My Eternal Curse

Latin Note:

intentio: effort, exertion, attention, intent; attack, accusation

animi: at heart.

Chapter Twenty Two

Splendid Isolation: Day Two

Harry and Alexis left the Great Hall together, heading for the Dungeons. Harry thought about the horrible way many of the Gryffindors had acted since all this started. He couldn't understand why they were against Ginny, just because she was different. He had expected better from them. The way they were acting now, disturbingly reminded him of the Dursleys. He shuddered at the terribly sickening comparison. All of these years Harry had thought that the wizarding world was different, only to discover that, when faced with the unknown they act just as bad as their muggle counterparts.

They arrived in front of the door to Ginny's chamber, and opened it. Inside the chamber they saw Snape, Ginny, and even Ix Chel, all sound asleep. Snape laid on a small cot, with the covers half draped over him, while Ix Chel slept next to Ginny on the bed. Careful not to disturb them, they entered the room, and closed the door. Ix Chel stirred, waking up slowly, settling her gaze on them. Harry noticed that something was different about Ix Chel, like the oppressive burden she'd held since this started had been lifted from her.

"Good morning," Ix Chel whispered, sleepily.

"Hi, Ix Chel," Harry replied. "How's Ginny?"

"Learning and recovering," Ix Chel replied, sounding almost happy. "Master Snape, young one, and I have been working all night."

Harry began translating everything they said.

"Learning?" Alexis asked.

"The world has changed for her, not only without, but within," Ix Chel explained cryptically. "Master Snape understands, and has been helping her find her way again. I cannot tell you more. That is young one's story to recount. What I can tell you is that she is very much in there."

"Has she let you in yet?" Harry asked.

"Our link is still dormant, but will return as she does," Ix Chel answered. "She doesn't blame me..."

Alexis checked Snape's temperature, and turned back to them.

"How is he?" Harry asked.

"Professor Snape is cooler then when I checked last, but he's still sick," confirmed Alexis.

"Let him rest," Harry said. "We'll watch over Ginny for him. Considering the last two days... he probably needs it."

At that, Ix Chel went back to sleep. Alexis pulled out her wand, took an empty glass off the nightstand, placed it on the opposite side of the room, and transfigured it into a large black sofa. They sat down and fell into quiet discussion, still watching Ginny.

*~*~*

Hermione sat in the library researching magical storms or similar occurrences, trying to find some sort of precedent for what was happening to Ginny. She sighed, and closed the heavy tome. What could explain all of this? Every tome Hermione had consulted said the same thing - it was impossible. She spotted Ron in the distance, whispering to two Hufflepuffs. What could he be up to now? Ron had once been one of her closest friends, almost more even, but now... now any chance of repairing that friendship seemed dim at best.

Hermione steeled herself. It was Ginny who needed her now, not Ron, who now detested Hermione. If Ron was intent on harming Ginny, then she had to do something to discredit him, to stop him. She watched Ron and the two Hufflepuffs disappear into the stacks. Hermione stood and followed them, deciding to keep a close eye on Ron from now on.

*~*~*

Severus awoke to the sounds of voices, which made his brain feel like someone was running it through a muggle cheese grater. He suppressed a groan, as his migraine began to worsen, and sat up. Potter and Levine sat on a large black sofa, talking avidly about the differences in house philosophy. Considering their topic of discussion, he was surprised they weren't at each other's throats, but rather, were at ease with each other. Next to Severus sat a simple breakfast of tea, broth, and toast, kept hot with a warming charm. Wondering faintly if he had been transported into an alternate reality, he closed his eyes, and shook his head to clear it. When he opened his eyes again, everything was the same.

Severus looked at Miss Weasley, who was propped up by several pillows, petting Ix Chel, who sat in her lap. She stared ahead with a blank expression, almost like he wasn't even there. However, when he looked deeper into her eyes, and saw minor bemusement in her intelligent, almost questioning gaze, he knew that she was more focused on the moment than she looked.

"How are you?" Severus asked Miss Weasley. Potter and Levine looked up, surprised to see him awake.

"Tired..." she answered, in a distant tone of voice. "Focusing... is difficult. Too much doesn't make sense..."

"What doesn't?" he asked.

