Change The Fate: The Fallen Angel Arise
By TheUndefeatable
Disclaimer: Sadly, any character who you know, before reading my story, are not mine!
Rate: Rated T just to be safe
Summary: There is always a light in the middle of darkness, you just must be brave enough to see it and to embrace it! Then, you will see that you don't need to take the burden all by yourself; you see that you are not alone. A sequel to 'Face The World Alone: Tale Of A Fallen Angel'
Warning: Mention of child abuse and attempt suicide, some violence and bloodshed in later chapters, but not any thing explicit! Don't like it, don't read it!
A/N: Merry Christmas Everyone! I tried to write as fast as possible! Count it as an early Christmas gift! Let me know what you think.
Edited May 2019.
Chapter 9: The Examinations
Dumbledore sat behind his desk, exhausted. He and Rosaline had spent the whole day at the Ministry, trying to solve both the abuse and suicide cases. The first thing they did was to use the guardianship form to block any claim Severus' father had on Severus and his belongings. It was a temporary solution. A more permanent solution would be gained through winning abuse case.
All day, Dumbledore used all his connections to quicken the procedure and to make it less of a problem. So far things went smoothly, more or less. The only serious problem they faced was when an employee claimed that according to rules Severus must stay the duration of abuse case in an orphanage, but considering that he had attempted to commit suicide as well, he needed to stay in St. Mungo's mental ward. Fortunately for them, Rosaline had read the exact rules and their history and knew there had been cases in which a child remained with a member of their family or their guardians. Some fast talking on her part and some looking up the rules on the employees part was enough to convince him. The only thing he told them was that he had to inform his superior and get his signature for ignoring that part of the procedure. His superior upon hearing the name Dumbledore signed willingly and even went so far as reprimanding his subordinate for insisting on executing the law!
Thinking back on all they achieved today made him sigh. The physical and magical examination were set to take place on the day after tomorrow. The Ministry is supposed to appoint someone for them by tomorrow since by the time they had gotten all the signatures necessary for an examination the employee who sets the appointments with the healers had gone home. So they couldn't speak with him about setting Poppy as the examiner healer. 'No matter, we can do it tomorrow. It will be rather easy in comparison with all we have had to accomplish today.' He thought to himself.
He was totally exhausted and all he wanted to do was to take a rest, but one look at the pile of paperwork on his desk was enough to dissuade him. So instead he sat to work on the letters and documents which needed his attention, starting with the most urgent ones. However, after spending half an hour staring at the starting line of a letter from Ministry he came to the conclusion that he could not get anything done, even rest, when his thoughts were still on the teenager who had recently became his ward. With a sigh and a resigned look at the papers he cleared his desk and went to Hospital Wing to get the latest news on condition of the aforementioned teenager.
When he reached the healing wards, he went directly to the curtained area surrounding Severus' bed. He stood there for some time gazing at the sleeping teenager. Every time he looked at those young features an unknown emotion rose in him. It was rather unsettling. He was confused as he had never before needed to dissect his emotions to understand how he felt about something. After what felt like an hour, but in reality was only five minutes he shook his head and went to the Matron's office.
Upon reaching the open door of the office he found Poppy and Minerva in the middle of a discussion. He cleared his throat to gain their attention and said, "I came to ask about Severus. How is he?"
Poppy sighed and said. "He is still weak, but he is on the mend. I am a little worried about his immune system. Also, I don't know how much his growth physically and magically has been affected by abuse and malnutrition. Considering what Severus has undergone for all those years I think his body is coping much better than one would expect. But either way, I'm going to monitor that to make sure he recovers as completely as possible."
Dumbledore nodded as he came inside the office and sat down.
"What happened at Ministry?" Minerva asked.
"Well, so far we managed to file both cases and get the examinations scheduled for the day after tomorrow. All in all, everything went better than I hoped."
"Who is going to perform the examinations? Did you tell them about me doing it?"
"No, Poppy. By the time we got the required signatures for the examination, the employee setting the appointments for the healer was gone. So we are going to do that tomorrow."
Both women nodded their head. Then Minerva said. "Just before you came, Poppy and I were talking about what happens after examination."
"Well, for both cases –" Albus started, but Minerva cut him off.
"No, Albus. What happens to Severus after examination?" She asked with a pointed look.
"Well, he can stay here until both cases are resolved. Rosaline and I made sure he can stay in Hospital Wing –" Albus said, but this time Poppy cut him off.
"Here? Where everyone can come and go?" She asked with an edge to her voice.
Understanding shone in Albus eyes and he said. "No, I was going to ask house elves to prepare a room for him."
