CHAPTER 32: BATTLE OF HOGWARTS
(Severus POV)
"Well, this is being civilized," said a white-haired girl, looking amused, as she sat on her chair by Severus and Alice elegantly, moving her head slightly to the left to avoid a plate of pasta that was sent flying her way, while she levitated another cream pie and sent it flying towards the teachers' table…
It took a few moments for what Ilya announced in the Great Hall to sink in. The moment it did, however…
Pandemonium struck…
It was a spectacle to behold, horrifying in a way, yet amusing at the same time.
At first, Severus was feeling worried for Ilya. For the Gryffindors, upon registering the blatant insult that was aimed at their House's Founder, had eyes seething with rage, staring at the silver-haired girl. Not that the raven-haired young man was worried that Ilya would be hurt by those amateur wizards, who were too rash and headstrong for their own good. If Ilya wanted to, she could probably easily defeated the entire Gryffindor House all by herself, or perhaps even the entire student population…
But that probably wasn't the case with the teachers, particularly one Albus Dumbledore…
Yes indeed. Albus Dumbledore was a powerful wizard. He had heard rumors about their Headmaster being the only one Voldemort ever feared, known of his exploits, including the defeat of the Dark Wizard Grindelwald, but these were pieces of information he had not known first-hand. Still…
In all the years of Severus' stay at Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore acted goofy, cheerful, and perhaps a bit insane. While some of these aspects may be true about the Headmaster, Snape could not help but feel, not just because of the rumors, but also by his own instincts, that this cheerfulness, whether it is his true nature or not, is being used by the old man as a mask to hide his true abilities.
Now that his Magic Circuits were awakened, Severus Snape's ability to sense magic had also been heightened, and he now noticed that the old man possessed enormous amounts of magical energy. For while Dumbledore was suppressing it, the raven-haired young man's increased senses allowed him to notice the faint Aura emanating from the Headmaster. And also…
"Albus Dumbledore… the rumors about him are much of an understatement… no wonder Voldemort had not dared go against him head-on…he is not just powerful… he is formidable… even Medea will have difficulty with him… the powers he possess would make him fit to be a Caster…it would be best not to trifle with him…"
Despite not fully understanding, these words, that were whispered to him by Ilya when they entered the Great Hall were enough to keep Severus on his guard. If someone like his girlfriend was wary of the old man… well, that's enough to explain everything. Still…
"INCOMING!" yelled a black-haired female Ravenclaw named Alice, formerly a Gryffindor just a few minutes before, as he ducked, a kidney-and-steak pie barely missing the raven-haired Ravenclaw, formerly a Slytherin for the same duration as the former Gryffindor, by inches…
Flashback
(Severus POV)
The tension in the Great Hall was intense. It was to be expected, and the Gryffindors were staring angrily at Ilya. After hearing someone tell everyone that their House's Founder was actually a gay and a pedophile… well, what else would you expect?
A few painful seconds passed, but before a Gryffindor could pull out their wand, cast a spell, or generally scream in outrage, a roar of rage was heard from somewhere else…
SO IT WAS GRYFFINDOR'S FAULT ALL ALONG! roared a green-robed student from the Slytherin table who Severus recognized as Derrick Wilkes, one of his acquaintances, staring (as the rest of the Slytherins were), not at Ilya, but at the Gryffindor table. Wilkes already had a wand out, and was about to fire a hex in random at the Gryffindors when…
"CONFRIN…"
SPLAT!
A plateful of mashed potato hit him directly in the face, the shock of the impact making him lose focus…
Gasps could be heard in the Great Hall, as the Slytherin sixth year wiped the mashed potato from his face with his handkerchief, though traces of it were still visible in his hair…
"WHO DID THAT!? ANSWER ME! WHO IN MERLIN'S NAME THREW THAT AT ME?!" roared Wilkes, shocked and disoriented,
"IT WAS HIM! I SAW HIM! I'M SURE OF IT!" shouted a cheerful female voice.
The Slytherin sixth year looked around trying to find the source of the voice, and his eyes fixed itself on the white-haired girl… Seemingly completely forgetting all about the train incident, the Sorting, and everything else which now seemed irrelevant, Wilkes eyes followed the path directed by Ilya's index finger… which led straight to one Sirius Black, who was sitting beside his Marauder friends…
The Marauder, seeing the exchange, reflexively attempted to declare that he was innocent ('One of the rare moments when he really is,'Severus added in his mind.)
"HEY, IT WASN'T ME! I D…"
SPLASH!
"HAHAHAHA!"
