Mask of Oblivion

MASK OF OBLIVION

Chapter 4 - Pictures of the Past

It was the thirty-first of October. For those to whom such things mattered it was Halloween. To Simon Smith it was just another depressing autumn day. It was a cold, dark afternoon. The lead grey sky seemed to be oozing water in a slow steady curtain. The cars and buses sent up soaking sprays so constantly that it seemed to be raining up as well as down. By the time Simon reached home his woolen coat was damp, despite his umbrella. The coat was as damp and heavy as his mood.

It had been a difficult week. He had constantly been mulling over his meeting with Hermione Granger. At work, this meant that his ability to concentrate was even more impaired than it had been for the last month. At home, Anne could tell that he had something on his mind. But Simon Smith was not the sort of person to share his feelings, and he had not even mentioned the meeting to his wife, let alone the discussion that had taken place.

The atmosphere in the house was severely strained and tonight when he got home, wandered into the kitchen and slumped down in his chair Anne could contain her frustration no longer. "For God's sake Simon, what is the matter with you?" She was standing opposite him with her hands on her hips and an extremely frazzled look on her face. "I'm you wife you should be able to tell me. But it seems that since we found out Bella could do magic you have just been closing me out more and more. You never tell me about the dreams anymore. You refuse to go and talk to a professional."

She sighed and threw her hands in the air. "You won't even discuss whether there is a connection between Bella's talent and your own problems."

"It's my problem and I will sort it out myself. In my own good time." He refused to look at her, looking down at the table instead.

She started to shout, "Well, I have had enough. It may be your problem, but it's killing our marriage. I suggest you leave and don't come back until you do sort it out. However long you decide to take."

Simon stood up furiously. "That sounds like a bloody good idea." He stormed back out to the hall, put his wet coat back on, picked up his briefcase and stormed out the door. He was half way down the street before he realized what a stupid thing he had just done. He had nowhere to stay. It was nearly dinnertime and he only had the clothes he was standing up in. As he shoved his hands in his coat pockets, he found the card that Hermione had given him.

"It cannot be any worse than not doing anything." He sighed, walked on until he was under the roof of the train station, pulled out his phone and rang the number.

"Hello?"

"Miss Granger? Simon Smith here. Is your offer still open? I know it is a bit late in the day"

"No, come right over."

The first thing that struck Simon as he approached the house was how normal it was. This neighborhood was very like his. Hermione's house was located in one of the neat rows of restored Edwardian villas of the sort usually occupied by middle class professional people. Not at all the sort of place you would expect to find a witch.

He rang the bell and the door opened instantly. Hermione Granger was standing there in tight blue jeans and a tight low cut black top. Simon could not help but admire the view. Then realizing that he was staring at her cleavage he quickly looked up at her face.

She was smiling in a way that indicated she knew exactly what the problem was. "Simon. I am so glad to see you. Come in."

"I apologize for coming at dinnertime. I did not mean to inconvenience you." He followed her down the hallway to a brightly lit modern kitchen. Already on the table were an assortment of hot savory pastries and a pot of tea with two tea cups.

"No need to apologize. Please join me for dinner."

They sat down and ate in relative silence. Simon took advantage of the opportunity to observe Hermione Granger closely. Yes, his first impressions were correct. She was a very attractive woman, very sexy, but probably a bit young for him. He gave himself a mental shake. What was he thinking? He was a happily married man? No, just married. Happy was not the right word at the moment.

But there was also something else he noticed about Hermione Granger. He had felt the same thing about Sirius Black. There was edginess, a sense of danger about her. Here was a woman who could handle anything, and possibly already had.

When they finished eating Hermione lit a cigarette and stood up. "So, you changed your mind on my offer?"

"I had nowhere else to go. My wife had just thrown me out of the house."

"Your life is not really that good then?"

"No, not really," he sighed, "ever since Bella got that damn letter it's been all down hill and my nightmares are getting worse."

Hermione gave him a very piercing look. "I think we should get more comfortable before we continue this discussion." She led him back down the hall and into the living room.