"In your chambers?" Minerva asked.
"Actually, I had a room near hospital wing in my mind so that Poppy can check on him easily." Albus said.
Truth was that he had thought about the need to make a room for Severus in his chambers as he needed a place to stay during the summer. But he had hoped it would not be anytime soon.
Both witches in front of him wanted to face palm at hearing that statement. Minerva said with sigh, "Albus, Severus doesn't need Poppy to check on him all day! But he does need attention and help from someone, and as his guardian it falls to you to be there for him. I thought you understood that when Rosaline told you."
"Also there is the fact that he needs help using bathroom and I think he would be less embarrassed if someone of the same gender helped him." Poppy said.
"I understood what Rosaline said, but do you really think Severus wants me to help him eat, take potions, and use the bathroom?" Albus asked.
"It is not a matter of what he wants. It is a matter of what he needs. I'm sure he would prefer to do all that by himself, but the fact is that he cannot. Not at least for a month. Maybe even more," Poppy said.
Albus nodded and said "Alright, I will tell the house elves to prepare a room in my chambers."
"Yes, better tell them as soon as possible. They have a lot of work to do since all things should be ready by the day after tomorrow." Minerva said.
"By the day after tomorrow? Why so soon?"
"Albus, you said yourself that we don't know how many people want him and that we don't know what they will do! By tomorrow all those people will know he gave you his guardianship!" Poppy said.
"So will most of the Slytherins, I bet." Minerva muttered.
Albus sighed and said. "Yes, it is logical to move him after the examination."
"I think we need to go shopping as well." Minerva said.
"Yes, I thought about that. He will need everything, but I thought it would be better to get only things that are necessary for now and get the rest after a talk with him. After all, we don't know the type or color of the things he may want."
Minerva and Poppy shared an approving look before Poppy said. "And don't forget about his old stuff and his wand. They must still be somewhere in that cursed house. I think they might have sentimental value for him."
Both Minerva and Albus nodded. There was a moment of silence, before Minerva got up and said, "Well, we had better go. It is almost time for dinner. After dinner I will prepare a list of all we will need to buy tomorrow. Also I need to mark some assignment."
"You are right; we should go. After dinner I need to speak with the house elves about what they need to put in Severus' room." Albus said, and with a sigh he followed her out of office. He thought about his comfortable bed, but then remembered the piles of paperwork all which were marked urgent. He sighed again. Tonight was going to be a long night.
~oOo~
Tomorrow came in a blink of an eye, at least for Dumbledore, who had been working late. After a rather short staff meeting and an even shorter appearance at breakfast, Dumbledore went to his office where he flooed to the Ministry.
He found Rosaline already waiting on the other side and together they went for the appointment of the healer. The employee, Mr. Gobson, informed them that the schedule of all healers were full until next week. Thinking that it would be to their advantage, they pressed to set Madame Pomfrey as the examiner. However, Mr. Gobson had other ideas. He refused on the grounds that she was not an examination healer or even a healer under contract to the Ministry so she could not be trusted with such delicate matters. No matter how much they argued, they couldn't sway him.
Dumbledore decided to call in a favor from a previous student in hopes of better result, but before going he noticed Rosaline motioning him to follow her. They went to a secluded area and, after casting a privacy charm, Rosaline turned to Dumbledore and said, "It won't work."
"I know there is not a high chance of success, but we have to do something. Next week is too late."
"Exactly! I think that's why he is refusing to set Poppy as the examiner!"
"You think he deliberately wants to delay the case?"
"Yes, we filed the guardianship and both cases yesterday and pulled a fast one over them. Now they are trying to buy time so they have time to come up with an alternative. Honestly, considering both the number of healers working for ministry and the number of abuse cases which need examination he didn't even try to come up with a believable lie."
"So what can we do?"
"I don't know." There was a few minutes of silence before a feminine voice called from the other side of hallway.
"Rosaline!"
Rosaline quickly canceled the privacy charm and after an apologetic look at Dumbledore made her way toward the energetic witch who had made her way toward them.
"There you are! Where have you been these last few days?"
"Hi, Maureen. How are you?"
"I'm fine. Well, today I am fine, but yesterday I was not feeling well. One of the clients was an awful stupid old man who shouted at me! And for something that I even didn't do! Can you believe it? He kept shouting how stupid and incompetent I am. People were gathering and I was so embarrassed. I was on the verge of tears when Edvin came. He defended me and escorted him out. Such a gentleman! You remember Edvin, right? You know the cute boy who was transferred to our section last month. He is such a gentle soul. You know last week we had a problem with sending messages to other departments; some sort of charm interference or something. So all the messages stopped in front of the elevator. The guy who usually take care of these things, you know the charmer guy …well he is actually a real charmer!" She giggled. "Anyway, he was on leave, so obviously they brought an incompetent fool who made everything worse by causing the messages to attack people. His supervisor threw a fit, understandably so, but then…."
