A Veela Family
Chapter 7: Hogwarts
The golden spectre of Hogwarts floated serenely through the castle that embodied her, gathering the ghosts as she made her way towards the Great Hall, and sending them off to gather the students and staff. Even the Carrows who would be banished from her walls shortly.
Despite the fact that she seemed serene, the portraits who watched her journey in awe could also sense her anger, if the tiny sparks of magic flashing through her ghostly image were anything to go by. And soon she was standing at the front of the Hall with astounded students and staff all looking at her with questioning eyes. Because she wasn't someone they knew. She wasn't one of the ghosts, and yet she was a ghost. The House Elves and ghosts, even Peeves, were also there, though they all seemed rather excited, which made her smile briefly as she looked at them, though the smile faded as she looked at the adults who had failed the children so terribly throughout the years.
"What is this all about? Why should we allow a ghost to waste our time like this?" Alecto said, sounding both bored and angry.
Hogwarts smiled again, though really it was more of a smirk.
"I am Hogwarts," she said, and her eyes lit with joy at seeing the awe in most everyone's eyes.
"Bullshit," Amycus growled, "Everyone back to bed before I start-"
"No," she said sternly as her magic flared and caused him to freeze in place, alongside his sister, "I am not going to allow you to hurt these children anymore. In fact, I am not going to let you in my walls again. I hereby permanently banish any adult, nineteen or older, with the Dark Mark, or with Tom Marvolo Riddle's blood, from my castle. So mote it be,"
There was a flash of white light and when it had cleared the siblings had disappeared. The students all shrunk in on themselves with relief on their faces. The Professors seemed relieved, too. She gave them a few more seconds to bask in their relief before she spoke again.
"You know," she said softly, though her voice was still the only thing that could be heard in the vast room, "I am rather disappointed by what this school has become, and I know that if my dear Founders were still around that they would be, too. Don't you think, Helena?" she turned to the ghost that was commonly known as the Grey Lady.
"Yes, mother and the others would all be terribly disappointed," Helena said, her voice also soft.
"Mother?" Professor McGonagall said in shock.
"Yes. My mother was Rowena Ravenclaw," Helena smiled at the witch, and at everyone else as almost all of them looked at her in shock and awe.
"Why would they be disappointed?" Ginny Weasley said, "Why would you be disappointed? Hogwarts is the best-"
"Hogwarts is currently very far down the list of all the magical schools in the world," Hogwarts cut her off sternly, "In academic performance, classes offered, student care and safety, the careers students are able to take up once they have left the school, the amount of students who go to university, and all the other details that matter within schools. Hogwarts is however winning if you think that the amount of people who become criminals either during their time in these walls, or after they have left, is something to be concerned about. Oh, we also have little to no teen pregnancy, however given that the previous Headmaster was dosing almost everyone with poorly made contraceptive potions that isn't particularly surprising. It also isn't surprising that the amount of new students we've had in the years since he became Headmaster is steadily declining. At least in terms of Purebloods,"
"Are you saying that our families fertility issues could be linked to the previous Headmaster giving us all potions?" Blaise Zabini asked curiously.
"Maybe. I'm a ghost so I wouldn't know. Well, I'm not a ghost, more a manifestation of tiny pieces of everyone who has ever walked through my walls magic's, with a slightly larger piece from our current Headmaster-"
"But you just banned everyone with a Dark Mark from entering-"
"Well then, it's a good thing Severus Snape doesn't have a Dark Mark," she said, cutting Minerva off as she discreetly sent a mind message to one of the House Elves to send a letter off to Harry and his family regarding Lucius, "Severus Snape is still the Headmaster of this school, and he will be for as long as he wants to be,"
"He killed Albus-"
"If you are going to keep interrupting me then I shall also ban you from the school, Minerva," Hogwarts said, still calm even as many of the people in the room looked at her in shock, "Yes, he killed Albus. What you didn't know, though, was that the two of them planned it. Or Albus planned it, basically forced Severus to do it so that Severus could fully earn the trust of the Dark Lord, help Harry do what Albus is forcing him to do to defeat the Dark Lord, and to better protect the students when the Dark Lord takes over the school. Also so that Draco wouldn't have to do it as he was being forced to attempt all last year. Albus was already dying, he was going to die last year whether he was murdered or not. He had managed to get himself cursed. Severus just did the deed before the old man's death got even more painful,"
Everyone apart from the house elves and ghosts were looking at her in shock again, and she just smiled.