It was a very cozy room decorated in shades of rich red and gold. The most obvious oddity was the absence of a television. The wall opposite the window was completely covered by large wooden bookshelves; there were three cozy arm chairs around a small table facing a very large fireplace. As he turned around he saw next to the door a lovely wooden sideboard. The top was covered with a collection of photos. Simon noticed with a shock that except for one large one in the middle, the images in the rest of the photos where moving. He moved over and pointed at the stationary picture. "Your parents?"

"Yes. That was taken six months before they died."

"I couldn't help noticing that all the other pictures move."

She smiled. "They are wizard pictures. That's what they do." She ushered him towards the seats and he noticed that there were already two glasses, one of Scotch and one of vodka on the table.

She sat down opposite him, leant forward providing Simon with a view which he found a little disturbing and asked bluntly, "these nightmares, what are they like."

Simon settled in the chair and took a sip of scotch before replying. "They are very graphic. I can feel physical pain and for some strange reason they always involve magic."

"Could you describe one for me?"

Simon looked puzzled but proceeded to re-tell the one in which he had recognized Sirius Black.

He was standing in a dark dingy room. The only furniture he could see was a large four poster bed with dusty hangings. Collapsed on the bed was a red headed boy clutching a wand? His leg was bleeding and he appeared to be in pain. Standing next to him were two more teenagers, a girl with brown hair and a boy with black hair and glasses, both with angry expressions on their faces. Lying on the floor between them was a thin man with fair, graying hair who appeared to be bound with ropes. On the other side of the room backed up against the wall was someone who looked strangely familiar. Despite the gaunt hungry face the long unkempt hair and the ragged clothes Simon recognized the man as a younger Sirius Black

As he was staring at Black he could feel his dream persona's own intense hatred for the man. His attention and anger was completely focused on Black, so he did not notice immediately when the three children all pointed their wands directly at him and yelled as one. "Expelliarmus." There was a flash of light and then he felt a force like a punch to the chest, fell backwards, hit his head on something hard and everything went black.

Hermione listened without interruption. But as he was speaking he saw a slight smile start to form on her lips and a spark of amusement in her eyes. When he finished the story she said quietly. "That wasn't a dream."

Simon was puzzled by that response. "What do you mean?"

"That wasn't a dream, Simon. That was a memory."

"Why do you say that? How can it be, it's just a dream."

"It's a memory. I was there." She stood up, walked over to the dresser and selected a picture which she brought over to him. "You remember the girl in the dream?"

"Of course."

She handed him the photo. It was a schoolgirl about fourteen years old with long bushy brown hair and slightly buck teeth. She was smiling and waving cheerfully. "Yes, that's definitely her." He looked up at the woman in front of him then back at the picture. "It was you?" He looked back up in total astonishment. "So you know who I am? Or was, I should say."

"I believe so."

"You were not as shocked to see me as your friend Sirius Black."

"I had warning of what I might see. Sirius did not have that advantage."

"So who am I? And why is your Ministry of Magic so interested?"

Hermione did not reply instantly but went over to the bookshelves. She stood there a moment searching for something, then pulled out her wand and pointed it at a book on one of the higher shelves. "Accio." The book flew out of its position on the shelf and into her hands. She brought it over and handed it to Simon. The curling script on the front read. "The theory of modern applications for ancient potions - by Severus Snape."

"Open it."

He did so and staring up at him from a picture on the title page was a scowling black haired man in a severe black robe. Staring up at him with his face!

"Shit!" Simon nearly dropped the book in shock.

Hermione let out a little giggle. "Now you know why Sirius Black reacted like he did."

Simon shut the book put it down on the table and took a long swig of scotch. "So you think I am Severus Snape." He put down the glass and looked at her. "What is so special about him, anyway?"

Hermione settled back in the chair opposite and lit another cigarette. "It's a long story, but I will give you the basics. Severus Snape was potions master at Hogwarts School."

"Where Bella is?'

