My Eternal Curse

My Eternal Curse

By Mara456

Chapter Forty-Two

Personal Demons

Zach had just closed his office door when he heard a faint knock. Answering it he found a frazzled, young girl with deep-set, gray eyes and, dark brown hair tied up in a simple braid, wearing Hufflepuff robes.

"You're Professor Montgomery, the new Divination teacher, right?" the Hufflepuff tentatively asked.

"Yes I am. Please, come in and take a seat," Zach invited, moving aside to admit her. The young Hufflepuff entered and sat in an armchair across from his desk. After closing the door, he settled into his own chair. "Now, what brings you here?"

"My name is Rosealee James, but most people call me Rose. My sister, Telika, said that you understand weird talents and stuff. She told me that if something bad happened, that it was safe to go to you... I think, I might have The Sight." obviously afraid of what he might think, Rose timidly continued, "I've never been like other kids. They've always made fun of me for seeing and hearing stuff that everyone tells me isn't there. But lately... it's been getting worse. Like, if I touch people or objects, I get this flash. Sometimes, it's something that hasn't happened yet - sometimes it's not. Lately, places have been calling me and I hear this noise, whispers, like someone's talking in the next room, but nobody's there. It used to only happen every once in a while, except now I can't make it stop. Its hurts when I sit in the Great Hall when there are a lot of people or in the common room... I'm scared, Professor. I'm afraid I'm going crazy!"

At the end of her confession Rose burst into tears. Zach got up and handed the young lady a handkerchief. When his hand brushed against hers, he could feel her undeniable power, even through his gloves, and knew that she could sense his. Rose had The Sight but, unlike most, the girl's talents were awakening on their own. He didn't dare accelerate the natural process by using The Sight's Inner View. Impulsively, Rose grabbed his exposed wrist and looked up at him, surprised.

"You're connected to Professor Snape and he has The Sight!" Rose blurted out, releasing his wrist.

"Do you think we can keep that just between us, Miss James?" Zach requested as he sat back down. "The Potions master and I aren't ready to share that with everyone just yet."

"Sure, I'm really good at keeping secrets," Rose agreed, drying her eyes. "I've heard all sorts of things from people when their lips aren't moving, and I never tell. So you do believe me, you don't want to send me away!"

"You were right to come to me. You have a powerful gift in The Sight," Zach explained. "You haven't been losing your mind, what you've been experiencing are your talents awakening. Regrettably, I can't put you in my formal classes because you're only a first year, but I'll tell you what we can do. With your parents' permission, I can privately tutor you to understand and control your gifts. If you'd like, your sister can be there to observe."

"You would do that for me?" the young Hufflepuff hopefully asked.

"Certainly," Zach assured her. "Now, tell me more about the voices. How loud do they sound to you? Do you still hear them after everyone else has gone to sleep?"

"My parents said I'm not supposed to talk about that," Rose hedged uncomfortably. "They're afraid that my voices will attract unwanted attention and I'll get locked up for it... I guess it's a little late to worry about telling you."

"Your parents are very wise. They were concerned that what you've been hearing isn't real. However, that is not the case; what you have is a gift called telepathy," Zach explained. "I hear voices, so does your sister, and, if you listen closely enough you will find that there are others who share similar abilities."

"Like Erica," Rose projected the thought without realizing it.

Zach made a mental note to try to figure out to whom she was referring.

"Like I told you before, the voices drone on constantly now," Rose complained. "If it's just a few wizards I can ignore it, but it gets louder every time someone else comes in. When I'm in the Great Hall or the center of attention, the voices can go from whispering or talking to yelling at me. It also happens more when I get upset. It doesn't matter where I go, or if everyone is sleeping, it-it's never quiet anymore. It's so hard to concentrate on anything when people are around, except with my big sister. She's so quiet and soothing, I don't feel like I have to sing to myself or make up funny rhymes, just to out shout the voices."

"I understand," he empathetically intoned, wondering if there was more to the calming influence of Rose's sister than just their familial bond. The young witch was describing a classic case of severe information overload. After listening to the child's description of the intrusiveness of her telepathy, Zach had no doubt that without aggressive intervention her situation would only continue deteriorating. The girl's admission was far too reminiscent of his own horror story for comfort. A chill ran through him at the reflection. He'd come so close to the perennial madness his line suffered from. Stories like his and Trelawney's were far too common, and to be afflicted so early... he forcibly reminded himself that it was his job to stop that from happening. No matter what year little Rosealee was, he was obligated to stop her from sharing that fate. He wondered what Lucius would say if his third cousin knew just how many powerful, unstable, vulnerable people now resided in these halls, including the man's own son. Furthermore he, of all people, was the only thing that stood between these children and a one-way ticket to St. Mungo's sadistic psychiatric ward.

Pulling him out of his dark musings, the young Seer asked, "Why do you wear gloves?"

"Because like you, my gifts are often triggered by touch. This blocks out most of the random visions and impressions I get on a daily basis. Would you like a set of your own?" offered Zach, taking out of his desk drawer a spare set of black leather gloves with a resizing charm already on them.

"Sure, but do they have to be black?" she asked.

"What color would you prefer them to be?" Zach asked in return.

"Yellow," Rose politely answered, although what he sensed she really wanted was for them to suit her nickname.

He placed the gloves on the desk, drew his wand, and then used a complex charm he'd learned in his youth to change the gloves from plain black to realistic yellow roses.

"They're beautiful, Professor, thank you so much," Rose enthused, smiling in gratitude as she put them on. Hesitantly, she ran her fingertips along the edge of his desk. "You're right, that is better."

Zach showed her a blocking spell she could use, though in all likelihood it would only provide minor relief of her symptoms. Afterward, he wrote up a special pass that would allow the young Hufflepuff to visit his classroom whenever she needed to, then escorted the child downstairs to show her what was so special about the place. In his tranquil classroom, Rose's reaction to the sudden silence made Zach flinch. The poor girl broke down into tears of relief. Wordlessly he led the girl to an armchair by the window so she could rest, all the time wondering if his efforts to break down the old, corrupt system that held them back had a chance of success. If he failed, people like Severus, Virginia, and Rose, people who believed in him, would pay the price. As uncertain as he felt about his long-term plans, the short-term ones concerning this small witch were clear. He had to find a way to take Rose under his wing and get her the special accommodations she so desperately needed, but he feared he would end up shaking hands with the devil in order to accomplish that.

*~*~*

Meanwhile, Severus headed for the Great Hall alone. Unescorted, Mr. Longbottom and Miss Knight ran up to him, panicking over something.

"Professor, thank goodness we found you," Mr. Longbottom said in a rush, gasping for air. "Ginny's missing! We haven't been able to find her anywhere."

"Both Ginny and Ix Chel were gone when we awoke, sir," Miss Knight reported. "What are we going to do?"

Having dealt with this once already, Severus, rather than give into the misguided desire to panic, chose to close his eyes and find her through the Gray. He could feel that Virginia was safe; in fact she hadn't left her room the entire time. He let out a breath that he wasn't aware he had been holding and returned his gaze to the two children.

"There is no need to worry," Severus reassured the Gryffindors. "Virginia is perfectly safe. Now, I want you two to go to the Great Hall. Miss Granger and Mr. Potter have just arrived, so there shouldn't be a problem. I'll handle this..."

The outcasts followed his orders without hesitation. Part of him just delighted to realize that only a few short weeks ago, he would have been the last person those children would have come to for assistance. Following his senses to the girl's chamber, Severus entered Virginia's room without knocking and halted. He still strongly felt Virginia and Ix Chel's presence. If that was indeed the case, where were they? He noticed on the coffee table an open bottle of ink and a quill resting on a mass of parchment, indicating that she had written something the night before. Looking at his apprentice's unmade bed, he noticed that a pillow and her comforter were missing. A dark thought crept into his awareness.

No, Severus silently denied. If something had happened last night, I would have felt it. I would have known if something were amiss... or would I?

