Mind Games of Water

By: Lynn Metallium

Disclaimer: I am but a poor little American girl and I do not own Harry Potter and co., that privilege goes to the wonderful J.K. Rowling, (my hero! XD) so please don't sue me and all that stuff because I would be sad and cry and you wouldn't get any money because I had to use it all for college XD

Author Notes: At the end

Chapter 6

The lake was no different now than it had been a few hours earlier when visited by Harry, the sun however had long since left the sky and the dim night lights winked playfully in the water. Headmaster Dumbledore shifted uncomfortably on his cooling rock next to the shore. His robes hung down into the mud, nearly reaching the lapping water's edge as he attempted to stretch his back. Pain shot through his spine as he forced his body up straight, alas he was much older than he would have liked and sitting out at the lakeside no longer brought him the joy it had in his youth, only aches and pains of an old coot.

"You've been sitting out here for a very long time, is it me you seek Albus?" Pale milky colored fingers reached out of the water, stroking the hem of the old man's robes, staining them with water and mud. Albus simply stared at the fingers with silent tired eyes.

"You know whom I seek Ysaelin. I have a few questions for you, so if you're quite ready I'd appreciate it as I am a very old man and will soon need my beauty sleep!"

Ysaelin chuckled as she drug her naked body along the muddy shallow water in front of the headmaster, not bothering to stand, instead she merely placed her elbows in the mud, resting her head in her palms and stared up at him from her place.

"You're here to talk about Severus I know," Ysaelin tilted her head to one side as she regarded him with dark murky eyes. "But you know I have nothing to say about him after all."

"I do not like what you have done, you must know that," Albus stared down at the water sprite, she had always been troublesome but there was something about this time that bothered him greatly. "I see a malicious streak in your face when you speak of my potions master. Is there something that has happened that I should be aware of?"

"Oh no no," The pale creature turned her gaze from him to drabble her fingers in the water, watching the ripples extend from her finger tips. "You mistake my glee for something a bit more vicious. When have I ever done something out of malice?"

"Where would you prefer me to begin with that?" Although Albus had not intended to have that amused tone in his voice it was unavoidable it seemed to keep serious, especially in her presence. "I'd like you to return him, if you don't mind, sometime soon, preferably by morning."

"Now why, headmaster…would I want to do a thing like that?" Ysaelin shot him a rather feral grin. "You wouldn't believe what he is going through now in that land. While we sit here and exchange tit for tat over when I will return your potions master to you, he has been going through months of life altering challenges. It is for the best you know."

"I'd certainly beg to differ Ysaelin. I personally preferred Severus the way he was, snarky and inexcusably irritable at all times." There was a certain note of pride in his voice as he spoke about the greasy haired man. "He keeps us grounded, even though you seem to have found fault with him for being what he his. Do you think he is simply the way he is because he cannot help himself? That boy has already been through more than you ever will."

"Don't take me wrong Albus, I know what the child has been through but unlike you I don't find his actions excusable by his previous life experiences. You've always taken the lighter hand when dealing with other humans Albus, it's almost sickening! How can you let him get away with what he does to those students?"

"I don't find that there is anything wrong with his treatment of the children Ysaelin, do you really believe that if he was causing serious distress I would allow him to stay?"

"Of course I can believe it because you always turn the blind eye Albus!" Ysaelin suddenly picked herself up from the bank, her slim white body dripping with darkened water and sludge. Perhaps she was attempting to be intimidating as she stared down at the old man from her stand point in the shallow water at the lakes edge, but Albus would have none of it as he stared up at the water sprite.

"I may turn my head from time to time Ysaelin, but I have never turned my face away when it counted. I would like my Potions Master back by tomorrow, if at all possible." The older man slowly began to climb to his feet, ignoring the theatrics of the sprite before him. It was nothing new to see her act like this, she had always attempted flamboyancy at everything in her life and now was no exception.

"Don't walk away from me Albus-" Ysaelin's hands clenched at her side as she watched him slowly start away from the lake. "You don't understand so don't you dare turn your back on me old man!"

Albus paused as he stood beside an old willow a few feet away. Although he had tried to be the one in charge, it was best not to antagonize the sprite into doing something they both would regret. He would be no help to Severus if he ended up a part of her dirty mind games as well.