"Time..." she replied. Severus watched as Miss Weasley's gaze returned to the tapestries, and knew he'd lost her attention. He wondered what she had meant by 'time,' and decided to discuss it with Ix Chel later.

"Ginny?" Potter asked. Miss Weasley didn't respond.

"Don't worry, Potter," Severus said. "She is not as catatonic as you think. It will just take time for the girl to return to herself. What time is it?"

"11:00am," Potter awkwardly replied. "We didn't want to wake you, with you being ill, and staying up all night to help Ginny..."

"That was very considerate of you, Mr. Potter," Severus said, pulling a bottle of fever-reducing potion out of his pocket, and taking another dose. The migraine immediately eased, making the sound of their voices bearable again. They must have figured out that his illness was caused, at least in part, by helping Weasley. Which probably means they feel indebted to him... That would explain a few things.

"What's wrong with her, Professor?" Levine asked.

"Miss Weasley's perceptions were... altered in the storm," Severus replied carefully, slowly eating his breakfast. "It, at least in part, is affecting her ability to concentrate."

"Which means her mind has to make new mental connections, to replace and compensate for the old ones?" Levine asked.

"Yes," Severus replied.

"Oh," Potter intoned in understanding.

"Articulate as ever, Mr. Potter," he sneered. "It's nice to see that some things never change."

They fell silent for a few moments. Gradually Levine and Potter started asking questions about what they could do to help Miss Weasley regain her ability to focus. He explained what they could do for her, without giving away anything about Gray magic. When Severus finally left, he began to feel slightly less pessimistic about their circumstances. If enough people stood by them, than they just may get through this in one piece.

*~*~*

Zach stumbled out of the flow in Diagon Alley and immediately checked to make sure his hood was secure. Once he was sure no one had recognized him, he used a simple cleaning spell to remove the soot from his clothes and skin. Zach walked into the center of the room, and was hit by another vision.

Zach was still standing in the center of the pub, but now several others stood with him. He looked around the room and noticed that almost the entire room was watching them. Zach watched Albus, the head of house Slytherin - Severus Snape, The-Boy-Who-Lived, and the Weasley girl with a curious-looking snake on her arm closely. After a second's hesitation, Zach walked over to stand beside the Weasley girl.

"Why are they staring at us?" she asked.

"Because, at the moment, you three are abominably famous," Snape sneered. "I suggest we make a quick exit."

"I agree, Severus," Albus said. But as they began to head for the back door, people began to swarm around them like locusts. A horde of people started introducing themselves to them, and asking questions. The Weasley girl, looking lost and afraid, watched the people crowd around her. The horde that surrounded the girl started asking questions about her familiar and her visions, and, to make matters worse, they all seemed to want a reading from Weasley. Zach realized that the girl didn't have up any of the repellent charms, or other obstacles that could protect her in these kinds of situations. She obviously didn't know how to react, and began to back away from the others, looking like a trapped animal. Why did Albus let her leave Hogwarts like this, so unprepared for the dangers that so clearly awaited her? Almost without warning, people started to touch the girl's hands and arms, and from the looks of it, even tried to direct their questions at her mentally. Zach mentally braced himself for the attack he knew was coming, and put a hand on the Weasley girl's shoulder, trying to see what she saw.

A cacophony of images, sounds, and other sensations began to flood his senses, making it impossible to breathe. Visions of the future began to flash before his eyes. The first that surfaced was of an old woman watching her Granddaughter's muggle wedding; but before he could get more than a sense of what was happening, it slipped from his grasp. Zach caught another piece of a vision. They were standing in front of Lord Voldemort, who held up a beautiful necklace. The next fragment hit him, and they were watching the successful conclusion to a business deal. All of a sudden, they were watching a Slytherin girl jump off the Astronomy tower at Hogwarts, plummeting to her death.

The visions came faster and faster, until it was impossible to distinguish one from another. Zach tried to let go as his sense of the outside world became confused and distorted. He felt the life-draining effects of the vision overload and knew that the Weasley girl would die soon, without help. After a few seconds, the agony from the overwhelming flood of visions became almost more than he could bear, and he suppressed a cry of pain. Zach reminded himself that Weasley had made it out of here, and tried not to panic as he rode through the nightmare with her. Weasley tried to scream as the strain threatened to rip her apart, but nothing came out. Zach heard an odd echo to Weasley's silent cry, similar to another voice. Without warning the snake let out a strange wailing hiss, almost like a cry for help.

