Chapter Nineteen
Abby stared in awe at the massive castle sitting between mountains and forests, in the short distance. It was surrounded by the forest and fields and to one side there was a wide lake. It was a stunning site.
"Wow." Zarchary stated.
"This is a school?" Abby whispered, astonished.
Severus looked down into her wide eyes and saw the excitement there. "Yes, this is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"It's a castle." Zachary stated the obvious.
"It must have thousands of rooms. I have never heard of any castle this large, it's so massive how does no one ever investigate what it is?" Abby asked.
"It's save-guarded by the most difficult spells to unravel, which only the headmaster would know how to vanquish." Severus looked up towards the castle walls and saw a purple cloaked figure moving stealthily towards them. "Speaking of which, there's the headmaster now."
Abby looked in the direction Severus was looking and saw a man gliding towards them. Glide was the only word that described it. As he got closer it looked as though he was floating across the grass. When he was but a few feet away and she noticed his features she was baffled to see that he was a very elderly man. He had moved so gracefully and fast-paced that it surprised her.
He came to stand before her with a large smile and extended his long-fingered elegant hand towards her.
"You must be Abigail Anderson. Lovely to meet you. I am Albus Dumbledore." He said.
"It's nice to meet you." His hand was soft yet firm against hers and his pale blue eyes glittered behind his half-moon spectacles. He was tall and thin but exuded such life. He had long silver hair matching a long silver beard and a crooked nose.
He turned away from her to look down a Zachary who was standing to Abby's right. "And you my dear boy must be Zachary."
Zachary gave the headmaster his hand and said politely, "Yes sir, how do you do?"
Dumbledore laughed and said, "Wonderful. It is a beautiful day, with its blue skies and cunning surprises." He said and Abby noticed a glint to the man's eyes.
Dumbledore bent to pet the dogs which wagged their tails and licked his fingers as he looked up at Severus. "Severus, it is a pleasure to have you back on school grounds." He gave a short laugh and said, "You finally leave this place for yourself and only stay away for three weeks."
For a moment Abby felt a sting of guilt.
"As I am sure you remember, Headmaster, I did not leave of my own free will." Severus said nonchalantly.
Dumbledore turned back to Abby who was still looking at Severus. "I am delighted to have both you and Zachary to stay here. Think of this old place as a home away from your home. Severus has recommended a room with a view of the grounds and it has been fully equipped with all things you may require." He smiled as he continued, "I have made extra arrangements knowing that you are a muggle-"
"Oh you didn't have to." Abby cut in but the man's smile just widened and turned more sincere.
"My dear, it was of greatest benefit to me, for I have always wanted an excuse to fiddle with muggle equipments. I have a friend who is muggle and she has supplied me with some very strange objects which I could not wrap my mind around what they were." Dumbledore stood in one smooth move, "I do however regret to inform you that your pets will have to stay with the grounds keeper. But do not fear he is the most gentle animal lover in both Wizarding and muggle worlds."
Abby watched as the man lifted what she recognized as a wand out of his purple robs and watched as all of their luggage disappeared. "They will be in your rooms. If you will follow me now let us go see the Games Keeper."
Abby looked across the large table at the massive man called Hagrid. He was probably twice the size of her. He had a very bushy mop of black hair that was dangling over his shoulders which were as wide as the table. She could barely make out his mouth because his mustache and beard were just as bushy. He had a gruff voice and she had a hard time understanding some things he was saying but as she watched him gently play with her dogs which he could crush with one hand she felt no more fear of him.
He was so gentle and kind that even Zachary who had been hiding behind her at first edged closer to the massive man to play with the dogs as well.
Abby gasped as something heavy fell into her lap. She looked down to see Hagrid's own dog Fang staring from her to the biscuit on the table in front of her.
"Fang! Get yer filthy 'ed off the Lady!" Hagrid roared but Fang just kept drooling on Abby's jeans.
She laughed and stroked the dog's wrinkly face. "It's fine Hargid."
Abby noticed Severus grimace beside her as he watched the dog soak her clothes with slim. Dumbledore just smiled and looked at something in the corner of the room as if it interested him greatly.
Hagrid blushed and said, "They'll be fine stayin' 'ir. Fang'll keep 'em out of the Fr'Bidden Forest. Don't want 'em goin in there without me."
"Thank you." Abby said. She did feel that they would be fine with him, they looked like they have already bonded with him and they were cautiously sniffing at Fang who seemed to be excited about having other dogs there.
"I think that we should show Abigail and Zachary to their rooms." Snape said and got to his feet leaving his biscuit and cup of tea untouched – he had declined the offer but Hagrid had been so nervous, just having all these people in his home that he must have not heard. Abby had also declined the offer but at his insistence she had finished half of everything her had given her. Half of the biscuit out of politeness, though it was almost as hard as a rock and only half of the tea, which was actually really good, because the tea cup was the size of a bucket.
Dumbledore was suddenly also on his feet, "Of coarse. Hagrid it was a delight, the tea was superb," This got another blush out of the gentle giant, "and I have had muggle-dog food brought in for Miss Abigail's dogs.
At this Hagrid scoffed, "Muggle-dog food?"
Abby smiled and thanked him but was forced out of the hut but Severus' hand on the small of her back.
As they walked towards the castle Abby's head moved from side to side to take everything in.
A chuckle came from Dumbledore and he said, "My dear, you will have your entire stay to search the grounds."
