BitterSweet Chapter 18:
Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling hence do not own any of the characters etc. etc.
Severus Snape's POV:
"Stupefy!" I whisper gently, directing my arm at my opponent. He expertly defends himself against my attack with a slightly elated look, before turning to his class.
"Now, I am sure you all know these basic skills which Mr. Snape and I have just shown you, but today, I want to teach you a more complicated spell: Expecto Patronum." He announces, earning a few groans from students – the ones who complain without knowing what they're complaining about. "Now, I hope you all know by now that it isn't an attacking spell, but it has two very special purposes. It can defend you from Dementors, and it can deliver a message safely; two skills which are otherwise hard to accomplish, particularly in the times we are about to face." He continues, staring pointedly at us all. "The patronus which I will teach you to conjure will be able to accept a message and deliver it safely, under any circumstance to the intended person." He says, pacing up and down the dueling table. "I am going to give you three minutes, and in those few minutes I need you to find the happiest memory you have." He says enthusiastically. Professor Reimers is a small-built man yet seems to contain as much energy as a child and his countenance is encouraging.
I don't even have to search my memories before I find the happiest moment of life; it was only 8 weeks ago.
"Ok. Now, I want you all to think of this memory while shouting: Expecto Patronum." Professor Reimers commands. Many different "Expecto Patronum" spells are yelled simultaneously, barely producing a Patronum. I gently whisper the spell and watch as white, silvery beams shoot out of my wand, forming a sort of blob. Professor Reimers comes over to me, smiling.
"Well done Severus! Don't worry about the shape; it will change as you grow older." He says with a genuine smile that sparks my curiosity – isn't it a bad thing to have a blob? He walks away without another word and walks over to Potter.
"I wonder what yours is going to be, Prongs." Sirius jokes sarcastically. With the professor watching, he conjures a patronus which takes the form of a deer. Rather then congratulating Potter, Professor Reimers frowns at him and walks over to another group of Gryffindors. I stare at my worthless patronus in annoyance, not understanding its lack of shape. From what I read about patronuses, a patronus is supposed to take a symbolic form of something meaningful to the person who conjures it – since when was a blob ever meaningful to me? As I wallow in frustration, my 'patronus' disappears, no longer able to feed on joyful thoughts. I look around the classroom in disgust at some of the others. The girls all stand in twos and threes, giggling and laughing at their patronuses – since when was it so funny? The boys attempt to send messages back and forth between each other, and which seem to be of a crude nature, if their expressions are anything to go by. The students are all blissfully ignorant of so many of life's dimensions that I almost pity them.
"Oi Snape!" I hear someone call. I turn around to see Rosier walking towards me. "Want to see my patronus?"
"Do I have any choice?"
"Nope." He replies, grinning. His grin suddenly changes to an expression of seriousness as he mutters "Expecto Patronum". The patronus slowly forms into an owl.
"Well done Rosier." I say, inexcusably bitter. Evans is about to reply but the professor calls us to gather in.
"As most of you have already sent messages via your patronesses, I now want to train you against Dementors. Dementors can be extremely damaging, and are very dangerous. They feed on happy memories, leaving a person only their darkest thoughts. To repel – yes Mr. Collett?"
"Is it true that You-Know-Who is rallying the Dementors into his forces?" The Gryffindor boy asks, slightly scared. A group of Slytherin boys behind me give a quite snicker, making my spine tingle with anger and horror.
"Anything is possible, and yes there are rumors of that kind. That is why it is best if you are prepared Mr. Collett. So, as I was saying, today we are going to practice – what now Mr. Collett?"
"Are we practicing against…real Dementors?"
"Not now, but for those who continue Defense of the Dark Arts next year will." Professor Reimers answers. Calculating by the look on Collett's face, he won't be taking the Defense class next year.
"Now, another answer to Mr. Collett's question is that we are practicing on boggarts. Now, while I know that some of you are afraid of Dementors," he says, looking at Collett, "some of you will have different fears. So, I want you all to find your biggest fear and think of how you would fear it being revealed to everyone else. This will evoke the Dementors to appear, because it naturally leaves you with no happiness, and essentially only fear of your fears – you could say that you need to fear, fear." He concludes. A mock snore is emitted from someone at the back; probably an arrogant Gryffindor. The professor, either unable to hear it or unwilling to acknowledge it, continues.
