Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and encouraged me to keep going. : ) It's just what I needed.
Chapter Twenty Four
Sybil hurried toward Hogwarts, shivering in the crisp morning air. In the cold light of day, what she'd done didn't seem as easily justifiable. But what else could she have done? It was her life she was trying to save. She shivered again, but this time, it had nothing at all to do with the temperature of the air. What she was going to do now, she absolutely no clue. Something told her the Severus Snape was not going to give in and do as Voldemort asked, and short of revealing what she really knew about Hogwarts' potions master she had no more leverage. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately she admitted with a wince, she wasn't about to stoop quite that low.
Lost in thought, her mind whirling, Sybil reached the front doors of the school much more quickly that she would have liked. She still had so much to think about. Unfortunately, she had classes to teach today, none of which -- thankfully -- had been early this morning as she had been unable to return until now. She simply no longer had the luxury of the time she so badly needed to sort things out. She didn't even know what she was going to tell Albus about where she'd been -- assuming he asked. Pausing on the front step, Sybil Trelawney drew in a deep, fortifying breath before opening the door and stepping inside.
Frowning, she immediately sensed something . . . different than usual -- not that she was often down in the main part of the castle. She much preferred to remain in her tower most of the time, which made it difficult to sort out what seemed out of place. The front hall was empty, as it usually was this time of day, all the students and most of the teachers in class. Slowly scanning around her, she could find nothing that would account for the odd feeling.
Her frown deepening alongside her discontent, Sybil moved forward slowly. She still had some time before she had to get ready for class. Lunch didn't even begin for another twenty minutes or so, and her first class today was after that. She crossed toward the great hall, preferring to take the shorter route through that room, rather than make her way through half the castle just to reach her sanctuary.
The moment she opened the door, however, her world came crashing down around her. For a split second in time everything stopped, and she took in the frozen tableau in front of her.
Merlin, help me! she though in frantic prayer.
Several students -- mostly Gryffindors, she noticed -- were gathered near the front of the room, where the head table normally stood, along with Minerva, Severus, Serapha, and Albus. They all stared at her. The young woman Sybil had watched grow up -- with something akin to terror -- was dressed resplendently in an antique gown that molded itself to her body. Next to her, Severus' expression was thunderous, and Sybil gulped, truly fearing for her life. Before her was the scene she'd long dreaded, and she had absolutely no doubt that she had helped it happen. Why else would the headmaster be involved in this? There could be no other explanation.
"Noooooo!" she screamed, and with that sound, time seemed to right itself. Everyone moved at once, all speaking, demanding explanations. It was a cacophony of noise she could not make sense of and did not try. Her eyes were glued to an angry Severus Snape, striding toward her, wand drawn and pointed at her. He had nearly reached her before she even thought to reach for her own wand, drawing it against a coworker was not something she had ever thought she would do. By then it was too late. She didn't hear the spell he uttered, nor the one Albus fired off in unision. She only saw the blue light of Severus' spell, and the yellow light of Albus' combine around in a green haze. As the world went black around her as she fell to the floor, pure unadulterated terror coursing through her body, she had one final thought. I was wrong!
"Severus!" Albus snapped, and Sybil jumped, consciousness returning to her all at once. "What would you have me do? Fire her?"
"Yes!" Severus retorted angrily.
"You know as well as I do that act would only serve to give her no choice but to truly turn to he-who-must-not-be-named."
What have I done?! Sybil thought despairingly, fast on the heels of which came the thought, I'm alive!
"Do what you must, Albus!" Severus snarled. "You always do. Just keep that woman away from me!"
"I'll do that, Severus," Albus replied quietly, sounding weary and defeated to Sybil.
Tears leaked out the corners of her still closed eyes. The scene she had dreamed about since childhood had come to pass and she was still alive. Somehow, not only had she managed to misinterpret the entire thing, but that in all of her maneuvering to avoid it, she had actually had a hand in making it come to pass. How could she have been so blind?
She stiffened as she heard movement near her bed. No doubt it was Albus, come to mete out her punishment. She knew she deserved nothing less than what Severus had demanded, but thanked everything she held dear that it wasn't going to happen.