"Ginny's in trouble!" The-Boy-Who-Lived yelled, trying to get to her. Snape reacted quickly, and pulled out his wand, shouting an incantation. Brilliant discharges of electricity and the roar of an explosion flew out of his wand, causing the crowd to panic, ducking for cover. Snape ran to where Weasley stood, and managed to catch her before she collapsed. The jumbled images resolved to into one vision, which Zach could only catch a piece of as Snape half-dragged, half-carried her towards the back door.

Zach and Weasley stood in a large mansion he had been to several times, overlooking a dark and gloomy landscape. What the hell were they doing in Malfoy Manor? Masked Death Eaters encircled them, but they weren't alone. The Dark Lord stood before them, looking enraged. Next to Voldemort stood Lucius who had a cold smirk on his face. At their feet lay Snape, covered in his own blood, whose wrist and his left leg looked badly broken, and were bleeding profusely.

"...Mark my words, Voldemort, your days are numbered!" Snape continued. "People like Dumbledore, Mr. Potter, and Miss Weasley are going to put a stop to your evil, sooner or later... I'm proud to have played a part in your downfall... My only regret now, is that I won't live to see it!"

"Your wrong, Severus," Voldemort said, bending down till they were at eye level. His red eyes gleamed malevolently at the badly wounded man. "By the time this is over, the ones you speak of will be gone, and the wizarding world will be at my feet!"

Voldemort stood once more and backed away. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Snape. Snape stiffened slightly, but his gaze, and his resolve, didn't waver as he faced his own death.

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort yelled at the top of his lungs, and the vision exploded in a blinding flash of green light and the rushing sounds of death itself.

Then Zach, the Weasley girl, and the others were standing in the back of the pub. Zach listened intently to the conversation, especially the translations from the Potter boy, as he discussed the situation with the strange snake in Parseltongue. He saw how clueless Albus had acted in the situation, and felt deeply disturbed by it. How could Albus not use the proper precautions when taking the girl anywhere, especially to such a populated area? Zach heard Potter translate that the snake could help Weasley learn control, and raised an eyebrow. Could that be possible? When he got to Hogwarts, he would just have to find out for himself. Snape put up a repellent charm around them, and they left. With that, the vision ended.

Zach stood at the closed entrance to Diagon Alley, feeling sick to his stomach. His mind raced, trying to decipher the strange phantasm he had just witnessed. One thing was for sure, Albus' actions when it came to the young Seer were pathetic at best, and positively neglectful at worst. How could Albus take such stupid risks, especially with one so gifted? Weren't the last two Seers Albus dealt with proof enough for him of the dangers? He was going to have a very long talk with Albus when he reached Hogwarts.

What was the meaning of the vision he caught of Snape? Why did Snape think she was capable of handling Voldemort? Has the girl revealed her vision to him yet? Zach felt that the girl had seen much more, but all he could discern was that it would happen in a few months, if the future holds to course...

Zach was beginning to understand the gravity of the responsibility he was taking on. He sighed heavily. He would have his work cut out for him... in more ways than one. Zach entered Diagon Alley, determined to follow the trail of the players.

*~*~*

Ginny sat propped up against the headboard, watching the door with a vacuous look on her face. Slowly, Ix Chel's link with them had been reawakening, revealing a peculiar problem with their perceptions of time, which seemed to be occurring off and on. At one moment, time seemed to be moving too slowly, and the next it raced by too fast. Ginny hoped they would be able to figure it out soon. Tom and Ginny watched Hermione enter the room carrying Harry's chessboard, and tried to focus with all of their might, shutting out as much noise as possible.

"... brought your chessboard, as instructed," Hermione said. "You really think this will help Ginny?"

"In theory, playing a strategy game, like chess, should help her concentration," Alexis answered. "Although it may not work at first, it might help in the long run."

"I hope you're right about this," Harry said.

"So do I," Alexis agreed.

They began to set up the chessboard on a small cart in front of Ginny, and she mentally groaned.

"I'm terrible at chess," Ginny thought. "The only reason I play, is because Ron..."

"Then rest for awhile, and let me play," Tom suggested. "I love chess, and it would be fun to humiliate Potter..."