"Yes. But in addition to that Severus was one of the most talented wizards in the area of potions in the whole wizarding world. When he first finished school himself, he was recruited by a powerful dark wizard called Lord Voldemort and he used his skills as a Death Eater in his service. However after a few years something happened which changed his mind."

"What was that?"

Hermione bit her lip, looked at him sadly. "I suppose it doesn't matter. You don't remember anyway. Why did you call your daughter Isabella?"

"It was the first girl's name that popped into my head."

"Ah. Another subconscious memory I suspect. Isabella Potter was a very close friend of Severus Snape. I have heard that there were rumors they were lovers, but because of the hatred between Snape and her brother James Potter, the relationship was very discreet."

"What happened to Isabella Potter?"

"Severus Snape recruited her to Voldemort's service. But when he brought her to Voldemort for initiation, Voldemort killed her immediately. He wanted all the Potters dead."

"So what did Severus do then?"

"He offered his services to the main opposition to Voldemort, The Order of the Phoenix, as a spy. A year later Voldemort killed James Potter and his wife, but when he tried to kill their baby son the curse backfired and Voldemort was disembodied. Severus Snape was pardoned due to his spying activities and took the position of potions master at Hogwarts"

"So that was the end of the troubles?"

"No. But I think you guessed that. Thirteen years later when I was at Hogwarts as a student, Voldemort found a way to restore his body and resumed his campaign of terror."

"And Severus?"

"He managed to convince Voldemort that he was on his side and would spy for him against The Order. He became a double agent."

"Bloody dangerous thing to do."

"Yes. But Snape was successful at it for three years and then shortly before the final confrontation where Voldemort was finally destroyed, he decided Severus Snape was no more use to him and tortured and killed him in front of a major assembly of Death Eaters. The only unusual thing in the eyewitness reports was the fact that when the glow from the killing curse subsided, Snape's body had disappeared. But it was concluded that it must have been vaporized, even though this is not normal. The day this happened was the fourteenth of June 1998."

Simon's eyes were very wide with astonishment. "The day before I was found."

"Correct. Although there is a distance of some 400 km between where the two events occurred."

"What happened?"

"We were hoping that with your assistance we could figure that out and hopefully restore your memory."

"My memory of being Severus Snape?"

"Yes. There is one thing I would like to check if that's OK. Could you please roll up your left sleeve?"

He looked at her suspiciously, but rolled up his sleeve. Hermione came over and put one hand on his arm running it gently up from the wrist until she could feel his scar. Simon found her touch disturbing in the nicest possible way. Her hand was smooth soft and warm and his skin tingled from the contact. He could feel other parts of his anatomy start to respond to the physical contact. Leaving her hand resting just above the scar Hermione touched that part of his arm with the tip of her wand. "Aperio!"

Simon could feel a chill in his arm and as the watched the old scar became visible, its outline glowing green. It was a ghastly image of a skull with a snake protruding from the mouth. Simon found it quite repulsive. Hermione's face remained impassive and after looking at it for about a minute she nodded her head, removed her wand and hand and the image faded immediately to Simon's intense relief.

"That is the mark of a Death Eater. That settles it. The next question is. Simon Smith, do you want to help us?"

She stood in front of him hands on hips and a very stern expression on her face. "If you help us we should be able to find the answers, to what happened and to how to restore the memories. But you have to be sure this is what you want."

"Why shouldn't I want that?"

"Remember your nightmares, Simon?" They are memories, finding their way out through your subconscious. Severus Snape was not a nice man and his life was a particularly nasty difficult one. Do you really want to reclaim it?"

"I don't think I have much choice in the matter anymore. My present life is suffering because of this anyway. What do I need to do?"

"Do you still have the wand and signet ring that were found with you?" Simon nodded assent. "Could you retrieve them tomorrow and bring them here? Meanwhile I will consult with my boss and tomorrow night we will let you know what the next step is."

She smiled almost shyly at him which seemed unusual and said, "You better stay here for now. I'll show you to the guest room. Leave your clothes on the door and I'll make sure they are clean enough for work tomorrow. You will also need a house key. You could be my guest for some time."

Simon thought to himself that sounded like a good idea.