"Sybil Trelawney," Albus said quietly. It wasn't a question, it was a command, one that told her he knew she was aware.
Turning slowly, she opened her eyes, instantly wishing she hadn't. There were many things she would far rather face than the incredible disappointment on Albus Dumbledore's face. The words, 'I'm so sorry,' trembled on her lips, but she didn't say them. Words would never be enough.
"Do you have even the slightest idea what you've done?" Albus asked her, his words quiet, but backed by a hint of steel the headmaster usually did not show.
Sybil's eyes widened. "Yes," she replied firmly, despite her trembling and the desire to hide beneath her covers as she had when she'd been a child, back when such flimsy things actually seemed to be adequate protection from the horrors of the world. "I've betrayed your trust," she continued in a whisper, her voice abandoning her as she admitted her guilt.
"Quite," Albus replied evenly, his disappointment showing even more, "but that's the very least of what you've done."
She did not agree, but didn't say so aloud. She may have been wrong. She may have stepped over the line. But what she'd done, she had done to save her own life . . . or so she'd thought. The only thing she truly regretted about any of it, was disappointing the man standing at her bedside. That hurt.
"I will not fire you," he said finally, when it became apparent she had nothing more to say.
Relief flooded her to actually hear the words she'd been sure would come.
"Nor will I ask what your possible motivation could have been," anger flaring in his eyes. "Nothing you could say could possibly be reason enough."
Sybil gasped, a tiny spark of her own anger flaring. "What would you do to prevent your own death, a death you'd seen in nightmare visions since childhood!?" she snapped. She was in the wrong; she knew that. That didn't mean there weren't mitigating circumstances.
Albus' expression faded from angry to simply weary, with an edge of sadness mixed in. "I would hope that I would not be willing to sacrifice another in my place."
I hope you never have to find out, Sybil thought sullenly, angered more than she cared to admit at the headmaster's unwillingness to understand her position. She had threatened no one's life; she had merely tried to orchestrate her own marriage to the man she'd seen wed another. What was so bloody wrong with that? Can we say Dark Lord? her thoughts echoed back to her and she winced. Yes, that had been a particularly bad move on her part, she had to admit.
"You will no longer have the freedoms you used to," Albus continued. "Your outside communications will be monitored, your fireplace will be banned from the floo system. Your--"
"You can't do that!" Sybil protested, launching herself to a sitting position.
"I can and I will, Professor Trelawney," Albus said sternly, his voice even and diamond hard. "In a better world, I would see you to prison for what you've done."
Sybil gasped.
"As it stands, we both know that is impossible. The third condition of your continued employment; not only will you remain in your tower and have no contact with students outside class time, you will not be allowed to leave the school unsupervised."
Fine! Sybil thought angrily, her eyes narrowing. I'll abide by your rules, but only until I find myself other employment.
"Should you decide you cannot abide by these conditions, Professor, you will be fired."
"Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of all those . . . rules in the first place?" Sybil asked snidely, tired of the game already. She had no patience for such as this.
"No, I assure you it would not," Albus said softly. Leaning forward, his normally cheerful eyes narrowing as the focused fully on her. "I would let it be known to any future employer of yours that you were fired for the willful endangerment of both coworker and student."
For the first time Sybil Trelawney felt the full impact of the powerful wizard Albus Dumbledore really was, and it wasn't something she was looking forward to seeing again any time soon. The headmaster was frightening when he wanted to be. "You would keep me from getting a job?" she asked, shocked.
"I most definitely would," Albus replied immediately. "I want you here so I can keep an eye on you."
Sybil slumped back. She was well and truly stuck. It was a disaster of her own making, and she saw no way out of it for a long time to come.
"As soon as Poppy releases you from the infirmary, you will be escorted to your tower."
Sybil nodded numbly as she watched the headmaster turn and walk away without so much as a backward glance. The moment the door closed behind him, loneliness crept in and surrounded her, wrapping her in a cloak of depression. Silent tears falling down her cheeks, she closed her eyes, blocking out everything and everyone.