"I don't know," Ginny hesitated. "What if they figure out you're not me?"

"With the way we've been acting? Never..." Tom asserted. "Come on, you know you want to. Besides, wouldn't it be fun to catch Potter completely off guard? Who knows, maybe we could even make a habit of it."

"Of what?"

"Of taking turns."

"Are you sure you can pretend-"

"I've lived in your mind for more than five years, my little princess." Tom argued. "I think I can handle pretending to be you for a while."

"Alright," Ginny agreed, releasing control to him. Tom struggled to focus for a few moments, but managed to get the hang of it surprisingly quickly. He turned his attention to Potter, who'd just finished putting all of the pieces in place, and was about to bother them.

"Oh look, Potter even made us white... how touching," Tom thought.

"Tom, don't call him 'Potter,'" Ginny thought. "It's demeaning, and it doesn't sound like me at all."

"Fine," Tom mentally muttered.

"Harry?" Tom asked, using Ginny's voice in a surprisingly good imitation of her. Ginny wondered how much practice he'd had pretending to be her, and, after a few moments of consideration, decided she didn't want to know.

"Hi, Ginny," Harry said. "Want a game of chess?"

"Sure," Tom replied.

After a few slips of concentration, Tom beat Potter in five moves.

"It's a wonder the boy's still breathing, if this is the way he fights the Dark Lord," Tom almost said, but Ginny managed to stop him in time.

"If you want to take turns, curb your tongue," Ginny chided. "These are our friends. Treat them with a little respect."

"You said 'our friends,'" Tom thought. "Why?"

Before Ginny could answer, Alexis tried to catch her attention, concerned that she was losing her focus again. Tom returned his attention to the other people in the room, and started playing a game of chess with Alexis. Alexis played like a master, and proved to be a much more challenging opponent. After a little while, his princess got bored and fell asleep, leaving Tom alone with his thoughts. For the first time in his life, Tom felt like he actually belonged.

*~*~*

Remus entered the Dungeons. Minerva had told him what had happened, and warned him away from the Dungeons, telling Remus that Miss Weasley wasn't herself yet, and that Severus wouldn't allow him to see her at this point. Despite Minerva's warnings, Remus insisted on visiting Miss Weasley. The girl was one his best students. He wanted to see her, and try to help if he could.

He knocked on the door. Harry opened it after a few moments, and invited him in. Hermione and a Slytherin fifth year sat together on a large black sofa, studying an endless sea of notes, laid out on a small coffee table in front of them. Remus spotted Miss Weasley sitting on the bed, staring almost unblinkingly, at one of the tapestries, like it held some hidden meaning she was trying to decipher. Remus smelled strange magic in the air intermingling with the various scents in the room. Sniffing the air further, he noticed that Miss Weasley's scent had changed since the last time he'd seen her. Strange... Harry saw the disquieted look on his face, and explained the situation. He decided he needed some time to speak with Miss Weasley, alone.

"It's a beautiful day out. Why don't you take a break, and let me watch over her for a little while." Remus suggested.

"I don't know..." Harry hesitated.

Miss Levine peered at him with a deeply suspicious, uncomfortable look, which told him that she didn't trust him, or his intentions. Hermione gave him a quizzical look, suspecting that there was more to this than he was telling them. This was going to be more difficult than he thought.

"Don't worry," Remus assured them. "Nothing will happen to Miss Weasley while you're gone, trust me."

"Do you think this is a good idea?" Levine asked the others, not taking her eyes off him for a second.

"Yes," Ginny said softly, startling everyone in the room. Remus turned around and saw her watching him, with a tired, strained countenance. Looking closer, he saw that her gaze still seemed oddly unfocused, like she was looking past him, or through him. "Return in a half-hour... He won't harm me."

"Alright, Ginny, if that is what you want..." Hermione said, putting down her quill and standing. "Let's go."

The others reluctantly followed her out the door, and closed it behind them. As they left, Miss Weasley's expression returned to the impassive, entranced one she had before. Remus tried vainly to get her attention for five minutes. He gave up when he realized that she couldn't hear him. He sat down on the sofa across from her, wondering what compelled her to ask to be alone with him, only to ignore him completely. Her gaze never left Remus the whole time, as Miss Weasley watched him with a bewitched air to her.