"Now, all I want you to do when you face these Dementors is to cast your patronus – it is vital to maintain your happy thoughts. There are six boggarts separated across the room, so take in turns and be careful!" He warns. The students subdivide into groups and wander off to the different boggart stations. I join a group of Slytherins. Avery steps up first to cast his patronus. The boggart doesn't hesitate to transform into a Dementor.
"Expecto Patronum!" He casts, his voice wavering slightly. A bat shoots out of his wand towards the Dementor, before fading away as the boggart gets closer to Avery.
"Very good, Mr. Avery, although more concentration is needed." The professor comments as he passes the group. Narcissa steps up to the boggart next and delicately casts her patronus; a rabbit. After successfully repelling the Dementor, she turns away from the boggart with a smug expression and makes sure to bump into me as she passes by. Just as I prepare to cast my sad excuse of a patronus, Professor Reimers interrupts us, alerting us that the class has ended. I move to get my books and turn around, only to be faced by Avery, Narcissa and Mulciber in the now-empty classroom. Before a word is passed between us, Narcissa, in what seems like an act of absolute rage, attacks me.
"Stupefy!" She yells, a wicked gleam in her eye. I side step and feel the curse pass me, the force blowing my hair out of my face. I look at her with a determined look and she groans aloud.
"You bastard!" while she throws another curse at me. I mutter "protego' under my breath and avoid being hit. Narcissa's companions are just standing there, motionless.
"What have I done now, Cissy?" I ask, my voice low and dark.
"It is because of you that Lucius' parents are considering taking him out of school!" She replies, almost close to tears. I can't help but wonder how I would feel if Lily had been taken away from me in the same way Lucius would be to Narcissa, and I feel sympathy for her. I look at now what are obviously her body guards.
"Could we please have a moment alone?" I question. They give me a hard stare, as if that signified their answer. "I wouldn't stoop down to your level and hurt a female, now please leave." I demand. Narcissa gives a slight nod of her head and Avery and Mulciber leave the room. I turn back to a teary Narcissa.
"Narcissa, you know as well as I that I am not the reason that Lucius is going to be pulled out of school." I remind, carefully watching her. You never know what these crazy girls will do anymore – their moods are as delicate as brewing a 'Draught of Life' potion. She just shakes her head from side to side. "What, do you think differently? Did you really think you could take your anger out on me, when you knew that, regardless of me or you, he would leave?" I question with heat in my voice. She needs to hear the truth aloud. A few tears slide down her face, and as I stare at my old best friend, I feel guilty. And stupid. And useless. I take one step towards her.
"When the Dark Lord calls, Cissy, he will follow." I warn in a low voice. Despite not wanting my words to be loud, it felt as though it echoed through out the empty Defense room, bouncing back and weighing us down with the severity of the words. Narcissa's tears steadily flow down her face.
"W-why did you attack him? What gave you the right?" She demands, suddenly livid. Her tone makes me defensive and as I think back to that day, I feel my blood boil once again.
"As if you don't know. Nonetheless, I'll remind you what right I had. He threatened to kill Lily, Narcissa! In order to bribe me, he was going to kill her before my eyes!" I shout unintentionally. She pales slightly.
"You didn't have to scar him." She mumbles, rubbing her arm.
"Narcissa, if he does so much as touch her again, I won't hesitate to kill him." I tell her flatly, watching her pace pale further, the tears running down her face.
"Oh, Sev, please don't!" She pleads, the tone of her voice alerting me to her allusion.
"Narcissa, do you know something I don't?" I ask, trying to be gentle but sure the rage inside me is visible. She gives me a not - so convincing shake of her head.
"If you want to ensure Lucius' safety, it's best if I know everything." I coax.
"Do you promise his safety?"
"I wouldn't be stupid to promise such a thing, but I promise to be as lenient as I can."
