A/N: Sorry this chapter might seem boring, but it has a lot of information some of the more mysterious aspects of Mina. I'm hoping to get another chapter posted sometime tonight and it might just be a little more interesting.
Also, I intend to post at least once every two days once spring break is over.
A/N 2: This chapter has been edited mostly based on the edits in Chapter 3. Also, my apologies for not posting once every two days after spring break. Obviously, I miserably failed at that.
Severus didn't sleep for long (the clock dictated that he had only slept for two hours), but he felt quite refreshed. Looking around him, he discovered that Poppy had clearly awakened sometime while he was sleeping and had left, probably moved to her own bed. He figured his energy high wouldn't last long and that he would probably collapse of exhaustion in a few hours, but he didn't care. All he cared about was finding out what it was that Mina saw.
He figured it had something to do with that Alteration that had appeared on her Diagnostic Sheet, the one he hadn't heard of, so he summoned it and glanced over it again, reminding himself of the exact term he had been unfamiliar with. Then he summoned a book titled How to Raise Children with Alterations to Anatomy. Even though it was technically a parenting book, it had been quite helpful in the past when Severus had found Slytherins with Alterations. He had often been able to help them by giving them new study techniques if they found it difficult to study outside of class or concentration techniques if they couldn't pay attention in class. Occasionally, he thought of offering his services to Pomona, Filius, and Minerva, but quickly realized that even if the other Heads of Houses accepted his offer, few non-Slytherin students would do the same.
Severus quickly flipped to the index and searched for Animi Speaker. It was, of course, quite near the beginning and he flipped to page 14, eager to discover just what an Animi Speaker was. Casting a quick glance at Mina to make sure she was still sleeping and that the Dreamless Sleep had not yet worn off, he began to read.
According to Merlin, each person has what is called an anima or an animus. A man will have an anima; a woman will have an animus. A person's animus takes the form of an animal that best represents them. Each animal symbolizes something different, and an Animi Speaker will inherently know what each animal symbolizes. A person's animus will usually only change if they go through something life-changing, such as falling in love, losing a loved one, or a particular traumatic experience. Few possess animi that change at will. Those who do are always very powerful and often have personalities that change in a heartbeat, like their animi. A person's animus will always react the same way the person does in accordance with other animi. For instance, when a person falls in love, the person they fall in love with has an animus of the same or at least a similar species (cat to cat, bird to bird, etc.) and if they are to court, the animi will also court. If they have sex, the animi will also mate. If a person is attacked and reacts defensively, their assailant's animus will also attack and the person's animus will also react defensively. However, a person's animus will reveal a person's true feelings and the actions that they would rather be performing rather than what they are actually doing. For instance, if a man were to court a woman but he would rather be courting another, his anima will court the animus of the woman he would rather be courting rather than the animus of the woman he is courting. This is often what leads to affairs.
Animi Speakers are those gifted with the ability to see animi. As they grow and gain control over their talents, they are eventually able to speak with a person's animus and call them from the astral plane, bringing them into the world the rest of us can see. Animi Speakers are also more closely tied to their own animi and often feel double the pain if they are attacked or double the affection if they fall in love because they experience that which their animi experiences more intensely than anyone else. Animi Speakers are also more prone to react to what a person's animus is doing rather than what the person is doing because the animus will always reveal a person's true intentions. Therefore, if your child is an Animi Speaker and they run in terror from someone who offers them a lollipop, you should not scold your child, but rather ask them what they saw and, if it proves necessary, report that someone to the Ministry.
If you would like to know what each animal symbolizes, you may either ask your child, who should be able to explain it to you in detail, or, if you are uncomfortable doing so, you may purchase What Your Animus Means: A Book of Animal Symbolism by Mystic Goodman.
Quickly, Severus summoned a Flourish and Blotts order form, quickly filling it out and stowing it in his pocket to send later. Then he continued reading the last paragraph.
It is important to keep in mind that a person's animus does not necessarily represent all of them. It only represents those qualities which are most prevalent in the person. For instance, a person can have a Patronus that is different from his anima and an animagus form that is different from both of them. This does not mean it is impossible for a person's animagus form and Patronus to be the same, or for their Patronus and animus to be the same. This is also possible, but it is more likely that the three things will represent three different aspects of a person. If one form is found to be taken by all three of these, the person is usually quite dedicated to something or quite single-minded.
