Chapter 40: Headmaster Snape
{A/N: Onward to Hogwarts...}
My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.
Hogwarts Castle, Scotland, Wizarding World...
Dark clouds loomed over the vast and auspicious looking castle known collectively as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It had appeared that all life had been sucked out of the place since the murder of it's former Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore who had presided over the school for many decades. Summer was at it's end and Harry James Potter was on the run from a Voldemort controlled Ministry of Magic and various lethal death eaters out for his blood. With the dementors and Ministry of Magic on his side, Voldemort turned his attention to far more dramatic ways to cement his status as The Most Powerful Wizard in the known world. A fact that became true with the demise of Albus Dumbledore a whole year prior. To further ascertain his statement to all who would oppose him, Voldemort swept Hogwarts with his dementors and placed Severus Sebastian Snape, his right hand in charge of the school where he had not only taught for many years but also the place where he murdered the previous headmaster.
Under Voldemort's new rule Hogwarts was reestablished to be intolerant of those without pure magical blood and education became little more than a training camp for hatred and callousness. With the most hated man in the wizarding world at the helm New Hogwarts was to be The Dark Lord's new crown jewel in the new world ruled by him and him alone. For fun Voldemort place Snape as Headmaster and the Carrows as his deputies to ensure that the school would comply with his new directive.
The wizard in question, Headmaster Severus Sebastian Snape stood silently as he watched the droves unhappy students march in a rather primitive fashion into the court yard. Aside from the Carrow twins, Snape made no changes to the staff. Nor would he allow anyone else to. He presided over the school with all the quiet and reserve as a man labeled to be a tyrant could contain if not more.
He moved about the halls like a whisper or a ghost swooping upon unsuspecting students out after curfew. He stressed the need for them to remain with their peers at all times as well as keeping his own counsel with the current teachers, despite them hating him beyond belief, Snape seemed to trust Minerva McGonagall above all others.
The students of Hogwarts had never been the sort to take being oppressed by Snape and "his goons" lying down. They organized a resistance squad to rebel against the tyrannical reign of their beloved Dumbledore's killer. Unfortunately they were too unorganized and sloppy to pose any sort of real threat so Snape let them continue on as if he had been ignorant of their groups formation.
It did not surprise him that Ginerva Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood had been among the names leading the doomed little group. It had not even been much a surprise to know that the faculty had been aiding them as best they can, holding secret meetings with plans to depose Snape behind his back, though he had been very much aware of it.
The new Headmaster simply went on as if nothing had ever happened keeping with strict schedules that had been more for the students protection than punishment. He could not be everywhere and with not only dementors but the Carrow twins running around someone was bound to get hurt.
Unfortunately, Luna Lovegood had been the first to fall into this category.
The Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts...
Snape waved his wand over the purple and black flesh of Luna Lovegood. She had hardly said a word as she looked into the eyes of the man who had been her enemy from the moment he uttered the killing curse that took the life of Albus Dumbledore. His obsidian eyes seemed to be more sorrowful than menacing and his pale pallor was due to lack of sunlight and nutrition as adverse to intent on scaring innocent children. Luna studied him as he healed her wounds.
This man was not some monster to be feared nor a hostile murderer like everyone claimed.
The innocent young Ravenclaw saw only auras of pain and sadness not malice or glee for getting away with murder. To her it seemed that Snape carried an enormous weight upon his already sagging shoulders.
"You love her very much." said Luna in a dreamy like tone.
Snape ignored this as he was well familiar with Luna Lovegood after having spent time as a student with her "dream hippy" father, Xenophilius
"Miss Lovegood, I suggest you stay inside your dorms after curfew...there is no telling what could happen to a foolish little girl like yourself as the hours pass." said Snape in his usual emotionless tone. "Death eaters are not kind people do not make the same mistake that your precious Dumbledore did."
Luna simply watched him as if she had a new set of eyes. It did not escape her notice that it pained him a great deal to make that last quip. The aura of pain and sorrow had been heavy on the dour wizard but there was a small white aura one indicating love that seemed to stave off much of the effects of the others.
