Angelica's Sorrow

A/N - Taxes done - mind relieved even if pocket poorer!!

Deb - Hope you like what\'s coming up.

Lindsay - Nope, not given up, just a little real life interference.

jonelin - I\'m glad you like my twist. Tried to think of who would be the worst for Severus to be related to, from his point of view anyway. Remus would have been a close second.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE


Neville Longbottom had been in the Headmaster\'s office for three hours. The facts being revealed were difficult to believe. If he hadn\'t seen the ledgers, he would have considered it a joke. Second Cousin Severus Snape was not happy, he could tell. If there was one thing Neville had learned in his seven years at Hogwarts, it was to run quickly in the opposite direction when that look was on the Potion Master\'s face. However, at the moment he was held captive by Professor Dumbledore and couldn\'t follow his instincts. What would his grandmother do?

Neville rose from his chair, straightened his spine and held out his hand to Snape.

\"I know it\'s probably the last thing you wanted, but I\'ve very glad to know that I\'ve got at least one other relative that survived Voldemort. In fact, I\'m rather proud to be related to such a brave man. My grandmother will be thrilled.\"

Snape\'s eyebrow rose, as he shook his hand, covering the confusion inside. He expected Longbottom to have hysterics at the thought of being related to his hated teacher. Maybe he would survive the full onslaught of Angelica after all.

\"Would you care to meet our mutual ancestress?\" Snape asked, as he released his hand and stood.

\"Does she know about me or that I might visit?\"

\"No. She also doesn\'t know how long she\'s been trapped. I want you to be extremely careful in how you respond to any questions she has. Angelica has an underhanded way of getting information she wants, in addition to being empathic.\"

\"I think I\'d like a little time to adjust to all the information you\'ve given me.\"

Severus narrowed his eyes and nodded his head. \"That might be for the best.\"

Albus asked, \"Do you wish to remain here, Neville? We have plenty of room and you would be close when you\'ve reached your decision. I\'m sure Minerva would be delighted to have you back in the tower.\"

\"That would save me owling back and forth with any questions I might have. Yes, I\'ll stay.\"

\"Since today is Saturday, I\'m sure you\'ll find Minerva in her office. She uses the normally quiet time to catch up on administrative work,\" Albus advised, leading Neville to his office door. \"I will see you at lunch.\"

\"Thank you, Headmaster.\"

\"You\'re quite welcome, my boy.\"

After Neville left, Albus turned back to Severus who now stood by the fireplace with floo power in his hand.

\"Are you going to tell her about Neville as well?\" he inquired.

\"That depends on how well she responds. If she inquires, would you inform Hermione where I am? There are some things I wish to discuss with Angelica and it may take an extended amount of time.\"

\"What needs further discussion?\"

\"There are some \'loose ends\' that I would like some answers to.\"

\"You will fill me in on the results, will you not?\"

A calculating smirk was given just before he said, \"Pensieve room.\"


\"Angelica. I have some interesting news for you.\"

\"I find that difficult to believe. What could possibly be going on that would garner my attention?\"

\"It\'s not so much what is going on now, but more the immediate past,\" he stated, walking over to the desk.

He eyed the chair with some displeasure. It was perfect for reading at the desk and studying, but left much to be desired for the long term visit. A flick of his wand had Albus\' comfy chair in its place, along with a footstool. What Albus didn\'t know wouldn\'t hurt Severus at all. He settled in and raised his feet to the stool.

\"What could have happened that could interest me?\" she inquired.

\"Are you interested in any descendants through Margaret?\"

\"My baby had babies? What about my other children?\"

\"The only way we could track Margaret\'s children was through the register here at Hogwarts. When a child is born to a witch or wizard, their name is entered into a ledger. It lists the parents\' name as well. I\'m afraid we couldn\'t track your other children.\"

\"How many children did she have? Whom did she marry? Was she happy?\"

\"Slow down! Hermione has been a bad influence on you,\" he said with a chuckle. \"She married a wizard by the name of William Benjamin Nashua, also a Ravensclaw. It appears they had ten children, so I would assume they were happy. The only record we have is births, no deaths or anything else pertaining to their lives.\"

\"Ten children. How many were girls? How many boys?\"

\"I don\'t have all the particulars with me, Angelica. I can bring you a list of their names if you wish and their descendants as well.\"

\"Why didn\'t you bring them with you now?\"

\"I wanted to forewarn you, Angelica. The list is very, very long. It ends with two names in the current generation.\"

\"How many generations?\"

\"At this point I don\'t know. Minerva and Hermione researched the ledgers to find this information.\"

\"That was very kind of them to take the time. You said there are only two? Out of all those children? Who are they?\"

\"I am one of them, does that displease you too much?\" his asked, with no small amount of hesitation.

\"Oh!\"

Waves of pleasure and joy washed over Severus. If he hadn\'t been already seated, he would have been unable to stand. It blasted through to his soul and cleansed the wounds left by his father\'s harsh denouncements. They began to heal quickly in the onslaught of love that poured forth.

\'This is what a mother\'s love feels like! Total acceptance, forever strong and blinding in its brilliance.\'

His own mother, completely cowed by her husband, had never given him anything like this. He never wanted it to end.

\"I guess I can accept such a sarcastic bastard as a great-grandson. I knew there was a reason you reminded me of my husband. Who is the other one?\"

Her words penetrated and brought him out of his haze, made him realize his face was wet. How embarrassing, but even as he wiped the tears away he realized he didn\'t care. What she had given him was worth any amount of embarrassment. At least she wasn\'t openly commenting on his breakdown. He could feel the small amount of amusement in the mix of her emotions.

