Journey to Passion

Chapter Twelve - The Forgotten Ability

Christmas was just around the corner. A blanket of snow had covered the grounds of Hogwarts and the banks of the lake had turned to ice. Only a scarce number of students remained over the holiday break. Most had gone home to be with their families.

The emptiness of the castle had Snape in his glory... if it could be called that. While Jessica worked fewer hours in the Hospital Wing with the students gone, Snape spent every afternoon alone in the solitude of the dungeons concocting his supply of potions to store in the security of his office. It was in the middle of brewing another aloe vera remedy for Jessica in case of another incident with the hooded phantom that Dumbledore silently walked into the Potions classroom.

"Good afternoon, Severus."

The Potions Master looked up at his visitor for one brief moment as he added the last of the yerba mate extracts. "Headmaster," was his unadorned greeting.

Dumbledore approached the pewter cauldron set upon the far counter and peered into it. He held his spectacles out and watched as the pintsized bubbles forced themselves one after another through the thickness of the clear liquid and exploded with relief once they reached the surface of the brew. "Ah, Aloeveras. An excellent choice for tackling sunburns. I myself am quite sensitive to the sun right on the button of my nose." Dumbledore rubbed the tip of his nose and chuckled as he did so. "A wondrous discovery it is. No doubt this particular concoction is one to be added to the collection intended for your own private use."

"No doubt," Snape agreed, his words sounding with as much sarcasm as the Headmaster's.

Dumbledore saw right through the intended irony and chuckled softly again. "I very much appreciate the time you've taken to care for my grandniece. Jessica has been inflicted with more pain in the last twenty-five years than most witches her age will endure throughout their entire lifetime."

Snape barely looked at the Headmaster as he continued to perfect the intricacies of his Aloeveras potion. With great care and precision, he added the final ingredients one by one. "Jessica is a strong woman," he said as he sprinkled the batter with powdered guano. "There is no pain great enough that will ever make her give in to her father's desires. She would fight him to her death if she had to."

"That she would," Dumbledore agreed. "But we both know that Voldemort's followers are capable of inflicting more than just pain upon their victims. I fear that she may not be able to withstand another assault if she's captured again. That's why she's has been brought here, and that's why I'm pleased to hear your courtship with her has thus far been a success."

"She is tolerable," Snape declared quietly. "And she has got a rare advantage. Unlike anyone else around here, she knows when I am in no mood for company or conversation." The Potions Master cast a look at the Headmaster that revealed much more than just a subtle hint.

The sound of Dumbledore's jolly chuckle sometimes drove Snape mad. It wasn't just his overpowering rank, but the grandfatherly look in Dumbledore's baby blue eyes that had the power to keep Snape from letting his distasteful tongue erupt with vulgar blaspheme.

"Have you any plans for Christmas?" Dumbledore asked curiously and pushed his spectacles back up the bridge of his nose.

Snape shook his head once back and forth. "None other than the plans I have to restock before the new year."

"When will you be making the trip to Diagon Alley?"

An odd expression appeared on Snape's face. It was easily understandable why such a question puzzled him. Snape always went for supplies on the twenty-fourth. "The same as usual," he said blandly. "I leave tomorrow at noon."

"Good," Dumbledore said and nodded. "I have a favour to ask."

"A fresh supply of Lemon Drops?" Snape guessed. His sarcasm didn't go unnoticed but inspired another small chuckle.

"No, no Lemon Drops, however I do appreciate the thoughtfulness," Dumbledore said. "What I'd like is for you to take Jessica with you to Diagon Alley tomorrow. As long as the two of you haven't made plans, I'd like to let her spend Christmas Eve with her mother's family."

If Jessica had been standing next to him, she would have felt the spell of disappointment that shuttered through Snape's body at that moment. True, they hadn't made any Christmas plans together, but he had just assumed that she wouldn't be leaving the grounds of Hogwarts for any reason.

"There are some things I must do here before joining them for a lovely Christmas Eve dinner," Dumbledore continued. "My nieces are splendid cooks you know. I'm sure Jessica will fancy having you join her to meet some of the Van Eden's if your schedule permits."

"I will bring her to Diagon Alley," Snape said immediately. All the sweet talk in the world wouldn't be enough to convince him to sit down to a holiday dinner with Jessica's family. He wasn't a part of her family, and he certainly wasn't going to mingle with Van Eden's and Dumbledore's who were probably all quite well aware of his dark past.

"I appreciate it, Severus. I'll have someone meet you at the Leaky Cauldron." Dumbledore gave the Aloeveras a once over and then cheerfully nodded his head approvingly as if to assure Snape that his intricate potion was brewed successfully. "Very well then, I'll be on my way."

"She will be safe?" Snape questioned before Dumbledore had a chance to turn around.

"There's no place as safe as Hogwarts," Dumbledore reminded. "As long as she's within the boundary of Hogwarts, they cannot touch her. However-"

"Cannot touch her?" Snape repeated angrily. "She was attacked only weeks ago. Did you not see the slashes on her back?"

