand!" hissed Snape.
Albus' eyes twinkled in that infuriating way. "My dear boy, in her centuries of existence, Miss Lara has not yet had need of a wand to work her magic."
There did not seem to be anything else anyone could say. The knowledge that a battle was imminent hung heavy over the Order members day and night, even heavier for those at Hogwarts who saw Harry Potter daily. If the salvation of the wizarding world lay in the hands of a boy barely of age, then surely an ancient deity was a reasonable backup plan.
"Minerva, could you show Miss Lara to the guest quarters?" Dumbledore directed. "Rubeus, I am sure she would be grateful to have her effigy by her as well." As the half giant made to leave, Fawkes flew bac k to his perch, his iridescent wingtip touching Lara's cheek as she stood up. Snape was about to leave too, when Albus motioned him over. "You will rid yourself of the evening's events as always?" the older wizard asked him.
Snape sneered, "If there is room in my Pensieve for yet more of our futile little plots."
Albus sighed and his features showed all the worries of his age. "I am determined to believe that our plans are not futile. I need to believe that our side will emerge victorious over Tom Riddle, even if you do not. Goodnight, Severus."
Parting from the headmaster, Snape made his way to his quarters. Mercifully, there were no students in his path to the dungeons. As he drew the silver threads of the preceding hours from his temple into the stone basin, he felt slight relief. It was a relief that he could ill-afford, but one which he could not deny himself.
A/N: I am taking the notion of a pensieve literally, and assuming that once the memories are out of your head, you no longer recollect them clearly. This would be helpful for Snape in the face of Voldemort's Legilimency.
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