Wilkes laughed triumphantly. While the pitcher of pumpkin juice he sent flying (he did not even bother levitating it with his wand, using sheer physical force to do it, by throwing, literally) did not manage to hit the intended target (since Black managed to dodge to the right), the pitcher, did, however, hit the Gryffindor table. While it was true that the pitcher did not break, either because it was durable or it was placed under an Unbreakable, the force of the throw made its contents spill, splashing the unfortunate students who sat near the point of impact… with one James Potter getting most of the cold liquid on him…
The Marauder was silent, but it can be seen in his face that he was infuriated. Apparently completely forgetting about everything else, his fears, his worries, everything, James Potter, who held pride as the best prankster in school, leader of the Marauders, was outraged at the fact that the joke was on him…
"WHY YOU!" roared Potter angrily at the culprit, and he immediately grabbed the nearest delectable he could get his hands on. "MOONY! WORMTAIL! PADFOOT! BATTLE STATIONS!"
And thus began the Battle of Hogwarts…
End of Flashback
Severus Snape sighed, as he levitated a container of treacle tart, and sent it flying towards a half-furious, half-cheerful looking James Potter, who was spraying a variety of sauce left and right, seemingly angry at the insults the Gryffindor House received, yet happy at the chaos that ensued…
So she was planning something like this all along, thought the raven-haired young man, knowing full well that the flying plate of mashed potato that hit Wilkes, while it did come from the Gryffindor table, was actually being controlled by Ilya. Still…
While the current situation was not exactly something that could be called pleasant, the raven-haired young man could not help but feel relieved, as what he thought would end up to be a disastrous and dangerous scenario, turned into a different kind of battle instead…
The Battle of Hogwarts continued, the events prior to it seemingly forgotten…
-BREAK-
(McGonagall POV)
In truth, the Sorting Ceremony for the year was unlike the ones in the past, not because of the attack on Hogwarts Express, but because of the aftermath of said attack. And said aftermath…
was the time delay…
Yes, thanks to You-Know-Who stopping the Hogwarts Express, the students' arrival was delayed by almost an hour, thereby delaying the Sorting by almost an hour, and therefore the feast would, in consequence, be also delayed by almost an hour. Unfortunately, the Deputy Headmistress had not taken her lunch that day, though it was normal for her to skip a meal or two during the feasting events of the year, when luscious food was abundant.
Despite her calm and strict demeanor, Minerva McGonagall was, after all, a female, and as normal as it is for every female, she was worried about her shape and figure, despite that fact the she was growing older, though she refused to acknowledge 'beginning to get old' part. Still, despite this worry, the years of experience taught her how to enjoy both worlds, enjoying what she wants to eat while keeping her body fit, and skipping meals during days of feasts was one of them…
It was bad enough that the Sorting Ceremony was delayed for an hour due to Lord Voldemort. But that was made even worse by the girl who so resembled Lily Evans, the silver-haired girl Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya, for it took the Sorting Hat more than half an hour to finish Sorting her.
Normally, Dumbledore would first give out his beginning of year speech, while the singing of the Hogwarts song would either be immediately before or immediately after the feast portion of the Ceremony.
Normally, it was the Headmaster who gave out the orders to the House Elves to have the food magically transported to the tables.
This year however, Minerva McGonagall, who was already starving (she was, literally, very, very, very hungry), decided to break tradition, and discreetly ordered one of the elves, through a magical voice link to the kitchens, to make the food appear on the table at once…
And the Head of Gryffindor House regretted her decision…
"STOP! STOP! STOP!" screamed a very angry-looking Deputy Headmistress, starvation overriding her usually calm and collective thinking and reactions, attempting to restore order, but failing miserably…
The Transfiguration teacher, one cream-cake-and-catsup-covered Minerva McGonagall was not amused(Had she been her usual calm self, she would have noticed the state her robes were in, and would have wiped them clean with her wand instantly), yet could not help but feel that the events that transpired was partially her fault…
And to make matters worse…
"ALBUS! WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING JUST STANDING THERE?! DO SOMETHING!" shrieked Minerva McGonagall at a silver-haired old man.
The Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was greatly distraught, as the School Headmaster, Albus Perceival Dumbledore, merely watched with amusement, his eyes twinkling, before the old man sighed and gently put off the Head of Gryffindor House.
"Come now, Minerva. They did have a rough day…"
"WHAT?! BUT…" began the Deputy Headmistress, but Dumbledore calmly cut her off.
"Young though they might be, they will eventually run out of energy," said the old man serenely. "For now let them have their fun…"
"WAIT… YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TRY AND STOP THEM!?" shrieked the outraged Deputy Headmistress.