Time passed slowly for Remus, as he sat feeling an almost palpable tension between them. Finally, when the half-hour was almost over, sense returned to the girl's eyes, and she spoke in a vague tone of voice.

"Did you know that your pet is a Dark Wizard?" Ginny asked.

"What?" Remus asked in return, utterly bewildered by her statement.

The girl shuddered, as if trying to shake something off. A second later someone knocked, and Remus almost jumped out of his skin, completely taken off guard. He stood and left the room. Harry, Hermione, Miss Levine, and Albus stood in the hallway.

"Is something wrong, Professor?" Hermione asked.

"No, nothing's wrong," Remus answered. "Miss Weasley's fine... I'll see you all later, good day."

As he left, Remus' mind started going over Miss Weasley's comment and its implications. If she could sense Sirius, then they had a disaster on their hands just waiting to happen. He just hoped that there was something they could do to stop it.

*~*~*

Severus wandered into the entrance hall searching for Albus, and came to a stop in the center of the empty hall. He wanted to discuss Miss Weasley's future with Albus further, but he couldn't find him anywhere.

"Where's Albus?" Severus muttered to himself. The room told him that Albus had passed by here several minutes ago, heading for the Dungeons. "Uh... thank you."

"Maybe this strange ability has its uses after all," he thought, entering the Dungeons to begin his search. Near Miss Weasley's quarters he bumped into Remus, who seemed lost in thought.

"Sorry, Severus," Remus apologized. "I have a lot on my mind, and I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Obviously," Severus sneered, though he knew Remus was telling the truth. "Tell me, would this have anything to do with my Apprentice?"

Remus started to answer, only to be cut off by a blood-curdling scream.

"Weasley!" Severus instantly recognized her scream.

"I just left her with Albus and the others, a moment ago," Remus said.

"Albus, damn!" Severus exclaimed. They broke into a run toward Miss Weasley's chamber.

*~*~*

Ginny watched Professor Lupin leave, hoping she had done the right thing by warning him. If he didn't believe her, or worse yet, was willingly helping the Dark Wizard, then they were all in serious trouble. Ginny and Tom continued to try, without success, to shake off the painfully nauseating feeling that had crept into them a few moments ago. What were they feeling that made it so hard to breathe, so hard to think? Ginny shuddered again, pulling the covers further over her, as the feeling made her skin crawl. Something was wrong, but what, and more importantly, why, eluded her.

The door opened again, but it wasn't Harry, Hermione, or Alexis who entered. It was Professor Dumbledore. He closed the door behind him. He turned to face her, and she realized that the concentrated Light magic that saturated him was what felt wrong. Suddenly they began to sense his true intent and recoiled in fear.

He was planning to use her if he could, and dispose of her if he couldn't. He started to advance on her slowly, with an expression of concern on his face, and the feelings intensified. Something Ginny and Tom didn't recognize was added to the mix, and the painful flood became unbearable. They felt like they were going to vomit, as intense pain, and pressure began to build up inside of her. Their minds were completely unprepared for the sudden assault, and were easily overwhelmed. Ginny mindlessly clawed at the walls, desperately trying to escape, as she let out a blood-curdling scream of distress and terror. Just as Dumbledore reached her bed, Ix Chel attempted to strike, coming within a hairsbreadth of biting him. The crushing pain and feelings reached a fevered pitch, as they got shakily to her feet on the bed, and attempted to climb up the wall in wild panic.

Before Dumbledore could react, the door burst open and Harry, Hermione, and Alexis entered. Master Snape and Professor Lupin ran in just behind them. Master Snape pushed past everyone and saw Dumbledore. Without warning or hesitation, master Snape grabbed Dumbledore by the robes, and slammed him into the nearby wall with an audible thud. He held the Headmaster almost a foot off of the ground, glaring at him murderously. Dumbledore stared at him dumbly, too stunned to react.

Abruptly, the overload eased, causing Ginny to grow faint and start to fall off the bed. Harry and Hermione barely managed to catch her before she hit the ground, and eased her down onto the floor. They held her as she sat in a sobbing heap on the floor; meanwhile Alexis watched the saga play out between the teachers, at a loss for what to do.

"You bloody bastard!" master Snape roared at the top of his lungs, shaking Dumbledore like a leaf. "What were you thinking?"