"How has he been protecting us?" Ginny shouted, outraged.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe by making sure, as often as he can, that you aren't tortured by the siblings. By giving your detentions to Hagrid to get you out of the castle for a little while. By not telling the Carrows where many of you have started hiding, because believe me, he knows. Obviously given his old position he had to let you be hurt sometimes, lest he be killed by an outraged Dark Lord and someone who doesn't care about your health and wellbeing be placed as Headmaster, but he has done what he could. He has had the house eleves feed you foods with basic healing potions in them, nutrient potions, too. He has made sure the Room, and all the Common Rooms are stocked with more advanced potions and balms for specific ailments so that you can heal each other. He has sent the siblings away as often as he could with whatever news he could gather for the Dark Lord. He has made sure that the Room, and again the Common Rooms are stocked with Defence books so you can all prepare yourselves, and those are just some of the things he has done for you this year," Hogwarts said, really trying to remain calm and not let her anger show.
"Now, the Headmaster has gone away to rest with his family for a little while, and whilst he is gone I am going to work on keeping you all safe, and on fixing what needs to be fixed, or at least, start on that, there is a lot wrong with this place and it will take a long time to work through what needs doing,"
"Why has he gone away-?"
"Please, stop interrupting me," Hogwarts smiled at Minerva, "First of all, it is none of your business, but, at the same time, I am here to partially help you all understand the man that is Severus Snape. A favourite student of mine. Let's just say that he's recently had one of his many traumatic memories resurface and he isn't handling it well with everything else he has been forced to handle,
"Now then, let's get down to business. I will say that things in this school have been declining since before Dumbledore took over as Head, but things really took a turn the moment he became Deputy. The rumours, the favouritism, the manipulations, the tearing apart of families, friends, the loss of classes, the lack of punishments against those who deserve to be punished if from a certain House, the punishments for those who don't deserve them, the war between the Houses. Or should I say two of the Houses, because the other two Houses have been forgotten altogether. I have seen everything that has happened in this school since it was built, heard every conversation, and thanks to me having a tiny bit of all of your magic, I know everything that you have all been through in your lives. I also have a link with the Sorting Hat, and so I have seen every sorting, heard every plea from every child who has begged to be in a certain House because they are scared to go against their family,
"It is rather upsetting at the sheer number of children who have been sorted into the wrong House because they are too scared of what their own families would do to them, because of rumours, or opinions that have been built into your minds on what the Houses represent. And the consequences of these wrong sortings are perhaps worse, in many cases. However, the Sorting Hat does what he can to keep you as safe as possible. In as many cases as he can, when Dumbledore wasn't playing with him, playing with your lives,
"Realistically your House doesn't and shouldn't matter. Once you leave these walls for the rest of your lives you will have to work with people from the other Houses, you will have to get on if you want to succeed. And yet, one man has managed to turn you all against each other with rumours, favouritism, and manipulation, to the point where many of the people who study here no longer succeed in life. Less and less students each year becoming healers, aurors, earning high ranks in the Ministry, getting Masteries in subjects which will allow them to do research, invent things, or become teachers. And I know that there are people here, have been people here, who are fully capable of doing those things. I know it, I've seen it. But instead you let yourselves get caught up in the battle which should just be for House points and Quidditch games,"
"What rumours and opinions are you referring to, ma'am?" Padma Patil said softly and she smiled at the girl.
