General DiSnaper: This is not an official part of Reive's
Ghosts / Unfinished
Games universe / timeline. All realities and characters within
J.K.Rowling's Harry Potter Universe belong to J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury and
Scholastic. Professor Snape belongs to Alan Rickman and Warner Bros.
Local DiSnaper: I hate "the pre- and
postproduction talk" surrounding the text, because I agree with all those
fair minds owners who insist that the text should speak for itself. But
writing fan-fiction puts you in a highly dependant position, which by itself
presents you not only with satisfaction of co-creating you favourite
character's image, but also with some unnerving obligations to the readers,
who learned to love the Old Characters the way they have been introduced to
them first. I'm trying to say that I'd like to write a hermetic tale of
impossible relationships against Gothic background, where everything else
besides the inner life of the two main characters is very theatre-like.
That's why… That's why! —That's it!
Mademoiselle Fleur Delacour was heading to Hogwarts for the second time in
her life. The Hogwarts express was passing green meadows, heathers and moors
of Britain, and she enjoyed the ride greatly—she had heard a lot about this
traditional scarlet steam monster, whose insides every year had been loaded
with the future pride and beauty of British Magical world. It was Fleur's
first opportunity to look at the Island more closely, because her first
time was confined only to the Beauxbatons carriage and Hogwarts grounds,
while her Voldemort connections were rendered through Apparating and Dark
Lord's violent summonings.
The Express was full of noisy Hogwarts students, who rambled ceaselessly,
banged the doors, and tried to buy and devour every possible sweet treat
from the trolley. It was difficult for Fleur to get used to the thought that
just one summer's time separated her from some of her future students. But
that wasn't a problem for her; she knew that she would have no difficulties
with discipline, because she was ready to be strict and quick with
punishment. What posed a problem was her future communication with Beinn
Mheadhonach, but she knew how to think about unpleasant things
tomorrow.
A group of three girls peeked into her compartment, and one of them
asked:
"Hi, do you mind our sitting here for some time, please? We wanted to talk
about something, and that snooty thing is interfering all the time!"
Following Fleur's nod, the girl sat down and went on about a student from
Slytherin who was riding the train together with them, and how disgustingly
nosy and arrogant she was, and how they wanted to discuss their summer
holydays without her listening and showing off about her trip to Brazil.
Fleur marked that she had nothing against it with a wave and turned away to
the window, pretending to read "The First International Treaty on Magical
Peaceful Coexistence in Commemoration of St. Bartholomew Night's 38th
Anniversary (Paris, 1610)". For some time she was plunged in her own
confused thoughts and didn't follow the girls' twitter, when after some time
the lowered mysterious voice of the long plaited girl with thick brown hair
attracted her attention.
"…and they say that he kills not only grown-ups, but also children and pets,
and that his influence in Europe is even stronger than in Britain, and that
he's really held in check only by Dumbledore, and Hogwarts is the only safe
place for us now. If he gets Hogwarts, it's like that—" she dashingly
snapped her fingers and finished: "We're all done."
"Oh well", thought Fleur, "So they are already prepared that Hogwarts is the
last stronghold against Voldemort—at least psychologically..." and she
kept her ears open for the brown-head's babbling.
"But… it can't be, Salma," mumbled another girl, the reasonable-looking intellectual
type with spectacles, "it can't."
"Why not?" Salma preferred her legends to be taken for granted.
"Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald—remember? This summer, Dumbledore
participated in a very important international Conference in Europe, and I
think he should have settled the problem with foreign wizards".
"Wishful thinking, Louise, wishful thinking," said Salma self-confidently
(Fleur surmised that the girls were Ravenclaws), "You haven't heard the
rumours about the Conference?"
"What rumours?" the three girls drew their heads together and lowered their
voices; Fleur pretended that she dosed over her International Treaty and
strained her hearing even more.
"What—you don't know?" it positively was Salma's
moment in the limelight. "Another Death Eater joined You-Know-Who's side. A
really strong one. No-one knows who he is. But there were terrible, terrible
signs everywhere in Europe at that time."
"What signs?" hold their breaths the two other girls.
"First of all, the traditional Full-Moon Carnival in Florence was… it
was—dispersed like a Muggle crowd, when the Host… You know Giuliano
Medici? The most famous ghost in Florence? So, you see…" she paused because
of some real emotion, "you see… his silver ghostly blood turned red again,
and he screamed, and fell to the floor, covering his head with his hands.