Rosaline sighed mentally. Sometimes she wondered how Maureen managed to go on and on without drawing a breath. She was thinking about how to interrupt her and tell her she had urgent matters to attend to when something she said caught her attention.
"Supervisor?"
"Yes, the employees who supervises people who work temporarily for a short period for Ministry."
As a plan formed in Rosaline's mind, a smile formed on her lips. She moved forward quickly and gave Maureen a tight hug. "You are the best, you know that?"
Then she took off fast, leaving a confused Maureen behind. Looking around for Dumbledore, she found him talking to an employee not far away. As if sensing her eyes on him, he looked up and their eyes met. Rosaline motioned for him to follow her again. Dumbledore, after exchanging a few words with the employee, joined her and they made their way towards the exit.
"Am I right to presume you have an idea?"
"Yes, our best hope is to get a permit for appointing a supervisor for Poppy for the examination. It is not customary to set a supervisor for an examiner, but it is not against law to do so. So if we manage to get a permit our problem will be solved."
They spent the next three hours in a blur of talking to different people and trying to convince them with excuses about why it was so important for Severus get an examination as soon as possible and why no healer was available. In the end, they managed to get the permit and came back to Mr. Gobson who was angry at the turn of events, but didn't have any excuse to refuse their request. The only thing remaining was appointing the supervisor. Mr. Gobson left his desk to find out which supervisor had free time tomorrow.
After fifteen minutes he returned and informed them that the only one available was a Mr. Wolfing. At the mention of name Wolfing, Dumbledore noticed that Rosaline's face contorted in fury while there was a smug smirk on Mr. Gobson's lips. He knew if he didn't do something Rosaline would say something which they were all going to regret. He gently touched her arm and when she turned he motioned for her to go to a secluded area. When they reached it Dumbledore cast a privacy charm then turned to Rosaline and asked, "Who is he?"
"Someone who I don't trust to pass within a hundred meters of a child! That ...that …he knew! He knew that if he appointed Wolfing, I would withdraw my request!"
"We can't withdraw it. We need to proceed with both cases as soon as possible."
"I know! But really …you really want to put Severus through an examination with a supervisor who is going to spend the whole time ogling him? You know already how hard it is for him! How do you think he will feel when that wretched man stands there the whole time and stares at him? And the fact is that the problem doesn't end there. That man …he..." Rosaline had a problem finding suitable words to finish her sentence. Dumbledore touched her arm to reassure her and said, "Rosaline, I'll be there the whole time and I'll keep him in line." At the look on Rosaline's face Dumbledore sighed and said, "I know it is bad, but it is the lesser of two evils."
After some pondering, Rosaline sighed and said, "I guess there is no other way, but I am serious about the problem not ending there. That man cannot be trusted. There is even the possibility of him being in same league as You-Know-Who. I cannot be there. Only the healer and, if they want, the family or guardians can be present. Obviously those who are not under suspicion of abuse. So it will be only you and Poppy."
Dumbeldore nodded and said. "And I am sure we can handle him." Rosaline nodded and they returned to Mr. Gobson's desk.
When they informed Mr. Gobson he could finalize the documents it was clear that he was very surprised, but there was nothing he could do about it. Everything was set for tomorrow.
Upon returning to his office Dumbledore fire-called Poppy and informed her of the events. As Severus was sleeping at the time the task of telling him about his examination fell to Poppy.
~oOo~
The next morning everything had to be ready by eight. Severus was lying naked under the white bed sheet. Madam Pomfrey had taken his hospital gown so things could be done as fast as possible. She was very professional about the whole ordeal, but Severus couldn't reverse his despair when the Matron explained the procedure the night before. He felt exposed lying in the bed naked. All his bandages had been removed to speed up the process. The only parts that were covered were his arms and part of his legs which were broken. They were in casts to prevent the bone from moving. Apparently, his condition has been so bad that his broken bones were considered an insignificant injury and had been left to treat later.
At 8:30 sharp, the doors to hospital wing opened and Dumbledore entered with another man. Dumbeldore was wearing a yellow robe with twinkling stars on it. The man with him who introduced himself as Mr. Wolfing was of average height. He was wearing a smart formal black robe with the Ministry logo on his chest. He had light brown hair which were slicked back and a heart shaped face. Over all, he could have been considered good looking and warm except for his eyes. Any positive emotions in regards to him evaporated the moment you met his eyes. Eyes that spoke of a new level of inhumanity and ruthlessness. Eyes that turned hungry when they fell on Severus.
