Thirty-three: Vae Victis
The only thing stopping her from running to McGonagall as soon as she entered the Great Hall that morning, was her Head of House's absence. Of course. The first time that she needed her was the first time she was absent. Acting Headmistress or not, McGonagall had kept attending every morning, though her presence had never been more reassuring than Dumbledore's absence the previous semester.
Snape, however, was there. She could feel his eyes on her as she forced down her food and kept glancing at the table, hoping, praying for McGonagall to appear. The last time she glanced up, Snape's eyes met hers. For once, they weren't contemptuous, but curious. Scrutinising. As if he was still trying to figure out how she'd managed to rebuff him that night. Or perhaps wondering what she'd do now, though he seemed too relaxed for that. Too at ease with his sins. She rapidly looked away and after that, only cast looks from the corner of her eyes.
The breakfast dragged on, and still no sign of McGonagall. The first people were already preparing to leave, when a massive black owl swooped into the hall. Its wingspan so large that every beat of its wings carried it several meters, the displacement of air audible. All eyes followed it, as if instinctively realising this was an important messenger.
It landed in front of Snape and extended its leg. With a bored expression, he untied the letter and read it. Ginny could not look away, even though Snape's face was as unreadable as always. He rolled up the letter, rose from his chair and drew his wand. The Hall was already falling silent, anticipating a speech. Instead, he flicked his wand and all doors slammed shut. They rattled in their hinges, Ginny could hear locks slide in place as the hall became silent.
When Snape spoke, it was in the tone that he used in class. Low, mesmerising and perfectly audible. He had never struggled to keep a class quiet. Today, it was the same with the Great Hall. Even the other Professors were looking at him, most in confusion though a few with rising unease that Ginny shared.
"I will not deny the perils of our time," Snape began. "You all know the divide that has been turning brother against brother, witch against wizard, magic against magic. Those were the signs of our time for more than twenty years now. They are so no more. The resistance that has been poisoning our society for far too long has been eradicated. The war is over," he said.
No words could have filled Ginny with greater dread than that. Their war had been far from over. The whole Hall must have felt it, not celebrating but listening, knowing such an announcement could only have come at the greatest price.
"Corban Yaxley has been appointed as the new Minister of Magic, ushering a new era of unity that we all must rally to. This will be a time of change and we can all choose how to act on it. Embrace it, or be swept aside by the tides of change. One of his first acts has been to address the void left by Albus Dumbledore. He has asked me to assume the position of headmaster and it is with great pleasure that I accept," he said.
That absurdity finally broke the spell and sparked a wave of murmurs washing over the hall. Ginny didn't speak, she just sought out Astoria and could see in her eyes that she understood as well. It lasted for maybe a minute, then a horrible wail silenced everyone, so high-pitched it had everyone reaching for their ears and groaning in discomfort.
"I was not finished," Snape remarked finely. "While these are the early days, I can assure you that the tide of change will not spare Hogwarts. Rest assured, I have sufficient ideas for improvement. Some will take time, others will enter into effect immediately," he said and no one missed the threat contained therein. As her eyes swept across the High Table, she found no more confusion there, only horror. Only Slughorn's face was impassive as he gazed into the Great Hall and Ginny couldn't shake the feeling he was staring straight at her.
"To assist with this transition, the Minister has lent us several of his most skilled employees," Snape continued, just as someone banged on the door. "Indeed, I believe they are here already," Snape said, and with another flick of his wand, the great castle door swung open again.
Five figures walked in, their footsteps the only sound. All were clad in black robes and wearing white masks she knew from her nightmares. Only the man in front wore no mask. A man with a pockmarked face and a greying beard, though unlike last time, it was carefully trimmed. It was a face she knew even better than the masks.
"May I introduce you to our new caretakers who will ensure the rules are respected, as well as our new Dark Arts professor, Augustus Rookwood?" Snape said. "They all have my confidence, as well as the Minister's, and we should feel honoured by their presence. I trust you will all treat them with the appropriate respect," Snape said, falling silent as if daring the hall to protest.
Ginny was already halfway on her feet, a cry of protest on her lips when her eyes met Slughorn's. The old wizard shook his head gently, eyes pleading. Ginny thought of a terrified man at a Christmas party sharing her darkest secret with her. She dropped back in her seat. Snape surveyed the hall, his eyes lingering longer on her than anyone else. She could tell he hadn't dared the hall to object, but her and her alone. She stared back and gave him his sweetest smile. Finally, Snape nodded.
"Good. That will be all for now. You are dismissed," he said and smiled thinly. "Welcome into a new age."
The Boy Who Lived No More will not return
Ginny Weasley will
Stay tuned for Book 2
Woe Unto the Conquered
A/N
And thus ends book 1. Hope you enjoyed the ride.
As for book 2, no promises on that front. I have about 20k written and then hit a bit of writer's bloc. So we'll see. Ideally, inspiration resurfaces and we continue soon. Worst case scenario, it'll be a longer wait (in which case I'll post my outline here so for those too curious to know won't remain in ignorance forever.
Regardless, thank you for reading and above all, for commenting. I've really enjoyed reading both your wonderful compliments and the fascinating theories.