People panicked and started leaving the Villa Medici."
"And where was Dumbledore at the time?" asked the bespectacled Louise.
"Dumbledore was already in London, with the Ministry."
"But… But how do you know that it is connected to the new Death Eater? And a
strong one?"
"Are you stupid, Louise? Really so stupid?"
"What—?" whispered Loise.
"Yes, there was a Dark Mark in the sky above the
Palace. The Red one, and huge as hell. Besides…" Salma paused to catch her
breath.
"What?" urged her the two girls.
"Besides… When this Red Mark disintegrated, the Villa became infested with
snakes—hundreds of them—in the halls, in the corridors, on the
tables, in the gardens, on the paths. There was panic, real panic, the most
devastating panic the Wizarding World knew in the last half a century."
Fleur rushed to her feet, mumbled some excuse and got away to the corridor.
She was sick. She didn't remember anything from that night, because she was
unconscious. But since then she's had recurrent dreams again, and the story
that Salma had just told coincided with her dreams to the last detail. So
it was true. She was the Beauty and she was the Beast. But… the strongest
one? She? Fleur couldn't remember the rest of the way to Hogwarts.
***
Mademoiselle Delacour unpacked her luggage in her quite cosy bedroom,
wondering whether she would see anyone in this castle besides Mr. Filch,
the Caretaker, who showed her the lodgings, and some students, who were
absorbed in their usual school activities. It was rather late when she
decided to finish the Chapter on Mazarin's feeble attempts to reform
Richelieu's system of European Diplomacy, reading and rereading the same
documents from the Arsenal Library for the fifth time and in vain, just too
frightened to close her eyes and see the same scalding image again.
When suddenly—
"Welcome to Hogwarts, dear," said a voice from nowhere, in which she
recognized the fatherly tones of professor Dumbledore, "I hope your trip has
been successful, and pray forgive me: presently I cannot see you in
person."
Fleur found her breath and answered the space:
"Thank you for your warm welcome, Headmaster Dumbledore. The trip was
perfect and…" she appraised the tray with traditional Hogwarts refreshments
that emerged out of the blue with a grateful smile: "and the supper is
exquisite. I'm really very grateful."
"Tomorrow at 7.30 in the morning I'm awaiting you in my office, then,"
continued Dumbledore, "Just say Reperio director to your wand with the
first step from your lodging, and you will be seen directly to my
quarters."
"Very well, Professor," said Fleur, "I'll see you tomorrow, then."
She had no dreams that night. Her Jasmine tea was full of unknown
flavours.
***
And so it happened. When in the morning Fleur stepped outside her room and
said Reperio director! to her own wand, a small transparent, albeit
gold-and-red coloured, phoenix appeared in front of her and swaying his
feathers beckoned Fleur along the ancient corridors of Hogwarts. The paths
and passageways seemed tangled for her not any less than the lakes' seaweeds
even during her previous stay in Hogwarts. Having started her trip to the
Headmaster's quarters half an hour before the appointed time, Fleur seized
the opportunity to enjoy the journey through the castle, following the
phoenix.
"Hello!" suddenly called her the brown-head Salma
from the Hogwarts express, yawning, smiling broadly and waving her hand
(the transparent phoenix immediately vanished): "How are you? What House
are you in—not Slytherin, I hope?"
"Oh, no," answered Fleur, smiling, too, "positively, not Slytherin."
Luckily, the girl had neither time nor too much interest to go into more
details: she was quite content to know that Fleur was not affiliated with
the disgusting Slytherin, and quite happy about that.
"You know what? Let's meet today in the Hogwarts common room in the evening,
I'll introduce you to some of my friends!"
"Oh, I didn't know there was a—Hogwarts common room in the Castle!" said
Fleur, really surprised.
"Yeah, you won't believe it, it's been there for a century or so, but no-one
usually wants to use it—they don't want to meddle with other Houses.
That's why we… Well, you'll see! We formed a… Well, you just meet me beside
the statue of Godric Gryffindor on the fourth floor at 10 p.m., and I'll
show you. Agreed?"
"Agreed," smiled Fleur and the girl dashed away.