But the old man merely smiled at her in response, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles, Minerva McGonagall not noticing in her fury that there was a smear of cream on the Headmaster's eyeglasses…
-BREAK-
Albus Dumbledore Monologue
An old man was sitting on his chair at the Headmaster's Office, musing to himself.
The Great Hall was now sparkling clean. No trace of the mess and chaos that occurred that just an hour before could be seen. Everything was back in order. Dumbledore made sure of that before leaving and heading for his office.
At first the Headmaster was worried, really very worried, as he heard the rumors that was going about the students (of which he had a first-hand view of, as Alastor gave him a strand of memory to obseve it in full detail.). The white-haired girl, Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya, undoubtedly managed to pull one over Tom Marvolo Riddle, aka Lord Voldemort, and possibly the most powerful Dark Wizard of the century. The silver-haired girl was powerful, and when she first saw her upon entering the Great Hall with Severus Snape and Alice Chaucer, Dumbledore initially thought that his worst suspicions were confirmed. A new Dark Lord, or 'Dark Lady', as the students called her, was on the rise, and with her two other companions, they were dubbed the 'Dark Trio.'
His suspicion was increased when Ilyasveil obviously refused to go to Gryffindor, but dropped again by a degree when she requested (compelled) the Sorting Hat to place her two other friends into Ravenclaw as well, which included Severus Snape, who was a Slytherin.
Albus Dumbledore thought that he could drop everything for the time being at that moment, but then…
…
"…GODRIC GRYFFINDOR WAS GAY AND A PEDOPHILE…
"…SALAZAR SLYTHERIN WAS NEVER A PUREBLOOD FANATIC…"
"…AND THAT THE REASON HE LEFT HOGWARTS WAS BECAUSE UNKNOWN TO THE OTHER TWO FOUNDERS, GODRIC GRYFFINDOR HAD BEEN SEXUALLY ABUSING HIS STUDENTS, AND HAD AMOROUS FEELINGS TOWARDS SALAZAR SLYTHERIN…"
…
Upon hearing the white-haired girl declare something so outrageous, whether they were true not, in the presence of so many people, the Headmaster could hardly contain his fury, and he knew that the twinkle had gone from his eyes. What the girl stated was no laughing matter, and the worst part was that by all means, Dumbledore knew she was doing nothing wrong. In fact, it was Hogwarts that was technically doing wrong to its students during the Sorting Ceremony, as the Sorting Hat actually reads the minds and invades the privacy of students in order to be able to properly assess them and place them in the Houses they are most suited for…
Still, it was worrisome, and Dumbledore could not help but see the many possible negative impacts of the silver-haired girl's statement. And it was even more worrisome that one of his suspicions was confirmed: To be able to penetrate the mind of the Sorting Hat so easily and quickly, was something only a top class Occlumens and Legilimens would be able to do.
Dumbledore was worried, absolutely worried, for the sake of the Wizarding Community as a whole, but more so for the sake of his students, especially the Gryffindors.
The fear caused by train incident that the members of the House of Lion felt was overridden by their anger at the white-haired girl for publicly insulting the history of their House. The old Headmaster wished at that time that they had remained frightened. Dumbledore had no exact gauge of exactly how powerful the silver-haired girl was, but basing from the fact that she had made a fool of Lord Voldemort, as well as the powerful aura of magic that appeared to be surrounding her, the Headmaster knew that things would not turn out well, and he will have to do something to prevent a disaster from occurring…
Or not…
…
"CONFRIN…"
SPLAT!
A plateful of mashed potato hit him directly in the face, the shock of the impact making him lose focus…
Gasps could be heard in the Great Hall, as the Slytherin sixth year wiped the mashed potato from his face with his handkerchief, though traces of it were still visible in his hair…
"WHO DID THAT!? ANSWER ME! WHO IN MERLIN'S NAME THREW THAT AT ME?!" roared Wilkes, shocked and disoriented,
"IT WAS HIM! I SAW HIM! I'M SURE OF IT!" shouted a cheerful female voice.
…
In all the tenseness, Dumbledore had overlooked the fact that the Gryffindors were not the only one who felt outraged by the girl's words. The Slytherins, hearing about how Gryffindor had been trying to make it out with the Head of the House of Serpent, could not help but burn in fury, disgusted and sickened at the thought. Still, instead of ending in a hurtful and possibly deadly situation…
It ended up becoming a nice, stress-relieving event…
The Headmaster's fury was lessened somewhat, amazed at the sudden disappearance of tenseness in the air. Instead of casting harmful curses at each other, the students were instead engaged in a free-for-all food fight. Well, Dumbledore could not help but feel a tinge of regret, considering how much effort had been placed by the House Elves into making them, not to mention the fact that he was also feeling famished (though thankfully he always carried sweets with him so it was easily remedied). Still…
He could not help but feel amused, as the Great Hall, which a few moments prior, had been a potential battlefield, turned into an entertaining playground…
The old Headmaster recalled how he barely had time to react, as some cream pies were sent flying towards him, of all people!