"No, I have not seen the scars from her last attack, however," Dumbledore said again and lifted his finger knowledgably before gracefully placed his hand over top of Snape's long sleeve. "I can assure you that what happened to her then is nothing in comparison to what they could do to her should she be captured again. What attacked her was not human."

"But it caused her physical harm!" Snape very rarely raised his voice with the Headmaster. Angry blotches of colour appeared on his face and Dumbledore saw the blazing look in the cross professor's eyes. He quite obviously feared that Jessica's safety would be jeopardized if she stepped one foot beyond the grounds of Hogwarts.

"Severus, I'm going to tell you a little secret," Dumbledore said and rubbed his fingers against his temples for a moment. He closed his eyes for a short moment and then adjusted his spectacles again. "You know very well that Jessica has a number of hidden talents and capabilities."

"Yes," Snape hissed and nodded his head.

"Well, one of the abilities she is capable of that you are not aware of is her ability to inflict physical harm upon others." With a trace of discomfort on his face, Dumbledore continued. "Her mind is so sophisticated she has the ability to do so with nothing more than the simple thought. That is another reason we cannot let her fall into the hands of the Death Eaters again. They would extract the ability from her and use it to harm anyone they pleased."

Snape's eyes narrowed in a mixture of disbelief and mystification. His head tilted gently to the side and he sighed in frustration. "I have never heard of extracting talents or abilities. It sounds as ludicrous as believing one can sell his soul to the devil. I don't believe anything of the sort can be done."

Dumbledore raised his hands to calm the Potions Master. "Severus, you've misunderstood me. I don't mean to say that they can extract her ability like they could a vital organ. What I'm trying to convey is that under a dark curse, they can control Jessica. A simple dictation could have her inflicting pain on either of us against her will."

Snape nodded his head once in comprehension. "The Imperious Curse," he determined without a single doubt lingering in his mind.

"Yes," Dumbledore assured. The corner of his mouth twitched before he continued. "However, it's unfortunate that her father is acting out of his own free will when he sets the manifestation of the Dark Lord upon her."

"Then her father has the same ability," Snape assumed. "That is how he was able to harm her without physically being near her."

"Yes," Dumbledore said with a gentle nod. "Only her father cannot inflict the same sort of pain upon others. Jessica is the only person he is able to harm."

Snape silkily put on a pair of dragon-hide gloves and removed the cauldron from the heat. He blew out the flame and then casually asked the Headmaster another question. "If Jessica's father is the only one capable of setting the phantom upon her, and it is Voldemort's manifestation that she sees, do you mean to tell me that Voldemort is her father?" He eyed the professor very closely as he smoothly pulled the gloves off. The certainty Snape felt that he had accurately named Jessica's father shone prominently in his eyes.

"I didn't mean to imply that," Dumbledore said. "Her father could very well project an image of you or I if he wished. Her father chooses to project the image of Voldemort because of the fear and intimidation he drives into her."

"I am relieved to hear that," Snape admitted although it was very seldom that his assumptions were wrong, and when they were, a rupture of stubborn fury often accompanied the occasion.

"Severus, there's one more thing I have to say before I leave," Dumbledore announced. "As much as I feel it is necessary for you to understand how this is being done to Jessica, I need to ask for you to not repeat what I have told you to her. This is one of the few abilities she is capable of but is unaware of. Several years ago when the vastness of her abilities were beginning to mature she attacked a Muggle. It wasn't intentional of course, but like I said, the simple thought is all it takes for her to make it happen. I can't take the capability away completely, but I did perform a simple memory charm. Jessica no longer remembers what happened to the Muggle boy or the fact that she's capable of such a thing."

Snape could only imagine what he'd do if he had an ability like that. If he were in Jessica's shoes, he'd consider that the best ability of all. That was probably the very reason Dumbledore felt that Jessica shouldn't be burdened with such a grave responsibility. Not even a saint could resist such temptation, especially when being surrounded by foolish wand-waving children all the time.

"Will she be susceptible to another attack while away from the castle?" Snape asked apprehensively.

"If I feared for her safety I wouldn't allow her to make this trip to see her family," Dumbledore assured. "But as it is that I will be joining her, I see no reason to be so concerned. I'll even be escorting her back to Hogwarts myself the following afternoon," Dumbledore assured. "Fear not Severus," the Headmaster tapped his hand against the professor's arm twice and smiled at him through the thickness of his silver beard. "I'll have her back in your arms well before supper time."

Dumbledore's friendly blue eyes were met with the dark, disapproving stare left behind the narrow squint of Snape's scowl. The Headmaster chuckled once more after hearing a faint grumble sounding somewhere from the back of Snape's throat. He turned around and began walking towards the door. Snape watched him as he went and then decided to voice a question he'd been longing to ask for a very long time.

"Headmaster," he began and watched Dumbledore turn around at the door. "The man who raped Espiranza Van Eden, do I know him by name?"

Dumbledore nodded his head gently. "Yes, you've heard of him. And you've met him." Dumbledore's voice carried on no hint of delight. Snape was silent, but Dumbledore could see the struggle eating away at him. Snape couldn't decide if he wanted to know or not which one of his former allies had been haunting Jessica's dreams and causing her harm all these years. "I would rather not, but if you truly wish it, I will enlighten you," Dumbledore offered.

