Three Years

Author: Leta McGotor

Disclaimer: I owe nothing but the idea and some persons like Thomas O'Connor, Richard and Alice Manks, Daniel McGonagall, the vampires and of course The Oxford University for International Magic belongs to me. The other belongs to JKR.

Chapter 3 Story of the past

Severus Snape sat at his desk looking at the ceiling lost in thoughts. Last night he had a dream, again, about her. She had challenged him that she could run faster than him. A silly game, which they never had played. She started running but he couldn't follow her. He ran and ran but was still at the same place. She stopped at the far corner at the end of the corridor and smiled at him. She had said something before she had turned around the corner. All he could hear was a scream and then all went dark.

"What have you done?"

"I…I… you know… I was a teacher… once. Yes, in the Oxford University for International Magic… Defence Against the Dark Arts… yes. It was worth a try, believe me…" A pleading look was on his face as he spoke the last words. Alastor Moody stared at Dumbledore, only at Dumbledore as if the others were not existent.

"Alastor, what happened?"

"The teaching was really fun for me. Most of the students were scared because I often was in a bad mood when I went to my classes. Of course I wasn't always in a bad mood but the students couldn't see that. Most of them, I mean. There were five students who were really good, not only at Defence Against the Dark Arts but they always knew in which mood I really was… Let me think… It was only one year before their graduation, I remember. Some people living in Romania asked me for help. There was a clan of vampires which…yeah… were really clever. They tried to give birth to living creatures, there own creatures. That must not be. You can't imagine how terrible it would be if vampires could reproduce. We would have an uncountable number of vampires all over the world." He took a deep breath and looked to Dumbledore, whose eyebrows were nearly one line.

"Like I said there were a few students who were really good. They all had a second course and only one year and a bit to study left. I asked them to help me in Rumania and promised them that they don't have to attend the Defence Against the Dark Arts classes afterwards. They all consented" He sighed.

"They were young and I must say I used it as an advantage for me. They didn't really know what was the problem because I only told them the half story… Five students… two times sister and brother…" He said and looked to the ceiling as if the names of the students were to be read there.

"Thomas O'Connor – studied Herbology, Richard and Alice Manks – both studied Potions, Daniel and Minerva McGonagall – he studied Potions and she Transfiguration. They were very talented – all of them – were the best of their whole year. My colleagues thought I was mad and that I couldn't bring the children – children! – in that danger. Of course, they, too, only knew the half story because I didn't thought that it could become that dangerous." He looked to the ground as if ashamed to look in the faces of those sitting around and staring at him.

"We travelled to Romania. We had a few rooms in one of the villages were the vampires mostly were seen. The first days were really boring. No attacks only books and books and tales about them and people saying they have seen the vampires and so on. Sometimes it was really difficult because some of the books were so old that they were written in Latin. But we had luck. All those who studied Transfiguration had to learn Latin and Minerva could translate into English, what took her a while. The only things we saw in the first days were books, books and books – with different clans of vampires, descriptions and so on. In one book we found the discription to the castle of the clan we were looking for but we didn't dare to just go to them and say 'Hello'. Therefore we were bored." He sighed as if the thought was boring enough.

"Alice Manks was a young woman with her own ideas and aims. I remember that Daniel McGonagall was her fiance and she wanted to have all his attention. That was really sinewy not only for us but for him, too. He cared very much about his sister and Alice couldn't understand that because between her and her brother was not a so strong connection. Sometimes – or should I say often – very often – she screamed at him that he didn't love her enough and so on. Really annoying that woman. It became worse when her brother vanished without a trace. Not because she was worried, no. She was jealous that she was alone and the two McGonagalls had each other. You really couldn't stand her at that time."

"We found Richard later. He was… I mean, yes… he was not alive anymore. In fact we could hardly identify him but there was no doubt that he was dead, killed by the vampires. They had seen us only two days ago and we believed that this should be a warning. Alice became more and more hysterical after that. She screamed at everyone, anytime. She threw things at the walls and you couldn't be in her reach. Her most popular victim was the sister of her fiance. Because he couldn't stand to be in the near of her and in her eyes it was Minerva's fault. Minerva was the one, too, who braught Alice back to earth by slapping her a few times across the face. Alice never spoke to her again." He grinned to himself at the thought of that scene but fast his expression became serious again.

"At the end of the week we had lost Thomas O'Connor. We only got his head and a new warning from the vampires. The other three wanted to return to Oxford but I didn't let them go. That would have destroyed the whole mission." He said and suddenly his fist made contact with the table that all around him jumped startled by his anger reaction.

"But of course, I saw the danger and I decided that we would attack the vampires. And what shall I say? It worked. Surely it worked not as well as I had planned because Alice Manks died and the other two nearly followed her, but the only thing what count is, that it worked. Right?" He finished with a broad grin. But it vanished shortly afterwards when he remembered that he had to arm himself.

The others stared unbelievingly at him. Had he really said that it was his fault that three people, three of his own students, had died and he was all but interested in it. All what counted for him was, that he had reached his aim? A horrorfied idea. Slowly Alastor seized his bag and began to make his way through the kitchen along the others gaping at him.

"Alastor, where are you going?" Albus Dumbledore interrupted the silence. Alastor Moody turned around and shrugged.

"Somewhere… somewhere, where they can't find me. I need time. I have a plan but I'm not ready yet."

"And what is that for a plan? How you better can hide? What is with Minerva? What are they doing with her?" asked Severus Snape with a slight shaking voice before Moody could leave the kitchen.

"I don't know but I'm nearly doubtless that we can't do anything for her. Nobody can help her where she is now." Then he left the kitchen in an uncomfortable silence. All looked to the ground as if they would mourn. Only two man stood there. First Albus Dumbledore, who was worried about his best friend and Severus Snape, who was scared, what had happened with his Minerva. They stared lost in thoughts at the door as if they would hope that every second she would come through it. But she didn't. The only thing that came was a loud scream. Severus, Albus and the others stormed outside. There they found the bag and the weapons of Alastor Moody but nowhere was he to be seen.

Ok, the third chapter. I would be really, really pleased if you would write a review, you know and tell me what you think about it

Thanks to all who have read and a very big thank-you to The Knight in Rusting Armor (I'll try to do what you have said, sorry for the confusion) for reviewing.