Dark Shadows

Plot, new characters, new magical terms and abilities etc. are my intellectual property. If you want to borrow then please kindly ask. JK Rowling's characters and Wizarding Universe are all uniquely hers.

Authors Notes: I am doing my own thing and am drawing on my own Nanticoke/Lenni-Lenape Native American heritage for this story for inspirational purposes, but am taking a number of liberties here. Some of the dialogue of the Native Americans in this story comes from famous quotes found through many sites on the web as well as my own recollections from various readings.

Alternate Universe, Fantasy, Drama, Angst. Summary: After the fall of Voldemort many secrets are revealed amidst new beginnings. But nothing is ever as simple as it would seem even for a Native American in the Wizarding World reconnecting with her long-lost father. SS-RL-HP-OC

Dark Shadows

by NativeMoon

Chapter 2: It is Time…

It’s funny how a person can want something so badly, but if the opportunity actually arises they question the logic behind their desire.

It had been two weeks since Professor Dumbledore’s visit. She’d taken time to speak with him alone before he left and though she’d felt somewhat reassured at the time, now that she was actually leaving there was nothing but nagging doubts.

‘You are doing the right thing,’ her grandmother advised and she and Aida helped June pack. ‘The others that are whispering that you should stay are the very same that have always thought you should go. You cannot live your life for anyone except yourself.’

‘Isn’t that selfish?’ June asked as she looked thoughtfully around her bedroom. The only other time she’d been away from home was when she went away to university. The University of Pennsylvania had been traumatic enough; but this, this was different. ‘That’s exactly what my mother did…’

‘They have a choice,’ Aida said gently. ‘We as a people have always known that this time would come. Now they know that it isn’t some whimsical fairy story – and they have their part to play. What your mother did, what happened with her is not the same thing. The difference between your mother and you is Standing Bear.’

The young Sachem looked at her grandmother who nodded her agreement.

‘I’ve never been absolutely convinced that he did the right thing, but I can accept that everything happened as it was meant to.’ Alicia said firmly. ‘There are reasons for everything, my Nicantet. It is not for even the Sachems to know all. Sometimes, you simply have to have the faith that the path you are walking is right and just.’

There was a sudden shimmering cold that seemed to pass through them. It was highly unusual for the summer. Everywhere else was suffering through a heatwave, but not the territory known as Mitsawokett where they lived.

‘We must hurry,’ Alicia said. ‘It has begun!’

There wasn’t much left to do, as most of her things had been packed and sent to Dumbledore’s world the week before. Strange little creatures with bat-like ears had come in the dead of night and taken everything but what she needed for her final week at home and a few personal items. Her grandmother had given her many things that had belonged to her parents, saying the time had come for her to have them. There were other things too – things that were important for her as a Sachem.

‘There is someone waiting…?’ Aida asked as she took note of yet another change in atmosphere.

‘Yes – a colleague of Professor Dumbledore’s,’ June answered anxiously they left the house shrouded by darkness. It was hard to accept that in actuality it was just past Noon; it may was well be midnight it was so dark out. She had a small rucksack on her back and was carrying a large leather case. Her grandmother and Aida carried a smaller case and leather bag.

A small procession of people followed along behind the three women carrying lit torches and camping lamps that reflected eerily off the snow-encrusted landscape. Suddenly June stopped. In front of her was a small bridge that would enable her to cross the once raging river that had fallen silent two days before. Her mind did not want to register what she saw on the other side of the bridge. It was like looking down a dark tunnel with bright light beckoning at the end.

‘This is as far as any of you can go,’ she whispered in a choked voice, trying not to shiver too much. ‘If you cross – you are lost to all of this…’

‘And so are you, our daughter,’ Eagle-eyes said as tears rolled down his aged cheeks. ‘Remember who you are and no matter what happens, you walk strong!’

‘You do us proud!’ a voice called out and then several more chimed in.

‘Why me,’ June whispered as tears filled her eyes. ‘Why me, of all people?’

She hurriedly blinked them away. She was Sachem, and a warrior. She needed to be strong for her people as much as herself.

‘No one else could do this but you, our daughter,’ Aida said. ‘You do this for the greater good of us all, in time you will see.’

‘Lapich Knewell,’ June said strongly to everyone. ‘Until I see you again…’

‘That you will, my Nicantet,’ her grandmother said with pride. ‘That you most certainly will!’

June hugged those closest to her and then slowly walked across the bridge.

Waiting for her on the other side was Severus Snape, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The former Death Eater with the unwavering interest in the Dark Arts could not believe his eyes. He watched her say so long for now to her people and walk across the bridge, with the still people waving and calling out to her from a snow-covered village shrouded in darkness as they and it faded into thin air.

xxxOOOxxx

June walked to where a lone figure stood in the distance. The sun was so bright she had to put on her sunglasses. But before she did, she had to see for herself. She turned around staring numbly at what she knew was the ancestral lands of her people – and everything was gone. Everything that she knew; the traditional Nanticoke longhouses, the Council wigwam, the bridge – everything was gone and the river was raging once more. There was nothing but an expanse of rolling green hills and woodlands as far as the eye could see.