Breaking his train of thought, Ix Chel's voice came from the most surprising of places, "Master Snape, is that you?"

Stopping in front of the bed, he got down on his knees and bent to look beneath it. He spotted Virginia lying far out of reach, curled up in a little ball with the missing comforter and pillow. She was sleeping uneasily with an exhausted countenance, tightly hugging her familiar.

"What are you two doing under there?" Severus whispered in Parseltongue.

"I do not know," Ix Chel replied, her voice filled with frustration and worry. Trying to free herself from Virginia's grasp the snake continued to struggle. "All I remember is being awakened in the middle of night, when she dragged us under here and then hexed me! Something is very wrong-" In response to Ix Chel's actions, Virginia unconsciously tightened her grip around the snake.

"Some assistance, please!" she continued in a strangled hiss.

"No. Remain here with your mistress and let her rest," Severus ordered. "I'll return later to check on the two of you."

He took out his wand and carefully placed a monitoring spell on the girl, in case something else happened, then left to find the only wizard who may understand Virginia's deeply troubling behavior.

*~*~*

The sound of the door shutting roused Tom from yet another terrible nightmare. He groggily opened his eyes, only to discover that they weren't lying on the bed at all, but rather under something.

As he released Ix Chel, Tom, confused, wondered, "Where are we?"

"Under the bed, and no, I have no idea why," Ix Chel snapped, slithering out of their arms. "All I remember is Virginia hexing me in the middle of the night."

"Wait, she hexed you?" he exclaimed. "Why?"

"I don't know," Ix Chel insisted. "She was distraught at the time, but that isn't reason enough."

Reviewing what he could of his princess' memories, Tom replied, "No, it makes perfect sense." He saw what Ginny had gone through all alone and hit the back of his head into the pillow. "I'm such a fool!"

How could he put her through that torturous conversation with her father, and then leave her to fend for herself when she needed him? What right did he have to put her in that position? If he had just let her alone and allowed her to deal with it on her own terms, she would be okay right now instead- instead of this. Why did he permit his own insecurities to affect his judgement so badly? What was wrong with him? Merlin, they had gone through that together! It was their pain and he had forced her to face that reality alone, when he had trouble facing it himself!

"We had no way-" Ix Chel started.

Losing his composure, Tom cut her off, "No! Don't comfort me! They may be our issues but this was my mistake! Don't tell me that I didn't screw up big-time, because I know I did. I made it real. I made it real, and then left my poor little princess to face the music by herself! Don't you dare try to tell me that I'm blameless! Just... let me be miserable in peace."

Tom rolled over, clutching a section of the blanket, and quietly wept.

*~*~*

Ginny awoke to another pointless day. She noticed that her face was soaked with Tom's tears and that they were clutching a piece of wet blanket instead of Ix Chel. She reached for their familiar, but Ix Chel pulled herself out of her own depressed stupor long enough to slither out of reach.

"Some help you are..." Ginny thought. "Tom?"

No one answered. Ginny's tears joined that of her bonded but, no matter how much they grieved, it couldn't touch how thoroughly miserable any of them really felt.

"I don't have tears enough for us," Ginny lamented, her voice barely above a whisper. She decided to do something about it. Connecting to the clouds outside, she pleaded. "Please, precious clouds, could you cry for me, just for a while?"

They told her that the winds were blowing too strongly for them to stay long, and they didn't have adequate moisture to fulfill her wish.

"I can fix that for you," she whispered to them, giving them everything they needed for the undertaking. As the clouds coalesced into one huge mass, blocking out the morning sun, she watched the air surrounding Hogwarts darken. Then, with a resounding thunderclap, heavy rain started to pelt Hogwarts, overshadowing the pretty day. The storm broke from its melody of her distress just long enough to tell her that it would continue for as long as she wished.

"Thank you, helpful cloud-cover," Ginny sadly rasped, continuing to weep with Tom. "Thank you..."

*~*~*

Back at the Burrow, Fred and George entered the kitchen to get a quick bite to eat before returning to Hogwarts to check out the stability of the school's wards. As his brother inaudibly pulled last night's leftovers out of the fridge, George espied a letter sitting on the table. He picked it up and saw the words 'to mommy' scrawled on the outside, instead of a proper address. It took him a moment to realize that the handwriting was their little sister's. He got a very nasty feeling about this.

"What is it?" Fred asked, wolfing down a banana.

"Bad," George answered, handing the unopened letter to his brother. "It looks like things have come to a head for Ginny. Maybe we should forget about breakfast. Dad's gonna need us."

"You may have a point," Fred said, struggling to open the letter. Without warning Ginny's letter wrenched itself out of his brother's grasp, and returned to the spot where he had first found it. "Now that's too weird... Let's get out of here-"

"Before mum sees whatever that is and goes ballistic," George finished with him.

Fred dumped the food back in the fridge, and they rushed off to go warn their father.

*~*~*

Leaving the Dungeons, Severus walked into the entrance hall. He stopped when he felt the very air crackle with Gray magic. All at once, the disturbance receded into the background and the hall grew unnaturally dark, forcing the lamps to come on in an effort to beat back the oppressive gloom.

Recognizing immediately her formidable power, Severus whispered, "Virginia." Swiftly striding to the main doors, he flung them open, and stepped outside. He directed his gaze to the source of the unnatural darkness and was confronted by a rapidly brewing storm, determined to cover Hogwarts and the surrounding area. A single clap of thunder rang out and heavy rain began to fall. Not caring that he was being soaked, Severus made no move to take shelter, as the magical storm began to sing of his apprentice's pain and distress. It imparted to him that Virginia had asked it to cry for her because she didn't have the tears to express her sorrow. Hearing that cut him deeply. Regardless of how much he tried to help Virginia, it was never enough, nothing he did ever seemed to be enough!

There's no telling what she might be capable of in this state, Severus thought. Disturbed, he headed back inside, not even bothering to dry himself off as he returned directly to Virginia's chambers. Strangely, the door opened right before he reached it. When he entered the room, he could feel her pain hanging in the air. Listening to her cry's coming from under the bed, he had to think of something to get her out from there.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when obviously you needed me, but sulking underneath your bed isn't going to accomplish anything-" Severus began.

"You're wrong. It is doing something. It's making me feel better," Virginia softly disagreed in a childlike tone. "Stay if you want to, but I'm not leaving."

"Virginia, be reasonable and come out of there," Severus pleaded. "Then maybe we can work this out together-"

"Liar!" she spat. "You're scared of talking to me! Admit it to yourself!"

"Oh, stop acting like a petulant child!" Severus sternly snapped.

Getting more child-like in response, Virginia cried, "No! You can't make me! If I don't wanna act like a grown up - I don't gotta! If you wanna play with someone's head - go elsewhere!"

Frustrated, Severus raised his hands in an attempt to lift the bed with Gray magic and move it aside. It reached an inch off the floor before his apprentice brought its progress to a sharp halt. Their wills briefly clashed, while he struggled to complete the relatively simple task, but the girl's sheer power won out. The bed landed back in its original position with a dull thud. He took an involuntary step backward, momentarily drained.

"I don't wanna talk! And, I'm not coming out!" Virginia screamed. "Go away!"

In the blink of an eye, Severus was standing back in the corridor, staring disbelievingly at the now closed door.

*~*~*

Fred and his brother reintegrated at their destination, not far from the gates of Hogwarts. Seeing an imposing storm towering over the school, they looked at each other with equally startled expressions. Staring at its edge, he saw dark, oppressive clouds stretching as far as the Forbidden Forest. Fred knew that this storm was here deliberately.

"Man, even Dumbledore doesn't have power like this!" George remarked.

"Who's the only person that can summon ancient magics to make an unnaturally stationary storm?" Fred prodded, knowing that they were on the same track. They stopped in front of the gates, just out of the downpour's reach.

"Ginny," the twins answered as one.

"Let's go, before things get any worse," George decided, heading into the rain first. In full agreement, Fred followed his brother into what they both knew was bound to be trouble.

