Angelica's Sorrow

A/N - jonelin, Deb & Lindsay - Thank you so much my friends - finally - it\'s updated.


CHAPTER THIRTY

\'Damn, where is that meddling old fool when you need him?\' Snape grumbled to himself striding through Dumbldore\'s office, not finding him or Fawkes anywhere.

\"Fawkes! Bloody bird, where are you?\"

Frustration was eating through the newly found peacefulness in his s An Angelica\'s body was a mere whisper away from discovery. He was sorely tempted to contact Potter himself, but the chances of him refusing Severus entirely for spite were too great to risk.

He sprinted down the spiral staircase muttering to himself, \"Minerva will surely know where he\'s gone.\"

Severus\' frustration only increased upon finding her closed and warded office. \'Neville! She\'s taken the bloody prat to his rooms. Lived here for seven blasted years, you\'d think he’d know the way in his sleep. Probably taking great pleasure in having one of her old students back, talking until she\'s blue, puttering around like a mother hen. Still can\'t believe I\'m related to the little twit. Another reason to be thankful Lucius is dead. Never would\'ve let me hear the end of it.\'

\"Mr. Ives, five points from Hufflepuff for making a professor dodge,\" he snarled, after turning away from the door and almost running over poor Mr. Christopher Ives, a lowly first year. \"What are you doing in this hallway on a Saturday? Well, speak up!\"

\"I\'m sorry, sir. I\'m - I don\'t know my way around yet and I\'ve lost my way to the Hufflepuff Common Room.\"

\"Does anything in this hallway look like it would lead there?\" Severus sneered, leaning over, enjoying the sheer terror on the young lad\'s face.

\"No, I don\'t think I\'ve ever been in this hallway before,\" Christopher whimpered.

\"Then I suggest you turn yourself around and go back the other way, Mr. Ives.\"

\"Y-yes, sir. Could you - never mind.\"

Christopher turned and started back, not quite running. Severus waited until he was almost at the end of the hall.

\"Mr. Ives!\"

\"Yes, sir?\"

\"Five points from Hufflepuff for being lost.\"

\"Severus, that was totally uncalled for. The poor child was lost, couldn\'t you have at least pointed him in the right direction before taking points?\" Minerva asked, walking up behind him.

\"If and that is a very large if, he manages to find the way back, perhaps having no assistance will improve his memory. He\'s been lost at least six different times in the last four days.\"

\"Perhaps I\'d better speak to Pomona about him.\"

\"Do you know where I might find Albus?\" asked Snape.

\"He went to the Burrow to discuss some things with Arthur.\"

\"It\'s rather important I speak with him fairly soon. Do you know when he will be returning?\"

\"No, not exactly, but I\'ll let him know you need to speak with him.\"

\"Damn inconvenient of him to take off like that.\"

\"I\'ll be sure and let him know to check with you in the future before leaving, shall I?\"

\"Just tell me, will it at least be today?\"

\"Yes. He should be here for dinner if Molly doesn\'t talk him into staying.\"

Severus refrained from cussing, merely closing his eyes briefly before asking, \"I don\'t suppose there\'s any chance I can interrupt their little meeting?\"

\"I - I don\'t think that would be a good idea right now. They\'re discussing memorial scholarships for Ron and Charlie Weasley. Arthur asked if Albus would expound on the circumstances surrounding their deaths.\"

\"You can\'t mean they haven\'t been told before now?\"

\"Arthur couldn\'t or wouldn\'t listen to everything before and Molly is now finally strong enough, physically anyway, to hear the truth. They need to know how brave they both were.\"

Minerva noticed a brief lance of pain through his eyes as he turned on his heel and strode away, saying, \"Or how incredibly thick headed they were not to duck, but what can you expect from bloody Gryffindors.\"


Molly was openly sobbing while Arthur held her in his arms. He was almost glad she had been unaware during the first few months. His wounds weren\'t as fresh and would enable him to comfort her without totally falling apart. At least that\'s what he kept telling himself. Charlie\'s death had been the hardest to hear relayed. His refusal to seek medical attention while protecting several wounded students had been his death sentence. Rondeatdeath had at least been quick.