Watching him practically throttle the Headmaster, Tom realized that Snape's reputation for being feared was well earned.

"Let go of him, Severus," Lupin reasoned. "Think about your apprentice. This won't help her."

Master Snape hesitated for a moment, then let him go. Dumbledore collapsed onto the floor, struggling to get his breath back. Professor Lupin helped Dumbledore up, and escorted him out of the room. Unable to handle anything more, Ginny fainted.

*~*~*

Remus carefully escorted Albus into the corridor and shut the door behind them, before whirling around to face Albus. He looked like he wanted to speak, but thought better of it. He pulled Albus into an empty classroom, then put up a silencing charm.

"By Merlin, Albus, what were you thinking?" he asked forcefully. "The girl's mind has been played with enough! Her condition is obviously far too fragile for something like Intentio Animi. Don't try to deny it, both Severus and I felt the mental tendrils you were using on her!"

"Severus' actions were completely out of line," Albus replied breathlessly.

"Miss Weasley is his apprentice," Remus continued angrily. "The first one he's taken on in years! The bonds between master and apprentice are not something to be trifled with. Severus has been fiercely devoted to all of his apprentices. He has always taken whatever happened to them personally. Now, with Miss Weasley... he is completely devoted to her, even more than he was with his past apprentices, and you know how fiercely he protected them! It would have been an affront to his sense of honor, and the values that have been ingrained in him since he was born, not to act when he saw Virginia at risk. Severus treated what he perceived as an attack on her as an attack on himself, and acted accordingly. At that point, it wouldn't have mattered if you were Merlin himself! He would have killed you if you hadn't stopped... You've never tried to take on an apprentice, have you?"

"No," Albus answered. "I've preferred to work behind the scenes."

"Then you've never had to go through what he is going through now," Remus explained. "Severus will not forgive you, no matter the circumstances, and he won't let his guard down any time soon. I think it would best for everyone, if you stay away from the Dungeons for the time being."

"She shouldn't have reacted like that," Albus whispered. "Why did Virginia reject my mental touch so violently?"

"I don't know," Remus replied. "What did you see?"

"Fragments," Albus answered, straining to discern some sort of pattern from what he felt. "It didn't make any sense."

They fell silent for a moment.

"Let's get you out of the Dungeons before Severus sees you," Remus said, taking down the silencing charm, and opening the door. He escorted Albus back to the entrance hall. Remus watched him head for the hospital wing, before turning around, and returning to the Dungeons.

*~*~*

Snape paced back and fourth looking angrier than Harry had ever seen him. They finally got Ginny settled down, and sleeping peacefully. For a moment there, he thought Snape looked like he was going to kill Dumbledore! Harry got the feeling that there was more going on here than he knew. He watched as Snape stopped pacing, looking at Ginny intently for a few moments. Then he turned his intense gaze on them, as if he was trying to look through them.

"How did this happen?" Snape asked sharply in a low voice.

"Professor Dumbledore asked to briefly see Ginny alone," Hermione explained. "We didn't think Ginny was in any danger so-"

"So you left her unguarded," Snape finished for her. He heard a dangerous edge in his voice, but Snape fell silent for a moment, before continuing. "I suppose there was no way any of you could have known. I want at least one of you here watching her at all times for now. I will make other arrangements for her during school hours. Listen to me very carefully... I don't want Dumbledore anywhere near her. If you see him in the Dungeons for any reason whatsoever, inform me and I will take care of it myself. However, if you spot him near or in Miss Weasley's chamber, you are to shoot him on sight! I don't care if Merlin himself compelled him to see her; you will use whatever means at your disposal to keep Dumbledore away from Virginia! If he gets by you, and I discover that any of you have failed to follow my orders, then I will make sure that you won't live to regret it! Have I made myself perfectly clear?"

Harry, Hermione, and Alexis nodded mutely, too stunned to speak.

"Good," Snape said. "I will return soon. Notify me the moment she awakens."

Snape stormed out of the room. Harry, Hermione, and Alexis shared a mutual glance, before returning their gaze to the closed door.

"Snape was joking, right?" Harry asked. "He doesn't want us to actually shoot the Headmaster if he attempts to see Ginny, right?"

"You saw how enraged Professor Snape was when he attacked Professor Dumbledore!" whispered Hermione. "I thought he was going to kill him!"

