This chapter was fun to write, I love exploring Ashitaka's power.

Chapter 23

Revealing the Trust and Testing the Power

The next memory was surprising. It was still first year in Hogwarts, but they were underneath the school, not the dungeons either, below that.

"What is this place, Sev?" Lily asked.

"Do you honestly expect me to sleep in the Slytherin Dormitory?" he smiled. They were in a library-family room, books covered all the shelves and a fire merrily crackled, "This was build underneath the school as a refuge place for students during the first Wizard War in Hogwarts History, some of the house-elves found it for me," he plucked a piece of chocolate off the tray that one of the house elves was holding.

Lily and Sarah looked around fascinated, "You have your own private house down here, don't you?" Sarah called from another room, "potions room and everything, hey what is this?"

Sarah walked out holding a staff. It was finely carved staff of black, etched into was silver vines and ruins, the top was jagged like an actual tree branch that was holding an black stone that flashed Element Colors (dark green, blue, silver, and red), and a leather strap was tied just below the top and from it hung raven feathers.

Severus looked like he'd been caught steeling a cookie from a cookie jar, "My dad gave it to me when I was younger," he grabbed it and hurriedly placed it in another room.

"Oh come on, Sev, let us look at it," Lily whined and went and grabbed it again, "I think I read something about this, but it said only powerful Demons need it, and your not a Demon, are ya Sev?" it was a joke, but Severus looked down trying to hide a smile.

"C'mon Sev don't joke like that, Demons are queer creatures," Sarah said grabbing the staff.

"Queer!" he sounded offended, "they are not queer," he snatched it back and locked it away again, "they're just different, that's all,"
Sarah and Lily exchanged looks and stared at him suspiciously, "uh-huh…and how would you know what they were like,"

Severus cringed, "I've met one once,"

"Yeah right, Severus Snape, Demons almost never leave their worlds, cough it up, Sev, how do you know what Demons are like….?"

He took a deep breath and smiled at them, "'cause I am one…."

The two stared at him, "prove it,"

Sighing he stood and grabbed the staff again, "Vox of Ventus quod Terra, verto mihi tergum ut Everto procul ortus." Green light began twirling around him, blowing his hair around; he placed his hands flat on the staff and slammed the end into the ground. The ground around him seemed to tremble and light flared up, causing them all to shield their eyes. As the light died away there was Ashitaka Jodiki, standing in black pants and boots and a simple short sleeve tunic revealing his arms that were tattooed with green vines that crawled up his arms and could just be visible on the neck at the collar of his tunic.

Sarah and Lily started at him, mouths hanging, walking around him slowly studying him. Ashitaka just stood there with an uncomfortable smile as they studied him, "so what is your real name?"

"Ashitaka Jodiki," he said smiling, revealing his panther teeth.

"So exactly what kind of Demon are you?"

"Elemental,"

"ELEMENTAL!" Sarah balked at her, "Elemental are the most powerful….put on your disguise, we're going out…."

………

They were in a huge clearing in the Forbidden Forest, one that was familiar to the trio. The Black Unicorns were already there prancing around or eating or drinking from the mystical silvery pond.

Ashitaka stood in the middle of the clearing waiting impatiently for the two girls to decide what power to make him show.

"So since you're an Elemental Demon you have control over the Elements right?"

"Yes, but-"

"So show us how you control fire," it was dark now so Severus took a deep breath and raised his hands and snapped his fingers. Above him flames erupted dancing around and smoke filling the sky. He waved his hand and the fire slammed together, waving hands again he pointed at the ground and there sitting in front of the three of them was a medium sized dragon made of flames. Taking a deep breath to control the power he clapped his hands in front of him and it imploded until all that was left was a small puff of smoke.

The girls clapped in excitement, "do water,"

Severus turned his back on them and slammed his hands on the ground, it instantly began to tremble. He dug his fingers into the grass and the ground split, minutes later water exploded from it, he directed it in the air until it was barely visible above them and then he let it drop just when the huge wash of water would have hit them he grabbed it with his magic and directed back into the ground.

"Air,"

He grabbed his staff and began spinning it, above them clouds were forming the clouds circling. Slowly it lowered to the ground in a tornado. Ashitaka laughed as he grabbed the end of the tornado spun it around and through it back up into the air where it stayed.

"Hey don't forget Earth!" Sarah called finally getting to the last one.

Ash brought a rock out of the ground and leaped on top of it, riding it like it was a skateboard and whizzed through the air jumping now from rock to rock. The vines tattooed on his arms rose and grew lashing out and grabbing onto the trees, Severus jumped off the rock and landed without a sound on the ground which began trembling with an earthquake, he stilled it by placing a gentle hand on the ground and closing his eyes in concentration.

The girls instantly irrupted into applause and Ashitaka mock bowed, they all laughed as the Black Unicorns who watched the show with disinterest came trotting over.

"That's some power you got there," said the largest one that Hermione recognized as the King Rekorian.

"Yes, milord," Ashitaka silenced his laughter and fell into a bow.

Rekorian smiled and pushed him back, "Come back some time, maybe I'll let you go for a ride,"

Ashitaka smiled, "Thank you, My Lord Rekorian, it's much appreciated."

"Loose the Lord, Ashitaka, you're a Prince you know, we can be a little informal,"

"Prince?" Sarah snapped at him, "You said you were a Demon not royalty," she slapped his arm, "why didn't you tell us?"

"It wasn't that important,"

Lily rolled her eyes, "You two are impossibly adorable, and you two are just going to grow up and get married,"

The look of horror that crossed both of their faces was priceless.

………

Hermione watched the show with surprise, no wonder Snape was such a strong wizard, he has natural power anyway, especially an Elemental Demon. She glanced at him again, his disguise was definitely disappearing, his ears were become more pointed, his nose, smaller. She smiled softly and sadly, she just couldn't imagine what happened to such a beautiful man to make him turn away from everyone like he did and hide his heritage like he does. She knew it probably had something to do with the fact that he was obviously being abused, and no one seemed to notice that, and probably had something to do with what was going to happen at Hogwarts.

End Chapter 23

Revealing the Truth and Testing the Power

There ya go, hope ya like!

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