Destiny of Souls

Chapter 24: Dumbledore Tells the Truth

The next day at noon, while reading quietly in her office, Dumbledore came in to see her. It wasn't often that the Headmaster visited her. He usually waited for her to come see him. His eyes had a certain twinkle in them that had been there all the times he had meddled in her affairs, especially those involving Snape.

"My dear Professor. This evening we will be dining formally. Please wear appropriate attire. Dinner will be at 6:30 instead of the usual time."

He left without giving her any other notices or news bulletins. The visit had been brief, which actually alarmed Kara more than anything else. He hadn't stayed to be interrogated or explain himself.

Dutifully, she dressed in a deep violet formal robe and headed for the Great Hall as was expected. Dumbledore was already present, and she met Snape's eyes as he glided through the usual side door. He, as always was dressed in black. Harry was seated next to Dumbledore, who was at the Head of the table. Snape and Kara sat opposite of Harry while they awaited the rest of the dinner guests. The first thing Kara noted was that there were only two extra chairs at the table, one of which was placed opposite of Dumbledore. This meant they were missing at least one chair. Her ponderings were interrupted by a small gasp from the Boy Who Lived. His eyes were staring fixedly at the entrance to the Great Hall.

In walked Ginny Weasley in that deep green velvet robe. Her hair had been pulled up, but a few locks defiantly framed her face. She was holding her head high and pretending to be brave as she showed off this new air of confidence. Kara noticed Harry stood in an obligatory manner, something he had never done before. It was always curious how men discovered their chivalry. It seemed to be given to them at birth, only to be discovered in the presence of a beautiful woman. And that is precisely what Ginny Weasley was as she glided in for dinner. Harry Potter recognized the shy and meek teenager for the first time as a woman. This was precisely the effect Kara had hoped for.

When Ginny reached the place where she was to sit, all Harry could say was, "Ginny." In a raspy disbelieving voice.

"Hello 'Arry." She said nervously in a sweet voice.

Harry pulled out her chair and Ginny sat down. Her eyes refused to meet either of her Professor's that sat opposite her. When Harry sat down, he seemed unsure of himself in the presence of her beauty. The awkwardness that had existed at the Weasley household just weeks earlier seemed somehow enhanced by her change. He was in awe of her, and his periodic, nervous sideways glances seemed to reveal this in a most poignant way.

Kara was so occupied by her own observations that she completely missed Snape's subtle attempts to get her attention.

"Ginny, where did you get your robes?" Harry managed to say, somehow feeling he needed to break the silence between them.

"Friend of the family," Ginny replied quietly.

Those words had a certain meaning to Snape and it was impossible for Kara to not notice his head turn towards her sharply as if he understood exactly where she had got them. Kara turned her head slightly to face him and put a comforting hand on his knee. She rubbed her thumb against the deep black material. Perhaps this would calm him down before he had a chance to rebuke her for coddling Ginny. But whatever plans Snape was conjuring in his minds for her later was interrupted as his eyes fell on the door.

"Ah I believe our final dinner guest is here for the evening," Dumbledore said as he stood up.

Kara looked towards the door, expecting to see Hermione and Ron enter. But neither of the teenagers were walking towards her. Instead a man of middle age in grey robes that Kara knew all to well was gliding her way. Both Kara and Snape stood obediently as their mentor walked in. Both held their gazes as neutral as possible, but it was hard work. Nabokov walked around the table and shook Dumbledore's hand.

"Good to see you again Albus," Nabokov said as he wore a very peculiar smile. He glanced at Snape and Kara.

"Would you look at that? They're not even happy to see me."

"Hardly an accurate statement," Snape said in a very low and dangerous tone.

Nabokov shook hands with Snape and then with Kara.

"I believe some of our guests are not acquainted with one another. Harry, Ginny this is Professor Nabokov from Durmstrang. Vladimir, this is Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley."

Both the students nodded in deference to the Professor and everyone was able to sit down again. Soon afterwards the wine was poured and dinner was served. Kara noticed something very odd about Nabokov. First, she had never known he knew Dumbledore, let alone knew him on a first name basis. Secondly, it was hard to avoid the fact that he was drinking heavily. While not completely unheard of, it was odd for him to drink this way in front of strangers, let alone in the presence of ones so formidable, and so far from his home.

By the end of dinner both he and Dumbledore were completely drunk, laughing rudely at the table and telling stories of when Kara was a schoolgirl that she'd rather Ginny and Harry not hear. But when dinner was over, he seemed to sober up as he addressed them.