Had the stranger not been there she might have broken down. Instead she looked up at the sun shining brightly over what used to be her home.

It was a glorious summer day.

xxxOOOxx

‘Go,’ a chorus of voices urged her gently, voices the strange man could not hear as he drew closer.

Snape looked over at the young woman, amazed at how controlled she was in the face of the improbable. As a wizard he’d heard of some strange things and had even experienced some in his time, but nothing like this.

He said nothing as he miniaturised her cases and bag and put them in her jacket pocket.

‘An Apparation portal has been arranged,’ he said crisply after finding his voice.

The young woman stared at him blankly; to Snape it seemed as though she were lost in another world. All things considered, it wouldn’t surprise him to know that she was. The Potions Master didn’t utter a single word after that. He took arm and linked it with his. They began to walk ahead almost equidistant to where the boundary of her village had been on the other side. He looked up and then at her. Snape counted, and on ‘three’ they leapt into a waterfall.

Even June could not fail to be impressed when they emerged in the Forbidden Forest as dry as they’d been when they both dressed that morning. This strange new world with its even stranger magic.

Still, she was more than certain she could surprise them, too…

xxxOOOxxx

Snape couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so glad to be on familiar territory, but he was definitely feeling that way now. The events of the young woman’s farewell had shaken him to his magical core. And that was precisely what bothered him. He was a wizard, who had seen things the likes of which June Woapanachke could only dream about (if her mind was as fertile as it had to be for her to be a Sachem), and yet his mind still did not want to accept what he’d seen.

Thank Merlin he need only deliver her to the Deputy Headmistress and then be on his way.

xxxOOOxxx

June stood numbly before Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and listened quietly as the Headmistress introduced herself. Seeing that June wasn’t in a state to say very much, Professor McGonagall explained a bit of history about the school as she escorted her to her rooms in Gryffindor Tower.

xxxOOOxxx

Hogwarts’ newest Defense Against the Dark Arts professor looked around her new home. The rooms were spacious enough. She had a large bedroom, much larger than what she’d had at home. There was a spacious sitting room and even a small kitchenette, though couldn’t imagine why she’d need it based on what she’d been told about the house elves. Her bathroom was of a decent size and surprisingly modern. She couldn’t take issue with the décor either, but Professor McGonagall did instruct her to make the space her own.

The young woman walked around the space several times and then began to unpack her things with the aid of a house elf. She couldn’t find it in herself to cry now, instead there was just the numbness with a faint touch of bitterness.

xxxOOOxxx

‘Noooo! Nooo!’

Juniata awoke with a start. She took a deep breath as tears streamed from her eyes. The Dream. Yet again. Despite the years and the miles of ocean and land that separated her from her true home, it was as sharp and clear as ever.

Someone was shaking her gently. She looked up into black eyes.

‘Are you alright?’ Snape enquired reluctantly.

He’d come to the Professor’s Lounge in search of his spare robes and definitely was not expecting to find a young Native American woman not only dressed head to toe in the garments of her tribe but also in the throes of a nightmare. It was nearing lunchtime.

‘So this is the new lamb for the slaughter,’ he thought to himself as he finally had a good look at her without sunglasses and the woollen hat that had covered her head when he’d brought her here.

He wasn’t the first to think that perhaps the Headmaster had finally overstepped the boundaries of common sense to hire a Native American to fill the jinxed DADA post. He had not expected a woman who was so young. To be a Sachem…a Medicine Woman, Wisewoman, Spiritualist, Shaman…at such a young age – her knowledge and experience of Magic, Dark Arts, Defense and Healing was no doubt formidable.

Professor Snape had just returned from a research trip of several days. It was the first time in a long while that he’d been able to do such a thing. He was more than a bit curious about Native American cultures and their spiritual practices, but in particular the Nanticoke given the tribal affiliation of their newest staff member. He had spent time in London in Muggle internet cafes and in the Library. He was finally being faced with a competitor for the post who at least was somewhat worthy in his estimation.

The Nanticoke were excellent hunters, farmers and fisherman. They were successful agriculturalists, traders and merchants. Most intriguing to him – Nanticoke culture shared elements from both their cousins the Lenni-Lenape and the Powhatan, and many elements that were exclusive to them, most notable of which was the use of poisons and sorcery. Legends still existed that a Nanticoke could strike down his enemy from miles away simply by blowing in their directions. For this reason the Nanticokes were feared and respected by their neighbors.

It was an extremely rare event for the Potions Master to be intrigued by anyone, but his curiosity was definitely piqued by the woman in his arms. She was living proof that the belief in his world that natural magic was unfocused and impossible was incorrect.

June tried to get herself together as she shook her head in a jerky ‘yes’. She was sweating profusely and shaking as if she was having an epileptic fit. Her new job as DADA Professor was not getting off to a good start. Having nightmares in the Professor’s Lounge in front of a colleague, and one that supposedly coveted her job and would do anything to get it was not a strategic career move.

