MUGGLE MAGIC

Author's Notes: Dedicated to Jessica Coles who thought all my Snape fantasies were worth a fic and encouraged me on this endeavour. To Jen W. my beta, there are not enough words to express my thanks. And to TPMM, and its members, you all have helped me more than you know.

All Harry Potter characters and affiliated things of that world are property of JKR, Cassidy Rain and fantasies are mine. Credit for all song lyrics are also given to the singers. This fic is set in an AU, circa HP & COS and features a different writing style, in that, while generally told from Cassidy's POV, there are also appropriate bits of Severus' POV as well.

Muggle Magic is my very first try at fic writing; comments, questions and reviews are most welcome. Thanks for reading.




MUGGLE MAGIC

Heaven Bend to take my hand
And lead me through the fire
Be the long awaited answer
To a long and painful fight
Truth be told I’ve tried my best
But somewhere along the way
I got caught up in all there was to offer
But the cost was so much more then I could bear

chorus:
Though I’ve tried I’ve fallen
I have sunk so low
I messed up
Better I should know
So don’t come round here and
Tell me I told you so

We all begin with good intent
When love is raw and young
We believe that we can change ourselves
The past can be undone
But we carry on our back the burdens time always reveals
In the lonely light of morning
In the wound that would not heal
Its the bitter taste of losing everything I’ve held so dear
Heaven bend to take my hand
I’ve nowhere left to turn
I’m lost to those I thought were friends
to everyone I know
Oh they turn their heads embarrassed
pretend that they don’t see
that its one wrong step one slip before you know it
And there doesn’t seem a way to be redeemed

”Fallen” Sarah Mclachlan



CHAPTER 1


Dear Miss Melrose,

I am pleased to hear that you have accepted the position of Student Counselor and Psychologist here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Please be at the school on the 1st of September at 10:00 A.M. I will send someone to meet you at the main gates.

Charlie will show you where to wait.

Please be assured that you will be well taken care of here at Hogwarts. I look forward to meeting you personally.

Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry



I quickly folded the letter and stuffed it back into my coat pocket, gazing dejectedly at the crumbling edifice beyond the rusty gates. The rotted sign read, “DANGER! DO NOT ENTER! UNSAFE!” The stone building was in utter ruin and looked as though it had been abandoned for over a century.

“This cannot be right,” I finally decided.

The thick fog covering the grounds and the base of the building lent an eerie air to the already dismal surroundings. Sighing, I looked at my watch - almost ten o’clock. Charlie had promised this was the right place and assured me that I was safe when he left. At the moment, however, I felt nothing but dread.

Trying my best not to shiver, I pulled my cloak closer around me and waited. Silently, I berated Charlie and Jessica for talking me into applying for this position. “But you are so right for the job,” Jessica had argued. “You are well-qualified and precisely what Professor Dumbledore needs. Say you’ll go!”

Her words were echoing in my mind when, suddenly, a voice from behind me spoke.

“Hullo there. Yeh mus’ be Miss Melrose.”

I spun around and gasped at the giant man standing in front of me. He looked to be at least seven feet tall, quite stocky with a mound of dark brown, shoulder length hair, and an equally long, unkempt beard.

Steadying myself, I replied, “Um, yes.” I stuck out my hand and gaped at how tiny it looked in his. “I’m Cassidy Melrose,” I murmured.

“Rubeus Hagrid is me name, bu’ yeh can call me Hagrid, same as ev’ry one else does. I’m the grounds keeper here at Hogwarts. I see you’ve found it alright.”

I gazed at up at the big man, stunned. “This is it? But it can’t be!” I sputtered. “It looks abandoned!”

Hagrid only grinned. “Well, then,” he said as he reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a vial containing a pale green fluid, “take a swig o’this and let’s see.”

I stared suspiciously at the offered vial.

"Go on, then," he prodded. "Won't bite." As I took the vial, he added under his breath, "Least, I don' think it does."

Well that did not help.

With apprehension, I opened it and drank. My tongue and throat began burning immediately, but the taste was even worse than the stinging sensation. I gripped Hagrid’s arm in an effort not to gag, and tried to take slow, deep breaths to push back the rising nausea. I felt Hagrid’s hand gently rubbing my back, and within moments, the last of the queasiness faded. I looked up at him and managed a weak smile. “Thank you – ye gods that was vile!”

Hagrid laughed. “Well, Miss Melrose, we’d bes’ be headed up to the castle. The headmaster’ll be wonderin’ if yeh got here alright. C’mon then, it’s this way.”

As I turned again towards the derelict building, I was stunned to see it was no longer there. Instead, I saw a beautiful wrought iron gate flanked by a pair of pillars upon which stood two winged boars made of stone. But it was what lay beyond that that captured my eyes. Well-trimmed, emerald green grass spread out before me like a welcoming carpet. Trees and shrubs stood tall and brilliant.

On one side, the lawns sloped down to meet a lake, which glittered in the morning sun. The castle itself, standing on a cliff next to the lake, was breathtaking with its clusters of towers and battlements. Off to the other side, there rose a forest of the darkest green that looked as though it went around to the back of the castle and far beyond.

