A Mortal Enemy

Chapter 11: Stasis

There was something surreal about the intensity of entering the Great Hall tonight. The students were quiet and content with whispers and calm interaction. There was none of the usual pandemonium, gossiping or the din of conversation. It appeared that this was to be the culmination of several days of rampant rumors that even the staff had heard; the announcement of the new headmaster. Fueling the rumors was Julian Rumpleshanks, the head school governor, sitting at the staff table. Students were staring and talking quietly to one another about him. Kara heard in her ears and her mind words like new headmaster, Sirius Black, Snape, potions and disappointment. Not helping the students' incredible imaginations was the presence of Sirius Black at the table, sitting just to the left of Severus Snape. When Kara saw him already seated at the table, a moment of pain shot through her, a not so subtle reminder of their unexplained and estranged circumstances.

Kara made her way from the entrance of the Great Hall to the staff table, meeting the eye of her young apprentice and his friends. Harry Potter shot her a knowing look as she glided by, never failing to break eye contact until she had passed. Kara then looked forward to Snape again and found him looking calm and prepared. Still mentally detached from the events earlier in the week, his eyes darted from her form quickly when she returned his inspecting stare. Kara felt a chill fill her stomach and her heart stop when he made this small gesture. The last few days had been the most empty of her life and she had never felt more alienated. The pain of the separation from him was almost unbearable.

The headmaster's chair had been removed from the table to quiet the growing speculation about Dumbledore's replacement. The head governor was sitting where it would have been and Snape was on his left. Kara quickly realized this meant she would be sitting in the only empty seat at the table, between McGonagall and Flitwick; nowhere near Snape. She took her place without protest and internalized her disappointment regarding the seemingly intentional move. She felt Sirius's eyes on her as she took her seat.

Dinner appeared moments later and the usual feasting commenced. McGonagall engaged her in conversation about some of the more advanced forms of transfiguration. The elder witch proved to be well versed in areas that Kara had never considered and for a short time, the topics helped melt away her growing sense of frustration.

Soon after dessert, she heard a soft rustling coming from nearby and turned her head as the scrape of wood chair against wood floor echoed through the hall. Respectful hushes followed and soon all eyes were on Julian Rumpleshanks.

"It is with a great sense of sadness that I am here this evening. The loss of Albus Dumbledore is a tragedy on many levels," he began. Kara could see he was tightly clutching a white napkin in one hand and using his other to brace himself against the table.

"He was a brilliant man and well loved by all. He never failed to see equality for what it really was and I hope that all of his students, whom he cared for dearly, will remember him for that. At this time I would like us to take a few moments to quietly reflect upon his contributions in our lives."

Julian dropped his head in a way that signaled the beginning of the moment of silence. Kara feigned a similar gesture, but curiosity and caution kept her eyes on the crowd of students. Nearly everyone had dropped their heads out of respect. Everyone, that is, except several students at the Slytherin table. When she spotted the defiant, hateful gazes of Crabbe, Goyle and the rest of the Junior Death Eaters Anonymous club (as she and Snape had begun to call them) she raised her head and conveyed her disapproval to them with a single glare that would have melted stone. She felt eyes on her from her left and turned to meet Snape's gaze. For the first time in days, he didn't hide his thoughts from her and Kara was able to hear 'we will need to watch them closely.'

"Thank you," the head governor then said. "It is with an equal level of despair that I have also been asked to convey the details of Professor Dumbledore's memorial service. It will be held in two Saturdays at an undisclosed location. All students wishing to go should consult with their families and make arrangements to meet them there. The school will see to transportation for all of those wishing to make the journey via train."

Kara felt her heart sink at these words. No doubt many students would go, as would much of the Wizarding population in Britain. It would be a veritable killing feast for Voldemort. There were plans she and Snape would need to make in a hurry.

"Now then, to get on to business. The governors of this school, in coordination with Professor Dumbledore's wishes, have chosen his replacement. It is with nothing but respect that I present to you the new headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Severus Snape."

Silence was not an accurate description of the sound, or lack thereof that followed Julian Rumpleshanks's words. Silence, after all, still consists of the indeterminable squeaks, hums and gasps of the tiniest of creatures; the sorts of sounds that happen so frequently that the brain classifies them as white noise and ignores them. Kara felt her face go numb with the strain of listening for any noise of this nature and a sense of fear rose in her that perhaps Snape would be offended by the awe inspiring silence. She looked over the sea of students in front of her and noticed the looks of shock. She heard questions in their minds like 'what about McGonagall?' and 'what is Sirius Black doing here?' Then she heard a subtle clapping begin from the Slytherin table - one that quickly became a cacophony of fists banging against wood and cheering. The other three houses joined in politely with unenthusiastic applause and then she heard Snape's chair scrape against the wooden platform.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kara saw his hand rise, and with a sense of relief the Great Hall grew quiet.

