A/N: So loving all the love you wonderful readers leave me. Enjoy, dears.
Twisted Talks
Having released the rooster once he had escaped the Chamber of Secrets, rapidly approaching footfalls from around the corner up ahead forced the forty-year-old Severus to duck behind the nearest suit of armor somewhere along the seventh-floor corridor. He was still fully hidden by the active Invisibility potion in his system, he knew, but he didn't want to take any chances. Not anymore. A sudden jolt of pain that flared up deep within his scar, however, kindly reminded him that he wasn't the perfect agent of his past. The pain forced him to wince and bite his cheek to silence his instinctive hiss.
" . . . been in his office since late last night, I tell you. He refuses to come out for anything. Even for one of those bloody Muggle sweets he's been on about the past few weeks. I'm telling you, Minerva. Something happened up there last night, and I doubt it's anything good," Madam Pomfrey announced ominously somewhere around the corner from where Severus hid.
"Poppy, please," Minerva McGonagall replied, clearly running thin on patience already. "Enough of—"
"Severus is gone as well. Now, what do you make of that? Hmm?"
"What?" That news must have come as a bit of a shock to McGonagall. "How do you know he's gone, Poppy?"
"Well, after Albus refused to answer my owls and knocks last night, I thought that maybe he was speaking with Severus. You know how fond he is of the boy."
It took everything in the forty-year-old man not to scoff. Fond of? More like afraid that his puppet would one day cut the strings and free himself of his master's control.
"And?"
"There was no answer. Even if Severus was having a bit of a lie in, he'd still answer the door." Poppy sighed loudly. "Naturally, I asked the ghosts if they had seen either of them. Course even that was stranger in my opinion."
"How so?" McGonagall replied, clearly curious.
Severus found himself leaning more towards the two witches. What could the ghosts have done that would be stranger than usual?
"Well, they seemed agitated by something. Sir Nicholas refused outright to even talk with me, Minerva. Friar and the Baron, I could understand, but Sir Nicholas? Something happened last night. Something terrible. How else do you explain for the no post today, or haven't you noticed the lack of owls we seem to be having here this morning?"
Frowning, Severus shook his head. Things weren't matching up with his timeline anymore. Minerva should have known that the Dark Lord had disappeared by now. After all, he seemed to recall Minerva saying long ago that after she had learned of the Dark Lord's defeat, she had went to Surrey to figure out what Albus had been up to while the rest of the world celebrated. But Dumbledore going to Surrey didn't make sense anymore. Harry Potter had died with his parents in Godric's Hollow. Or at least that was the story he wanted everyone to believe this time around. So why would Dumbledore visit the good-for-nothing Dursleys now, if that was the case here?
"I'm sure Albus has a very good reason for all of this," Minerva said quietly.
If Severus hadn't had as much experience in reading people as he had, he might have missed the slight falter in Minerva's voice. It seemed that she perhaps was starting to have some doubt about the headmaster as well, as she should have had all along. When he heard their footfalls receding a moment later away from him, he let out a soft breath and continued ahead.
He found Barnabas the Barmy's tapestry soon after, sparing only one glance at the ridiculous sight of trolls learning ballet before grimacing. Recalling how Harry had done it so long ago, he paced once, then twice, and then finally the third time in front of the tapestry. I need the place where it is hidden, Severus thought before slowly reopening his eyes. Wordlessly, he pushed open the large doors that had suddenly appeared, grateful that the castle seemed to grant his wish easily.
The moment he walked in, though, Severus found his breath catch in the back of his throat. There before him in the very large, and unfortunately, familiar room was a suspended-in-the-air large crystal that had the four House colors reflected on its stunning surface.
"This is not what I requested," he called out once he had regained his voice.
"You requested the place where it is hidden, Headmaster," a familiar voice spoke rather amused behind him, as the doors shimmered away. "So, don't get snarky with me when I do just that."
Severus growled inwardly, glaring at the crystal that seemed to be humming.
"I don't have time for your games, Cloud."
"I much rather prefer to be called 'Hogwarts,' thank you," the familiar voice replied haughtily somewhere off to his left. "Seeing as how I am the castle." It then paused before adding, "Or rather the incorporeal representation of it at least."
He clenched his fists at his side. All his feelings of betrayal and anger came rushing back. He had wanted to speak with the cloud on his time, not when it decided to show up finally.
"It's odd, really," the Cloud stated quietly. "I'm connected to all past and present headmasters. But then again, you know this." A soft laugh then echoed about the room as Severus gritted his teeth even more. "Oh, yes, Headmaster, I can sense it in you. Yet there's something different about you than the others. Strange."
"What's wrong?" he said mockingly, thoroughly annoyed by its appearance and interruption. "The Founders didn't provide you with directives concerning interacting with future headmasters?"