I was utterly amazed at the sight. Raising my face to the wind that was just picking up, I inhaled the sweetest air I had ever breathed in all my 27 years of life. The air was so pure here - I loved it already. Hagrid only grinned at the expression on my face.

“Yeh approve then?”

“Oh yes!” I breathed, and began to walk ahead excitedly. My excitement seemed to rub off onto my guide, as he began to take great strides along the pathway. I almost had to run to keep up.

As I entered the castle, I began to notice students dressed in robes of black with scarves of various colors, all of whom were chatting excitedly about their summers. Before long, I was ushered into what I could only call an elaborate, spiral elevator and taken to the top. Quickly, I tried to smooth out my unruly black curls while Hagrid knocked loudly on the heavy wooden door and pushed it open.

Cautiously, I followed my guide in and was immediately met by an aged man with long gray hair and beard, dressed in flowing, dark purple robes and a matching wizard’s hat. Behind half-moon spectacles perched precariously on his nose, his eyes twinkled, making me want to giggle. Strange, I thought as I smiled at him in greeting.

He quickly returned the smile as Hagrid began, “Professor Dumbledore, sir, this is Miss Cassidy Melrose. Miss Melrose, this is Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster here at Hogwarts.”

“Thank you, Hagrid, for meeting our guest.” He turned to me now. “I trust you are well and your trip here was pleasant?”

“Oh yes, Professor. Charlie and Jessica made sure I was well taken care of. I had a lovely visit with them. Unfortunately, Jessica had a prior appointment so Charlie brought me over. He left me at the gate a few minutes before Hagrid arrived. I must admit though, I thought I was in the wrong place, what with the danger sign and the ruins.”

The headmaster smiled, “Yes - that was the idea. Hogwarts will not be found on any ordinary map. To protect ourselves, we have had the place enchanted. A Muggle – that is, a non wizard or witch,” he explained, “would look and see only the ruins you saw. Hagrid gave you something to drink, I believe?”

“Yes, a vile green potion.”

He laughed. “Indeed! The potion, brewed by our Potions master, was meant to open your eyes to this part of the wizarding world so to speak.”

“Yes, it certainly did. It is so beautiful here!” I exclaimed as I turned to look out at the lake from the closest window. “I never imagined such a place existed.” I spun again to face him. His aura was so beautiful, and deep within me I felt such warmth, kindness, love, trust, and wisdom. It emanated from him in waves, and from the look in his gleaming, knowing eyes, he seemed to know my deductions. I laughed and extended my hands, which he gently grasped. “Thank you, for inviting me here,” I whispered.

“You are most welcome, my dear. But I must tell you that your skills are needed here at Hogwarts.”

“I was wondering about that, Professor. Why me? I am a Muggle, as you say. Surely there are qualified witches or wizards willing to fill the post.”

“Indeed, there are. However, Charlie told me that, for a Muggle, you are knowledgeable of our ways, and that you are well respected and highly qualified in your field. You work well with teenagers, and then there is your ‘other’ special gift.” He emphasized the latter words.

Alarmed, my head immediately shot up. I looked deep into his eyes, but he spoke before I could. “Yes, Miss Melrose, Charlie and Jessica told me about your gift. They said that you can read minds.”

I kept looking at him, unwilling to give anything away, but deep inside me, the sixth sense that had never lead me wrong urged me to trust him. I measured my words carefully.

“On some occasions, I am able to read minds. Mostly, I am able to sense what a person is about. I can see auras most of the time. And sometimes, with a touch, I can feel what the person is going through or see it in my mind, like a psychic.”

Professor Dumbledore, his fingers upon his chin, seemed lost in deep thought. I could tell he was carefully weighing my words. I continued to look at him and waited. At last he turned to me and said simply, “I believe you will do.”

At that moment there was a knock at the door and an assortment of witches and wizards entered the room. When they had all settled, Professor Dumbledore began, “I would like you all to meet the newest member of staff here at Hogwarts. This is Miss Cassidy Rain Melrose. Miss Melrose is a qualified psychologist and will be filling the role of Student Counselor. Miss Melrose, let me introduce you to Professor Minerva McGonagall. She is Deputy Headmistress, and Head of Gryffindor House, and she also teaches Transfiguration.”

The woman dressed in green velvet robes and a matching witch’s hat stepped forward. Smiling, she said, “Welcome to Hogwarts, Miss Melrose.”

I immediately sensed traits similar to Dumbledore’s when my hand touched hers. I smiled warmly and thanked her. As various teachers approached me, I picked up many differences, particularly those affiliated with the assorted houses.

“And, last, but certainly not least, Professor Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin House and our resident Potions master.”

Something was suddenly different in Dumbledore’s voice. The air in the room became charged. I watched breathlessly as a tall man dressed in voluminous black robes rose and languidly approached me. His eyes were like black diamonds, hard and glittering, piercing into me. His blue-black, shoulder-length hair, though obviously very greasy, managed to flick outwards in an appealing fashion. So appealing, in fact, that I immediately had to squelch the urge to touch it. Strange that I should want to. His nose was beak-like but what lay under it captured me completely.

