Breaking into the empty silent Hogwarts was nowhere near as difficult as the Ministry of Magic might have supposed. They left the restoration of the school and it's re-opening to its temporary headmistress, but they took on defence of the vacant property themselves. Therefore, although the wards were almost as strong as they were when Dumbledore was there – there were many things about Hogwarts that they were not to know.

Severus exited the tunnel under the Whomping Willow for the second time that week and ran. He again managed to avoid the thrashing flora and made his way up to the castle. Severus was not, however, the only one to know about Hogwarts secrets and curious eyes followed his progress across to the castle before following him.

It stung Severus to know that the confectionery password to Dumbledore's office had not changed. Minerva had not changed it when the school broke up for the holidays and the school had been empty since. The house elves had remained for a while, but three months after the war Hermione Granger had snuck back through the same passageway and explained to them that as there was no-one else in the castle, that made her their sole master and then she gave them all socks, all embroidered with the SPEW logo (Molly really shouldn't have taught her to knit). With no-one in the castle to look after and no Dumbledore to feel beholden to, they fled for their never-desired freedom and left the castle empty. Hermione left feeling smug and vindicated, unaware of what she left Hogwarts open to, Severus doubted that she would object – to either of the anticipated results.

Severus scaled the staircase and Dumbledore's study opened up for him, almost as if reading his intentions. He was shocked to find Fawkes still there, how on earth was he feeding himself? He retrieved the last of his ingredients – a phoenix feather.

Sweeping back the furniture with a flick of his wand, Severus poured a precise circle of salt onto the floor around him and after removing his robes he sat cross-legged and naked on the floor. This was not his forte, but it was dark enough for him to excel at it. This would succeed.

He took up the silver athame from the selection of objects which he had laid out before him. There was a brief rush of air from behind, forcing him to check over his shoulder. There was nothing there; he assumed that the elements were making themselves known in his working. This was new to him; he may have worked with the dead but he had never raised them himself before.

One diagonal cut across his palm and he was tracing the necessary symbols in his own blood inside the circle. He placed Dumbledore's wand in the centre – blood slicked and solitary. The phoenix feather, he stuck to his chest, over his heart with an "Adhero" charm. Then began the ritual in earnest. He mixed the contents of three different vials on the floor in front of him, covering the wand. Steam rose, then fire, then steam again and he starting his chanting.

"Incidere per vicis" (Cut through time)

Steam filled the room

"Tutis phasmatis" (Secure the spirit)

The sounds of the battle in the tower returned to haunt Severus Snape. He closed his ears to the torturous sounds and continued.

"EGO dedi meus vitualamen" (I offer my sacrifice)

The steam receded and blood seeped from his chest from beneath the phoenix feather. He heard an indrawn breath and assuming it was his own, he tried to control his breathing better.

"Meus vita pro suus vita" (my life for his life)

Severus felt his body become frozen, Petrificus Totalis unspoken – yet also unfalling, he remained upright and capable of speech.

"Restituo mage" (restore the mage)

Severus sealed his ritual with a mental flick of his wand, being physically incapable of wielding it he hoped that this would suffice.

He sucked in his breath as one of the symbols he had invoked rose up and became Goddess – naked, present and solid before his eyes. He briefly and inappropriately thanked the other Gods that he was gay or the meeting might have been more than a little embarrassing. She was astonishingly beautiful.

"For fuck's sake, has there not been enough death already?"

Aradia, White Goddess, supreme female amongst all Pagan gods, purest symbol of magic swore at Severus, put her hands on her naked hips and frowned at him. He was more than bemused; this was not at all what he had expected. In the (hopefully not) unlikely event that this succeeded, Severus had expected to have his life swiftly taken in exchange for Dumbledore's resurrection. That is what all the texts stated, that was the sacrifice demanded of him. Well, technically it didn't have to be his life, but that was what he was most comfortable with. Now, here was the supreme Goddess, naked, defiant and arguing with him. He was completely non-plussed.

"What?" his trademark indignance was in there but it was masked by his confusion.

Aradia took a step forward and surveyed the scene; she ran a finger through the already congealing blood on Severus' chest and looked frighteningly like Molly Weasley in a laundry-frenzy. She didn't however ask him how he managed to get through so many socks or why his boxers were always left inside his trousers (he knew he had spent too much time skulking and listening to other people's conversations!) – instead she knelt in front of him; eyebrows knotted and seemed to be appraising what kind of man he was. Severus waited.

When she spoke again, her voice was surprisingly soft.

"There has been enough death." Her statements held no room for disagreement; it was not an opinion, merely a fact.

"There has been enough loss. Not merely of life, but also of opportunities. It is not the time for more loss, even if it is offered in trade. It is time for life to breath again, to breed again. This ritual demands an offering of life and that cannot be changed, but I do not accept your life as forfeit for this action."

Severus would have moved, would have grabbed hold of the deity and shaken her, explained how his life was worth nothing, how Dumbledore's was worth anything – but he couldn't. She had taken speech from him too for the moment and he could do nothing but sit frozen and listen.

"I demand a life," she stated simply. "But the balance between living and dead is already out of kilter and I cannot take another life from this world, not even in replacement of another. My price is this; you will bear life. I will make it possible for this to occur. You will conceive a child, bear it to term and birth it. You will raise the child in the light; it will be a beacon by which others set the store of their behaviour. This child will not be taken from you, will not be given away and will never be subject to the darkness which you have endured, it will be loved. Conceive this child and I will fulfil my obligation to this ritual. Do you accept?"

Severus felt the magical restraints around him relax. He never even thought about the proposition before answering.

"Yes"