"I think he was," Alexis replied. "No, Professor Snape meant it when he gave us our orders... and if I were you, I would follow them to the letter."

"I was afraid of that," Harry answered.

*~*~*

Severus entered his office only to see Remus waiting for him just inside. He strode across the room and sat down, shooting the werewolf a defiant glare. He noticed that Remus' expression held no malice, in fact, he even seemed oddly sympathetic.

"If you're here to lecture me-" Severus began, only to be cut off by his surprisingly hurt expression.

"I'm not here to lecture you, or to tell you how to protect your apprentice," Remus replied. "I'm here to help... I understand what you see when you look at her. You see yourself and the nightmare at the Whomping Willow. You see what might have been, if someone had been your advocate when Albus punished you for being the victim. I know I've said this a thousand times before, but I'm sorry about what happened that night. I had no idea Sirius was planning to lure you to the Shrieking Shack. If I'd known, I would have stopped him."

Severus looked deeply into the werewolf's eyes, trying to discover the truth, and for the first time, he believed him. That realization tasted bitter to him. All of this time he had wasted his energy, his hatred on the wrong person. On someone who had neither deserved nor merited such treatment. How could he have been so wrong? What could he do to change things, to rectify his mistake?

"I believe you," he forced out. "I've hated you for the wrong reasons and I'm... sorry. You can't change what happened, anymore than I can change how I treated you."

"That doesn't matter now," Remus replied. "What matters is that we learn from our mistakes, and continue to try to do the right thing."

Neither spoke for a long interval.

"I spoke with Albus after we left," Remus said. "I've warned him away from the Dungeons. Hopefully, he'll heed my advice."

"That's not likely," Severus snorted.

"What do you plan to do if he doesn't?" Remus asked.

Severus refused to answer.

"I meant it when I said that I want to help you," Remus continued. "You can count on my support, when the time comes. Miss Weasley is one of my best students and I'm willing to do anything in my power to help her. Just tell me what you want me to do."

Severus felt the complete honesty in his words, and knew he could be trusted. Maybe having the werewolf on his side wouldn't be such a bad idea. The more people he could enlist the better chance he had of protecting Miss Weasley and himself. Severus thought about Miss Weasley's reaction to the Intentio Animi spell Albus had attempted. The girl had violently rejected Albus' influence automatically, while Severus' mind had only painfully rebuffed Albus' attempts to read him. She was in such a fragile state at this point; any attempt to mess with the delicate balance of her equilibrium could prove to be fatal. Severus knew he would need all the help he could get to keep Albus away.

"Very well," Severus answered. "What exactly did Albus tell you?"

*~*~*

Albus sat in his office, thinking about his conversation with Poppy. Poppy had explained that Virginia's mind might have been too unstable to handle something like the Intentio Animi. When Albus had told Poppy about Miss Weasley's episodes of catatonia, asking if there was a chance that something was wrong with her, Poppy had explained that it was still too early to tell. However, considering the height and length of her fever, there was still every chance that she wasn't in there. What-

Without warning Minerva stormed into his office without knocking, and slammed the door behind her. She whirled around to face him, looking livid.

"I just spoke with Remus," Minerva said. "He told me what you tried on Miss Weasley earlier... You should know better than to try something like that on her, especially so soon after she was attacked! Surely, you knew the risks of trying that on someone so delicate. Did you even wait to see how she would react to you, before attempting to delve further?"

"I was simply trying to ascertain her state of mind," Albus explained gently, despite Minerva's outburst. "I had no intention of harming the girl. There was no way I could have predicted that she would react so badly."

"Be that as it may, what you did could have seriously harmed her, or worse," Minerva replied sternly. "As her head of house, I request that you keep your distance from her until she is fully recovered."

"Request noted," said Albus. "I won't go into the Dungeons right now."

Looking into Minerva's eyes, he knew that she wasn't convinced, but couldn't do anything about it either. She regarded him suspiciously for a few moments, then nodded her head in assent and left. As Albus watched her go, he realized that something must be done, and soon. The incident with Miss Weasley was making waves he couldn't control, waves that could potentially destroy everything he had fought so long and so hard to build. He would have to do something about Miss Weasley, find some way to change the outcome so it would be in his favor. Albus spent the rest of the afternoon planning his next move.

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TBC