"Thank you Mr. Rumpleshanks," he said darkly. "It would be Professor Dumbledore's wishes that you all continue on with your studies and thus you will return to your normal schedules tomorrow. On that front, some of you will - no doubt - be elated to learn that I will be unable to continue teaching Potions and that I have asked Professor Lynch to take over in my absence. She will also be assuming the role of head of Slytherin House."

Snape artfully paused after this statement to let the smiles, shock and predicted elation pass through the student body. Heads quickly turned to whisper to their neighbors, eyes opened wide and mouths dropped.

"As a result," he continued on in a raised voice that echoed dramatically over the din of whispers. "Professor Lynch will no longer be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Her position has been filled by Sirius Black."

Whispering had begun at the moment Snape had pointed out Kara would no longer be teaching Dark Arts Defense, but at the sound of Sirius Black's name, a rupture of cheers came from the Gryffindor table and one by one, starting with Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley, they began to stand. Their clapping and other appreciative noises quickly came to a deafening level that forced the other students to stare at them in awe.

Kara dared a glance towards Sirius and noticed a rosy tint had formed in his cheeks. He nodded his head in deference to the crowd and noticeably turned his attention to Snape, clearly wanting to quiet the embarrassing praise being given him by his old house.

"That is all. Return to your dormitories," Snape then snapped loudly as the cheering ended.

Kara rose immediately and headed towards Snape and Sirius who were uncomfortably avoiding eye contact with each other as they moved away from the table. As Sirius rose, Kara noticed for the first time that he was wearing a handsome set of robes. This was quite possibly the first time she had ever seen Black wearing anything but rags. His robes were deep blue with trendy trim on the sleeves. The body was fitting, showed off his thin figure and gave his face a healthy and wise appearance. Kara couldn't help but notice the rest of the female staff making similar glances in his direction.

"Mr. Rumpleshanks, surely you'll join us for a glass of Ogden's finest?" Professor Sprout spoke loudly as she tried to hide the fact that her eyes had glanced over Sirius twice.

"Why of course I will. Make sure to invite everyone, Amelia. It's a rare moment that I get to spend quality time with you all," he said as he clapped his hands together. The staff made their way out of the Great Hall, but Kara lingered behind. Snape instinctively stood there to wait for her.

"Severus, I have some things to attend to. I will need to pass on the governor's invitation," she said when everyone was out of earshot.

Snape turned his head and looked her in the eyes. She heard him intentionally ask 'Is everything all right?' Kara felt a look of protest cross her face. How could he even begin to ask that question, she wondered? Snape mentally sighed in response and his eyes dropped to the floor.

"I was hoping you would come. I had a conversation with the governor earlier and I have some... doubts that I need confirmed," he added quickly in hushed tones.

"I understand," she said reluctantly. Snape nodded appreciatively in response. Kara discreetly cupped his right elbow in her hand and squeezed lovingly, rubbing her thumb slowly on the protruding bones. She shot him a quick smile and turned towards the entrance of the Great Hall.

- - -

It was a room not used often and was more formal than where the staff normally met. Here, the chairs were made of darkened wood and were lavishly covered in velvet and satin cushions instead of the hodgepodge of wooden benches and stools they normally sat on. Snape had managed to faithfully save her a seat next to him, directly across from Julian Rumpleshanks who was loudly telling the story of a time when he had been forced to fight a pack of dragons. There was no doubt in Kara's mind that he had already partaken of a few drinks.

Snape made sure she was comfortably seated and then sat in his own chair. It was conveniently close enough to allow him to put a hand on top of Kara's when she settled. The gesture earned the both of them a look of smug appreciation from Minerva. Kara, not wishing to acknowledge the infrequency of this action in public, on Snape's part, casually turned her attention towards the governor.

"Mighty aggressive, those Chinese Fireballs, I tell you," the governor went on. "He was nearly up on me when I cast the flame freezing charm. Smart too, those dragons. He knew I had extinguished his flame and I swear it was a look of confusion that was on his face."

Julian Rumpleshanks then paused long enough to down the last of the whiskey in his glass.

"What were you doing in China, governor?" Kara spoke up quickly before he could continue the story.

"Ministry business. At the time I was an Auror, you see. It was just before Dumbledore had defeated the Dark Lord Grindelwald. Oh those were the days," he mumbled as he picked up the carafe from his side table and poured himself another glass of whiskey.

"I wasn't aware the Ministry had alliances in China at that time, governor," Sirius Black then said.