TBC
Kiristeen
Feedback: It's muse food. : )
Chapter Twenty Four
Sybil hurried toward Hogwarts, shivering in the crisp morning air. In the cold light of day, what she'd done didn't seem as easily justifiable. But what else could she have done? It was her life she was trying to save. She shivered again, but this time, it had nothing at all to do with the temperature of the air. What she was going to do now, she absolutely no clue. Something told her the Severus Snape was not going to give in and do as Voldemort asked, and short of revealing what she really knew about Hogwarts' potions master she had no more leverage. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately she admitted with a wince, she wasn't about to stoop quite that low.
Lost in thought, her mind whirling, Sybil reached the front doors of the school much more quickly that she would have liked. She still had so much to think about. Unfortunately, she had classes to teach today, none of which -- thankfully -- had been early this morning as she had been unable to return until now. She simply no longer had the luxury of the time she so badly needed to sort things out. She didn't even know what she was going to tell Albus about where she'd been -- assuming he asked. Pausing on the front step, Sybil Trelawney drew in a deep, fortifying breath before opening the door and stepping inside.
Frowning, she immediately sensed something . . . different than usual -- not that she was often down in the main part of the castle. She much preferred to remain in her tower most of the time, which made it difficult to sort out what seemed out of place. The front hall was empty, as it usually was this time of day, all the students and most of the teachers in class. Slowly scanning around her, she could find nothing that would account for the odd feeling.
Her frown deepening alongside her discontent, Sybil moved forward slowly. She still had some time before she had to get ready for class. Lunch didn't even begin for another twenty minutes or so, and her first class today was after that. She crossed toward the great hall, preferring to take the shorter route through that room, rather than make her way through half the castle just to reach her sanctuary.
The moment she opened the door, however, her world came crashing down around her. For a split second in time everything stopped, and she took in the frozen tableau in front of her.
Merlin, help me! she though in frantic prayer.
Several students -- mostly Gryffindors, she noticed -- were gathered near the front of the room, where the head table normally stood, along with Minerva, Severus, Serapha, and Albus. They all stared at her. The young woman Sybil had watched grow up -- with something akin to terror -- was dressed resplendently in an antique gown that molded itself to her body. Next to her, Severus' expression was thunderous, and Sybil gulped, truly fearing for her life. Before her was the scene she'd long dreaded, and she had absolutely no doubt that she had helped it happen. Why else would the headmaster be involved in this? There could be no other explanation.
"Noooooo!" she screamed, and with that sound, time seemed to right itself. Everyone moved at once, all speaking, demanding explanations. It was a cacophony of noise she could not make sense of and did not try. Her eyes were glued to an angry Severus Snape, striding toward her, wand drawn and pointed at her. He had nearly reached her before she even thought to reach for her own wand, drawing it against a coworker was not something she had ever thought she would do. By then it was too late. She didn't hear the spell he uttered, nor the one Albus fired off in unision. She only saw the blue light of Severus' spell, and the yellow light of Albus' combine around in a green haze. As the world went black around her as she fell to the floor, pure unadulterated terror coursing through her body, she had one final thought. I was wrong!
"Severus!" Albus snapped, and Sybil jumped, consciousness returning to her all at once. "What would you have me do? Fire her?"
"Yes!" Severus retorted angrily.
"You know as well as I do that act would only serve to give her no choice but to truly turn to he-who-must-not-be-named."
What have I done?! Sybil thought despairingly, fast on the heels of which came the thought, I'm alive!
"Do what you must, Albus!" Severus snarled. "You always do. Just keep that woman away from me!"
"I'll do that, Severus," Albus replied quietly, sounding weary and defeated to Sybil.
Tears leaked out the corners of her still closed eyes. The scene she had dreamed about since childhood had come to pass and she was still alive. Somehow, not only had she managed to misinterpret the entire thing, but that in all of her maneuvering to avoid it, she had actually had a hand in making it come to pass. How could she have been so blind?
She stiffened as she heard movement near her bed. No doubt it was Albus, come to mete out her punishment. She knew she deserved nothing less than what Severus had demanded, but thanked everything she held dear that it wasn't going to happen.