"You're no doubt wondering why I'm here. Kara. Severus," he said.

"The question had come to mind, yes," Snape said.

"I have heard from Polishnikov that you are engaged."

Harry and Ginny's mouths dropped open. Kara rolled her eyes.

"Yes. And thank you for telling two of our students who were not yet aware of that information," she said in a slow controlled angry voice.

"My apologies. Well anyway I had to come see for myself. You see, I wasn't about to believe that old bat. But I would recognize this ring anywhere," he said as he picked Kara's hand up off the table and admired the diamond and sapphire creation.

"Your mother's, I believe?" he directed at Snape. Snape merely nodded slightly, all too aware that Harry and Ginny were eyeing him curiously.

Nabokov put Kara's hand down and took another very large sip from his wine glass.

"I thought our plans for the Triwizard Tournament last year were ingenious Albus, but I do believe this is the grandest thing we've ever done," he said as he vaguely pointed between Snape and Kara.

"Agreed Vladimir," Dumbledore said as he raised his wine glass and toasted to the man who sat across from him.

"I've had enough. I want an explanation. Now," Kara snapped making everyone at the table, excluding Snape, jump.

"In time. First things first," Nabokov said as he stood up and took two scrolls out of his robes. He handed her the first. She unrolled it.

Her eyes became extremely wide. It was one of the most gorgeous things she had ever seen - a deep violet gown that was undoubtedly meant for the bride of a Dark Wizard. It had a high collar in the back with a swooping neck in front. The bottom of the dress was clearly meant to drag the floor and had a twenty-five foot train made of silk and crepe-like fabric. The rest of the dress was made of velvet. The drawing itself was signed Francesca Portellini.

"What is this?"

"What does it look like? Don't be daft, Kara," Nabokov shot back at her.

She looked at Snape who had been looking at the scroll with her. She felt his hand reach her knee under the table.

"Where did you get it?"

"She created it. Especially for you. Silly woman said you would have wanted it in turquoise, but I said there was no way Severus Snape would be caught dead with a bride in turquoise. So we went with violet."

"But why?"

"Consider it my wedding gift. Well one of them," he said as he handed her the other scroll.

She unrolled it carefully. It was heavily decorated with scrollwork, garden ivy and moving pictures of lions and birds. In the center was an official document that Kara noticed immediately was stamped with the British Ministry seal, the French Ministry seal and two seals she didn't recognize. The text read:

----------------------------------------------------
In coordination with the British Ministry of Magic,
the French Ministry of Magic, the Prime Minister of
France, and the Bishop of Bourges, you are hereby
granted the use of the St Etienne Cathedral in
Bourges France for your wedding nuptials.
Signed,

Cornelius Fudge
British Ministry of Magic

Jean-Luke Cremelle
French Ministry of Magic

Allain Juppe
Prime Minister of France

Mgr Pierre Plateau
Bishop of Bourges
----------------------------------------------------

For reasons unknown to her or Snape, Kara burst into tears. One shaking hand covering her mouth, the other firmly planted on the table to hold herself up. Reflexively, Snape put a comforting hand on hers and handed her his handkerchief with the other. The scroll had dropped onto the table in front of her. She was gasping for air, and was completely out of her element for the first time since she arrived at Hogwarts. Snape leaned in and whispered comforting words to her and then reminded her that Potter and his girlfriend were in the room.

"How did you know?" she said once she had gained control of her emotions.

"How could I not? It's all you talked about your last year at Durmstrang. 'The cathedral this, the cathedral that' I imagine you've driven Severus mad about it."

She smiled. She hadn't really. She had only brought it up once. Snape had an arm placed around her now and was holding her comfortably at his side. Ginny and Harry looked on in horror. Ginny, of course, had seen this affection before, but not openly in this way. Neither of them had seen the scroll, and were obviously confused as well.

"How did you possibly get them to agree to this?"

"The Ministry owes you a debt of gratitude Professor," Dumbledore chimed in. She nodded and fully regained her composure.

"Well Nabokov, now that you've managed to make me cry in front of my students and have informed them of my relationship with Severus without my permission, would you care to share with us just what exactly you mean by the'grandest thing you've ever done?'"

Nabokov looked at Dumbledore who returned the glance.

"Perhaps I should begin," Dumbledore said. He paused for a moment before speaking, considering his words very carefully.

"Many years ago, when I was much younger and before we had Voldemort to worry about, there was a Dark Wizard named Grindelwald. Vladimir here was just fresh from Durmstrang and eager to prove himself in the ways of the Defense against the Dark Arts. He called upon me here at Hogwarts, where I was a Professor at the time and together we went off in search of Grindelwald. We finally defeated him, together, in 1945."