*~*~*

Alexis suddenly shivered when she felt like someone had walked over her grave. The Great Hall darkened, startling everyone. The lights sprang to life. Looking up at the enchanted ceiling, she observed the menacing storm clouds looming overhead. She listened to Hermione, Harry, and the Ravenclaws' animated discussion about the possible explanations for how this could happen, even though it had been such a beautiful day. She could feel in the very marrow of her bones that this was no ordinary storm. The sound of thunder filled her ears. Then it started to pour. Only one person here had the power to do this, Ginny. A gut feeling told Alexis that her closest friend needed her.

Without saying a word, she left the Great Hall and hurried down to Ginny's room. In the corridor she found her quite damp Head of House, staring at Ginny's door with an expression of disbelief. But, before she could catch his attention, Ginny's door opened, as if giving her permission to enter. Alexis went inside without a problem, but when Professor Snape attempted to follow bright sparks forced him to stay back. The door slammed shut in his face. Alexis' fear for her friend increased as she heard the distinctive sound of crying. Expecting to see Ginny, she turned towards the sound but her friend wasn't there.

"You're afraid of me," Ginny murmured, in a scratchy voice coming from under Ginny's bed.

Sitting down on the floor next to the bed, Alexis calmly corrected her, "No, I'm not scared of you, Ginny, don't think that. You're my friend and you're obviously in pain, I'm afraid for you!"

"You're not gonna call me childish?" Ginny asked.

Alexis lay sideways on the floor in order to catch a glimpse of her hurting friend. Ginny lay out of reach, clutching a piece of tear-soaked blanket, while her familiar sat apart from her mistress, looking as listless and wounded.

"There is nothing wrong with being in pain, anymore than there is something wrong with expressing it in your own way," Alexis said, with understanding. "If staying there makes you feel better, then do it for as long as you want. You've earned the right to heal, and none of those wizards out there have the right to tell you otherwise. Besides, as I see it, with power like yours, who can stop you?"

"Thanks, Alexis..." Ginny mumbled, sounding a little better. "You can stay for as long as you want. I don't mind."

"Is there anything you need?" she asked. "Have you eaten?"

Ginny shook her head.

"I'm not hungry," Ginny claimed.

"When you do feel like eating, please don't hesitate to ask," Alexis requested. "When I was little, I had something that always helped me feel safe, still does at times. I think we can do better for you than a wet blanket. I'm going to go retrieve that something, but I'll be back before long."

"You promise?" Ginny sobbed.

"I promise, little sister," she swore, surprised at herself for letting that last part slip out. Alexis decided that her odd slip was a good thing when she saw Ginny weakly smile. She stood up while the door opened again. Alexis glared at Professor Snape as she left for the Slytherin dorms, determined to have a talk with Ginny's so-called guardians when she got back.

*~*~*

Myrtle groaned softly in her sleep and rolled over. Everywhere unnatural twinges, and long dead magics rubbed against her senses like sandpaper. Voices from far off kept coming and going, struggling to tell her something important. Myrtle tried to listen, but they were all talking at the same time.

"No, not all at once," Myrtle mumbled groggily, her mind caught someplace between the real world and... somewhere else. "Death is but a doorway - life is but a means to an end... Huh? ...I don't understand, what end?"

A familiar sounding voice pulled at her, "Myrtle," but she resisted, wanting to hear more. Slowly, her vision cleared. She found herself laying on cold, lifeless ground, everywhere and nowhere, staring up at a gray, turbulent sky. The place felt familiar to her, as if she were home, though she knew that couldn't be. The voices grew coherent enough for her to begin catching bits and pieces, but what she made out only confused her further.

"You've been watching me... You've been waiting. For what?" Myrtle called out into the cacophony. "Why are you telling me all this? What are you?"

"Do not fear, child," one of the voices assured her. "Be... patient. In time comes understanding, in understanding comes... wisdom."

She tossed and turned as her thoughts were flooded with images going by too fast for her make sense of them.

As the images began fading into the background, another voice arose, "There is something you should know."

"What?" Myrtle asked.

"Your family is gone," it informed her.

"They can't be dead," denied Myrtle. Then, sensing that the voice was telling her the truth, she pleaded. "Why? Why am I alive again while they're not?"

A female voice, much stronger than the others surrounding her answered, "It is the way of things. One door closes and another opens. In time, you will get used to it. It is in your nature."

"But-" Myrtle started.

"Now the time has come for you to return to your friends, especially the young potential, Filius," the voice continued. "We are always here, always observing. You will hear from us again soon."

Suddenly released, she was sitting up in bed, surrounded by Professor Flitwick, Nick, and the Bloody Baron. Her head feeling oddly full, Myrtle blinked away the last remnants of sleep.

"My family, everyone I ever loved is gone," Myrtle moaned, mournfully. "I have nothing left."

Hugging her, Filius replied soothingly, "No, my dear, not nothing. You have me, and Sir Nicolas. Neither of us is going anywhere."

Returning the hug, Myrtle hoped that he was right about that.

*~*~*

Sitting at the High Table, Arthur shifted food around on his plate, not feeling particularly hungry this morning. Glancing at the loathsome sight of the Headmaster, he knew why he had no appetite. He wished Hermione would just finish her meal so they could leave. Given last night's debate about Dumbledore's... 'removal', Arthur wasn't surprised by how empty the High Table was. Vector, Sinistra, Filius, Severus, and Zachary had all chosen to skip breakfast. Hagrid was also missing, which was understandable since Remus and Minerva had brought him up to date about last night's meeting. He hadn't seen Mr. Filch all week. He watched as Minerva rub her temples for the third time this morning then quietly excuse herself and leave. Arthur was considering following Minerva's example and waiting in the Entrance Hall for his charge, when it abruptly grew overcast. Automatically, the floating candles lit themselves, compensating for the strange lack of sunlight. Suddenly thunder sounded, then torrential rain fell. He looked over at the Ravenclaw table just in time to see Alexis leave. A minute later, Fred and George ran into the Great Hall, sopping wet. The twins skidded to a halt in front of Harry and Hermione and started talking excitedly. Excusing himself, Arthur rose from his seat. While he was rushing over to see what had his sons so worked up Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Annika got up.

"Come with us, dad," George directed.

"We'll explain on the way," Fred finished, as they led him and the outcasts out of the Great Hall. The young Gryffindor Rebecca, who had been hanging with Neville and Annika, followed them out. The twins objected to both her and Annika's presence until Neville asserted that they could be trusted. Once away from the other students, the twins explained what they knew of the situation.

"I don't remember Ginny writing a letter. She must've done it after we fell asleep so we wouldn't see her," Neville supplied. George shot him a peculiar look. "Annika and I have been staying with Ginny until our rooms are ready. It's a long story."

"We'll be sure to listen to it later," Fred replied. "Right now, we need to help Gin before mum shows, or something."

"What can we do to help?" Harry asked.

Remembering his painful conversation with Ginny yesterday, Arthur realized that was probably the cause. Talking about it must have forced her to acknowledge the truth, opening those ugly floodgates. Now there was a real chance they could help her with it.

"For the moment, I think it's best not to crowd her," Arthur decided. "Fred, George and I will go assess the situation. I'll drop the rest of you off with Professor Flitwick on the way." They tried to protest but he interrupted them. "I know you care about her. I promise we'll keep you up to date, and if she asks for any of you, one of us will come and get you."

The Gryffindor children reluctantly backed down.

Arthur noticed that George was staring at Rebecca and Annika when he suddenly said, "Wait, I remember you two. Didn't we turn your hair red last week for not standing up for our sister?"

"Yes, but I cracked your custom charm and readapted it," Rebecca answered, surprising the twins. "Not everyone you punished actually supported Ron. I'm sure I speak for the both of us when I say we're sorry we didn't speak up for Ginny when she needed it most."

At least for now his boys accepted her apology. Escorting them to Filius' quarters as quickly as he could manage, he tried to figure out what he was going to say to either Ginny or Molly when he saw them.

