Disclaimer: As before, Joanne Rowling is the one who has the ownership. I wrote this story from those she has written (translated to mean it's over, no more Harry). I HAVE finished Deathly Hallows, 10 hours of my day, and it's rather shocking. I'm not sure how much that will affect my story, but to be safe, if you haven't read the book, I'd advise you to look away so as not to spoil it for yourself.
Chapter Two: The Faces of Dionysus
At first, it was with both caution and pity that they accepted her. Then, it was anger over the memory of what her 'cousin' had done, of the lies. He feigned shock, the look apparently very effective upon her features. It passed with a few feeble words, a request to hear the full story, and a plea to help the fight, to repent for a crime not her own. With the sheer amount of work put into the cause, none of them would every suspect her of being a liar… It was too dangerous to put so much trust into people.
It had occurred to him that he too had been putting too much faith into his friends, the people who he was giving his all for, but he needed to, he needed their faith as much as he need to put his faith into them. With each potion, incantation, word of advice and piece of knowledge on the workings of the man they were out kill, the group began to trust him, trust her,and some even became tentative friends.
There was a comfortable buzz in the room, the warm glow of sunlight entering the room, the staff seated with drinks and smiles, talking happily in one of the few precious moments they had. They had taken to him with almost suspicious ease, he mused, wondering if that was just personal paranoia kicking in. Still, in the midst of a laughing Order of the Phoenix, the smiling young woman finally felt a small string of normality return to his life.
"Astelia...?" He looked up, his eyes meeting those of Nymphadora Tonks, her concern eminent.
"Yes, Dora?" That voice that issued from those lips was still so foreign to him, the words which he spoke so unlike himself; every action he took was one that distanced this persona from himself, a feat all too common for him.
"Are you all right? You look a little out of it." She offered a reassuring little smile, her eyes giving her away. They are green today, Snape mused, she must be happy.
"I'm fine, don't worry about me. Just thinking…"
She lightened up with the response. "Can't have you doing that," she chirped, wandering over to Remus, sitting beside him, "it's not good for your head." She lightly tapped her own, disturbing the vibrant spikes. Astelia smiled slightly, glad to be a part of this, glad to be accepted, yet worried for the safety, and knowing all too well just how long it would last.
As if on cue, Kingsley Shacklebolt entered, his nerves wracked and his face showing obvious urgency and disappointment that it was he who must deliver the unfortunate news. All eyes darted to him, all eyes showed concern, and all eyes lost their former joy. Minerva shot up from her chair and crossed over to the man.
"Kingsley, what ever is the- are you alright?"
"The ministry…" he forced himself to look at her, to all of the room. "The ministry has most certainly been taken. Our worst fears have been realized. The ministry is almost entirely under You-Know-Who's control. They placed a tracking charm on the name. All who speak it will be punished. It's…it's really ridiculous in there."
For a situation that had been covered a multitude of times, the shock was still incredibly intense. Remus Lupin looked disdainful.
"So the plan still holds, I take it?" he asked, his eyes searching the room.
"Yes. We'll have to leave here soon, though. With the Ministry of Magic under their control, they're most likely to seize control of Hogwarts also. The teachers should probably stay and protect the…" All the sound drifted away at the searing sensation in Astelia's left arm; it throbbed and ached, the message coming clear into his mind. Her gentle fingers snaked up the left sleeve of her robe, cautiously resting over the pained area. Without even glancing at it, she knew what lay there was fully visible, a thought that caused her to visibly shiver. With a feeble apology, she swiftly took off, grabbing a potion vial from within the folds of fabric once she was out of view.
"Severus." He had the succinct feeling he was late until he scanned the room; Mulciber and Yaxley weren't present. He bowed to the pale form ahead of him, forcing all feelings for him into nothingness.
"My Lord?" Hearing his own voice was almost as odd as hers. He lifted his eyes to meet the red slits.
"I have a most beautiful plan for you." The word was disturbing when flowing from his mouth. Beauty, to him, was the scream of a victim, the plea for a life spared.
The Dark Lord led the man to his seat, directly next to his own, his long, delicate hand rested upon the others shoulder like one would direct a beloved apprentice, an heir to the insanity. In ignorance of the rest, he placed his gaze solely on him.
"As you are aware, the Ministry of Magic is under our complete control giving us full access to anything we wish. Severus," he paused, accepting the light nod offered, "I am placing you as the new Headmaster at the school. Alecto, Amycus," he finally looked away, to the two in question. "You will join him to teach…the real things our children should be studying." The two Carrows half bowed in response. "The ministry officials should be arriving to announce the decrees any moment, I expect you all to be where you must. Go!" The party bowed in respect, the majority with the slight traces of fear etched onto their faces. The bow, in retrospect, seemed more like one you would offer to a Hippogriff to convince it of your respect. Severus walked down the path and disapparated, his person being situated by the far edge of the lake, the ministry bunch viewable from the distance. He could recognize from the crowd Dolores Umbridge, little more than a mass of pink and some less-than-pleasant memories.