Molly pulled herself together, wiping her eyes with a tea towel, saying, \"Arthur, I think I need to lie down awhile. Albus, please, excuse me.\"

\"Of course, Molly,\" Albus said.

\"Do you need help?\" Arthur asked, as she rose.

\"No, I\'ll be all right. I just want a little time alone,\" she said, exiting quickly.

\"I want you to know that Severus still hasn\'t been able to rid himself of the guilt he feels over Ron\'s sacrifice,\" Albus said.

Arthur nodded his head and replied, \"I can see why it would bother him, but he has to know how grateful we are for all he\'s done.\"

\"He would have a difficult time accepting such a sacrifice from anyone. Severus doesn\'t see the world the same as most people. To him, everyone has a secret agenda. That attitude served him well as a spy, but I don\'t know if there\'s anyone, anywher tru trusts completely. If he knew I was having this conversation with you, I doubt he would ever tell me anything again.\"

\"In other words, be careful how much I tell Molly?\"

\"I would be grateful if you were somewhat circumspect concerning any information I relay on his behalf.\"

\"I understand. How can we help?\"

\"Treat him as you would normally. Anything else would raise his suspicions.\"

\"Ginny told me he and Hermione have - become an item, I think is the current phrase. Have they made any wedding plans?\"

\"Not to my knowledge, but the relationship is young and still feeling its way. How long did you and Molly date before you decided to get married?\"

\"I don\'t know that I had a choice,\" Arthur replied, smiling slightly. \"I was so besotted, still am, that I really didn\'t care as long as she was with me. It\'s so strange, I can be a rock for her, but without her I\'m nothing but quicksand. Those few months without her almost cost me my sanity.\"

\"Arthur, I didn\'t know you could be so eloquent.\"

\"I\'ve had to hone my skills since becoming Minister. You wouldn\'t believe what some people can take as offensive.\"

\"I don\'t think I would be all that surprised. You forget how many years I\'ve been a Headmaster. We deal with many of the same bureaucratic imbeciles.\"

\"Too true. I\'m still weeding out the dead weight left behind by Fudge. I think I\'ll be putting at least half his extended family out of work by the time I\'m done. Would you believe he had his second cousin\'s son-in-law count how many muggles walked by the eastern entrance of the Ministry once a month? The job was classified under security and was paying him a full time Auror\'s wage. At least fifty essential positions have been consolidated into ten real full time jobs and I\'m only half way through the list of employees. I can\'t underd hod how he was able to get by with so much for so long without it being exposed.\"

\"Unfortunately I have no trouble believing it.\"

\"The question is, will my poor secretary have enough hours in the day to answer all the hate mail I\'ve been getting.\"

\"From former employees?\"

\"And their families and friends.\"

\"Have you considered making this public?\"

\"No, I thought that would only make the stink more pronounced.\"

\"Sometimes, you must thoroughly expose the malignancy to determine how much damage has been caused. Only then can it be successfully removed and destroyed.\"

\"It does seem the redundant positions are getting harder to ferret out and eradicate than they were in the beginning. I\'ll talk it over with Amelia on Monday. You will be staying for lunch won\'t you?\"

\"Thankfully, there\'s nothing pressing for my return so that would indeed be a delightful change of pace.\"


\"How in the world did Ingersoll manage to make his way into my double potions class? His O.W.L. was barely adequate. Minerva just has to push those bloody Gryffindors forward,\" muttered Snape, as he filled Ivan Ingersoll\'s essay with corrections in red.