"What is that you want from me Ysaelin?" He spoke, yet he did not turn around, he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing his tired aging face. Times like these he felt millions of years old and he half wished he could just retire if only to escape from petty things such as dealing with irresponsible, impossible water sprite children. He was sure it had never been in the job description previous to the birth of this one trouble maker. "What is it that I don't understand? Perhaps it would be best if you explained it to me."

"It's so troublesome…" Ysaelin moaned as she rose from the water, walking across the wet grass to press against the tree that the older wizard stood next to. "How can you not know why Severus must suffer? Have you not watched him all of these years as I have? Have you not two eyes to see what he has been doing Albus?"

"I have seen all that you have seen Ysaelin and yet I do not see the reason that you would send him to Juiidai. In fact I find it rather unnecessary," He finally turned to regard her over the tops of his specials, pointedly ignoring her naked state. While such trickery might have worked on a younger student, perhaps one named oh…Harry Potter for example, Albus had long since left that stage of life thus not finding any amusement in her lack of dress nor her inappropriate bodily parts.

"Severus was always a lonely child…I saw him every day under this willow," Ysaelin's hand gently stroked along the harsh bark, lost a bit in the fondness of memories long since passed. "Those other boys…the bastards….Always picking on him, sneering and shoving him from behind! It was uncalled for Albus! And no one ever looked twice at how he was treated! It was the most miserable time of his life you know. He never wanted anyone to see him cry…so he came here to be alone. But I saw… I saw him cry every time and curse them, I wanted to hurt those boys…Hurt them bad! But I never did…Although Black certainly deserved it more times than once! I should have destroyed his brain for all the wrongs he caused in the world. He was a bastardly boy Albus! Utter bastard!"

"I believe," Albus cut in quietly. "That the subject at hand is Severus Snape, not Sirius Black, no matter how much of a "bastard" he was to you or Severus. I'd certainly like to know why you would choose to do this to Severus instead of Mr. Black as it appears your feelings were much more sever towards him. I would be curious to know, just what wrong doings did Severus ever do to you my dear lady?"

"It was never what he did for me. I was his friend…always, the quiet water lapping at his feet in comfort when he came to cry. I was always here for him. But one day…he never came back…he never cried again Albus. Not where I could see him."

"Everyone is bitter Ysaelin but I don't see that-"

"I wasn't finished!" The sprite hissed, slamming her hand into the tree harshly, the bark digging into her hand causing bright marks of blood to appear on her pale skin. "I didn't mind that he never came back, I've grown use to giving up my human companions over the many thousands of years and Severus was no exception. The only difference was, he was here. I could check up on him, become the warm soothing bath water that held him after a long night of pain from that devilish man of whom we sprites do not speak! I could still take care of a hurting child. But I saw something different in his eyes….he changed…"

"It isn't often that a man can stay the same Ysaelin, especially with the things that Severus has been through-"

"No, you're wrong. It was more than that, he was becoming less human and more of a shell, don't be fooled that I didn't see that change. The real change Albus, he became a monster! The very likeness of those boys so many years ago, the very shadow of a boy named Sirius Black! He was a nasty man Albus, the thing of nightmares for little girls and boys at night. The evil that stood in dark corners and waited to prey upon things that would easily cry at the sight of him! These were never things the man named Severus I knew would do. These were things of his past, of another person that we both despised! I couldn't let him be this way Albus! You of all people should know!"

"I believe you could have come to me on this matter Ysaelin instead of taking such measures on your own. We could have spoken with Severus, in fact it is not too late for you to bring him back from the dreamscape. Let us go to my office and have some tea my dear."

"No," Ysaelin looked away, her eyes drifting upward towards the cold night sky. Although it was less than warm outside this time of year her naked body showed no signs of chill. "I cannot do that and you know it is so Albus. I must teach Severus a lesson."

"And so it will be Ysaelin! We can speak with him, Severus is a very understanding man when he needs to be. Perhaps it will even be therapeutic for him, who knows-"The old wizard gave a slight chuckle as he pulled his cloak a bit closer around him.

"Juiidai is also very therapeutic Albus," Ysaelin turned her amused stare back on the man giving a rather low chuckle.

"Not in a way that is preferable, and you know in what ways I speak. Juiidai is a dangerous place Ysaelin, your mother should have taught you better than to go about sending unprepared humans into the dreamscape. Men can die there, and I don't want to see this young man come out as so many others have."