"I would like to remind you that I knew the Founders, I have been here since they built the castle. They created me, their magics were the first to start to create me, and those of the children they taught, their own children and spouses also. I knew who they were, what they talked about, I remember it all. And I know, as does Helena, that Salazar Slytherin wasn't evil," and didn't that start a war, many of the Gryffindors all shouting, and others saying that they should at least listen to the ghost of the castle, at least until she sent out a blast of magic that shocked everyone into silence, "I could show you all the memories I have of him and the other Founders, but then I think we would be here for a while. But the fact that I am willing to do so, should it be necessary, should be enough for you to at least listen to me, right? If you had brains enough to realise that I wouldn't show you my memories if what I was saying was a lie,
"Salazar Slytherin wasn't evil. He also didn't hate muggleborns, he didn't want them dead. He wanted to protect them. It isn't, for some reason or another, very well known but the witch hunts were still going on in the time of the Founders. And the muggleborn children were, of course, those who were most likely to be killed in them. Sal wanted to protect them from that, wanted to protect everyone from that. He wanted to bring the muggleborns into our world sooner, give them a family who will love and protect them instead of hurting them, teach them about magic, and our world. He wanted to keep them safe. The other Founders wanted that, too, they wanted magical people, and creatures, to be able to stay at Hogwarts if need be, to keep everyone safe. Hogwarts is a school, yes, but it is also a home, to everyone who needs it, for however long they need it. Have you ever wondered why the place is so big despite you not having many lessons?
"Salazar left the school not because he was ousted by the others, but because he had a family emergency to deal with, and he died shortly after he came back. He is buried alongside the other Founders, on these very grounds. Hogwarts was the way the Founders wanted it for a good few hundred years, before the Ministry started digging its claws in, but it was still alright, it was still a home, until Dumbledore became Deputy. And when he defeated his ex-lover his power in the Ministry allowed him to dig even more claws in, and to ruin more of what the Founders wanted, to get rid of more books and classes, to manipulate people both in and out of the school,"
"I'm sorry, Madame Hogwarts, did you just say ex-lover?" Professor Flitwick said, as in shock as everyone else.
"Oh, yes. Dumbledore and Grindlewald were madly in love for about a year or so when they were younger. They planned on taking over the world together. What Grindlewald did, what he wanted, Albus wanted all of that, too. Even after he defeated the man that was what he wanted, he just went about it in the political way. He made people look to him for hope, he did them small favours until they believed they owed him everything. Dumbledore continued to love Grindlewald until he died. Continued their mission, even though Grindlewald was in prison by that point-"
"Lies! Dumbledore was a great man," Ginny shouted, outraged.
"Remember that I know everything that goes on inside the castle. I have seen him write letters to Grindlewald. I have listened in on every conversation. I know everything that man did while he was in this school, and many of the things he was planning to do out of this school. And I can, and will, show you any memories I can to prove that what I am saying is true, even if we are here all week until you bloody listen to me," the golden spectre seethed as she glared at the now cowering girl.
"I have finally come out of the walls with the aid of Severus to bring safety to this school again. To bring this place back to what it was meant to be. And myself and Severus, when he has returned, will do everything we can to ensure that this school is back in its prime. That you are safe, well looked after, and happy, as well as receiving the best education you can. And if that means that I need to unenroll certain students, or fire some staff then know that I can, and will, do so. The children in this school have been unsafe, both inside and outside, for far too long, because the staff have been too lax in their responsibilities," she was stern as she looked between the staff and students.
"The Dark Lord would not have become who he is if his Professors had taken a minute to see his fear of going back to the orphanage he was raised in, and actually helped him. Many of those who became Death Eaters would not have done so if the rift between the Houses wasn't constantly empowered, and if the staff of this school had taken a moment to stop any bullying, and to look at the students who clearly needed a safe place to go, not to be sent out to a war they're forced by their parents to take part in. Eleven year old children wouldn't be scared of being sorted into certain Houses if the staff of this school didn't enable the war. May I please bring attention to the fact that Merlin, the man you all swear on, was a Slytherin," she could still see shock in many eyes. But she could see understanding and pain, too.