Dumbledore put the package he brought with him on the nightstand and stood at Severus's side. His face was grim. After five minutes of spending time in Mr. Wolfing's company, Dumbledore understood the reason behind Rosaline's apprehension. Dumbledore was almost certain Mr. Wolfing is at least closely acquainted with Voldemort, if not one of his active followers. The way he looked at Severus confirmed this suspicion to some extent. True, he was leering at Severus' form, but the glint in his eyes spoke of finding a well hidden treasure. Dumbledore wanted to hex the man which said something about the integrity of the man's character or lack thereof, considering how rarely Dumbledore gave into his emotions especially his anger and that he'd only met the man about five minutes ago.
When Dumbledore noticed how Mr. Wolfing was glancing at the door of Hospital Wing from corner of his eyes, he took a step toward Severus' bed in a protective gesture. Apparently, that was enough to convince Mr. Wolfing that there is no way for him to get out with his prize. So he started to explain the procedure to Severus – to buy time, Dumbledore was sure. When Poppy told him that she had already explained the procedure, an irritated Mr. Wolfing started the procedure by asking Poppy to swear the necessary oath and sign the papers. Afterward, Mr. Wolfing, with a hungry eyes and a smug smirk, gripped the bottom of the sheet covering Severus, and said, "Fine then, lets begin."
Severus' eyes widened in panic and he opened his mouth to protest, but then Dumbledore stopped Wolfing by putting a hand on his arm and said calmly, "Now, I think that won't be necessary. After all, Poppy cannot examine his whole body at the same time. I think it would be better if we did upper body and lower body separately."
With a jerk Wollfing withdrew his hand and said with a sneer, "Of course."
Poppy uncovered his upper body, and so began the torturous physical examination. She examined each part, talking aloud about the injuries and scars which were recorded by the magical quill of the Ministry. The cast on his arm was removed temporarily for examination and then replaced. Dumbledore helped to maneuver Severus's body whenever it was necessary and spent the rest of time looking at Wolfing so he does not get any ideas.
By the time the examination of his upper body was finished, Severus was squirming under the predatory gaze of the Ministry employee. Knowing the hardest part for Severus is about to start, Dumbledore covered Severus's upper body again, before he sat down beside Severus on the bed, and started to talk to him quietly as to not disturb Poppy's examination.
"Severus, after the examination, you will be moved to your room in my chambers. I hope you don't mind, because Minerva and I took the liberty of decorating the room and getting some things for you. Of course, you can change them later on if you want. But before that I brought you some pajamas, so you can be comfortable when you go to your room." During his talk Dumbledore kept a close eye on the procedure and Wolfing. The moment Poppy was done with Severus's private parts he immediately adjusted the sheets to cover him without stopping his speech or breaking eye contact with Severus. Dumbledore picked up the package he previously had put on the nightstand and opened it. Inside the package was a set of soft looking pajamas in a navy blue color.
"Do you like the color? Minerva picked it out. I have to admit it was not what I would have picked, but she insisted," Dumbledore continued as if the color of their pajamas was one of the most important decisions in anyone's life. If anything, Severus was thankful that McGonagall had chosen the pajamas. He didn't want to even think about what Dumbledore would have picked for him, considering the man's taste in clothing. When Severus noticed how Dumbledore was still going on about how he thought the color is too dark, he said weakly, "It is fine."
"Oh. You think it is fine? Alright then let me help you with your top first," Dumbledore got up and positioned his body to block Severus' body from Wolfing's eyes. Then he turned the sheets down and very gently helped Severus to put on his top pajamas.
By the time they were done, Severus was out of breath and Poppy was finished with Severus' lower body and had covered him again.
Except for the one sentence, Severus was silent the whole time. He didn't want to be, but he was grateful for what Dumbledore had done. Even though Severus found Dumbledore's long talk about how navy blue was not a suitable color for pajamas, ridiculous as it was; it managed to distract him efficiently, as in his weakened state, he needed to focus all of his energy just to follow the conversation.
In comparison, the process of magical examination was done so fast that Severus didn't even notice time passing. Mr. Wolfing and Poppy left to go to the Ministry to report on the examination. Dumbledore, after helping Severus with his pajama bottoms, sat in a chair beside his bed. Both of them remained silent with Severus being too overwhelmed to speak and Dumbledore not knowing how to comfort him.
TBC….