"There's nothing dangerous about it Albus, it's easy, once you figure out the trick!" She laughed once again, pushing herself off of the willow to drift back towards the water edge. "Any many can control Juiidai. It is his dream, his fantasy. If he wishes it it will come to pass. If he wishes to be a rich man, then a rich man he will be, if he wishes to be a king then a king he will be! It is a grand place Albus! You know that it is true, you have seen it with your own eyes and live to tell the tale my old friend!"

"But with all of these wishes come consequences! A man who wishes to become King may find that his best friend has been slain to get him on the thrown! A man who wishes to become rich may find he has become a thief to gain his money! It is not without consequences Ysaelin and therein lays the danger for man kind. They can wish for things that should never be wished for in Juiidai, without even meaning to and they will suffer for it! A human mind is not made to comprehend Juiidai Ysaelin and you know it to be true!" Albus found himself raising his voice to the sprite, whom only regarded him silently from over her shoulder, an eerie smile on her moonlit face.

"I know well enough about Juiidai Albus, you do not need to tell me of the consequences of man. But if he is a selfless man, no harm will come to him. Juiidai is a place of child's play for the man who is caring, gentle and selfless."

"A man may die before he can turn into such a person. We all suffer from sins that are preyed upon in Juiidai and no man is perfect enough to come out unharmed!" The elder wizard's hand tightened into a fist.

What Ysaelin spoke of was impossible for man kind. All men suffered from jealousy or lust, a sin of the body. With those sins he would wish for things, whether consciously or unconsciously and those things would happen to him in Juiidai, yet not in the most wonderful ways as one might hope but in the most dangerous painful twisted ways imaginable. It was almost impossible for a man to come out with a sound head on his shoulders and perhaps to this day that was why Albus found himself a little loony at times. Even he had not escaped without heartache and defeat within the dreamscape.

"Ah Albus, but that is what makes it so fun for me," Ysaelin gave another low chuckle as she stepped into the lake, not looking back as she went. "Do not seek me out again Albus, I will not come to you. I will only return Severus when I am good and ready, when he is good and ready. This topic is no longer open for discussion, although if there is another matter you wish to discuss with me I would not mind a bit of company. The lake is large and lonely sometimes."

"I see…" Albus trailed off as he watched the girl slowly disappear beneath the dark rippling water. He should have known that his trip out here would have been wasted. Ysaelin had never been one to agree after all. Her mother had been much more agreeable and Albus had gotten along with her just fine. If only the youth would grow up and see the errors of her childish ways, then Hogwarts would be much better off.

"Oh and Albus?" Ysaelin's voice floated out over the water, although she herself was no longer visible above the dark glassy water.

"Yes Ysaelin…what may I do for you my girl?" Unfortunately it was not in is nature to refuse a request, even that of an obnoxious water sprite.

"Do sent that Potter boy down calling, he is rather delicious!"

It was then that Albus knew she was perhaps, rather mad. Although he had suspected for years that the girl was nothing like her mother, it was now that he knew she was lacking perhaps a few cells that made her stable. He had known for her enjoyment for causing chaos but now he suspected it was more from her unstable sadistic streak rather than just simple dirty amusement. There would be much trouble if he couldn't find a way to keep her from causing these sorts of trouble in the future but now he had to concentrate on the here and now. He had to get Severus from her maddening grip some how…He knew that he would most certainly not be sending the Potter boy down here at all. Especially after that statement and he hoped that Harry would have enough sense to stay out of this. He could hope so as the boy was not secretive for his hate over the "greasy potions professor".

Sighing to himself, Albus turned from the dark quiet waters to start the trek back to the castle in silence, his thoughts swirling viciously about inside his head. There had to be a weakness to the dreamscape and he would find some way around this, or his name wasn't…er….well he would find some way around it!


Author Notes: Heeeey, another six months and another chapter. I thought I owed it to everyone to make a new one finally, although this chapter was hard to write because I couldn't get the interaction the way I wanted it to be. Hopefully the next chapter will be much better and not so short as we go back to Severus and Harry XD Pleaaaase please please R&R, I know that often it takes me a long time to produce a new chapter but I never really forget about the story, Im always working on it in the back of my mind and it's always so nice to come back and see reviews. It makes me eager to please you 3