"I am appalled. The Founders would be, too. I am especially appalled by the state of the school since the year nineteen-seventy one. I know a lot of you members of staff were here then, so may I ask where your hearts and minds were during the last twenty seven years?" she said, looking at the staff members she was referring to with hard eyes, "What has to happen to a student before you actually step in to protect them? It is one of your main duties, right? To protect and care for the students,"
"Severus Snape started attending this school in nineteen-seventy one, and he was sorted into Slytherin at perhaps the worst time for him to be sorted into that House. Not really through any fault of the students, but their parents for forcing them into a certain way of living. Of thinking. Severus Snape, a poor, half-blood student, who was best friends with a Gryffindor muggleborn witch. Severus Snape, who was being abused in one way or another by his parents, whose only hope for safety was coming here, was sorted into Slytherin; although he could have been sorted into any of the Houses; a House that had been bred for the better part of twenty years, to hate him. And none of you helped him. Not when he asked for help to get away from his parents. Not when he asked for help against his Housemates,
"And certainly not when you witnessed him being bullied by four Gryffindor boys the same age as him. The four boys who tormented him horribly every day, with pranks that very quickly became worse than just pranks. With names, and other words that no child should have to hear. And you sat back and watched, you didn't punish the boys who hurt him, but you did punish him the few times he actually managed to pull a prank on them. You watched as their abuse got worse over the years. And it was abuse. You didn't help Severus when he came to you after being sexually assaulted by them, the first time, or the few other times he thought to ask for help before he gave up. You didn't punish them for their actual crimes, not even when they almost killed him in his sixth year. No, you punished him instead. They committed crimes worthy of time in Azkaban at the very least, and not one of you sought to help Severus,
"And that brings me to the reason why young Severus Snape took the Dark Mark. Even though he never wanted to do so. I should say that Severus and I have a mind link right now, we have since I made myself known to him, and he has given me permission to tell you, but if you even think of rubbing it in his face, in any way, then I will kick you out of the Castle, with no memory of any of it, before you can say the word Hogwarts," she glared fiercely at everyone, her magic flaring protectively through the Hall even as they all nodded at her.
"Severus is a bearer," the gasps that spread around the room made her glare at them again, "I will get to why he is the way he has been later. But he is a bearer, and in his fifth year of Hogwarts he got pregnant by one of the Marauders who assaulted him. He didn't know about his pregnancy, however, until he went to Malfoy Manor over the summer, and he fell ill. His pregnancy was discovered by one Abraxas Malfoy, who was rather pleased to find himself a young, fertile bearer he could use to further his line, with stronger magic. Abraxas tortured him until he miscarried, and continued the torture even afterwards. He didn't give Severus a choice. And he would have forced Severus into a bonding where Severus would have had nothing, perhaps not even the right to see his children, if Severus hadn't used a small window of opportunity to take up the Dark Mark, to protect himself from being used like that after everything else he had been through. Severus had to resort to becoming something he hated because he wanted to protect himself and any children he may have had in the future from a life like that. Where they would have been used, and hurt, for their abilities,
"He shouldn't have had to do that. No child should have to do that. To become something so against them, to do something they don't want to do, because they have no other choice. Because he did have no other choice. You all showed him, time and again, that you wouldn't do a thing to help him. No matter what he said, no matter what he showed you, none of you did a thing to help him. So yes, he had to become a Death Eater because no one would be able to use him for his bearing abilities then, right? The Dark Lord wouldn't want a pregnant Death Eater. What use could a pregnant Death Eater be? And yes, I am going to sit here and blame all of you who were here at the time for a child having to go that far just to survive a bit longer. Just for a hope that he will, one day, have a choice. In anything. Not that he ever has. I am going to sit here and blame all of you for letting an already traumatised child experience even more trauma,
"Not just Severus either. Although Severus has been through a lot more than most because no one gave him the help he deserves. But Harry also. Neville. Luna. So many of the Slytherins, although Severus actually did what he could to help them. And so many more. How many times does an abused child have to walk these halls, asking for help from any of you, before you listen? How many times do you have to watch a child being bullied before you step in and help them? What has to happen to these children before you actually help them? Do they have to almost die? Oh, wait, Harry's done that plenty of times and yet none of you stepped in to look after him. Severus also almost died. So no. Do they have to actually die? I doubt it, since it will be much too late by that point. I need to know why all of you have turned blind eyes to the students who need you the most, deserve you the most. And rest assured, all of you who have purposely ignored students in need, at any point, will be properly punished, lest you have a bloody good reason for doing so. And, personally, I don't think there really is a good reason for doing so,"
"Severus was reading about the Dark Arts," Minerva whispered, though Hogwarts was pleased to see some form of pain in her green eyes.