*~*~*

Filius watched young Myrtle's troubled features as she mumbled in her sleep. His ghostly friend, Nearly Headless Nick, edged closer while the Bloody Baron stayed well back.

"...not all at once," Myrtle muttered groggily, just on the edge of sleep. "Death is but a doorway - life is but a means to an end..."

"Myrtle," Filius said gently, trying to wake her. "Myrtle, can you hear me?" Then quickly discovered that his efforts were futile.

Somewhere in the background, he could hear the sound of rain, drenching the old tower. Myrtle continued to mumble in her sleep what sounded to him like pieces of ancient magical precepts he'd seen while researching the better part of last night.

"What is wrong with her, Filius?" Nick asked, worried.

To his surprise, it was the Bloody Baron who answered, speaking for the first time since he had returned.

The Baron, his brow furrowed in concentration, disclosed, "Moaning Myrtle is in communion with the other side. You were right, Filius. She is one of them, and where there is one Necromancer, another is never far behind."

Turning back to the Slytherin House Ghost, Filius softly requested, "Please explain."

The spirit looked genuinely surprised by the question.

"Has it been so long that even your kin have begun to forget?" the Baron prodded, floating closer to the child's bed.

"This is not a matter of my kin, as you seem to delight in pointing out. Knowledge of this nature is rare. Even I only know so much," held Filius.

The Baron scoffed, but Filius knew that the ghost's reaction wasn't out of cruelty.

"The great Filius Flitwick, enduring Head of venerable House Ravenclaw, who has witnessed Headmasters rise and fall for more than two centuries, actually admits that even now he has a great deal to learn. With an attitude like yours, it's no wonder you've survived," the Baron backhandedly complimented. "I wonder what the others would say if they knew what you really are. What would they think if they knew that you shall probably outlive them all?"

Looking away, Filius whispered, "I don't know anymore myself..."

The Bloody Baron chuckled.

"You know, every time I have mentioned the notion, your response has always been different," the Baron observed.

"And so have your snide routines," the Gryffindor House Ghost interjected.

"It keeps existence interesting," he and the Baron replied in unison.

"The joy of allies of convenience..." Nick ground out acridly.

"At least my House hasn't fallen apart while I wasn't looking," smugly goaded the Slytherin House Ghost.

Suddenly sitting up, staring into space, young Myrtle snarled, "Your House isn't very far off." Looking into the girl's eyes, Filius couldn't perceive a hint of true consciousness to them. "Perhaps you should tend to your own children, rather than play childish games at the expense of others."

The Baron stopped, taking the girl's words seriously. Apparently still in a deep trance, Myrtle went back to mumbling fragments of ancient knowledge.

Bringing them back to the point, Filius reiterated, "You were talking about the return of another Necromancer, Baron?"

"Quite simply, soon, very soon, someone is going to die," the Baron affirmed with an alarming note of certainty.

"And you believe that person will be a Necromancer?" Nick questioned, skeptical.

"I didn't say that," the Baron arrogantly hedged. "Unlike you, I am old enough to remember the Necromantic Order. The awakening of one often heralds turbulent times and death. The only conceivable reason Moaning Myrtle's revivification would have happened now is because her counterpart must be at Hogwarts, and that wizard's time is drawing near. I suspect that when this person dies, so will many others."

Before Filius had a chance to respond, Myrtle broke from her litany, turning her unseeing gaze onto him.

"Young Professor, you are never truly alone," Myrtle proclaimed. "They've always been watching you, waiting for you to taste of death..."

She trailed off, but instead of returning to her communion with beyond, awareness returned to her eyes, and with it a look of devastation. The young girl blinked several times, as if throwing off the last vestiges of her trance-like state.

"My family, everyone I ever loved is gone," Myrtle lamented, her tone filled with a terrible finality. "I have nothing left."

"No, my dear, not nothing," Filius softly contradicted, giving the mourning child a gentle hug. "You have me, and Sir Nicolas. Neither of us is going anywhere."

As she returned the gesture, he saw a mix of hope and uncertainty appeared on her face.

"I know you're not yet ready for a public setting like the Great Hall, so I've had breakfast sent up," Filius said, closely observing the child's body language for any insight.

"I'm sorry you can't dine with your friends because of me," Myrtle apologized.

"Oh, I'm sure they'll get along fine without me," he assured her. "Don't think on it. I'll have plenty of opportunities to do that in the future."

Getting down from the bed, Filius thought, I doubt I could have stomached anything in the Headmaster's presence anyhow. Deliberately, he forced himself to stop picturing Dumbledore's possible reaction to Myrtle's return. Knowing the Headmaster's stance on powerful individuals, plus the wizard's track record when it came to recruiting them, he had more than enough reason to worry. He refused to permit Dumbledore to get his increasingly dodgy claws into another formidable innocent, especially after the shameful way the wizard had treated Virginia.

In years past, Filius had dealt with Headmasters of his ilk and had persevered, now would be no different. It didn't take a Ravenclaw to recognize that a new cycle was upon them. If Albus Dumbledore could not change with the times, then, for the good of the school, he would see to it that a Headmaster right for the new climate would rise to power, hopefully with as little turbulence as they could manage. This time, he knew who perfectly fit the job description. The greatest obstacle in accomplishing that task was getting Severus Snape to believe it himself. If only the solution was as easy as it sounded. Looking up he noticed Myrtle frowning.

"You're worried about something. What is it?" Myrtle asked, as she awkwardly placed her feet on the floor.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself about," Filius soothed, smiling tenderly, helping the girl to reach a standing position. Carefully minding her ungainly sense of balance, he led young Myrtle into the living room. Nick and the Baron trailed behind them, poised to assist if they encountered a problem.

Visibly trembling from what used to be a minor exertion, Myrtle unhappily remarked, "When I was first alive this wasn't so difficult,"

"Existing inside a limited human form takes practice," consoled Filius. "Starting out, everyone has these sorts of difficulties, they just forget with age. Have patience, in time using a corporeal form will come naturally to you again."

"That's easy for you to say, you're used to things like walking and breathing," whined Myrtle.

Filius helped the young Necromancer safely onto the overstuffed armchair, then went to his own chair. Set up on the table before them was a simple meal of mildly sweetened oatmeal and fruit. He watched Myrtle pick up the spoon and stare at it as if the idea of using the utensil herself was alien to her. He was tempted to start instructing her but decided to wait and see what she remembered. He could see her obvious worry and discomfort as she scooped up some oatmeal, slowly took a bite, then froze as if trying to figure out what she should do next.

"Remember, you have to chew a little bit and then swallow it," Filius advised.

Following his instructions, the witch actually got it down without choking.

"This is hard," complained Myrtle.

"You don't have to empty your bowl, just eat what you feel you can," Filius said. "If this is too difficult for you to handle just now, I can have the house-elves send up a bowl of broth instead."

"No, this is fine, hard, but fine," Myrtle quickly amended. "Actually, the sweet... What do you call it? Oh, I remember, taste! The taste is quite nice."

"I'm happy you like it," Filius replied.

Suddenly Myrtle directed an irritated glare at the two House Ghosts. Looking up, he saw why. While he had been so caught up in the child's progress that he had all but forgotten about the two spirits, Myrtle had been painfully aware that they had been watching her with equally envious expressions.

"Stop gaping at me like that!" cried Myrtle, banging her closed fist onto the table. Burying her head in her arms on the table, she began to cry.

Resting his hand on her shoulder, Filius soothed, "It's all right, my dear. The ghosts didn't mean to hurt your feelings. They're just curious about what it's like to feel sensation again, that's all,"

"I wish everything would just go back to the way it was!" Myrtle sobbed.

"I apologize if I hurt your feelings, Myrtle," Nick said, guilt clearly etched into his translucent features. "I shouldn't have allowed my curiosity to get the better of me."

"No, it's not you, Nick, it's everything," Myrtle grumbled in a muffled voice. "I hate this."

