Angelica's Sorrow

A/N - I meant to have this posted a few days ago, but real life has a way of throwing a few curves now and then. Actually added to my chapter a bit. A few of you out there will understand - enjoy, I did.


Redflower - I\'m so glad! My vision of things doesn\'t always go down well with others.

azulkan2 - Harry is in sad shape - more to come I\'m afraid.

jonelin - Not quite done with Harry yet.

Deb - More coming on the bier, I promise. Severus and Angelica aren\'t quite off the hook yet.

midnight tiger - You made my day with your review. I\'m always happy to hook a new reader. I hate to spoil your illusions, but this was a first time fic for me & not all was planned out ahead of time. A lot of it was a simple \'go with the flow\' situation. My beta (daughter) helped me a lot. We talk about plot lines, what will or won\'t work and why.


CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Harry shook his head in negation at Minerva\'s words. Life had never been easy and he had made it a habit of fighting for what he wanted.

\"I had a hard time believing it when Molly told me. It still hasn\'t penetrated and until it does - \" His voice thickened and he couldn\'t continue.

\"Molly Weasley told you,\" Minerva stated with a touch of ire in her voice.

Harry merely nodded his head, closing his eyes, feeling the tears starting to flow. Since his confrontation with Snape and being knocked unconscious he was totally confused. Emotions seemed to be stampeding around inside his heart, not allowing him to focus. For the first time in a long time, he was afraid.

\"Harry, are you all right?\"

His eyes opened and focused on her face. She and Dumbledore were both elderly. What if he lost them, too?

\"I don\'t know anymore,\" he whispered, starting to tremble. \"Everything is jumbled, nothing is making sense and I\'m - suddenly afraid.\"

\"Afraid of what?\" she asked gently.

\"That\'s just it. I don\'t know,\" he said, running a hand through his hair.

\"You sit here for just a moment while I get Poppy.\"

Keeping an eye on Harry, Minerva walked over and flooed the hospital ward. When Poppy\'s apprentice answered Minerva told him to have Poppy come to her office immediately.

\"But Professor, I can help you. I\'m right here,\" he said, filled with the supreme confidence only a confirmed jackass can have that they always know best.

\"Mr. Whimple, if I had wanted your assistance I wouldn\'ve ave asked for Madam Pomfrey. I\'m sure you\'re perfectly competent in a great many situations, however, this isn\'t one of them. Get her for me, now.\"

\"Right away, Professor,\" he sniffed, offended.

Returning to her seat, Minerva took Harry\'s hand. She wasn\'t sure if he was aware of her return. His eyes had a slightly glazed look and the tears were continuing to fall. Something had occurred which had broken through the fortress he had built inside. He had been untouchable and distant for far too long.

While they waited for Poppy, Minerva made a mental note to talk to Albus and Poppy about Mr. Whimple. She didn\'t see how he would ever make an acceptable Mediwizard. Far too full of himself. Maybe their opinions differed, but from what she\'d seen for herself and heard from students, he needed to be dropped as soon as possible. His grades from Beauxbatons had been more than adequate, but she was beginning to see why he hadn\'t been granted an apprenticeship there. The man didn\'t have an ounce of compassion in his soul and was sure he already knew everything there was to know.

\"Minerva, what\'s wrong?\" Poppy asked from the door.

\"I think the dam has finally broken. He started crying, said he was afraid but didn\'t know why. Hasn\'t said a word e.\"e.\"

\"I\'ll contact Katerina at St. Mungo\'s. She\'s been waiting for something like this to happen.\"

\"Will she be able to help?\" Minerva ask
\
\"Katerina\'s one of the best. Harry, stand up, love. We\'re going to help you find a nice quiet place to lie down for awhile,\" Poppy said, while sliding an arm around his waist. \"Minerva, if you would follow and keep your wand handy in case he faints or falls I would appreciate it.\"

\"Of course.\"

The tto tto the ward was accomplished without incident. Tears continued to fall from Harry\'s eyes and seemed unstoppable. Poppy lead him to a far corner where he wouldn\'t be disturbed and readied him for bed with a few deft flicks. After making him comfortable, she took his wand and handed it to Minerva.