\'Finally, finished with the last of the essays for the first week of classes. Now what? Check the storeroom? No, Hermione had done that after classes on Friday. Poppy\'s supplies won\'t need refilling for a few weeks, sohinghing to do there. Don\'t even particularly feel like terrorizing students at the moment. Gods, I\'m bored. Sometimes I miss Voldemort just a little. Life had never been dull when he was around.\'

Severus stood and removed his robe and laid it across his desk. He quickly unbuttoned his jacket, removed and laid it atop the robe. His shirt cuff was unbuttoned as he seated himself, and the sleeve peeled back to reveal the mark. It hadn\'t faded at all in the months following Voldemort\'s demise. Long slender fingers traced the outline and pinched the skin. It didn\'t seem to have the same depth as before.

\'Maybe I can find a way to remove the hateful reminder of my youthful stupidity. The Restricted Section of the library might provide a starting point.\'

\"Has it changed at all?\"

Severus had been so absorbed while examining his arm, he hadn\'t noticed Hermione in the doorway.

\"The only difference is in the depth.\"

\"How?\" she asked, while walking over and sitting down in front of the desk.

\"It\'s hard to explain. Even when he was dormant, there was always a tendril, a connection of possession that isn\'t there now.\"

\"Can it be removed?\"

\"I was contemplating that very question when you came in. I thought I might start my research in the Restricted Section of the library. Care to join me?\" he asked, buttoning his sleeve and sliding back into his jacket.

\"I promised Neville I would stop by after lunch for a bit, but after that I would be delighted to help. Speaking of lunch, are you ready?\"

\"I had a rather late breakfast. Do you mind going without me? I have a few other things I\'d like to check while there are no students around.\"

\"I supposed I can manage without your company this once. Maybe I\'ll sit with Neville and catch up while we\'re eating. Then I could join you right away.\"

\"Take your time, I won\'t be doing anything but reading for awhile and I hope to be able to speak with Albus before dinner,\" he stated, picking up his teacher\'s robe and rising. \"If I\'m not in the library, hopefully I\'ll be with him and that meeting may take most of the afternoon.\"

\"Anything wrong?\" she asked, standing up as he joined her on the other side of the desk.

\"No, but I really can\'t discuss it yet.\"

\"Oh, sounds interesting. Almost as interesting as the package that was delivered to my quarters this morning.\"

\"It\'s finally arrived? Did you open it already?\"

\"Yes, I did.\"

\"Well, do you like them or not?\"

\"Depends.\"

\"Depends on what?\"

\"I think this conversation should take place later - there are too many curiearsears floating around outside your office doors.\"

\"Now who\'s being paranoid?\" he asked, as they exited his office, pausing only to close and ward the door.


Albus found him three hours later, surrounded by y, ay, ancient tomes. He paused, studying Severus\' face before disturbing him. The changes wrought in the last few months were amazing really. Fatigue and pain were no longer imbedded upon his countenance and while he would never have a rosy glow to his cheeks there was a tinge of color. Probably all those picnics.

\"Minerva said you wanted to see me, Severus?\"

\"Yes, it\'s rather important.\"

\"Rose garden or office?\"

\"Office. I\'ll need to gather my notes and put these away. May I meet you there?\"

\"Does our conversation have anything to do with your research?\"

\"No, this was just something to fill some empty hours. ing ing an apprentice frees more time that I thought it would.\"

\"Are you complaining?\"

\"Not at all, Albus. It gives me much more time to terr - guide the students.\"

\"I did notice house points seem to be going down at an alarming rate. Especially for Hufflepuff. Slytherin seems to be the only house holding its own.\"

\"Really? I\'ll have to have a look at the standings,\" he said, standing and stretching.

\"There you are,\" Hermione said, walking over to join them.

\"Actually, I was preparing to gather my notes and pack up. Albus andave ave some things to discuss.\"

\"I can pick up where you\'ve left off if you like,\" she offered.

\"Severus, I\'ll see you in a few minutes,\" Albus said. \"Hermione, good afternoon.\"

\"Good afternoon, Headmaster,\" she replied as he walked away.