"Yes, he was. But did you think to ask him why? Did you think, for a second, that the rumours spread about him by Sirius Black; you know, one of the boys who assaulted him, and then had the audacity to try and kill him; might actually not have any weight to them? Because Severus never once raised his wand against a student and performed a Dark spell. In fact, he spent a hell of a lot of time healing the students from any of the pranks the four idiots liked to pull on people, and from other things. Especially the students younger than him. He actually had a lot of students, from all the Houses, who looked up to him for someone they could rely on. Because he cared. He still does,
"He was reading about the Dark Arts because he wanted to become more proficient than anyone else in Defence. He wanted to know everything about what the opposite side, the Death Eaters, were doing to people, so that he could protect himself and others, but especially Lily, from them. He created quite a few counter spells, potions, and such for many things. He had been working against the Dark Lord since before he joined him. He helped so many people get away from the horrors. He has healed so many. Because he knows, better than almost anyone, what those spells can do and how to reverse them, how to defend against them. But also, sometimes the best defence is a good offence. Especially when you aren't the only one in danger, although, one could argue even more so when you are the only one in danger, which he often has been, in every place he has ever been," she said, her voice sour, and angry, and pained at just the memories of what she knew Severus, and many others had been through over the years.
Because no one had helped them.
"I know many of you will be wondering why Severus has been the way he has been over the years given that he is a bearer and it shouldn't be possible for him to be that way. The answer is that it isn't possible for him to be the way he has been forced to be, not really. It causes him a great deal of physical, mental and emotional pain to do the things he does, to say the things he does. But he has to due to contracts, vows, and other things he has been forced into by either Dumbledore or the Dark Lord. Thankfully, though, I have been able to revoke all of those things so that he can begin to heal, with the aid of his family, and be his true self. Which is a great start to the two of us making Hogwarts what it was meant to be. Again. But know that he has also been doing everything he can to keep all of you safe, and cared for. If you have ever woken up and found a potion by your bed, it is because of him. He noticed something and wanted to make sure you were okay. And that is just one of many things he does. Potions is also an incredibly dangerous subject. One wrong move and an injury, or even death, is possible. By trying to keep you focussed on the recipe, by watching your every move, he was doing you all a favour, somewhat. There were less accidents in his classes than any potion's master before him,
"But I think that is enough for today. Starting tomorrow I will be speaking individually to each and every one of you. Classes are cancelled for now but I do expect you to be studying in your spare time, and remember, I know everything that goes on in this castle, because I am the castle. If you aren't studying then I will be asking why, and depending on your answer you may just get a detention," she said, smiling slightly, "Meals will be taken at the same times as always. I will be speaking to the staff first, then be moving onto the students. I will call for you when I want to speak to you. When Severus gets back, with his family, we will begin working on changes to the school. Please do think about everything I have mentioned to you during this talk. I will show you the memories if you don't want to believe me. I don't want the same mistakes of the past to keep being made. The children need protecting, and we will make sure they are protected, with or without you. Goodnight,"
She vanished from the room, appearing in the Headmaster's office, taking a deep, shaky breath, the kind that a ghost can make, as she took a moment to hope that she had done the right thing, for Severus, and for the school. The students needed to know how bad things had gotten, they deserved to know. They deserved to know that it wasn't right, and that things were going to change. Things were going to get better. They deserved to know that this man had always been looking out for them, in the only ways he could.