She recognised Professor Snape even though she’d tried not to take much notice of him that day. He had not been around since she arrived a few days ago and she’d heard more than enough stories from the other staff who were all too eager to talk about him behind his back. But as with anything, she had her own mind and was not going to pass judgement as they had done. She also refused to be party to their gossip – something that already put her at odds with the majority of them, not that she cared.

‘I am inclined to disagree...’ he acknowledged sharply giving her a look that she couldn’t quite place.

There was silence

‘Miss Woapanachke?’

The young woman was trembling uncontrollably. Her eyes had rolled to the back of her head.

The Potions Master held onto her to prevent her from falling onto the floor. After a minute or two she seemed to calm down. He tapped the table in front of the sofa they were on. A glass of water and two small bottles of potions appeared. He mixed the potions into the glass and held it to Juniata’s lips. Once she had drunk it all he tapped again and a basin with cool water, a face cloth, two more potions and a towel appeared. He mixed the potions in the basin, wet the cloth and then wiped her face, neck and hands in silence. He fleetingly thought she had the most beautiful skin he had ever seen – it was a rich dark honey colour and was silky smooth to the touch.

For someone with such a fearsome reputation he had quite a gentle touch, Juniata thought to herself. Neither spoke as the most hated figure in the school ministered to his young colleague.

‘Your garments are much too heavy for this heatwave…’ he said curtly breaking the silence at last as he took off the beaded deerskin and fur moccasins and leggings she wore and then her fancy shawl and cape. She was wearing a thin-strapped sleeveless ankle-length beaded deerskin dress that scooped low in the back and front and a rather fearsome blade that she wore belted to her left side. ‘Not to mention inappropriate for the British Isles…’

‘Wearing three layers of black buttoned up to the top of your throat isn’t exactly ideal either…’ came a soft reply. ‘I am who I am, Professor – even in your wizarding world. My clothes are as much a part of me as my skin colour is. I know who I am. I am not one of you.’

The Potions Master quirked his left eyebrow as he bathed her face again in silence. He wasn’t accustomed to having anyone speak to him in that way.

Professor Dumbledore walked in just as he bathed the area between her throat and chest.

‘Ahh, Miss Woapanachke! I am so sorry I was not here to great you when you arrived – urgent business for the Ministry of Magic you know. I wanted to…’ the Headmaster’s voice trailed off as he took in the unbelievable sight of his Potions Master holding the new DADA professor in his arms and wiping her cleavage.

‘Good afternoon, Headmaster…’ Professor Snape said coolly.

He was about to provide an excuse other than the truth to explain their compromising position. Epileptic fits were not looked upon kindly in the wizarding world. But he would be quite shocked to learn the truth behind his colleague’s seeming ill health.

‘I took ill, Sir,’ Juniata said quietly as Snape wet the cloth and applied it to her forehead once more. ‘I guess I am not yet used to the Highland heat…’

‘Ahh well I would venture to say your garments are bit heavy for these extreme temperatures. I should have warned you. I thought I would welcome you and say we are really looking forward to having you with us. I hope the association will be a long one,’ said Professor Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye.

Professor Snape was still holding the young woman in his arms.

‘Thank you, Sir…. So do I.’

‘Please, let’s dispense with this Sir business. Makes an old man feel even older. It’s Albus or Headmaster – or heaven forbid the more formal Professor,’ suggested the Headmaster with a grin. ‘Sherbet Lemon?’

He fished out one of his favourite sweets from his pocket and popped it into his mouth.

‘Er, no thank you…’

‘Well – enjoy the quiet while you have it. Quite some time until the term starts you know. Good afternoon to you both.’

…xXxXxXx…

‘I’m sorry, my manners seem to have deserted me along with my energy. I’m Juniata Woapanachke – some people call me June…’ she said extending her hand as Dumbledore closed the door to the lounge behind him. ‘I never did introduce myself to you properly.’

Professor Snape looked at the young woman as if she had just landed from another planet. She might well have done, so exotic was she in the British Isles, let alone his world.

‘Severus Snape, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House,’ he said cautiously. ‘If I might ask – if some people call you June then what of the rest?’

June gave him a gentle smile. ‘The name I was given during my naming ceremony…it’s Wolf Child…so most people on the reservation called me Moony…’

‘Wolf Child??!!’ Snape barked as a rather unpleasant association from the past came to mind.

‘Yes; wolves are my Life Totem animal – the essence of my spirit – my guides. Just as the crow is yours…but you also have the raven as do I.’

‘The Crow?’

June laughed softly.

‘There is much you wizards do not understand about yourselves…and about what you are. All this magic yet no real connection to the spirits from which it comes. But if you would like to know more about totems you are more than welcome to sit in on my first classes.’

Snape looked at her open-mouthed

‘And by the way; your shadow totem – dear professor – is the wolf…and mine is the crow.’

June smiled – an enigmatic smile.

She would tell him no more than he needed to know at the moment.