He caught up with the group, forcing a smile as he was greeted by Dolores, her malicious smirk causing a number of poisonous frog related thoughts to surface in his mind. They paraded through the door like the Spanish Inquisition, Minerva McGonagall's face an ambivalent mix of shock and fury, her jaw bouncing up and down in desire to speak the words that simply weren't forming. Umbridge stopped, smiling her sickly smile at the poor woman, unraveling a scroll from which, after she cleared her throat and performed an adequate sonorous spell, began to read.
"The Ministry of Magic wishes to inform all staff at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that Severus Tobias Snape had been instated as the new Headmaster, and Alecto and Amycus Carrows will be filling in the recently vacated teaching positions. Letters have already been sent off to the worthy students indicating these recent changes and all communication methods within the school are being closely analyzed." She coughed and muttered her incantation before continuing, her voice back to its normal volume. "Professor, if you wouldn't mind assisting me in showing the new teachers their offices?" She smiled again, baring her teeth like a rabid dog. Minerva returned the look with the same barely concealed venom. "Certainly, Dolores."
They wound up the spiral stairway, a place both familiar and foreboding to Severus, and entered into the late Albus Dumbledore's magnificent office. He wandered over to the ornate chair behind the large, wooden desk, approaching it like a throne, his throne. He sat down, smirking as though relishing his victory; inside, his disgust was attacking his soul. The ministry advisor smirk much as he did leaving the other woman in room barely able to hide her indignation, her eyes threatening to burn the cause entirely. He looked directly into her eyes, the tiniest bit of sadness seeping through both sides, her own set lightening slightly in confusion at what she saw. "Dolores," he announced, breaking eye contact and directing it to the other woman. "You may direct Amycus and Alecto to their rooms, if you wish. I'd like to remain here if possible." He nodded to her and smirked at the siblings, receiving grins in return. "Very well, Headmaster," she responded, beckoning the others with her stubby fingers. The door was closed by Minerva look back cautiously, wanting to speak yet holding her tongue. The second the door clicked, he leapt out the seat as though it were scalding him for having the audacity to sit there.
To his left was a beautiful gold frame, intricately detailed with masterfully hidden and obscure carvings; the man depicted within was smiling softly, another concerned face peering at him. "Acting could very well be a profitable career choice for you, Severus," it said, the jovial tone employed only reaching half the face. "Professor-" "Albus…" the man corrected. He sighed, looking away from the portrait. "Albus, the prospect of doing this all over again as a career is abysmal." The other man laughed. "Oh, I understand your sentiments entirely. I daresay you'll be in great need of a holiday when the war is won." Severus pinched the bridge of his nose, breathing deeply. Without even needing a response, the old man continued. "I am more than aware of how great a toll this is taking on you, far too great a toll. Your role is still vital, I trust you to know that, and soon you will be relieved of this burden." He received another sigh in response. "In death or in his defeat? You know as well as I that I continue this out of desire, not obligation, and that it is of no consequence to me which comes first." The sentence seemed to etch more lines into the old face. It was his turn to sigh. "Severus, the danger you are in is parallel to that which you are given in pro-" "That protection is no longer mine!" He was shouting now, his anger emanating from him like shockwaves. "It was not mine to begin with regardless. Now the Order believe me to be a traitor, and the Dark Lord views me almost as a hero, no thanks in part to your ideals of secrecy." "You know that it is all in place for a reason; we can't afford for your position to be leaked, we're doing this..." he stopped himself, contemplating a more viable term than 'for the greater good'. It was, in fact, entirely hat the plan was formed upon, yet over time that phrase had proven itself quite foul. "We're doing this to ensure their safety…our safety. Please, do not concede just yet, there will be a lifetime of that in due time. You realize, do you not, exactly how close we are to resolution? By all means necessary you shall reap your just rewards, it's barely a breath away." Severus lowered his head and eyes in an agonizing nod. When his eyes, once again, locked onto the painted ones, he addressed the former headmaster. "I will continue to play this until the endgame, Sir, you have my word." He swiftly advanced to the door, robes billowing out behind him, and took one glance back at the ornate frame before exiting. 'He has taken far more than just my word,' he thought as he descended the spiral staircase, prepared for another round of pretense and he, the prime actor, would take centre stage.
A/N: Ok, sorry about the wait…longer this time, I'm sure. I hope it's enough sweat
It was a little trickier, because yes, I gave in… Deathly Hallows did change my perspective on the direction of the story and that, with the aid of my constant English coursework…well, it was a battle for time to say the least. I do plan for Astelia to resurface throughout the course of the story, she to both Severus and I is the embodiment of escape (cosplayers and Halloween fans alike will understand the fun of being an entirely different entity for a short while) and naturally, what with all the stress and insanity in the wizarding world, any form of secret escape and comfort is sacred. Of course, Severus isn't a very open man…so Astelia's real purpose isn't one he's about to admit to himself, let alone others. I hope you enjoyed that. This chapter's song isn't technically Bowie, but he did cover it: A Foggy Day in London Town.
"I was a stranger in the city
Out of town were the people I knew
I had that feeling of self-pity
What to do? What to do? What to do?
The outlook was decidedly blue"