Fleur continued her way following the phoenix who reappeared again, when at
one particularly strange star-shaped intersection she was nearly swept from
her feet by Professor Snape, hurrying to some place in the opposite
direction.
He walked a few more hasty steps, but then stopped and turned to Fleur.
"Oh, hello, Professor Snape," said Fleur lightly, "Nice to meet you
again."
"Yes," said Snape, "I had to see you too."
"Oh, really?" asked Fleur innocently, "So soon?"
Snape rushed to her, putting his hand inside one of his pockets, and Fleur
thought that now he would probably always scare her, for the rest of her
life; somehow, she was always afraid of an attack from him. But Professor
Snape simply grabbed her hand and put something cool and smooth into it. He
closed the thing in Fleur's palm with both his hands and quickly muttered
in a very low voice:
"Take it and wear it at all times… Don't think of it, don't try to give it
back to me, don't throw it away, don't be afraid, don't resist, and don't
question its purpose. Just put it on now, as soon as I leave… and
don't—ask—questions!" He used one of his heaviest
black-lead glances which never failed to make people do what he said. His
hands were cold, and Fleur twitched when he touched her. Snape felt that and
as soon as he finished the sentence he left Fleur alone.
Fleur opened her mouth and immediately made an attempt to look at the
cool and pleasantly smooth thing in her hand.
"Don't you ever dare," hissed Snape, closing in on her, "contradict me!"
He paused, Fleur started to shudder. "You'll put it on instantly." He kept
piercing her very soul with his sadistic gaze.
"What happened to you?" whispered Fleur; she clenched the object hard
and pressed her growing numb fist to her side. The truth was that even if he
proposed to give her some poison, she would take it from him.
Ignoring her question, Snape stepped back from her and was about to
retreat.
"You are forgetting, Professor," said Fleur in the same low voice, "I can
feel your troubles right the same way you can feel mine. You are forgetting
that we shared one certain potion long time ago. You are forgetting that you
can see me and feel my horror through a solid stone wall. You are forgetting…
that it was you who christened me to the Death Eaters... Are you forgetting
all this, or—are you trying to make me forget? I know that something
happened to you, Professor. What happened?"
"Gabriel," pronounced Snape just one word and left. But before he turned
away, Fleur saw that he used a split second to check her reaction, and when
he did, he had enough presence of mind to cherish the look of terror in her
eyes.
Fleur followed Professor Snape's retreat away along the shadowy corridor
as if hypnotized and only then opened her palm to look at the object that he
made her wear. She put it on and immediately understood why he insisted on
her using this thing and why he didn't want her to do it while he was
around. So, Fleur put the present on and the phoenix again beckoned her to
the Headmaster.
***
Fleur was too absorbed in her own thoughts to remember the way, but the
rest of the path went smoothly—no-one stopped her; the corridors seemed
abandoned. The phoenix-guide stopped in mid-air in front of a certain door
and sang a few notes which sounded very close to "Turkish delight", and the
door opened. Professor Dumbledore was standing right in the middle of the
drawing room at the beginning of the moving stairs that curled up to the
second floor of his study in a fancy architectural lock. He came to meet
Fleur and greeted her with his usual warmth.
"Dear Mademoiselle Delacour," said Dumbledore, "I understand that you
are joining our staff in very troubled times," he pointed to the chair and
offered her some tea, milk, raisin rolls and orange jam. Fleur accepted the
cup, but she was unable to eat. Dumbledore seemed not to notice.
"I hope that you didn't suffer during the formidable events of the Full
Moon Carnival at Villa Medici," continued the elderly wizard, peering at
Fleur with his penetrating eyes, "Giuliano was reported to be in—saddened
state of mind, so to speak, but my sources testified that you'd left the
ball before the panic started. As well as Professor Snape with his
family."
"Ah, yes," said Fleur gravely, "I remember. Luckily Professor Snape took
away his charming son to the hotel, while I went for a carriage ride with
Felsen Rasmussen—a friend from Durmstrang." (Fleur knew that Felsen was on
a mission to his warlocks of Alsace, Lorraine and Ruhr and wouldn't be able
to prove her alibi false. Besides, she felt it hard to realise that
Professor Snape was interested in concealing her new identity as a freshly
admitted Death Eater no less than she herself was.) "Are the rumours true
then?" asked she. "I heard them only on the train here and couldn't even
imagine the extent of the disaster."