"I don't know of much, except that you are both a target for both Lucius and the Dark lord. He constantly talks of this plan, which the ultimate goal is the death of a … mudblood." She answers, gently saying the word of which I am most averted to. I look into her eyes, which quickly look at mine but then shift away to find another object to look at. She's lying. Without another breath I whisper 'legilimens' and enter Narcissa's thoughts. It doesn't take me a second to find what I was looking for, yet hoping wasn't there.
A scene appears with Lucius sitting on a chair which is on the right-hand side of a throne.
"My lord, I have found the link." Lucius' voice announces, gently sliding a piece of paper to the chair on his left. "If this mudblood dies, we'll have no problem recruiting him."
The figure in the throne extends a deathly white hand and takes the paper.
"Pretty thing, isn't she?" The Dark Lord comments.
"And a feisty Gryffindor – she won't be easy to take down, especially with him guarding her."
The Dark Lord chuckles darkly, evilly, sending chills to the depths of my heart.
"She will prove very useful to us. I might just have to pay her a visit myself." He says in a voice so wicked that it emphasized the double use of the words and makes misinterpretation of his intentions impossible. Automatically, my body begins to shake with anger, my heart which was just frozen with fear set alight by hate and anger. I pull myself out of Narcissa's thoughts just as I hear glass smash from behind me. I turn around to see an angry Avery and Mulciber approaching, obviously attempting to hex me. In the mood for a fight, I stupefy them both. Paralyzed on the ground, I walk past the two figures and a crying Narcissa to leave the room, but I am shot with a curse and knocked to the ground. Avery gets up and walks over to me, wand pointing at my chest.
"You know Snape; you really are a filthy git. Didn't your mother ever teach you how to clean?
He rhetorically asks, stupefying me again. "How does that mudblood friend of yours cope with it?"
I feel my face grow hot with anger and shame. Avery leaves me paralyzed on the ground and walks over to get Mulciber up. My eyes flicker over to Narcissa, who is wiping away the last of her tears before making a clearing her face of emotion. By the time Mulciber and Avery are both upright, I resume control of my limbs.
"Molti-Levicorpus." I mutter at the boys, watching as their bodies are flung upside down as I stand up. Their curses just miss me and hit the remaining windows. As Avery whispers 'Wingardium Leviosa" I feel a sharp pain in my arm. I give it a quick glance and recognize a piece of glass which must be from the wreckages.
"Molti-Expelliarmus!" I cast, disarming Avery and Mulciber to prevent them from levitating any other pieces of glass into my arm.
With a grimace on my face I leave the room and go to Slughorn's apartments. I strip down to my trousers, careful not to move my arm much. I look at my pale arm, a single line of blood steadily dripping from the wound. I gently grasp the glass and gently tug it out, my raw skin pulling apart at the removal. I groan aloud at the pain before completely lifting it out. Looking around the room to find something to slow the blood flow, I grab a close piece of paper, dabbing it on my deep wound. I throw the offensive piece of glass on the ground and walk out of my room. I find a piece of material wound up around a metal object. I carefully unwrap the object and then wrap the white cloth forcefully around my arm, creating a bandage. I slip my robes back over and go out to the next class, having just missed morning break. As I walk past Lily I give her a little smile, but she just ignores me and keeps walking.
Hello everyone!
In order to explain a component in the story, Severus spells of 'Molti-Levicorpus' and 'Molti-Expelliarmus' are prefixes which Severus created in order
to use the spells following the 'molti' on multiple people at once. I got this idea from Italian whereby Molti (plural of Molto) means much, or very.
Also, I invented the 'Draught of the Life' potion. It is a potion which can give back life to the dead, however, it has only once been correctly created as the recipe is highly delicate and easy to make a mistake, hence Sev referred to it.
Well, I finally got there, and I have to ask to be excused in the next chapter which will be updated immeadiately.
I hope you are all well and that everyone is enjoying their night/day!
Please remember to read and review, telling me what you think of this chapter, areas I can improve on and areas which you may think I did well in. Please let me know if you are enjoying the story as feedback allows me to shift and change for the better.
Lots of Love,
Ange (Missteque).