Severus wondered what that meant for him; his Patronus was also a doe. He continued reading.
It is also important to remember that it is rare for a woman to have an anima and rare for a man to have an animus, though it is possible. A woman who has an anima will most likely fall in love with a man who has an anima, like herself, but she will feel more drawn to a man with an animus, should she ever find one.
The next paragraph had a heading reading: How to Raise an Animi Speaker. Severus decided that it might be a good idea to have some tips about how to act around Mina and read that too.
It can be a challenge to raise an Animi Speaker, mostly because their reactions to their gift can be unpredictable. However, most Animi Speakers react in one of two ways: they either hate the fact that they are different and try to ignore their talent as much as possible or they believe that it makes them superior to others and flaunt their ability in quite an arrogant manner. It is important to steer your child away from both of these as arrogance will cast a bad light on Animi Speakers and potentially bring harm to them and ignoring the talent of Animi Speaking will often cause Speakers' magic to be smothered and repressed as Speaking is a major part of a Speaker's magic. When a Speaker's magic is repressed, it will often burst out when the Speaker feels particularly threatened or excited and may have drastic effects. If a Speaker is repressing their magic and it bursts out, a Speaker will redouble their efforts to repress their magic, making the situation worse. Always remind your child that it is not being different that makes them a bad person, but rather how they choose to use their differences that makes them a good or bad person, especially if your child is repressing their differences. For those who believe their gifts make them better, remind them that their gifts do not make them superior, but how they use their gifts can if they are used appropriately.
Animi Speaking can be destructive. An Animi Speaker can implant ideas into a person's mind by Speaking to their animus. They can also summon animi from the astral plane and allow them to wander free, causing twice the destruction in fights and instigating twice the passion in relationships. Many are also unaware that animi exist, so summoning them from the astral plane is a very dangerous business. It is believed that Speakers have their own society with its own rules and mandates to protect themselves from other wizards who find their gifts to be curses and to protect the rest of the wizarding world from destroying itself in bad reactions to animi. It is unknown where this society is centered or even what its true name is, if it has one. Most Speakers are usually found by someone in this society by the time they are ten or eleven. If you feel the need to, it may be possible to owl this society earlier than that to help you with your Speaker child.
Whatever you do, do not cast away your Animi Speaker because of what they are. Do not tell them that they are bad for being different or that their gifts are horrible. This will turn them against the wizarding world and they may use their gifts for evil, turning wizards against each other and summoning animi to the solid plane. In essence, they may cause mass chaos in their attempts at revenge. Make sure your Animi Speaker feels loved especially for their gifts, not in spite of their gifts. In doing so, your child will have a much better future and life.
Severus leaned back in his chair and closed the book, staring out the window in thought. Should he owl this Speaker society? Or would Mina react badly to them? It appeared that she already had decent control over her gift, though he hadn't really seen very much to be sure. He had a feeling that the Death Eaters had not been kind in describing her gift and had a feeling that it was much more likely that she was repressing her magic. He sighed. He figured he would have to teach her that her gifts were not a bad thing, or at least, whoever ended up with custody of her would need to do so. In the meantime, however, he intended to set her along the right path. He had to help Lily's daughter.
He had to.
Next to him, Mina stirred a little in her sleep and rolled onto her side to face him. She appeared to still be sleeping; she was even smiling. And Severus had no idea what would make her smile like that in consciousness, so she must have been particularly pleased with something in her dream.
Except she shouldn't be dreaming. The Dreamless Sleep shouldn't have worn off yet.
Deciding that whatever she was seeing couldn't be that bad if she was smiling, Severus turned back to the Diagnostic Sheet, staring at it blankly. Quite frankly, the lack of information was rather frustrating. This supposed 'society' of Animi Speakers was too mysterious for its own good, in his opinion, and he still had no idea how to help Mina.
Next to him, she stirred in her sleep and her smile faded. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him. Her lips twitched upward in a half-smile of sorts and he smiled back at her.
Maybe, just maybe, he was beginning to gain her trust.
A/N: Review please! All the reviews I've gotten (which there are only three) are from the same person (whom I thank wholeheartedly for sticking with me), so if anyone else is reading, please review!