"What?" Replied the old man. Kara could hear the nervousness in his voice. Julian lifted the glass to his lips and raised his eyebrows while looking at Black, as if to ask the question of him again.

"I said I didn't think the Ministry had alliances in China. The Chinese Ministry wasn't even formed until 1966."

"Oh that! Quite right. It didn't stop some of Britain's more talented lot from going there though, you see. Grindelwald loved China," he replied playfully. Julian then looked in Kara's direction and winked at her.

In that single moment, Kara saw what it was Snape must have been afraid of. Images of a dark room and the famous wizard Grindelwald flashed in her mind. They were images of Julian Rumpleshanks on his knees at the foot of his Master. Not wanting to give Julian the impression she knew, she smiled demurely back at him. She squeezed Snape's hand in her own and felt gentle caresses from his thumb begin to rub her own.

- - -

They were back in Snape's sitting room, after just having closed the door, before he asked her about it.

"You were correct. From what I can tell he was associated with Grindelwald."

"Grindelwald? That is not at all what I had assumed," Snape said darkly. "I have heard reports that he has met with Voldemort. Did you get any indication he is currently involved with the Dark Lord?"

"Nothing," she replied. Snape moved over to a chair by the fire and sat down slowly and fell into a deep silence afterwards. Kara followed and sat with him as she had so many times before.

"Have you heard from the Ministry?" he asked minutes later.

"I received a letter this afternoon before tea. They want to know whom I wish to be my mediator. I was thinking of Sirius." Kara then closely watched Snape to see his response. She knew that whatever he was keeping from her, Sirius was involved in as well.

"A wise decision given the circumstances. Did they say precisely when it would take place?"

"As soon as possible was all the letter said," she replied while noting to herself that the relationship between Sirius and Snape had seemingly warmed. At least, warmed enough to allow Severus to feel comfortable with an arrangement involving such a delicate subject.

Snape moved to stand and walked closer to her, reaching out a hand and silently beckoning her to join him. Kara did so, somewhat reluctantly, but as soon as she took his hand her bodily instincts took over. In one swift movement they were entangled in each others arms; a loving embrace that allowed Kara to hear the thumping of his heart. His chin rested lightly on her head and his heavy robes provided womb-like warmth that made her feel safe and content. Her hands found the sharp definition of his spine, somewhat obscured by his heavy clothes, but apparent nonetheless. She let her thumbs trace the protrusions created by his vertebrae.

"Severus?" she asked. He grunted slightly in reply.

"The Ministry made mention of the Order of the Phoenix in their letter. Have you heard of it?" she asked, almost regretting it immediately until she realized his bodily reaction to the question. His heart started beating rapidly and the muscles in his stomach tightened.

Kara pulled away slightly and looked up at Snape's face. He shut his eyes quickly.

"Severus? What is it?"

His chest rose quickly and his face wrinkled in such a way that Kara thought he was in pain.

"What did they say in relation to it?" He attempted to ask calmly.

"They made mention of it, almost as if they were inquiring if I was involved."

He nodded slightly.

"That is what you can not tell me about isn't it?" she asked quietly. She wasn't sure what convinced her of this. Perhaps it was his evasive manner now, or perhaps it was her Inner Eye.

His only response was to pull her closer to him, placing a large hand on the side of her head and cradling it against his body. Kara could hear the heavy rush of blood through his chest. It was as if someone were playing a tiny drum inside of him.

"When are you commencing Potter's training?" he asked suddenly.

"What?" She asked in a baffled tone. Why the sudden change of topic?

"Tomorrow? Make sure that his new schedule does not interfere with his classes."

Snape was still holding her head firmly against his chest, and it was only because of this intentional and obscure act on his part that Kara was able to notice how calm he had become when mentioning Harry. His heartbeat had slowed down considerably and soon was at a normal pace.

"Severus? Tell me what is going on. What is the Order of the Phoenix?" As soon as the words left her lips she felt him tense beneath her and his heart race again.

With a great effort, Kara pushed away and walked across the room. When she looked back, Snape was sitting in a chair with his head in his hands. In a moment of realization, Kara understood what was happening. It all made sense; the rush of blood, the infliction of pain.

"You've taken a blood oath to this Order?" Kara heard the incredulous nature of her voice.

Snape didn't move.

"After everything you went through with Voldemort, you took a blood oath?"

He didn't respond.

"No," she said to herself as she began pacing, folding her arms across her chest. "I would have known. You could not have done this without me knowing. This must have happened before we met."

Again, Snape made no move to stand or shift positions. He merely sat there with his head in his hands.