"I am also sorry if I offended you, young Necromancer," the Bloody Baron apologized, surprising both him and Nick with its sincerity. "Normally I'm better than that at controlling my reactions."

"Give this form of existence a chance. I promise, you won't hate it forever," Filius swore. He realized that he needed to show her the things worth living for before she decided to end her second mortal existence. The afterthought that he now shared that in common with Severus, reminded him of how imperative their change in leadership had become.

"How can you be so sure?" Myrtle questioned him.

"I have lived for a long time, Myrtle," Filius comforted. "Trust me, I know these things."

Sitting up again, she agreed, "I'll try to give your way a chance."

"Thank you," said Filius.

He handed her a handkerchief to dry her eyes. When Myrtle felt up to it they tried breakfast again, this time, with better results. Nick and the Baron watched impassively, careful not to stare at the girl for too long at a stretch. Once Filius was certain that she had reacquired the skill of feeding herself, he began to dine on his own oatmeal. Unfortunately, he had barely taken a bite before there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," said Filius, wiping his mouth with a napkin, then getting up to answer it.

What awaited him was yet another surprise. Standing in the corridor, with a worried, anxious air about them were Arthur, the Weasley twins, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, Mr. Longbottom, Miss Knight, and Miss Morden. The Head of Ravenclaw wondered how he had suddenly become the center of attention.

*~*~*

Molly walked into her kitchen, marveling at the discovery that she would be enjoying a quiet breakfast alone. By the time she got up, Percy, Fred, and George had already left and would probably be out for the rest of the day. The letter resting on the table piqued her interest, so she picked it up to see who it was for. Seeing 'to mommy' she stiffened, and a sudden wave of concern struck her, when she saw that it had come from her daughter. She opened it and began reading the tear-streaked parchment.

Dear mum,

Thanks for that sweet care package you sent along with Fred and George. It was wonderful! Not much else has been this week. I really hate to use the word 'impossible', but I don't how else to describe the past few days.

Molly remembered that she had asked Ginny for an honest letter, and that's just what this must be. She hoped she had done the right thing, telling her daughter to do that.

None of my classes went as planned. I've pretty much lost my basic skills, but I've figured out more complex ways to do the same things. I guess, the bright side is that my Professors have learned something this week.

"Learned something?" whispered Molly, perplexed.

However, the bad side is that I've been barred from both Herbology and History of Magic classes. Binns even tried to give me detention. Thankfully, my master overturned the ghost's unjustified decision.

How could Ginny be barred from the two easiest classes in the curriculum? Molly knew that Sprout wouldn't hesitate to do that if given enough reason, but the very idea of Binns actually getting worked up enough to give anyone detention, much less kick them out, was ludicrous. She could understand why her child would call her week impossible, if these were the sorts of difficulties her baby was having. Looking down at the rest of the text, she knew that the news was only going to get worse.

On the more personal front, the last few weeks have been the worst. The teachers have declared Gryffindor Tower off-limits. Anti-Seer hysteria has overtaken Gryffindor, and is threatening the other houses. The teachers are on the case, but I don't think anyone's going to be able to stop this mess from going over the edge. The only good things since this started have been my friends and the Slytherins. Master Snape has been doing everything he can for me, but I know now that there are some things no one can help you with.

Arthur wasn't kidding when he called the situation at Hogwarts 'turbulent'. Although, from the way Ginny wrote about it, the word 'explosive' sounded closer to the truth. There was an edge of resignation to Ginny's statement that worried her. It just wasn't like her little girl. Shaking her head, she pressed on.

As for me, a lot has happened. I'm not the person I was before the magical storm. I don't even know what I am anymore, nobody does really.

Everyone's telling me to give it time and things will go back to normal, but I know better. The amazing things I've done will never be normal; neither will my over-heightened senses, nor constantly being in one form of danger or another. They wish it wasn't true, but I'm not innocent anymore. I know better than to think it's all going to be all right, just because someone tells me so.

Molly's hands began trembling. What lengths was Ginny being driven to at that school to have written something so dire? She had let herself believe that Arthur and Severus were handling it. This letter was undeniable proof that that was not the case!

I'm tired, mommy, so tired... I have all this power at my fingertips, but none of it does me any good. It can't fix the things I wish it could. It can't take away the memories that everyone prays in vain I don't own any more. All it does is make me a target for wizards who would use me, who would destroy me, just like all the others who were before me. I don't know how to make it better.

Tears clouded her vision as she struggled to get through her daughter's obvious cry for help.

All I keep doing is hurting people, even when I'm trying not to. I know I'm not alone, but it would probably be better for them if I were. I wish you, or maybe daddy could help me, but even I can't remember a spell to make it all better. I can't forget, I'll never forgive, I can just try to keep moving. I wish I had enough energy for hope right now. I'll write more when there's more to tell.

Ginny

Her daughter's once unshakable faith in the world shattered, her little one driven beyond hope, possibly beyond help... She would not believe it! She would not sit on her hands and do nothing when her child was in such desperate straits! Breakfast forgotten, Molly summoned a tissue to dry her eyes, then rushed upstairs to prepare for her trip to Hogwarts.

*~*~*

Still trapped in the grips of despair, with only the sound of the rain to keep her company, Ginny waited for Alexis' return. She thought about her past, trying to figure out where everything had gone so wrong. In her short, eventful life there had only been one constant, but it wasn't hope as her family might think; she had lost that a long time ago. It was fear. She had always been afraid, afraid of failure, of disappointing others, of herself. She had always tried to be everything for everybody, treating everyone else's lives like they had more value than her own.

Tom had been right from the start. It was fear that had made her force herself into a mold that she was never meant for. It was fear that had ruled her when she first opened the Chamber of Secrets. It was fear that had kept her quiet after Harry had destroyed the diary. But she knew it wasn't fear that bound her to Tom now. It was... something else, something Ginny couldn't live without. She didn't have the words for it yet, but knew that one day she would. When that happened, perhaps, on that day, she would be able to properly share it with him. Since they had stopped fighting each other, Ginny and Tom had grown to be a wonderful team. With their bonded, Ix Chel, she doubted much could stop them anymore, and that concept terrified her. Like the night she had unleashed the magical storm on Gryffindor... That had been a terrible experience, but nothing compared to what Dumbledore did to them next.

Ginny shuddered, her sobbing intensifying. Merlin, what she wouldn't give to forget what he had subjected her to, to completely numb herself so it didn't matter. But it did matter! She couldn't run from the truth for another second. She had given up on that when she admitted it to her father. There was just no point in keeping up the constant pretense of being all right, of pretending that she was like some great clockwork mechanism, timeless, unshakeable. Even Ginny Weasley deserved to be only human sometimes. Even if her life does turn out to be short, some would say that she'd had a good run. Although, with the way things have been going, and with no real hope in sight, she doubted she'd agree, even if she had managed to cram a lifetime's worth of emotions into just a few months. Now, here she was, broken little Ginny, probably the most powerful witch in the whole Wizarding World, very likely the most powerful person to come along since Merlin himself, doomed to drag her feet behind everyone else.

"I hate my life," Ginny moaned.

The only reply to her pain was silence. She took out Tom's mother's locket to gaze at the image. Once again, the old photo of the beautiful teenage girl with pale skin, long, curly, raven black hair, and unusual black eyes smiled at her. The more she stared at the wizarding photo, the more familiar Rachel Riddle looked, as if the witch reminded her of someone, but Ginny just couldn't quite place who. Then again, a great many things felt that way these days. Maybe she was just making something out of nothing.

"Tom, aren't you going to say something?" Ginny silently pleaded. "Tom?"

He gave no indication that he even heard her.

"Ix Chel?" begged Ginny.

Still nothing. Ginny sighed heavily. Reading Ix Chel through the bond, Ginny knew their familiar was being affected by both her and Tom's emotional states, just wanting to be left alone until they felt better. Tom was contending with his own pain just now, and her desire to talk was an intrusion. She'd leave him be if she could, but their lack of communication was really starting to get to her.