He could tell. Dumbledore knew who it was who threw that plate of mashed potato at Mr. Wilkes. And the culprit who initiated this hysteria was now bombarding the Headmaster, not with harmful spells, but with the feast's menu.
Still, the old man must admit that the culprit, who he knew was without a doubt was the silver-haired girl who was elegantly sipping tea at the Ravenclaw table, was really good with magic, for the old man was surprised when one of the cream pies exploded in front of him before he could magic it away.
The Headmaster knew it was a good strategy. The girl had been aiming to block out his vision by smearing his spectacles with cream, as the barrage of food on the Headmaster became more determined than ever.
However, not for nothing was Dumbledore the only wizard the Dark Lord ever feared, and he managed to prevent all of them from smearing his robes, even though his cream-covered eyeglasses partially impaired his vision.
Finally the barrage stopped, either because the white-haired girl lost interest or (as Dumbledore suspected), decided to start eating quickly before all the food goes to waste, as the Headmaster saw, in the distance, the girl munching, elegantly but swiftly…
Suddenly, the Headmaster's hand automatically reacted, as a light-blue piece of paper, with the drawing of swords in the background, in the form of a paper plane, was sent in his direction, the source of which Dumbledore had no doubt of…
The old man wiped his glasses with his robes and read…
Hogwarts better be prepared…
The Marauders are a relic from the past…
For even they will not be spared…
In the art of pranks, they had been surpassed…
Signed
Archer
Upon reading these words, the old man could not help but let out a chuckle, as he saw that James Potter and Sirius Black were reading a similarly fashioned piece of parchment, looking around the Great Hall, trying to locate the source, which, as the Headmaster admitted, given the recent turn of events, should have been painfully obvious. The old Headmaster could not help but be amused, as the two Marauders started concentrating their food barrage on Derrick Wilkes, undoubtedly mistaking him as the culprit behind the message.
The negative view that the Headmaster held with regards to the new student Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya was now almost gone. True, he was still suspicious, and especially curious, with regards to the true abilities and objectives the silver-haired girl may have (given that Dumbledore would probably have trouble penetrating her mind, although the Headmaster had not even tried to do so yet. Unlike the Sorting Hat, the Headmaster never read the mind of anyone without their express permission unless there was an emergency and critically necessary, a point which was almost, but not reached.).
The fact that she looked so much like Lily Evans, the fact that she was skilled enough in the arts of the mind to fool the Dark Lord, other things she may be hiding… well, the Headmaster decided that it could wait… for as far as he could tell, the silver-haired girl was not a bad person… he just hoped he wasn't making a mistake… After all…
Believing in the goodness in people's hearts had always been one of Albus Dumbledore's greatest strength and weakness…
End of Monologue
-BREAK-
(Albus Dumbledore POV)
"Bee in your bonnet, eh Headmaster?" inquired a cheerful voice to the Headmaster, which could only belong to the Sorting Hat.
"I'm afraid so," sighed the old man, who was currently reading the Evening Prophet.
Normally, news of such magnitude, such as the events on the Hogwarts Express, would have easily been put into paper. There were several witnesses after all, mostly the students who were aboard, and many of them have undoubtedly already informed their parents. However…
Nothing. There was nothing on the paper at all regarding what happened…
Which made the Headmaster wonder. News over something like this should have reached the Prophet without a doubt, and even if the details were twisted to give the credit to the Ministry, a victory over Lord Voldemort should have made headline news. Yet there was nothing, nothing at all…
And there could only be one logical explanation…
The Ministry was undoubtedly putting pressure on the Prophet, preventing it from releasing anything with regards to the Hogwarts Express incident. But as the Ministry was always looking for an opportunity to glorify itself (and the train scenario was one such incident), the only reason they would not divulge even the minimal information to the public via newspaper would be…
"She's not like Tom, Albus," said the Sorting Hat suddenly, which almost made the old man jump from his chair. "In fact, you say could she's more like you, if you can trust the judgement of an old senile Hat like myself that is."
"Would you care to elaborate?" inquired the old Headmaster, as he lowered his newspaper and focused on the talking old hat.
"You know I can't tell reveal any information on her memories," said the Sorting Hat.
"Oh, but she was able to enter yours, if I'm not mistaken?" replied Dumbledore to the hat cheerfully, as Fawkes the Phoenix stirred in the ashes, having just experienced one of its Burning Days, ugly and featherless at the moment.