Dumbledore surveyed the curious looks that surrounded him and glanced at Nabokov before continuing.

"When that was through, we went... traveling a bit."

"Hah! Traveling. So that's what you call it eh?" Nabokov interrupted.

"We ended up visiting the Oracle of Montare, Sydney, as some of you know her. She told Vladimir and I that we would discover an Oracle and the Oracle's Prelate. Then she told us to leave and to return when we had found them both."

Nabokov took over the story telling.

"It was several exhausting years as we searched and searched. I had started teaching at Durmstrang, testing every student that passed through my doors. And it wasn't until nearly twenty years later I stumbled across young Severus here at the age of three. I was delighted. As soon as I saw him I knew he had Inner Focus. Just the look on his face told me everything I needed to know. I took him in and began training him. But about a year into the training I realized he wasn't the Oracle. He was the Prelate."

Kara glanced briefly at Ginny, who was the only person in the room that didn't have knowledge of Snape's gifts. She was slightly shocked and stared intently at her Potions Master who returned her glare momentarily before turning his eyes on Dumbledore as he spoke.

"When Severus was ten, he came here to Hogwarts having fully trained already. He knew more than most of our Seventh years, a fact which caused him a lot of trouble considering he couldn't tell anyone what he knew or how he knew it. He made a lot of enemies because of it," Dumbledore said as he looked at Harry knowingly.

That is why Snape had hated James Potter so much. Perfect, smart James Potter who was made Head Boy when in fact Severus Snape was a more brilliant wizard and academic. Harry glanced at Snape and gave him an understanding nod of the head.

"Once I had handed Severus' upbringing off to Albus I went back to teaching at Durmstrang, actively searching for the Oracle. I believe Albus did the same, hoping that we would find him soon, before Sydney died of old age. So I tested every first year that came through my door. And then I found her. The very last student I tested. I was horrified. The Oracle was female and not male as we had expected."

"We went back to the Oracle of Montare and she told us the rest of the story. How you two would meet someday in the future, how you would find peace in one another and a great love," Dumbledore said.

Nabokov sighed heavily and looked disturbed as Dumbledore encouraged him with a look to continue the story.

"And she told us that your connection would begin a new, very powerful bloodline to rival that of Gryffindor and Slytherin."

"What?" Snape and Kara said simultaneously in disbelief.

"You heard me. I refuse to repeat it," He snapped back.

"I heard you and I would appreciate some clarification," Kara retorted loudly as her voice echoed through the Great Hall.

Dumbledore held up a calming hand.

"The Gryffindor and Slytherin lines began with two very powerful wizards long ago. Salazar and Godric, both of who had Inner Focus and married Oracles," he said.

"I thought they were both Oracles, not Prelates," Snape said in disbelief.

"A very common misconception," Dumbledore added.

"They both had very pure bloodlines themselves, tracing their family origins back at least five hundred years. And the women they married both had long bloodlines as well. When they came together with their wives they produced some of the strongest magical blood ever known to the wizarding world. That is why they were considered so great in their time," Nabokov said.

"So here you are. Both of you have long traditions of magic in your family. Kara as the Oracle, Severus as the Prelate. Your union will make history," Dumbledore said finally.

Kara and Snape sat wide-eyed, staring at the table. She reached a hand underneath to Snape's leg, where he reached down and took it. All this time they had thought this was a scheme of Dumbledore and Nabokov's to bring them together. In fact it was their destiny, guided by a very cautious Oracle and two meddling wizards. It took a few moments for it to sink in and periodically they would glance at one another to acknowledge the thoughts they were both sharing without words. Kara finally took a deep breath and as she did so, realized that there were two people in the room who didn't need to be hearing this.

"I suggest you tell me why you decided to reveal this in front of these two," she said as she waved a hand towards Harry and Ginny.

"For no other reason than to point out the obvious," Dumbledore said.

"Which is what exactly?" Snape asked skeptically.

"Oracles can only be born out of long pureblood lines. As far as we know, the Slytherin bloodline will be gone when Voldemort dies. Harry is the last of the Gryffindor."

"But Harry isn't pureblood. His Mum was Muggleborn," Ginny interjected on behalf of Harry, assuming he had forgotten this little piece of information.

"No she wasn't. She was pureblood," Harry replied softly. Ginny stared at him in awe. He apparently hadn't informed his friends of this previously.