"I hate our twisted game. I hate that we can never tell anyone the truth 'cause they'd hurt us, 'cause we'd lose them once we did..." Ginny continued talking to the empty room, to herself. "I wish everyone could know you like I do. I wish they could see that we're not monsters. I wish lots of things... Listen to me, I sound like a whining idiot, don't I? I guess it doesn't matter how I sound, as long as it's true. I know you feel guilty for leaving me alone. Please don't, okay? It's not your fault. I just... couldn't do that in front of you. Blame me, or Dumbledore, or anything you feel like, just stop blaming yourself. I can't stand it! You didn't do this!"

Ginny curled up, wishing one of them would speak to her, wishing they could help each other. Some great protector she was...

"A thought just occurred to me. I haven't had actual hope for the future since you took me down into the Chamber of Secrets," Ginny persisted, wondering if Tom or Ix Chel heard her at all. "The tome of Initium talks about me like I'm supposed to be this great hope for the world, but then, what happens if I don't honestly have any myself?"

"If that's still true when the time comes... we all die," Tom finally spoke up.

"I figured as much," she agreed. "At least we'd go together."

"Ginny Weasley, always seeing a bright side to everything, even our doom," he weakly quipped.

"One of us has to," she thought with a short-lived smile. "With luck, I might even get a cool title. You think 'Virginia: Destroyer of Worlds' has a good ring to it?"

"There is one little problem with that idea. Someone would have to be left alive to give it to you," Tom pointed out.

"I guess," Ginny acceded mournfully. "Why couldn't my ancestor have given the job of 'The Guardian' to someone who wouldn't blow up the planet just 'cause it's there? Why couldn't she give it to someone who wasn't..."

"A schizophrenic manic depressive?" he suggested.

"Yeah," she confirmed.

"I'm afraid, that's a question only the dead can answer," Tom sympathized.

"And we aren't there... yet," Ginny lamented.

"No, not yet," Tom sighed sadly.

They carefully touched the tiny image of his dead mother. He could feel the rain hitting the castle, knowing that it was an expression of their pain, just as surely as Gryffindor Tower had become. The truth was, his little princess wasn't the only one who hated herself. At least, she didn't have another version of herself running amuck, maiming and torturing Light, Dark, and Muggle alike, just for kicks. What a waste! What their mother must think of her son now, both of them. Part of him wished that he were dead. Perhaps then, he could be with her again and truly rest. Maybe they both should have died in childbirth. It would have saved the world a lot of pointless grief. Or better yet, if she had lived and he had died, that would have saved her a lot of trouble.

Fed up with himself, Tom declared, "I'm tired of waiting! She wouldn't want me wallowing in my own damned self-pity. She wouldn't want me living in fear of the truth."

Without words, Tom summoned their wand. Ix Chel moved out of the way, while he wrote a custom Arithmancy silencing ward around the perimeter of their bed, all the time clutching the singular piece of his past that he owned.

"Are you sure about this, Tom?" Ginny fearfully asked. "We're going through enough right now. You don't need to pour salt in the wound too. We can wait-"

Determined, Tom replied, "All I have done for the past week is wait. It's time I fulfilled my end of the bargain!"

"Tom-" Ginny started, alarmed.

"No, Ginny. Like you, I am tired of hiding from myself," Tom insisted. "If I am damned to be Dumbledore's heir, or Draco's bastard cousin, I might as well hear the truth now."

I really should have left him alone, Ginny realized, resigned to their bearing yet another terrible blow. Tom finished his ward, made a minor adjustment to Ginny's space enchantment so he could sit up comfortably, and went back to the locket.

Using his own inflections, Tom began aloud, "Locket, I know that you once belonged to my mother. I also know that her name was Rachel,"

'Yes, I remember her well,' the old object told them without words. 'Rachel was always the impulsive one of the clan.'

"Just how much do you know of my family, locket?" Tom probed.

'What all objects know. What I have seen and heard since the day I was fashioned. I have a long memory,' the locket answered. 'But, alas, my more recent history has been spent where my mistress hid me with the promise to return... but she never did... I do miss the sounds of her laughter. Tell me, child, what has become of her?'

Tearing up again, Tom informed, "She died... giving birth to me,"

'That is terrible news, terrible, but the way of things, I suppose,' it lamented. 'How is it you come to live in this young girl's form, Tom?'

"How do you know about us?" Tom asked with surprise.

'You forget, child, I am an object. I am a silent participant, witness to all, keeper of my own conscience. I have been paying attention.'

"It's a long and painful story," Tom said.

'I understand. Much of human life is laden with suffering,' the locket gently responded. 'You are still young; you will learn to live through it. Take it from an enduring piece of history, you two have your whole lives ahead of you, no matter what ink on pages tells you. From what I have witnessed, you two have family who deeply care. Do not make the mistake of shutting them out the way poor Rachel did.'

"Both of us?" Tom anxiously pressed. "A member of my family lives in this school?"

'Closer than you think,' the locket hinted.

"Just tell me!" Tom growled, shaking the locket as if the truth would simply fall out.

'Relax, child, I was just getting to that!' The locket quickly soothed. Tom stopped shaking it. 'By Salazar, you have your mother's temper! As I was saying before that spot of unpleasantness, your true family has a proud heritage indeed, child. One your master, Severus Snape, seems to be upholding quite well.'

"I belong to the Snape clan?" Tom echoed, thoroughly dumbstruck.

'Yes, your mother's maiden name was Rachel Millen Snape,' the locket confirmed.

"I'm a Snape? Severus Snape is of my blood?" Tom exclaimed, trying to digest the news. "I don't bloody believe it! All this time he was so close and I couldn't see it." Then, his voice dropped to a whisper, true horror filling it. "Voldemort recruited the last of our family and, he doesn't even know it. That poor wizard, knocked around like a piñata. I-I can't do that to him again. I can't play with his life by telling him that he's related to that disgusting extreme. I refuse to hurt him all over again!"

Bursting into tears again, Tom closed the locket and hid it in their robes. Completely daunted, Ginny and Ix Chel didn't know how to help him. Ginny identified intimately with his fears, Master Snape meant a lot to all of them. The idea of losing him over this was just too horrible for either of them to imagine. Their master knew them. He cared for them. Could he be made to understand? Did they dare risk it? She had no clue of what to do about anything anymore. Further drained by their newest shock, Ginny removed Tom's silencing ward and laid back down, even less motivated to come out and face things than before. Ginny sensed Alexis' arrival and opened the door for her, this time giving their master an opportunity to enter if he chose, but Tom's... relative stayed well away from the door. Ginny perceived that Alexis was carrying a soft black blanket that concealed something. Her friend took a pillow and sat down next to the bed.

Placing the blanket just under the bed, Alexis apologized, "Sorry it took so long, but the common room wasn't as empty as I expected."

"That's alright," Ginny said, trading the wet comforter for the dry and cozy hand-woven blanket. She smiled when she found an adorable teddy bear hiding amidst the blanket's folds. "It's beautiful!"

"Her name's Aurora," Alexis introduced, returning Ginny's smile. "I've had her since I was little. I'm glad you like her."

"She's perfect," Ginny cooed. While she curled up under the covers with the bear Ix Chel slithered onto the soft blanket next to them. "You can come under here if you want. I used Arithmancy to make plenty of room."

"No thanks, underneath beds were never very good hiding places for me," Alexis declined, lying on the floor with the pillow so that they could see one another. "However, when I was little, there was this little cupboard under the stairs I used to hide in when I didn't want to face anyone. I heard the strangest stories and the most interesting secrets in that spot."

"Don't tell anyone I told you this but, Harry used to live in a cupboard under the stairs," Ginny timidly revealed. "His evil muggle family kept him under there until he started going to Hogwarts. After that, they were too scared to keep him imprisoned that way anymore."

"That's terrible!" Alexis gasped, horrified. "What type of person treats their own flesh and blood that way? People of that sort aren't worthy of life."