Hogwarts would be a safe haven again.
Hogwarts would be a home again.
They would make sure of it.
With or without the people who were already here.
She glared at the sleeping portrait of the previous Headmaster and contemplated burning it off her wall. But, she supposed, that could wait until Severus and his family got back.
It is only right that they get to see it, after all.
Hiya, how are you all today?
I hope you enjoyed this super long chapter. I know people don't tend to like loads of explanation, especially in the form of dialogue, however, sometimes these kinds of chapters are needed. Especially when I am too emotionally drained in real life to write an emotionally charged chapter at the moment, so I really just couldn't gather the energy to write what goes on with the family now that Severus is home. Not today. But next time. Prepare yourselves with some tissues, or a handkerchief, or whatever you need to get you through emotional things, haha. But anyway, will we be cutting some teachers and students? Will Hogwarts be forced to show everyone her memories, all of them? Only time will tell ;)
Anywho, I posted an essay/petition where I (un)officially explain why I think I should be cast as my favourite character, Severus Snape, in the new HBO series, despite the fact that I am a woman. It would mean a lot if you went and read it, but no pressure. It isn't going to lead to anything, unless, by some miracle, it goes viral, but it was fun to write. It is on my AO3, Maraudering_Paige. Feel free to go and check it out.
Also, I am working on some Spotify playlists for my fanfics, so if you can think of any songs you think work with the stories as they are so far, or where you think they are going, or songs that give you the vibes you get from the stories, then please do let me know and I will give them a listen, then potentially add them to the playlists. If you would like to go and give them a listen as they are now then you can find me on Spotify under the name Maraudering_Paige. They aren't that long at the moment, but we are making progress and I will continue adding to them the more music I listen to and when I have the time to do so. But still, if you can think of any relevant songs then do let me know.
I have a Facebook group called Maraudering_Paige which you are all welcome to join if you would like to and are able to. It is where we can talk about Harry Potter, fanfics, life, share memes and more. It is also where I have somewhat of an update schedule for my fics and will be keeping you up to date on what I am working on, in regards to fanfics, original works, and more things. So if you are interested in joining then I am more than happy to accept you all.
I also now have a TikTok and an Instagram for my fanfic writing escapades. The username is maraudering_paige on both of them so feel free to follow me, and we shall see how often and what kinds of content I can post when I can. But it is another way for me to keep you all up to date if you don't have Facebook and such, and for me to spread the word about other things I am working on and things I want to do and such. So yeah, feel free to join me on those if you are able.
And finally, if you like poems, then I write them and I have started a where you can read 1 or more poems every month depending on how many I have the time to post. You also get access to information about my original books I am working on before anyone else. And you get your name listed in the acknowledgements section of any book I publish whilst you are a Patron. For as little as £1.11 (plus VAT) a month. If you would like to join me over there and read some rants I call poems, and get updates on original work, then you may. My username over there is Paige_Makepeace. No pressure, by the way, you certainly do not have to if you can't or don't want to. I understand. I just thought it would be a cool thing to try. Any money made from this will go towards helping me write and publish the original novels I am working on. Including the one I am hoping to publish first which is a slow-burn, witchy, bisexual/lesbian enemies to lovers book. You will also be able to read the first draft of the first chapter of my book, so, if you are interested in doing that then feel free to go and subscribe if you want to.
If there are any other platforms you think I should join you all on then let me know and I will have a think.
I hope you are having an amazing day!
Kind regards,
Paige xx