"You love her more than you want to admit even to yourself but you think she is out of your reach." said Luna in the same dreamy state. "She's not...she still loves you...and you can win her back."
Snape continued to ignore her.
"You are dismissed Miss Lovegood." he said wishing to get the witch out of his presence as soon as possible.
Luna got to her feet with her newly repaired wounds and attire and offered the brooding Headmaster a sad smile.
"She will forgive you, Professor Snape." she said in a mildly pleasant tone. "She loves you just as much as you love her."
Snape continued to ignore the young witch as she took her leave of him. He sighed sitting down in his chair with more effort than he could muster. He had not been sure if Luna had the same strange gift of insight as her father but it unnerved him none the less. It was little more than a constant headache to have to deal with all that was going on at the school but he would weather through it none the less.
A Week Later...
Ginerva Weasley was brought to his office. She had the same rage and fire in her eyes as she was shoved down to her knees by Alecto Carrow who had been delighted that he caught the supposed leader of the student rebellion. Snape had not been surprised to see his wife's best friend had been in the thick of the drama. Given who her parents were he did not expect anything less.
"Ginerva Weasley." said Snape in an emotionless tone. "Why am I not surprised to see you here."
Ginny spit at Snape with all the venom she could muster in the gesture.
The move caused her to be slapped by Alecto.
The ringing had still been in her ears when Snape moved from behind his desk and ventured over toward her.
"A Weasley through and through." said Snape. "No doubt Arthur and Molly applaud your little groups efforts...possibly even Potter cheers you on."
"Don't you dare talk about Harry murderer." said Ginny enraged that he would even have the gall to mention his name. "He was right about you from the start...I don't know what Hermione ever saw in you."
Snape eyes became as cold as the Weasley girl had ever seen them at the mention of Hermione Granger.
"Alecto would you kindly leave us." he said in a dangerously low tone.
"No way Snape I found her I should be..." he didn't get to say much more as he found himself thrown half way into the still closed door to the office.
"OUT!" shouted Snape as if he could breathe fire in that moment.
Alecto Carrow scrambled out of the office and went to find his sister. He had in no way wanted to cross Snape especially not in this black a mood. Ginny looked at Snape contemplating if she had indeed pushed the Headmaster too far with the mention of Hermione. Luna Lovegood had told her that Snape had still harbored feelings for her friend but she had not wanted to believe it.
Snape glared at Ginny murderously.
"You will not mention that name in my presence ever again...and you will comply as long as you want to keep your little Dumbledore's army rebellion group intact." he said with his tone like ice chilling her to the bone.
Ginny had been surprised he had not only known about them but he had not made any attempts to stop them.
"W-Why...?" she started to ask.
"Get out of my office Miss Weasley." said Snape making it clear that it was not a request. "And I suggest you stay out of the range of the Carrows, no doubt Alecto is feeling a bit sore at losing his prized prisoner and will be looking to obtain revenge without my direction."
Ginny hardly believed what she was hearing.
Not only was Snape letting her go unharmed but he was advising her to stay away from Alecto Carrow should she want to avoid punishment in the future. The more the young Gryffindor witch looked at Snape the less he seemed like a tyrannical dictator hell bent on destroying Hogwarts...Luna had been correct in her assessment it seemed when she told Ginny that Snape seemed more sad than anything and that he truly loved Hermione.
Not wishing to trespass on Snape's good graces for long Ginny took her leave of him, but not before watching him make his way toward the window as he gazed out into the courtyard. He seemed to be carrying a heavy burden not relishing power as many would have believed.
With Ginny gone Snape warded his office and sank down in his chair. He could still see her in his mind. Her amber eyes varying from the look of love and admiration she had the night before he killed Dumbledore and the rage and hate reflected the night of the murder.
He knew he didn't deserve her.
He knew love was what had eluded him from the moment of his birth.
He knew this war was complicated and seemingly never ending.
But he could not bring himself to hate Hermione Granger.
He had loved her too much.
Numb to the coldness that enveloped him.
He was a death eater and a murderer.
He didn't deserve her.
Or at least that's what his logical mind told him. His heart had been another matter all together.