"The only way to continue the Oracle tradition of the Gryffindor line is if you marry someone of pureblood Harry. We figured it was better to inform you now, than try to wait until you found the girl you wanted to marry and had to face the decision then," Dumbledore said.

Ginny gave Kara a knowing look and stared bashfully at the table. Harry caught on.

"You already knew that though didn't you? You already know who I'm going to marry," he accused as he looked between Dumbledore and Kara and then noticed Ginny withdrawing into herself.

Dumbledore looked at her. It was highly annoying that Dumbledore knew about this already. Kara glanced at Snape and heard his mind say, "I didn't tell him." She looked at Harry.

"Yes I do know; but only because I know your destiny, not because I am going to force you to do anything. You are going to marry the person you want to marry. Your marriage will be dictated by your own actions and desires. Coincidentally enough she will be pureblood, but it will be a coincident only," Kara said.

"Is it Ginny?" Harry asked, noticing how shy his girlfriend had become and how her radiant confidence earlier had been replaced with a shaking and crippled girl.

The silence in the room confirmed what Harry wanted to know and Ginny looked at him carefully, almost afraid to meet his glance. The knowledge of their future together was almost too much to bear for either of them at this moment. To look upon their future lovers faces, knowing the moments they would share in the years to come. Seeing each other naked for the first time, having children, their wedding, their mutual tears, hopes, their bad cooking and the rest of their lives. It all flashed in their minds wickedly fast and it was impossible to find mutual ground on which to look at each other and come to an understanding. It would have been overwhelming for the likes of Kara and Snape, let alone for two teenagers who were still dealing with puberty and awkwardness. Add on top of that this ridiculous notion that Harry had to kill one of the most evil wizards of all time and somehow come into his right as an Oracle. Both of them put their elbows on the table and buried their faces in their hands. It was too much for them. It was too soon, and Kara had never intended for the both of them to know.

"Is that why you bought Ginny the robes?" Harry accused.

She looked at Snape who raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, but not for the reason you're thinking," She replied.

"I don't understand."

"I am your mentor, as Nabokov here was mine; and Professor Snape's. With that title comes certain responsibilities, including to that of your family. You've no blood relatives worth speaking of. So naturally the next logical candidate is your future wife, and of course the Weasleys who I daresay have become your surrogates. I am therefore obligated to see to their needs as well."

"Then you didn't do it because you felt sorry for her?"

"No Mr. Potter. If I did things like this because I felt sorry for people, I would be a very poor witch."

Everyone was quiet for a long time as Ginny and Harry seemed to be taking this news in. Kara could see the questions come and go from Harry's face as he worked back through the conversation putting things together. Kara would ponder for years to come how Harry Potter came to ask the next question he did, but it was a brilliant one and couldn't have come at a more opportune time as Dumbledore and Nabokov sat at the table.

"Professor Snape. Why did you join Voldemort? You had all this power already, why would you want to join him?"

Snape just stared at him in awe; unbalanced. The question was not only unexpected, it was completely inappropriate at this time. But this was Harry Potter, and he was known for catching Snape off guard.

"As the Headmaster has pointed out, I came to Hogwarts with a first rate education in the Dark Arts as well as most of the topics instructed here at this school. I found the extra time I didn't require for study came in handy playing Quidditch and learning advanced magic beyond anything you can comprehend Potter. Voldemort offered me the ability to expand my powers. The fact that I was able to show myself freely, well rather I should say more freely but not completely so, to my fellow Death Eaters was a comfort to my ego. It is a very alluring temptation for someone your age Potter who has the tendencies, at the deepest level, to excel. Not at all unlike Ms. Granger. It is why I find her so completely frustrating at times."

"Because she reminds you of yourself?"

"No. Because she reminds me of the sort of person that Voldemort would attract. Eager, hungry and willing to stop at nothing to get what she wants."

Ginny and Harry looked at each other with grave faces. Harry turned back to Snape and nodded.

After nearly five minutes of silence, Dumbledore excused everyone from the room. Kara picked up the two scrolls Nabokov had given her and they walked him down to the Apparation point in Hogsmeade. They then retired to Snape's room to contemplate what had happened that evening.

Years later, after their marriage, Snape and Kara would look back on that evening and remark how at ease they had felt with one another up until the point in time when they realized they were going to have children. It was a prospect they hadn't considered before and panic had ensued for several days when they realized the possibilities might creep up on them sooner than expected. Passionate displays of mild eroticism had overtaken them numerous times prior to the revelation, but had joyously not ended in the Snape bloodline being born just yet. In fact that wouldn't happen for several years.

-- THE END --