"This must be what the meeting you were at was about. This is why the Oracle indicated you couldn't tell me what was going on," she continued speculating.

"Then Sirius is involved," followed by a long pause. "And Harry?"

Snape rose quickly and faced the fire.

"We must summon Draco immediately," he croaked.

"Why?" Kara demanded as she moved towards him.

"Because..."

"Because why?" She placed one hand on his shoulder and forced him around. She could only see a slit of white in his eyes, and they were bloodshot.

"He has... responsibilities," he whispered.

Moments later Snape fainted into her arms, nearly knocking her backwards. Were it not for her Inner Focus she would have been crushed under his weight. With a simple levitation spell she maneuvered him into the bedroom, laid him on the bed and swept into her own rooms via the secret passage way. She retrieved her silver box of potions.

Kara opened the first vial, a strong smelling salt potion and waved it under Snape's nose, but it had no effect. With her right hand she opened his mouth wide enough to pour a strong Pepperup potion down his throat, but again, it did nothing to wake him. Kara began to panic. Snape wasn't responding to any of her spells either. Enervate, every wakening spell she could think of, and in a moment of horror she even tried the forbidden Imperio. Nothing worked. Snape's body had completely shut down. But she knew he wasn't dead. Blood was still rushing through is body and he was still breathing. It was her only consolation.

What could be wrong with him? Kara thought hard on what she knew of blood oaths. There was the Strapinksy version that required the taker to be bound with cheesecloth and fed leeches. The blood was then absorbed when the worm was digested. But it was only used in matters of torture. Nabokov had also mentioned the work of the blood cults but had just briefly brushed over the topic. She thought hard. Where would she find information on an obscure topic like this - Snape's library?

She rushed into the next room, confident that Severus would be all right for the meantime. A quick glance at all the titles on his shelves indicated he did not have a book on blood magic. Blood potions, yes; blood oaths, no. Sirius would know, she thought, for he must have taken the oath as well. But quickly, Kara realized she couldn't ask him. If Snape had such a difficult time telling her about this, then so would Sirius. The last thing Hogwarts needed was two of its most formidable wizards in an unconscious state.

She walked quickly back into the bedroom and to Snape's side. Carefully, she pried his eyelids open and after lighting the candles in the room with her mind, she stared deep into his eyes. She saw nothing; his mind was completely blank. A silent panic stirred in her that perhaps he was permanently damaged in some way.

She soon came to the conclusion that whatever had happened to Snape must be the result of a powerful protection spell switched on by the blood magic when his level of discretion had fallen below a certain level. Kara ran a hand over her forehead and tried to think calmly. What would Nabokov want her to do? She stood back and began to pace quietly back and forth in the room.

Quickly, she began to reason to herself calmly. It was obvious that whatever this magic was, protected the taker, but did not kill them. This meant the oath was never intended to be enforced through penalty of death. It must simply be designed to prevent interrogation through any means, including mind reading. That made sense if Dumbledore was involved (which Kara could only conclude was true). The headmaster would have known Snape would meet her someday and there would be a chance this would happen. But if Dumbledore knew that much, he wouldn't possibly leave them both with no way of ending whatever protection spells had just taken over. And if he had left solutions, Kara began to ponder, where might they be?

The library was the first place she knew she had to start. She pulled a blanket over Snape quickly and then headed towards the fourth floor where the library was. It was past closing hours and Kara snuck quietly into the deserted and dark room. Quickly, she headed towards the anteroom where the magical catalog of books was kept.

"Blood magic," she spoke clearly. The round orb turned blue and smoke inside began to swirl and the room lit up around her. The catalog, restricted to staff use only, continued to swirl for a few moments and then displayed several words just at Kara's eye level.

M O R E S E L E C T I O N C R I T E R I A R E Q U I R E D

"Blood magic and blood oaths," she replied.

After several more seconds, the orb displayed the names of three books, one of which was Haematic oaths and Potions. Almost instantly, Kara knew this was probably the book she was looking for. She rushed out to the main portion of the library and back to the restricted section. After passing seven rows of books, she turned left and scanned the shelf where the book should have been. But instead of finding what she was looking for, she found an empty slot. Kara's heart sank. Seconds later the library became completely illuminated.

"Professor Lynch?" she heard from behind her. Kara swung around.

"Ah. Madam Pince. I need you to find out who checked out Haematic Oaths and Potions," she replied after recovering from slight shock. Madam Pince had managed to approach her silently.

"No need for me to look that up, Professor. I remember that one specifically. It was Hermione Granger," the librarian spat in a disapproving tone.

"Miss Granger?" Kara asked with a hint of incredulity in her voice. "When did she check out the book and who authorized it?"