"Yeah, but maybe just the right opportunity will come along and Harry will finally get the chance to repay them in his own way," Ginny speculated. "Sometimes the best vengeance can be a subtler thing than 'teaching someone a lesson'."

"True, but abuse is still abuse," maintained Alexis. "Does Dumbledore know about this?"

"Yeah, he's the one that put Harry there in the first place, I think," disclosed Ginny.

"That incompetent, crazy, old bastard," Alexis angrily cursed under her breath. "What was he thinking?"

"I don't know, but I could check if you want," Ginny weakly offered.

"No, Ginny... don't do that," Alexis sighed. "I won't make you fish in a sewer, not for the sake of my own morbid curiosity."

Ginny felt relieved by that. Touching Tom's mind, she felt his pain and turmoil, understanding at once that he needed some time to himself. Tom tightened their grip on the bear, taking some solace from its presence. The two girls sat in silence, neither actually in the mood to talk. Alexis' caring and concern for them spoke volumes, gradually soothing them to where Ginny, Tom, and Ix Chel felt like they could close their eyes and not think... for just a little while.

*~*~*

Zach was sitting in his classroom with the Hufflepuff, Rose, getting a more complete picture of the situation developing in her house, when he noticed rapidly darkening clouds fill the sky above the school. The overhead lanterns lit themselves, bathing the room with reassuring light. Their line of discussion momentarily forgotten, both turned their full attention toward the window. Thunder resonated throughout the classroom just before very heavy rain began pelting the window, coating the unnaturally overcast, foreboding landscape. The first year slinked up to the window, took off one of her gloves, then placed her small hand on the glass.

Entranced, Rose intoned, "Someone powerful is hurting. You know who I'm referring to. The clouds are crying for her."

Virginia! Zach realized, concern sweeping through him. He stood, torn between wanting to go see what he could do for Virginia, and not leaving the young seeker by herself.

"I'll be fine, Professor. In a couple of minutes my sister will think to check up here for me," she went on, her gaze still fixed on the storm. "I'll be sure to tell Telika you want to see her later. Thank you again, Professor, for stopping long enough to listen to me."

"Whenever you're in need, just remember, my door is always open to you," he said, turning to leave.

Zach strode down the corridor, bound for the Dungeons. He had just entered the stairwell leading out of his tower when Severus' frustrated, pained voice reverberated through his mind, making him jump.

"Zachary, a very serious problem has developed with my apprentice. She refuses to listen to me!" Severus telepathically shouted. "Where are you?"

"Stop shouting, I can hear you just fine at normal volume," Zach insisted. "I'm on my way to her quarters right now."

He could feel Severus reaching out to locate him, and then a break in tension from his companion as Severus mentally snorted.

"You're walking the whole way? You really are green, aren't you?" Severus chided.

"I take it you have a better method in mind?" Zach sniped, annoyed by his constant jibes.

"You are no longer a student, Zachary, stop thinking like one," Severus playfully reprimanded. "The school's internal floo network exists for a reason."

"I forgot about that," Zach admitted under his breath, feeling like an idiot as he turned around and headed back to his office. "There's a big difference in experience between a week and twenty years, so cut the superiority nonsense. Tell me, what exactly took place when you tried to talk to her."

He listened to Severus' version of the events, while he flooed into the Potions master's office and continued his trek on foot.

"I just don't know what to do for her," his friend concluded, frustrated.

"You thought the same tact you took with Myrtle would work with Virginia. That was probably the worst thing you could have done," Zach surmised.

Suddenly breaking the train of their conversation, his companion informed him, "Arthur and the twins have arrived."

"I'll be there in a few moments," Zach assured him.

Zach joined found them, as the Potions master finished reiterating what he had just told him.

"Ginny hasn't done that in years!" Fred reacted.

"Well then, we don't want to go in there!" George fearfully exclaimed. "Dad, do you want us to delay mum when she gets here, or just escort her down?"

"You mean Virginia is acting out a stage from her early childhood?" Severus questioned.

"Fred, George, bring her here straight away," Arthur ordered his children. "Trying to deter Molly will only make matters worse."

The Weasley twins wished them luck and left to intercept their mum.

"To answer your question, Severus, the last time I saw her like this she was... five, six years old," Virginia's father recalled. "Fred and George once tried to scare her out but she... got them back, which is why they don't want to be here for this. I used to be able to coax her out after awhile, by sitting near her bed, giving her the opportunity to open up and talk. I think Ginny's fallen back on earlier patterns to instill a sense of security that her normal psychological defenses once provided. My concern is how far back her mind had to reach to find that security-"

Seeing Remus heading their way, Arthur stopped. Zach listened to Severus and Arthur fill Remus in on the events thus far. Zach wondered if what Virginia had explained about her ability to hear at distance was true. If the girl could potentially hear them, it was probably a bad idea to be discussing this here. He was about to mention it when Alexis exited Virginia's chamber, carefully shutting the door behind her. Although Virginia's friend hid much of it, Zach could feel the young Slytherin's anger upon seeing them.

"How is she?" Arthur asked, his worry clear in his voice.

"She's gone back to sleep," Alexis replied, listening for something. "I was hoping that the rain would have lessened, but it doesn't sound like it's going to any time soon."

"That's good, after this week she needs the rest," Arthur sighed.

"What did you observe of her current condition, Miss Levine?" Severus inquired.

"Permission to be brutally honest, Professors?" Alexis requested in return, keeping her voice calm and even. But, Zach could sense just how frayed the girl's nerves actually were.

Wanting her honest assessment, he and the other Professors each gave their permission.

"Ginny is in a terrible state. As far as I am concerned, the severity of this is the Professors' doing! What did you think, that Ginny would keep up her act of being one of the shiny, happy people forever? That you wouldn't have to deal with this somewhere down the road?" obstinately spat the Slytherin. "Honestly, you had to know that being the calm, easy-going, advanced witch was just a front, so that she didn't have to face what all those sanctimonious, scum-sucking, self-important, upholders of the status quo have done to her! Ginny was much too fragile to face the stresses your evaluation forced her to endure. All you succeeded in doing is reinforcing just how damaged she has become. And, if Ginny wants to sit under her bed and cry, she has every right to do so! If I were you, I would think twice before foolishly attempting to stop her!" Breathing heavily, she directed an icy glare at her Head of House.

Severus flinched in spite of himself, absorbing the girl's honest, albeit, justified accusation. Zach noted the faint sounds of thunder, realizing with growing horror, that Virginia had heard ever word and knew just what they were thinking.

"Thank you for your assessment, Miss Levine," Remus interceded. "Now that Miss Weasley has heard all of that, Arthur, would you like to take the first watch? Severus, we need to talk, alone."

Zach watched as Remus ushered his bonded one out of the corridor without waiting for a response.

"I'll go check on Ginny," the Auror decided, walking into his daughter's room.

The fifth year took out her wand, performed the strangest transfiguration spell he had ever seen to transfigure a couch out of thin air, and sat down. Taking a seat on the other side of the couch, he wondered if Filius was having more luck with the newly returned Necromancer child. A surprisingly short time later, Arthur came out looking rather pale.

On the edge of panic, Arthur explained, "Alexis, when you were in there last, was there a live Chimera with Ginny under her bed? Because I just found one! It was purring and she appeared to be sleeping peacefully, so I doubt she's in any danger, but, if anyone has a logical explanation, I'd love to hear it!"

"What?" Zach exclaimed.

"Uh, no there wasn't," answered Alexis. "Was it a young one?"

"Yeah. Why?" Virginia's father responded.

"That's most likely Loren, then. She probably called him because..." Alexis stopped short. The young Slytherin cursed under her breath.

"So she did hear us," Arthur stated, everyone reacting to what was definitely a bad sign.

*~*~*

Ginny and her bonded were startled awake when the argument outside her room started. Tom and Ginny clamped their hands over her ears, but none of them were capable of blocking it out. Oh, why couldn't her family and friends understand that they didn't do this, that the fault was with the bonded trio, no one else? Ginny cast their senses outward, trying to distract herself from what they were hearing. Deep in the forbidden forest, she heard Loren's gentle, sympathetic voice on the wind, considering the massive storm overhead to be a bad sign of her state.