He cleared his throat to answer, \"His name is Neville Longbottom. He was informed of the circumstances just today and wants a little time to adjust, but I think he will be delighted to meet a new relative. May I ask a few questions?\"

\"My grandson can ask me anything.\"

\"Ah, but you didn\'t say if you would answer.\"

\"That would depend on the question.\"

\"Fair enough. I have been curious for some time how it is you remember your husband and family. According to the diaries, those were part of the memories Salazar altered.\"

\"I retain both sets of memories in this form. If I had allowed him to return me to my body I would have lost the true versions and had only the fabricated ones left.\"

\"What do you mean by \'allowed\' him to return you? I didn\'t think you had a choice.\"

\"I was conscious during his stripping of my mind. I was not allowed the luxury of the blessed dark, as your young man was. For me it was a painful tearing process. I was aware in the pensieve and at the same time I was still in my body. I could see the memories he pulled to alter. As he returned them to the pensieve I was able to wall them off, keep them separate from the whole. When he attempted to restore them, what was left of me there rejected them. I knew I preferred to die rather than live the lie he wanted.\"

\"But he didn\'t let you die, did he?\"

\"No, he was angry that all his plans were for naught. He reversed the flow and returned them to the pensieve until he found a way to bind me here. With time, he thought I would acquiesce, but he hadn\'t counted on my stubbornness.\"

\"He apparently didn\'t know you very well at all.\"

\"No, the only thing he saw was my physical beauty. He used my body many times in this room, but it never seemed to be enough. He wanted all of me to bend to his whims and I wouldn\'t.\"

\"How many of your tongue lashings did you give him?\"

\"Enough to drive him from the room almost every time he came in. After awhile, I was able to focus my anger and hate toward him. He didn\'t visit very often after that.\"

\"How did he bind you?\"

\"I don\'t understand all that he did, I only know I am. He forced a liquid down my throat and chanted a spell over the pensieve. After that, the only perspective I had left was this one.\"

\"What did he do with your body?\"

\"Are you sure you want to know? It isn\'t pleasant.\"

\"Not much of life is.\"

\"All the moisture was drawn out.\"

\"He mummified you?\"

\"I don\'t know the meaning of that word.\"

\"Basically it\'s what he did. What did he do then?\"

\"He bound me to what was left of it.\"

\"Where did he place it?\"

\"Go to the far wall, opposite the entrance.\"

Severus rose from his chair and did as she bade.

\"Look for a stone that has an impression of a coiled snake on it. It should be around the height of your shoulders in the middle of the wall.\"

Severus found the faint impression almost immediately. Pushing on the top of the stone did nothing.

\"Angelica, how did he open it?\"

\"He spoke to it in a strange language. I\'ve never heard anything like it.\"

\"Did it have a lot of hissing sounds?\"

\"Yes, do you know this language?\"

\"No, but I know someone who does. It may take a few days, but I will be back,\" he said, striding toward the floo.



\"Neville, it\'s so good to see you. How are you?\" Hermione asked, as she gave him a hug.

She\'d seen him emerge from Minerva\'s office and almost squealed as she grabbed him. He had grown quite a bit during his seventh year as a student and easily lifted her off her feet while returning the hug.

\"Hermione! I didn\'t know you were here. I\'d heard you were released from St. Mungo\'s but I figured you would have gone home with your parents,\" he said, while lowering her back down.

\"They wanted me to, but I persuaded them to let me have a go at being on my own. Are you still living with your grandmother?\"

\"Only on the weekends. During the week I stay at the nursery laboratory housing unit.\"

\"Is that with the Ministry?\"

\"Yes, I\'m apprenticed to Barry Shellmocker. He\'s a wonderful herboligist. What are you doing here? I thought you were going to Beauxbatons as an apprentice. Potions wasn\'t it?\"

\"Since it didn\'t look like I would be able to take the position, they filled it with someone else. I took an apprenticeship with Severus instead.\"

\"You\'re not kidding are you? I thought he always rejected applications for apprenticeships.\"

\"I\'m the first he\'s ever taken,\" she said, proudly.

\"Well, I\'m glad if it makes you happy, but you\'re braver than I. I\'m still not used to being related to the greas - er, him,\" he finished lamely.

\"How did it go?\"

\"To tell you the truth, I was shaking in my shoes, like I used to in his class. But then I realized I had someone else Voldemort hadn\'t taken away from me and it made all the difference. I can\'t say we\'ll ever be close, but it\'s nice to know there\'s someone other than my grandmother. He - don\'t laugh - he was almost nice.\"

\"I believe you. There\'s a lot more to him than the snarky professor we all know and love.\"

Minerva emerged from her office and after closing and warding the door joined the two in the hall.

\"Come along Hermione, I\'m going to show Neville to his chambers.\"

\"Oh, I can\'t, Minerva. I was on my way to the lab to check on a couple of potions. Where are you putting him? I\'d like to stop by later if that\'s all right with you, Neville?\"

\"Sure, Hermione,\" Neville replied.

\"I\'ll be putting him in the Gryffindor guest chambers,\" Minerva said.

\"OK. I\'ll see you later, Neville. Maybe after lunch if that\'s all right. I should be done with the potions by then.\"

\"Sure, I\'ll see you then.\"

Hermione quickened her pace after leaving them near Gryffindor Tower. She was glad to hear the initial meeting had gone well. She\'d certainly done her best to make sure Severus was in a receptive frame of mind. He seemed to still be his snarky self with the students. After all, assigning detentions with Filch and taking points were his favorite things to do. She was going to have to kick him out of her classes though. Having him stand at the back of the classroom, glaring at the students wasn\'t helping her establish her own authority with them. Maybe she should check with Minerva first, to find out how much leeway she had. No, better to approach him first, that way he wouldn\'t think she was going over his head.

\'Although he does have one head I don\'t mind going over,\' she thought to herself, a wicked little grin appearing.