"A few days ago. And it was Professor Sinistra if I remember correctly."

"Thank you Madam Pince. I apologize if my presence woke you," Kara said as she swept towards the front of the library at a hurried pace before the old librarian could reply.

Before she realized precisely what she was doing, Kara found herself in front of the entrance to Gryffindor Tower.

"Professor Lynch, here so late?" the Fat Lady asked her.

"Yes. I need to gain entrance. Please open. I do not have the password, but I guarantee this is a matter of great importance," Kara said firmly.

"Of course dear," came the reply followed by the gentle creak of the door.

Kara ducked inside the small portal and entered the Gryffindor common room. Only a few students were still awake. It must have been nearly midnight, Kara realized. Harry was the first to recognize her and rose; no doubt he thought she was here to visit him on some urgent matter.

"I need to speak with Miss Granger," Kara said instantly to prevent him from making an unnecessary scene.

"She already went to bed," Ginny spoke up from a chair in the corner.

"Fetch her. Quickly, Miss Weasley."

Ginny ran to the stairs on the right and a few minutes later returned with a disheveled looking Hermione.

"Professor?" she asked. In her mind Kara could see the faint remnants of a nightmare and an essay she had prepared for Transfiguration. It was entirely clear that they weren't part of the same dream.

"A word outside, please, Miss Granger." Kara nodded her head towards the portal and reluctantly Hermione followed.

When they were outside, Hermione wrapped her arms around herself, attempting to hide the fact she was wearing a nightshirt in a public area.

"You checked out a book from the library I am in need of, Miss Granger. I need to borrow it and I will return it to you when I am finished."

"The blood magic book? Why?" Hermione asked. Her question was not one of curiosity and Kara got the impression that she was being accused of something.

"No questions, Miss Granger. The book. Now."

"If this is about Harry taking that oath..."

"What?" Kara interrupted.

"The oath," Hermione said again, but when she realized Kara had no idea what she was talking about, she explained. "He took an oath. A blood oath I think. Ginny overheard him a few nights ago."

Kara felt the horror rush through her body. Whatever oath Severus would have taken, Harry would have most likely been required to take as well. Hermione, being nosey as she was, would want to know all about it.

"What have you learned of this oath?" Kara asked.

"Ginny only heard a few fragments of the incantation, but it sounds like it's the Ottoman's oath. It's taken by a group of individuals, usually one at a time without the knowledge of the others."

"And what protections are there to ensure the taker does not break the oath?"

"I hadn't read that far yet."

"Go get the book. Now." Kara demanded. Hermione nodded her head in acceptance and slipped behind the portrait only to return a minute later. She was already flipping through the pages when she stumbled out of the portal again, almost tripping on the robes she had thrown over her nightshirt.

"Here," she pointed. "The severity of protection is determined when the bond is created. From that point on, the protection spells will be passed to each individual when they take the oath. The protections are not life threatening and the most effective method is to invoke stasis spells." Hermione continued on, but Kara had stopped listening. She already knew what this meant.

"Professor?"

"Yes?"

"Stasis spells. I'm not familiar with those. What are they?"

"They place the victim in a state of stasis. Their body does not regenerate or recycle nutrients, molecules or anything of a physical nature. As a result, all bodily functions are ceased except those necessary to keep the brain alive."

"Oh."

"They are considered very Dark Magic," Kara replied, hoping to convey her displeasure at the idea.

"Are there counter spells?" Hermione asked, clearly worried.

"I know only of a potion that will revive someone from stasis. It is one I have never made before and it is very illegal."

"Illegal? It sounds like it reverses Dark Magic, why should it be illegal?"

"Because of the ingredients," Kara said quickly. And then she began to think while Hermione stood there and continued to read.

There was only one solution to the problem at hand. She would need to alert McGonagall and Sirius and then head for somewhere she could acquire the ingredients and a secluded place to brew the potion in secrecy. Complicating matters was the fact she could not do this alone. She would need a fairly skilled second person to assist. She couldn't ask any of the staff, for they none of them could afford to be away for the two days she would need. Worse yet, she couldn't ask Sirius for fear of forcing him into stasis as well. There was only one option, and Kara wasn't pleased with her ultimate decision, but there was no choice, and it was as plain as that.

"Go get dressed. Meet me back here with your wand, the cleanest black robes you have and your cloak. If I'm not here when you return, wait for me in the common room. Also, please tell Mr. Potter that he is to study on his own tomorrow," Kara said, then she quickly turned and began to walk down the hall.

"Professor, where are we going?" Hermione asked, perplexed.

Kara stopped, turned slightly and muttered, "I'll tell you when we get there."