\"These are the ones I\'ve already looked through,\" Severus stated, placing his hand on the tallest pile. \"These I\'m going to study further,\" indicating a much shorter stack, \"and these three still have to be examined.\"

\"May I use your quill?\" Hermione asked.

Leaning over he whispered in her ear, \"I have something far more interesting than a quill you could use.\"

\"Stop that,\" she whispered back. \"I\'ll never be able to concentrate and there could be students around.\"

\"Not in the restricted section, my dear. Might make for an interesting afternoon.\"

\"Albus is waiting for you.\"

\"He\'d understand, after all I have to fully explain where I\'ve stopped don\'t I?\"

\"Go, now!\" she hissed, pushing him away.

\"You wound me to the quick.\"

\"I think you\'ll recover quite nicely.\"

\"Since it\'s Saturday, dinner in the hall or my quarters tonight?\"

\"Your quarters or mine. It\'s frustrating not to be able to do anything but talk in the hall.\"

\"Yours then. I really don\'t know how long this meeting with Albus will take,\" he said, turning to leave, \"and yes, you may use my quill.\"


\"Over here, Severus,\" Albus said. \"I\'ve taken the liberty of ordering you a light lunch since Poppy informed me you missed it earlier.\"

Severus joined him at the table near the fireplace. Albus had a piece of chocolate cake in front of and and a cup of tea. In front of the other chair, there was a plate with a sandwich, a bowl of soup and a cup of tea.

\"Why is she still keeping tabs on what I eat? I had a late breakfast, did she tell you that as well?\"

\"Yes, she did. Now, what can\'t wait for our normal staff meeting?\"

Two hours later the sandwich and soup were long gone and the tea had been replenished numerous times. Albus was, frankly astounded.

\"I honestly don\'t know what to think of your plan. If the bindings can be reversed or negated, you want to acquire a body that was kissed by a dementor and put Angelica in it? You haven\'t mentioned any of this to her have you?\"

\"I may have been injured, Albus, but my brain wasn\'t scrambled. I know a lot depends on tracing the bindings Salazar used. It may be totally impossible, but we won\'t know if we don\'t try.\"

\"What if it\'s possible and she doesn\'t want it? What will you do then?\"

\"It is her choice. I am hoping she will try.\"

\"She may choose death if it\'s possible.\"

\"That - would be difficult.\"

\"Something else has occurred to me. If moving her \'spirit\' into a witch or wizard\'s body works, will she be able to perform magic?\"

\"The same thought has occurred to me. I don\'t know. I\'m also worried about keeping the altered memories from joining her in the new body.\"

\"We would have to get permission from the Ministry and I would assume any relatives. If there are no female bodies available would she accept a male?\"

\"She doesn\'t have a very high opinion of most males, so I\'m not sure. Do you think you can persuade Potter to open the chamber?\"

\"I don\'t think that will be a problem, but I dislike the idea of filling him in on all the details.\"

\"You don\'t trust Potter? The boy-who-lived! Albus, I\'m finally convinced - your wisdom is amazing.\"

\"It\'s not that I don\'t trust him. The fewer people who know about this the better.\"

\"Does this mean you don\'t want me to fill Hermione in on the details?\"

\"No,\" Albus paused. \"She seems to keep her own counsel, but I don\'t think it would be wise to raise her or Angelica\'s hopes until we see what we\'re up against.\"

\"I agree.\"

\"I\'ll send Harry an owl and see how soon he can join us.\"

A/N - Now comes the tricky part. My brain has been fried from too many late nights over taxes and I have a week of real estate classes starting May 3rd. I have several ways to go from here, obviously, and I\'d like you to cast a vote. The problem is - one minute I\'m gonna have Angelica want to die. Or maybe Salazar used bindings connected to the magic of Hogwarts and she has to be the way she is until Hogwarts is no more. (this was the first ending I had in mind - very cruel I know.) Or Severus and Hermione manage to convince her to live a \'normal\' life in a borrowed body. If she decides that - MALE OR FEMALE? Magic or no magic? Help me decide!