"Can't be helped, she's a talented one," replied the Hat. "I know the risks of a mind connection when there is one. If she hadn't lowered her guard, I would not have been able to Sort her properly."
"Oh, and did you manage to get enough information on her to be able to Sort her properly?" inquired the Headmaster.
"Of course," replied the Sorting Hat. "More than she thought I knew, though I doubt I was able to see any of her most crucial memories... She's an extremely talented witch I must admit. Had she not allowed a connection for her own personal convenience, I would not have been able to enter her mind. I tried to put her in Gryffindor, but in truth, she was just as equally suited to any House… though her strongest point should have been in Hufflepuff, but when I probed further she was conflicted there…"
"Hufflepuff?" inquired the Headmaster, his curiosity growing. "And what do you mean she was conflicted?"
"She is extremely loyal to her friends," said the Sorting Hat to the Headmaster. "Yet at the same time, she is trying to pursue her ideals, which she refuse to let go of."
"Ideals?"
"I think I may be telling you too much, Albus," said the Sorting Hat, in a serious tone. "I'm sorry, but I cannot reveal to you any more than what I've told you… anymore and I would be breaking my oath…"
"It is not my intention to invade into her memories or personal life," replied the Headmaster. "But if I may, old friend, I wish to know what it is that drives her, so I can put my mind at ease."
Silence in the room reigned for a while, before the Sorting Hat finally broke it.
"Very well, Albus, just this once," sighed the Sorting Hat.
"Thank you, old friend," replied the Headmaster, his eyes twinkling.
"Listen to me carefully, because I will only say this once," said the Sorting Hat.
Albus Dumbledore nodded in agreement.
The Sorting Hat took a deep breath (at least it sounded like one), and began talking…
"The girl Ilyasveil von Einzbern-Emiya… she had a sad life… I will not elaborate on the details since I will be telling too much, but I will tell you this, she is an orphan…"
Dumbledore twitched at these words, remembering that Lord Voldemort was the same.
"…She had a family once… but she lost it, they died trying to protect her…"
At this Dumbledore could not help but feel saddened, and felt a twinge of guilt. He had lost his beloved sister Ariana… and the Headmaster blamed himself for it.
"…This may be the reason why, but that girl... she has two wishes, two very simple wishes, both of which was so simple yet one was impossible to achieve…
"…she wanted to protect the ones she loved… she wanted to protect everyone…"
Dumbledore's eyes widened at these words, as he knew deep down that these were the very wishes he himself was trying to achieve…
"…yet she knew it was impossible to achieve… she knew it was impossible to save everyone… she tried and tried and kept trying, she knew it was impossible, yet she never gave up… all she can do was minimize the damage…"
While not knowing exactly what transpired, Dumbledore could see clearly how heavy was the burden that the girl was carrying…
"… she killed one life, whether guilty or not, to save ten innocents… she destroyed ten lives, deserving or not, to save a hundred innocents… she killed a hundred to save a thousand innocent lives… and thus the never ending cycle continued…"
Dumbledore now looked like a man who was hit by a lightning bolt, his emotions split between shock and pity…
"She already knew that her second wish can never be… but in the end… she couldn't even grant her first wish… for everyone she ever truly cared for ended up dead, and she blamed her own powerlessness for it,,, she knows she could not save everyone, yet never gave up, and because of this… she lost the ones she truly loved…"
Dumbledore was a strong-willed man, and was adept at controlling his emotions. Still, he could not prevent a couple of tears from falling, before he wiped them with his handkerchief, before blowing his crooked nose. The kind of suffering the girl went through… he could not even begin to imagine…
"And she's only fifteen," said the old Headmaster, his tone filled with sadness. "To have to go through all that…so young… how tragic…"
The room was silent, except for the slight chirping noise the reincarnated phoenix was making.
"That's about all I can tell you about her motivation, Albus…AHHH… STOP WORRYING, you will look even older than you already are," said the Sorting Hat, breaking the silence. "… she will not allow something like that to happen again…she has been saved from misery thanks to a certain someone, and has once again found a reason to keep on living... I think I do not need to tell you who…"
"Severus Snape?" inquired the Headmaster, suddenly remembering that the former Slytherin was somehow involved.
The Sorting Hat merely curled its rip into a smile, before making its snide comment…
"As you always say Albus, love is more powerful than any magic in the world…"
The Sorting Hat closed its rip and was now silent as a regular head wear…
The Headmaster put his hands on his chin, and was now deep in thought, the information he received far from putting his mind at ease…
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Another chapter out... Hope you like it...
Later then, people...