"Sybil Trelawney," Albus said quietly. It wasn't a question, it was a command, one that told her he knew she was aware.
Turning slowly, she opened her eyes, instantly wishing she hadn't. There were many things she would far rather face than the incredible disappointment on Albus Dumbledore's face. The words, 'I'm so sorry,' trembled on her lips, but she didn't say them. Words would never be enough.
"Do you have even the slightest idea what you've done?" Albus asked her, his words quiet, but backed by a hint of steel the headmaster usually did not show.
Sybil's eyes widened. "Yes," she replied firmly, despite her trembling and the desire to hide beneath her covers as she had when she'd been a child, back when such flimsy things actually seemed to be adequate protection from the horrors of the world. "I've betrayed your trust," she continued in a whisper, her voice abandoning her as she admitted her guilt.
"Quite," Albus replied evenly, his disappointment showing even more, "but that's the very least of what you've done."
She did not agree, but didn't say so aloud. She may have been wrong. She may have stepped over the line. But what she'd done, she had done to save her own life . . . or so she'd thought. The only thing she truly regretted about any of it, was disappointing the man standing at her bedside. That hurt.
"I will not fire you," he said finally, when it became apparent she had nothing more to say.
Relief flooded her to actually hear the words she'd been sure would come.
"Nor will I ask what your possible motivation could have been," anger flaring in his eyes. "Nothing you could say could possibly be reason enough."
Sybil gasped, a tiny spark of her own anger flaring. "What would you do to prevent your own death, a death you'd seen in nightmare visions since childhood!?" she snapped. She was in the wrong; she knew that. That didn't mean there weren't mitigating circumstances.
Albus' expression faded from angry to simply weary, with an edge of sadness mixed in. "I would hope that I would not be willing to sacrifice another in my place."
I hope you never have to find out, Sybil thought sullenly, angered more than she cared to admit at the headmaster's unwillingness to understand her position. She had threatened no one's life; she had merely tried to orchestrate her own marriage to the man she'd seen wed another. What was so bloody wrong with that? Can we say Dark Lord? her thoughts echoed back to her and she winced. Yes, that had been a particularly bad move on her part, she had to admit.
"You will no longer have the freedoms you used to," Albus continued. "Your outside communications will be monitored, your fireplace will be banned from the floo system. Your--"
"You can't do that!" Sybil protested, launching herself to a sitting position.
"I can and I will, Professor Trelawney," Albus said sternly, his voice even and diamond hard. "In a better world, I would see you to prison for what you've done."
Sybil gasped.
"As it stands, we both know that is impossible. The third condition of your continued employment; not only will you remain in your tower and have no contact with students outside class time, you will not be allowed to leave the school unsupervised."
Fine! Sybil thought angrily, her eyes narrowing. I'll abide by your rules, but only until I find myself other employment.
"Should you decide you cannot abide by these conditions, Professor, you will be fired."
"Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of all those . . . rules in the first place?" Sybil asked snidely, tired of the game already. She had no patience for such as this.
"No, I assure you it would not," Albus said softly. Leaning forward, his normally cheerful eyes narrowing as the focused fully on her. "I would let it be known to any future employer of yours that you were fired for the willful endangerment of both coworker and student."
For the first time Sybil Trelawney felt the full impact of the powerful wizard Albus Dumbledore really was, and it wasn't something she was looking forward to seeing again any time soon. The headmaster was frightening when he wanted to be. "You would keep me from getting a job?" she asked, shocked.
"I most definitely would," Albus replied immediately. "I want you here so I can keep an eye on you."
Sybil slumped back. She was well and truly stuck. It was a disaster of her own making, and she saw no way out of it for a long time to come.
"As soon as Poppy releases you from the infirmary, you will be escorted to your tower."
Sybil nodded numbly as she watched the headmaster turn and walk away without so much as a backward glance. The moment the door closed behind him, loneliness crept in and surrounded her, wrapping her in a cloak of depression. Silent tears falling down her cheeks, she closed her eyes, blocking out everything and everyone.
TBC
Kiristeen
Feedback: It's muse food. : )