Silence greeted him for quite some time before the Cloud finally remarked snidely, "How peculiar. For a moment there, I thought you were twenty-one again, bratty and full of himself."
Severus smirked inwardly to keep from growling. He'd take the win knowing that he wasn't the only one annoyed now.
"Of course I know why you're here," the Cloud snapped a moment later. "You showed me that earlier when you attacked the true headmaster of Hogwarts."
He shrugged, not wanting to tip his hand if the Cloud was bluffing. "If that's the case, then you should understand my actions entirely."
"You wish to cure the sickness that has been allowed to fester."
"Exactly. So allow me to do so in peace and end this game."
"What makes you God, though, Headmaster?" the Cloud asked suddenly. "What makes you have the right to change everyone's lives?"
"If I succeed, all those children you've been caring for over the years, they won't suffer the horrible atrocities of my timeline."
"So you say," it replied, clearly not convinced. "But who is to say that the timeline won't just change and cause it all again, just with different players this time, hmm?"
"That's a risk I'm willing to take."
"Why?"
"Because any change that I do this time will make it better than the hell we went through in order to achieve our bloody victory."
"You wish to spare lives? It may work, but by doing so, you put others at risk."
The crystal in front of Severus then started to form an image inside it. He turned away as soon as he saw the reflected image, feeling the instant punch deep in his gut. Why had the damn Cloud shown him that image of all things?
"Our connection may not be fully matured for some reason, but it is there, Severus. You know, or should know at the very least, that I am bound to serve all Hogwarts' headmasters. So, listen to me, please. All of this righting the wrongs of your timeline, preventing the tragedies of the future—none of it will bring your wife and child back."
He forced the air into his lungs before he replied hoarsely, "I'm aware of that, thank you."
"Then why do you continue to pursue this course of action? It will only lead in tragedy for you again. You know this. You are a smart man from what I've seen thus far."
"Albus Dumbledore, your supposed true headmaster, meddled all the time!" he countered. "And do you know what that got us?"
"Yes. I saw the visions you gave him earlier."
"Then you know why I do this, Cloud!" he shouted.
"Loss is inevitable in wars, Severus. You know this."
"It is, but not children. Not innocent victims trapped in an old man's chess match."
"You are following the same path that you criticize Albus for taking. What makes you so certain that you won't have the blood of innocents on your hands as well after this is done as well?"
He opened his mouth to argue, only to close it soon after. What did make him so certain that he wouldn't be like Dumbledore? He had to think for several minutes on this before he finally admitted with a heavy sigh, "Nothing makes me certain. But I believe I can guide the timeline in a certain direction with a few direct nudges to minimize the losses, if there are any."
"Your wife's theory, Severus, was just that. A theory."
He couldn't hold back his temper. "One that she devoted her life to!" he shouted, his eyes darkening as the familiar anger raged inside him. "One that she spent every night working on just to see if she was right. Just to see if it was remotely possible at all for one to undo his past in order to influence his future positively."
"It won't bring your wife and child back," the Cloud repeated firmly.
"I don't need it to!" he snarled. "I just need it to work."
"Think of the changes you've already made," it pointed out in a disapproving tone. "You attacked the true headmaster of Hogwarts and forced him to see the errors of his way before he was ready to comprehend it. You gave a child to a young man who is troubled and lost, giving him no helpful guidance on his new journey. And you've destroyed the monster in the Chamber of Secrets before it was even opened by its heir. These are no little events that seemingly nudge the timeline. These are events that will destabilize it entirely. All the good you are doing will be undone in the future. Rowena knew this."
"Well, good for her," Severus sneered.
"Since yours was not a typical ascension it seems, you may not know this, but I am—"
"Connected with every ghost, portrait, headmaster, and wall of Hogwarts, yes, I am aware of that," he spat out nastily. "I don't need the Cloud of Hogwarts 101 refresher, I assure you."
The Cloud, however, ignored his outburst. "Helena stole her mother's diadem, the very thing you are searching for now, before she fled Hogwarts. Like the loving mother she was, Rowena never told a soul it was stolen, much less by her daughter, Severus. However, on her deathbed, Rowena realized the error of her ways and sent for her daughter. She needed the girl to understand before she died that relying on such objects, like the diadem to make others believe that Helena was better than her mother, wouldn't make the desired result so. Instead, Helena's reliance would summon her undoing, as it would further corrupt her in the future and cause her not to see her own true value."
"How wonderful," Severus drawled.
"I tell you this because—"
"Honestly, I don't care about any of that. The only thing I care about is destroying the Horcrux that is here at Hogwarts. Do you understand? Everything else is meaningless to me."
Deafening silence quickly greeted him before the room altered its appearance. The giant crystal disappeared and was replaced by a tall wobbly stack of junk. Even more items shimmered into existence then until finally the room was filled full. The room where everything was hidden.