"Oh, yes, dear Fleur—you don't mind my calling you by your first name,
do you?.. And pray, call me Albus… So, yes, unfortunately the rumours are
true. And some of us will have to do quite a bit of hard work to find out
who this new monster is. How he joined the Dark Lord, why it happened at
the Conference, who led him to the circle of the Dark Lord's followers, and
why… And the most important thing to understand: why this newcomer is so
strong. I'm afraid he can be the strongest one… Or maybe the most important,
the one Voldemort has been waiting for. I'm afraid he's grown much stronger
after those events."
For a moment Fleur sat silent. Then she risked a comment:
"It's just a happy coincidence that Professor Snape took his family
away. I can't imagine what could have happened with the little boy's psyche
if he had to encounter that terrible infestation with reptiles and… and the
Red Mark…"
Dumbledore rather heavily rose from his chair and came up to the
fireplace.
"I see no point in concealing the fact from you, Mademoiselle Delacour,"
said he, "But this natural consideration didn't prove to be the right one.
I even think that if Severus had stayed at the Carnival with his family, he
would have found some way to protect his son. While it happened so that
after he had put his family in the carriage to be taken away to the hotel
and went back to the ball—yes, you had left by that time, but he had things
to do at the ball—the carriage was intercepted, his wife, Professor H.,
whom, I believe, you already know, was thrown away from the carriage, and
his son was kidnapped".
"How horrible," muttered Fleur, picturing all the scene in its
continuity, "So… What will he do then?" asked Fleur the question she longed
to ask Professor Snape, had he given her such an opportunity.
"I don't know," said the old wizard sorrowfully, "I don't know. Of all
Hogwarts professors, Severus is the one least prepared to have a wife and a
child, and yet, he is the only one who has them. What I know is that someone
will have to cover his Potions classes while he is absent."
Fleur was a little tense about the sincerity of the Headmaster, but on
the other hand he didn't mention Snape's mission, he just ascertained the
fact of the kidnapping.
"Well then," said Dumbledore firmly, changing the subject, "please, do
try to disengage yourself from these depressing events and just concentrate
on your new job. I'd appreciate if you got acquainted with the students and
started some extracurricular activities to form friendly ties between the
Houses." And Professor Dumbledore offered Fleur a pretty thing which looked
like a small silver brooch made in a form of live daffodil.
"What is this?" asked Fleur, examining the brooch. Privately she
thought it ridiculous to get two magical artifacts from her Hogwarts
counterparts in one morning.
"Oh, it's a magical brooch which will help you open peoples' hearts
towards your kind intentions. I don't doubt that you'll master understanding
its signs. And I don't want to spoil your discoverer's zeal," smiled
Dumbledore.
Fleur thanked the Headmaster and pinned the brooch to her robes. The
daffodil immediately turned his small gold-and-snowy head to her face and
said:
"Bonjour, cherie. I'm glad we shall work together."
Fleur was so fascinated that she was ready to hug the Headmaster, who
looked utterly amused at the sight of her joy.
"All right," said Dumbledore, "Enjoy it and use it for the good. I think
your Grandmother would have been glad for you."
Fleur started.
"Who told you about my Grandmother Daffodille?" asked she.
Dumbledore looked at her for some time and answered at length:
"Nobody. We used to know each other some time ago, when Madame
Daffodille hadn't yet been a grandmother."
Fleur smiled and rose to leave.
"Thank you for your kind welcome again, Headmaster Dumbledore," said
she, "I'll do my best to prove myself a useful staff-member to you."
Unintentionally it sounded a little too distant, but Fleur consoled herself
with the thought that she was never able to intone English phrases
correctly, and people usually felt that they had to listen to her words, not
to the notes. Her wording, however, has always been impeccable.
Dumbledore saw Fleur to the doors of his study, and when she was already
about to walk away, said again:
"I'm so sorry about your little sister Gabrielle."
***
When the door behind Mademoiselle Fleur Delacour closed, Headmaster
Dumbledore stepped on the magical stairway and almost momentarily joined
Professor H., who was waiting for him upstairs.
"We can but wait, Allosia", he said to her, "We can do nothing else—I
have alerted all our friends in Italy, nay, all over Europe. But you should
understand that Gabriel might not be in Europe. And Merlin knows what
Severus is going to do."
(Coda)
| (Contents)
| (II: 4-6)