"If you do, I will make it my vow to destroy him," Snape assured.

"For the violation he committed against my niece twenty-six years ago?" Dumbledore asked. "Is Jessica really that aggravating?"

"Of course not!" Snape found it insulting that Dumbledore could find humour while discussing such a serious matter. "It is nothing to do with Espiranza. Jessica has spent her whole life living in fear because of this man! He haunts her dreams and causes her merciless pain. She will never be free of him until he has been destroyed."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement. He sighed and then cupped his hands in front of him. "Then it's best I don't tell you. I cannot allow you to take that vow."

In all the years he had known Dumbledore, Snape had never once questioned his judgement or asked him to explain his reasons no matter how absurd they seemed. Dumbledore always had his reasons.

* * *

On his way to meet Jessica up in the Hospital Wing, Snape made one stop at one of the classrooms. The Dark Arts classroom was a wide-open room that was very poorly lit. Quirrell's office was on the far end of the classroom up a flight of stone stairs. The door atop the stone staircase was open and Snape could see that the office was empty. It was in the staff room that Snape was able to find Professor Quirrell.

Snape was quiet letting himself in through the oak door. Quirrell was there standing with his back to his guest and mumbled quietly to himself. Snape quietly took two steps closer to the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, whom he loathed and envied dearly, and then coldly called him by his first name.

Quirrell threw his hands in the air and let out a frightened yelp before turning around to face Snape. With his hands curling up at the collar and his bottom lip quivering, Quirrell chortled uncomfortably and unnervingly returned the greeting.

"S- S- Severus," Quirrell managed to utter. "I wasn't exp-p-pecting you."

"Nor should you have been," he said silkily. "No matter, you and I need to have a little chat. Sit down." Snape pointed at the nearest chair and Quirrell quickly obliged.

Snape paced around the room a little with his arms folded across his chest and then stopped just a few feet away from him and let his tall, slender body loom over the timid professor. "As you probably already know, I am leaving tomorrow afternoon for Diagon Alley to acquire my supplies for the coming term." Snape raised his eyebrows and watched the expression on Quirrell's face dance. After a long pause, Snape placed the heels of his hands on each arm of the chair Quirrell was sitting in and locked him in his place. "That will give you an awful lot of time to try and get past that three-headed dog of Hagrid's, won't it?"

An unusual silence fell upon the room after Snape's little speech. Like many of his Potions students, Quirrell found it impossible to resist looking through the dark tunnels that were Snape's cold, unfriendly eyes - especially when he was looming over him like that. His effortless ability to captivate Quirrell's attention and drive fear into his frail being was all too simple.

"W-what makes you think that I- I w-would want t-to do s-such a thing?" Quirrell stuttered and turned his body away from Snape as if to protect himself from the Potions Master's overbearing presence.

"Don't be a fool," Snape demanded in his cold, callous voice. He slowly began to stand up straight but didn't take one step back. "You know very well what makes me think such a thing." He spoke in barely more than a whisper and moved his hands about so slowly Quirrell thought that Snape was going to grasp him around the throat at any moment.

"I c-could be k-killed."

"Yes, you very well could be," Snape agreed. "But what lies beneath is worth your life, is it not? The chance to become infallible, unstoppable, invincible, and even omnipotent. Or perhaps there is someone else you would rather see come to such power." Snape looked as if he was going to continue. Quirrell whimpered cowardly when Snape swiftly whipped his hand out to grab Quirrell's purple robes by the collar. Pulling him out of his seat and holding the terrified professor no less than a foot away from him, Snape stared coldly into Quirrell's petrified eyes and narrowed his own. "You will never get past me," he whispered so quietly Quirrell could barely hear his solemn threat.

With a quick release, Snape let go of Quirrell's robes and pushed him back into the chair. "S-Severus, I wouldn't d-dream of ch-challenging you," Quirrell spluttered as he hesitantly straightened his robes.

"A clever decision," Snape assured. "But I think you will, especially when I won't be here to be challenged. As such, I think it will be best if the two of us embark together tomorrow. It would be a pity to come back only to find you up in the Hospital Wing lying in a matchbox."

Snape's heavy footsteps made way for the door. He turned his head over his shoulder and looked once more at the frightened professor. "We will make way tomorrow at noon. And don't think for one second that I won't have my eye on you until then."

When he pushed the door open, Snape felt an unusual thump on the other side. After pushing the door open as wide as he could, Snape stepped out of the staff room and peered around the door. A small boy was adjusting his glasses and searched frantically as if looking for a place to run and hide.

"POTTER!" Snape growled and slammed the staff room door shut. "What do you think you're doing here?"

Wide-eyed, Harry stared up at his least favorite teacher and hobbled backwards a couple of steps. "I- I was looking for Professor Dumbledore," he quickly made up.

Snape's lip curled and his eyebrows bent into the most terrifying shape Harry had ever seen. Snape's face twisted into a ferocious scowl and a hand emerged from his dark robes. "Off with you!" he hollered and pointed a finger down the hall.

Harry immediately did as he was told and scurried off back towards the Gryffindor tower to tell his friend Ron what he had just overheard.