"Thank you, Hogwarts," he quietly said, slowly heading down one of the aisles. At hearing no reply back, he knew that he had angered the cloud. However, he truly had no use in pondering the consequences of his actions like a good Slytherin would this time. Doing so would result in more nagging feelings that would try to prevent him from succeeding. He had no room for doubt.
His dark eyes glanced left and right at the various junked items. Rusty swords, bats, broken chairs, and empty bottles lined both sides, so he continued further into the cathedral-sized room. Somewhere in here, on top of a large cabinet was the diadem. He just had to remain patient and vigilant.
"It was my mistake, Severus," the cloud finally spoke, appearing next to him after several minutes had passed by.
He paused briefly, glancing at the cloud lit up with each of the four Houses' colors inside it before he turned away and continued his search.
"The answer you've been seeking," it clarified soon after, becoming quiet once more.
"I take it the longer I'm here in the castle, the more of my knowledge is passed along to you?" he asked as he stopped and craned his head up to look at the top of a nearby wooden cabinet.
"You're correct," the cloud replied, following him when he moved onto the next aisle.
"So saving me, you believe, was a mistake of yours." He scoffed silently.
"No, Severus. Not at all. You see, my creators did not wish me to interfere too much. They wanted all of the wondrous children who pass through these doors to have the tools in order to succeed in life and be protected from the evils of the world while here. So, as I see the past you've lived, I cannot fathom it. Any of it."
He remained quiet as he walked along beside the cloud.
"Help will always be given to those at Hogwarts if they need only ask. That is supreme principle that guides me. And, yet, I failed. You had called me once before. Do you recall?"
He closed his eyes briefly and drew in a slow breath, but didn't reply. It had been the night he had taken the Dark Mark. His fellow Slytherins had brought him back to the castle afterwards and left him in his bed, shaking like a leaf and sicking up violently.
"I did not come, though. I heard your plea for help, but I didn't come."
"Enough," he rasped, feeling the turbulent emotions bubbling up within him once again.
"You were not the only one who called for me over the years to which I did not respond to. There were others. Many others. Like sweet Regulus, who only wanted to be the good, dutiful son. And then there was Myrtle—oh, how she called for me so many times to help her. Then Rubeus, who is so loving and kind. So many of my children called for me over the years, Severus. And they only heard the silence. I chose which ones to help and which ones to not. Difficult choices. And I was wrong so many times. I had thought, like so many others, that boys would be boys and girls would be girls. That teasing and the like was not a life-or-death event that required my intervention. It was a necessary phase that all children had to overcome. I was wrong, though. If I had helped Myrtle overcome the bullies of her past or even you, then perhaps it would have been different. But we'll never know now, will we?"
"There is a difference between what I am doing now and what you did, or rather didn't do," Severus quietly pointed out. His eyes then caught a glimpse of the dusty stone warlock wearing the ugly wig with the discolored tiara. Quickly forgetting about the Cloud beside him, he grabbed a nearby chair before he hopped up onto of it and pulled out one of the basilisk fangs from his pocket.
A voice hissed from the diadem instantly, though, stopping him dead in his tracks.
"Severus, please don't this."
He stared wide eyed at the diadem, swallowing back his emotions. It was a trick. That voice was not his wife's, even though it sounded like it. It couldn't be her. She was buried with their child. He had buried them both . . .
"If you destroy it, you'll kill me. Kill us. It speaks the truth. You know this in your heart. Don't do this. Please, my love. Don't do it."
"You're not real," he stated firmly, drawing in a sharp breath. It was a trick. That's all it was. The Horcrux knew it was near destruction and was trying to preserve itself. He glanced towards where the Cloud of Hogwarts had been previously, noting that it had morphed into his wife's image. His gut clenched painfully. However, he quickly did his best to clear his mind, knowing that the Horcrux was likely gaining power from him and using the Cloud of Hogwarts's energy. In fact, he'd bet a thousand galleons that everything that had happened after his entering the Room of Requirement had been an elaborate scheme by the Horcrux to save itself from its impending destruction.
"Severus . . ."
Summoning every bit of strength he had, he stabbed the diadem with the fang deep within the oval sapphire. A loud scream then roared out of it before thick black smoke shot out of it, a part of the Dark Lord's soul screeching through the roof and out of sight. Severus sighed heavily, his head falling forward with his eyes closed. It had been a year since his wife had stood speaking to him.
"You face a long and difficult journey, Severus," the Cloud of Hogwarts spoke once again in its usual voice several minutes later. It had returned to its gaseous state. "The darkness you face, it is powerful and seductive. And, yet, you've overcome the first hurdle unscathed. We owe you a debt of gratitude for removing the evil that has flowed deep within our walls for so long, poisoning our minds. It is much clearer now than it was before. But now is the time you must depart. For there are four more you are eager to destroy. And destroy them you must to end the reign of evil for good."