Though his expression was forbidding, his lips were tilted upwards at the corners, and I had to clench my fists in an effort not to reach out and trace the lines. The microseconds it took for him to reach me seemed an eternity, and I stood there, listening to my racing heart in amazement. When his hand reached out to me it took the strength of every fiber of my being to keep myself from falling into him. What is happening to me? Swallowing, I grasped his hand and said rather breathily, “I am pleased to meet you.”

“Likewise,” he intoned. His baritone, like liquid velvet, like an ocean wave gently caressing the shore, seemed to flow into the very core of me, stroking my every nerve. My eyes closed with the rapture of it and my lips parted in a soft sigh when he added, almost as an afterthought, “I’m sure.”

I opened my eyes only to find him glaring at me curiously, searchingly. I quickly glanced around to look at the others whom I had momentarily forgotten. All of them had apparently noticed my reactions to the Potions master as their faces held various amounts of curiosity and amusement. I slapped myself mentally, quickly released his hand, and walked back to Albus Dumbledore’s side. The Headmaster tactfully ignored what had just taken place and, thankfully, the other teachers followed suit, overlooking my indiscretion.

Professor Dumbledore began talking to them about certain objectives for the new term, but I found that I was unable to listen. Sure that my face was growing scarlet by the second, I moved towards the window and stared out; I just needed to get away. Ye gods! How embarrassing! I lost myself in thought - What just happened? And why, for that matter? I was practically drooling on the man for heavens sake!

I kept asking myself these questions and more but could not find satisfying answers. All I knew was that this man, with just his physical being, reduced me to a blubbering schoolgirl. I took a moment and scolded myself for melting like butter at the sound of his voice and prepared again to face him, but when next I focused on the room, it was bare of the teachers. I turned to find Dumbledore at his desk.

“Miss Melrose, please have a seat.” He pointed to the chair on the other side of his great desk.

I sat dumbly and waited.

“Are you alright, Miss Melrose?” he inquired, radiating kindness again.

“Professor, please call me Cassidy.”

He smiled. “Only if you call me Albus.”

Feeling a bit more like my self again, I nodded.

Albus grew serious now. He apparently had contemplated how to broach what was uppermost on his mind. “I want you to know that I have complete faith in your ability to help in the nurturing of our students. There are many areas where the children may not be comfortable confiding in their teachers, but I hope they will be comfortable with you. However, there is another task for which I require your talents.”

My curiosity was aroused now. “What’s that?”

“I need you to observe and make an assessment of one of the professors, and to report back to me in private.”

My eyes narrowed skeptically. “Who?”

“Professor Severus Snape.”

At first, I had no idea who he was talking about. Then it hit me. I blinked in shock. “You mean…”

”Yes.”

“No!”

“Cassidy, I need you to hear me out.”

Ignoring my obvious mutiny, he began to narrate the history of Hogwarts’ notorious Potions master. His troubled youth, his rebellion, his association with the evil Lord Voldemort and his eventual and desperate surrender to Dumbledore, who gave him the sanctuary he needed - on particular conditions- were all patiently detailed by the Headmaster. The most dangerous condition was that Snape was to act a spy for Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic. While pretending he was still loyal Voldemort, he was to attend any and all Death Eaters meetings and apprise the Ministry of all that was happening in the dark circle.

“However, while Severus has been extremely helpful in procuring much needed information, there was a rumor from a very reliable source that he was actually revealing Ministry secrets to Voldemort.”

“And you want me to determine if this is true.”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t mention it in the letter of acceptance you sent me. You wanted me to be here before you brought it up, didn’t you?”

He bowed his gray head in assent.

“And you mentioned it only after I met the staff, because you knew that otherwise I would likely refuse?”

My gaze remained steadily on the Headmaster as I considered all he had told me. Finally, I smiled obligingly. “I’ll do it.”

And, though the casual observer would not have noticed it, I knew he was relieved.

*********

“So, what do you make of this latest addition to the faculty? Rather odd, don’t you think?” I asked Minerva as we made our way down the second floor staircase.

“Indeed, Severus. I don’t quite understand the need for a school counselor myself. We never needed one before, but we must consider the incidents of last term.” She paused at the first floor landing before turning to him and whispering worriedly, “It seems You Know Who is back. I think Albus is just thinking of the students’ welfare, especially that of Potter and of his friends.”

“Really,” I couldn’t help but retort with distaste, “but a Muggle?”

Minerva only shrugged, a small smile playing about her mouth. “It is odd, but judging from this first meeting, I have no doubts, she will…fall in nicely.”

But before I could deliver a biting rejoinder, she had already begun the trek down the hallway to her office. Her attempt at humor only reminded me of the embarrassing reaction the new Student Counselor displayed upon our meeting. The woman was practically drooling all over my robes for Merlin’s sake! Thank the gods no one else apparently noticed.

At that very moment however, Rolanda and Pomona descended to the first floor landing, both of them falling silent as they noticed me standing there. Then, with smothered giggling, they dashed down to the ground floor.

“Bloody hell,” I cursed savagely, as I made my way down to the sanctuary of the dungeons.

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The magic is only just begining, stay tuned for Chapter 2 as Cassidy starts getting under The Potions Master's skin!