"It is so beautiful here."
"That it is, but I'm afraid it is too much beauty to take in all at once. I have been her for decades upon decades and have still not seen it all. I find a new room in the castle itself almost every week."
"That's amazing." Abby said smiling up at Severus.
"Oh," Dumbledore said in surprised recollection, "Severus, I meant to inform you that there are quiet a number of students here for the summer. I am sure you recall that I have taken it upon myself to protect all students and their families who had taken part in the last war, rather then letting the ministry do it. Until the rest of the Death Eaters are caught and convicted these people might be targeted and murdered. I have discussed it with other teachers that usually stay here during the summers and we have decided that for those who have nowhere to go, it is safest for them to stay here for the time being."
Abby watched the slight frown cross Serveus' features but noticed it hadn't reached his eyes.
"Fantastic." Severus said sarcastically.
Abby smiled and started looking at all the angles and designs of the castle walls zoning out what the Headmaster and Severus where talking about.
The Headmaster had told Abby that he had arranged for Zachary to stay in the Gryffindor dormitory with students that were his own age. But only if this was okay with Zachary. Slightly nervous but brave, Zachary said he would enjoy meeting kids his own age but insisted that Abby come when he was to be introduced.
Snape had stayed on the outside of the Gryffindor common room as Abby went inside with Zachary.
She was taking everything so well, so was the boy. Here they were, out of their element in a strange place and have already made friends with beasts and people they have never come across before.
He could tell that everyone that has met Abby so far had immediately liked her. She was beautiful and kind, funny and intelligent – why wouldn't they like her?
She seemed excited to be here, but he however was not. He could deal with the students and teachers. Students had to respect him and most of the teachers knew what he really was but he felt the stars of the other people that where now staying at the castle. They didn't trust him did they? Some of them just stared at him with curiosity, others in accusation. He didn't know which was worse. He didn't want this attention.
He heard the door behind him creak open and the loud chatter from within drift out. He turned to see Abby, slightly flushed and smiling come towards him.
"Wow, some of them have really never met anyone like me - me as in a muggle. They had so many questions." She walked up to him and leaned against the wall by his side, looking up at him she said, "Dumbledore said that he had to tell them some does and don'ts, I am assuming about Zachary being a wolf, and that you could show me to my room."
Severus looked down Abby's body, her long-sleeved shirt and jeans. "Indeed."
As they walked Abby couldn't stop looking at everything. "It is still freaking me out that the people in these pictures can move and talk." She said as Severus walked back to her after noticing she wasn't at his side.
"Well it is freaking me out that people in you pictures don't. I mean honestly, what is the point!" said the man sitting on a horse in the frame.
Abby smiled. It now didn't surprise her that in the Wizarding world they didn't need technology. Who would ever get bored when there were millions of pictures you could talk to?
Severus took her hand, thinking it was the only way to keep her from stopping to look at something foreign to her ever ten seconds.
With her soft hand in his, they finally made it to her room. He opened the door and allowed her to enter ahead of him.
Abby was surprised at how…Muggle the spacious room looked. It had warm yellow wall paper, a desk with a computer, lovely old antique furniture and a television with the latest entertainment system. It was actually disappointing after all the exciting things she had seen that day. She walked over to the window and looked out and down at the beautiful scenery. Her room over looked the lake and forest, she saw owls swooping back and forwards from a tower, people in cloaks and ordinary clothes walking, sitting and playing in the fields and something moving beneath the surface of the lake.
"It's beautiful." She said turning to Severus. And he knew she wasn't talking about the room. "Is your room far?" Abby hated being this forward. She didn't sound desperate did she?
"Actually yes." And he was glad that it was. He shouldn't be near her anymore – shouldn't touch her anymore. It was inappropriate and nothing could come from it. "My quarters are in the dungeons."
"In the cellar?" she asked, eyes widening.
"In one of the many levels of our cellar yes." He notified her.
Abby had a strange feeling that he had picked this room for her, more to keep her far from him then because of the beautiful view. But she had hope and waited for him to say something she wanted to hear.
When he didn't and he just stood there looking at the entertainment station she felt her insides start to ach. He left her there alone shortly after. He had offered to take her down to dinner which was in an hour but she told him that she was tired and thought that she should just get used to her room.
Abby shot awake and looked around the room; she could have sworn she heard something. But there was nothing in her room but the dim shin of the moon outside.
She turned over and tried to get back to sleep but it was no use. Sighing she got up and walked over to the windowsill. She sat there and looked out across the field. The moon's shine made everything look silver under its assault. From where she was she couldn't see the moon but she saw it's reflection in the lake. There were ripples in the lake; it looked as if the ripples where coming from the moons reflection but that couldn't be.
She saw movement by the edge of the forest and looked to see what it was and felt chills run along her arms and spine. She looked down at a sort of horse with no skin. From this far she couldn't tell what was wrong with it but she could however tell that it was looking straight at her as it turned its head towards the castle. Something in its eyes shimmered and what looked like huge bat wings sprouted out of its back.
Abby gave a cry and fell back as the beast rose into the air. She stumbled back towards the bed and refused to look at the window to see if it had come for her.
Then the noises started.
A/N:- I hope people are still reading.
I wonder what this could be???....Brownie point for those who guess right i supoz.
Hmm, a familiar face will be seen next....who can it be.