"He would understand, wouldn't he?" Ginny hoped.

"There's only one way to find out," Tom said.

He levitated their wand along the edge of the bed, making the necessary adjustments to the space ward, and then allowed the wand to settle back to the floor. Using translocation, he brought the young Chimera to them in a pulse of blue-white light. Ginny sat up, grateful to see a friendly face.

"Hello, bizarre girl," Loren greeted.

At his words, Ginny started crying again. Loren sat down next to them, nuzzling her neck.

"What's wrong?" Loren asked. "Was it something I said?"

"No, you didn't do anything. Please, don't think that too," she pleaded mournfully, wrapping her arms around the young anomalous one's neck.

"Alright," Loren growled. "The forest feels your sorrow. What can we do to help?"

Using Ginny's voice, Tom requested aloud, "Just... stay with us."

"Make us feel safe, like we're not alone," Ginny continued, adjusting their position so they could comfortably snuggle against their friend's soft, yielding mane. She drew the covers up around her, tightly hugging Alexis' bear as Ix Chel lay in her lap.

"I'll do my best," Loren promised, resting his head on the carpeted floor. "I won't go anywhere until you're ready for me to go. If you want to spend time in the forest later, my family would be happy to escort you."

"Thank you, my friend," Ginny said. "I won't forget this."

After a long pause, Loren asked, "Ginny?"

"Yes?" Tom prompted aloud in return.

"I have a question... Is it okay if I ask now?" Loren wondered.

"Ask away. If I can answer it, I will," Ginny assured him.

"Where are we?" Loren asked.

"Under my bed," Tom answered.

"Wow, your bed must be really big to have a cave under it," Loren remarked.

"Not really. It just looks that way from under here, that's all," Ginny murmured, holding back a yawn.

"Rest, little pack mate. I'll still be here when you wake up," Loren purred soothingly.

They nodded, shutting her eyes again.

*~*~*

In his hut, Hagrid tried to ignore the dark omen of the raging storm outside. He served up a couple of bowls of hardy stew from the large pot by the fire, one for himself and the other Fang. The creature part of him knew that the storm outside was bad, though it didn't know how to communicate why to the rest of him. From what he could tell, the whole forest was feeling it, including Fang, who was hiding under a chair. When he set breakfast in front of Fang his familiar just whimpered. The dog sniffed his meal, then put his head back down and continued whimpering.

Sitting down with his bowl, Hagrid encouraged, "Come on, it's your favorite."

He shook his head, and tried eating, but nothing tasted right. It wasn't his stew, but rather the song of pain outside interfering.

Putting down his spoon, Hagrid gave in, "You're right. This isn't a time for eating."

Elric's Emineo howl of sympathy echoed throughout the room. He saw Fang pull himself out of his depression enough to answer it with a howl of his own. Hearing other mournful calls, Hagrid figured that him and Fang weren't the only souls affected. Listening to the various calls closely, he finally understood what was happening. A person closely connected to the forest was hurting, and, as a part of the forest, he was sensing it. Ginny was in great need. There was just no other explanation for it. Hagrid got up, picked up his umbrella, and headed to the door.

"You wanna help me make her feel better?" Hagrid asked Fang, knowing that his familiar already understood.

In response, Fang got to his feet and followed him out into the pouring rain.

*~*~*

Melinda retreated to the second floor study at Mulciber manor. She glanced at the bookshelves covering the walls of the large room from floor to ceiling, separated only by expansive, multi-colored, stained glass windows. She pulled out another copy of the tome she had been studying in the Restricted Section, and took a seat in her usual spot at one of the many rectangular tables that were meticulously lined up. Settling in to read in comfortable silence, Melinda bit into the apple she had grabbed from the dining room.

"Mum and dad freaking out over yet another of those secret messages they're so fond of, or have you gone and gotten yourself into trouble again Melinda?" Anthony, her elder brother, butted in, entering the study. He was tall and lanky, with raven black, shoulder-length hair that fell into his obsidian eyes, and carried himself with a deceptively harmless demeanor, but she knew better.

"If you must know, Freya's here, and no, it has nothing to do with me," Melinda rejoined, annoyed.

"Freya? Really?" Anthony asked, interested. "But that doesn't explain your presence at home, does it? What are you up to?"

"Ah, your razor-sharp wit has foiled my Dark plans once again!" Melinda replied sardonically. "Honestly Anthony, get a life, or at least a job! Besides, I doubt my track record can even approach the positively deranged antics you pulled off while you were in school."

"Jealous," Anthony teased.

"Hardly," Melinda drawled.

"Then again, you might top me in finding new ways to drive our parents insane," Anthony reconsidered with relish. "You met someone recently. A guy that would make-"

Quickly shielding her thoughts, Melinda snapped, "Save your mind reading parlor tricks for someone who cares!" She effectively blocked him with her reinforced mental defenses.

"Come on, you can tell me!" Anthony childishly pleaded, trying again.

"And see my secrets in the Daily Prophet's gossip column by the late edition, I think not!" Melinda retorted.

"Like anyone would be interested in your secrets," Anthony snorted, taking a seat directly across from her.

"Nice try," Melinda said, before returning to her book. She studiously ignored him for several minutes, hoping he would just get bored and leave her in peace. But instead of going away, he just sat there, practically staring holes into her. She refused to be the first one to speak, knowing that, if she did, Anthony would know that he was getting to her and never go away. Her brother dramatically sighed, definitely playing it over the top.

Relenting, Anthony asked, "You want to know why I'm here bugging you?" As she waited for him to tell her she continued pretending to ignore him. "The truth - I don't really know. I just know that there is something you're supposed to say to me... Every time I try to reason it out, all I get is, I don't know anything, I just know."

"You are talking circles," Melinda finally spoke up.

"Fun, isn't it?" he jovially enthused, getting on her nerves in a way only brothers can.

"Sure, if you have all the I.Q. of a fairy," Melinda sarcastically agreed. "You aren't going to go away, are you?"

"Not until you tell me what I need to know that you don't know I need to... know," he laughed at his own statement. "I'm not making much sense, am I?"

"Not from where I am sitting," Melinda seriously replied, cracking a smile. She shut the tome and looked up, showing that she was giving him her undivided attention. "Alright, now that you've ruined my peace, what do you want?" She looked into his eyes, observing a swell of unexpected emotion in them. "This is really bothering you!"

Anthony nodded. Sometimes she wondered which of them was the sibling that needed looking out for. He had always been the strange, eccentric one of the clan. When she was younger, Melinda believed that it was nothing more than an act to get his way, but with some careful prying, she had discovered that his behavior wasn't a smokescreen at all. It was times like this that kept her from forgetting that fact.

"You don't know what you want me to say..." Melinda considered. "Try picking a topic. Maybe it will come to you."

"School?" Anthony suggested off the top of his head.

"Well, this week has been extremely odd," Melinda began to explain. She told him some of what she had observed of the strange events, careful to keep Mark's name out of it. Her big brother listened sagaciously, fascinated by the news.

"Hogwarts has gotten even weirder since I went there, if that's possible," Anthony evaluated, with a faraway look. "And you say the pressures have been building since the Seer, Montgomery, showed up? How did you say he was discovering new Seer talents again?"

"I didn't, but he's been using some revolutionary charm to awaken anyone with even a hint of talent," Melinda answered. "From what I hear, he's been on some personal crusade to save the subject of The Sight."

"That's what I was forgetting!" Anthony exclaimed, starting on another of his tangents. Knocking his chair to the floor with a loud clatter, he ran off. A couple of seconds later, Anthony ran back into the room and kissed her on the forehead.

"Thanks!" her brother exclaimed, before running off again. Melinda groaned and ran after him, telling herself that someone had to keep him out of trouble.

________

TBC