\"I don\'t think it would be a good idea for him to have this for awhile,\" Poppy stated. \"I need to floo Katerina as soon as possible.\"

Minerva walked with her to her office door and said, \"I understand. I\'ll be informing Albus of the latest development and I\'m sure he won\'t mind securing it until he\'s ready to have it returned.\"

A short time later Poppy returned to Harry\'s bed and found Abner Whimple trying to get him to swallow a potion. Harry had turned his head and closed his eyes.

\"Abner, I don\'t recall asking you to dose the patient with anything. Stop it immediately.\"

\"Well, it\'s obvious he needs a calming potion,\" he said, straightening and looked at the dowdy little woman who was far beneath his notice.

\"No, he doesn\'t. What is obvious and has been put off far too long is the termination of your apprenticeship. Consider yourself sacked, Mr. Whimple.\"

\"You can\'t do that. You don\'t have the authority,\" he sneered.

\"I think you\'ll be surprised at what I have the authority to do. Get out of my ward and don\'t return. I\'ll send you the termination papers by owl.\"

\"When I tell the headmaster how you\'re treated me - I don\'t think I\'ll be the one sacked, you batty old cow. Not to mention the archaic methods you cling to. I\'m sure he\'ll be thrilled to replace you once I fill him in on the details.\"

\"You do that, Mr. Whimple. I\'m sure he\'ll be very interested. Now, are you going to leave my ward or do you require assistance?\" she asked, slipping her ward out of her sleeve.

\"Threats! How dare you?\" he asked, quickly stepping out the door.

Quickly throwing several wards that would keep the idiot out, she mumbled, \"I\'ll show him threats, should sick Severus on him. Better yet, chop the bloody twit up and feed him to the squid. No, probably give him indigestion. Too much fat in the brain.\"



\"I don\'t care for the appearance of the strands, Severus. I\'ve only seen their like one other place.\"

\"Where would that be?\"

\"The castle\'s core.\"

Snape\'s spirits sank. \'Damn you, Salazar.\'

\"Severus, what is it? What\'s wrong?\" Angelica asked him.

\"Nothing, Angelica. We haven\'t been able to approach the bier yet, that\'s all,\" he lied, trying to shut down his emotions.

\"Angelica is speaking to you?\" Albus inquired.

\"Not at all, Headmaster. I merely felt the need to vocalize my frustration,\" he snapped.

\"Even I have been known to ask the occasionally less than brilliant question, Severus. You are forgiven. I must admit a bit of envious fascination.\" Albus paused, gazed up and asked, \"Angelica, would you do this old man a great honor and speak with me?\"

\"What would you have me say?\" she asked.

\"This is amazing. Your voice seems to resonate in my mind. It\'s a very beautiful voice, by the way. Would you mind if I take a seat in - Severus, a hospital cot seems to have taken the place of your desk. Why is that?\"

\"Merely a place for Mr. Potter to - recover. The process of opening the room seemed to - drain him. Allow me.\" Severus returned the desk to its former condition.

\"Strange, opening the Chamber never seemed to affect him. Why would - \"

\"Albus - that is your name?\" Angelica interrupted, anxious to forestall any further questioning. \"How long have you been Headmaster of Hogwarts? My daughter Margaret attended, but there were four in charge then. When did it change to only one?\"

Sitting down in the chair Albus noticed the footstool and waived it over, preparing for a long, hopefully interesting conversation that would keep her occupied. Severus allowed himself a smirk at the realization that each was trying to \'protect\' him from the other. His attention returned to the room as a one sided conversation appeared to ensue. Revealing spells were shot over the top, around the sides and on the top of the bier itself.

\'No more traps, but it\'s damned discouraging the revealing spells bounce off the strands. Won\'t be easy to unravel at all.\'

Finally able to approach, he attempted to view the body through the strands. A vague outline of a fors als all that could be discerned. The strands themselves were quite fascinating. There appeared to be four distinct colors involved, green, red, blue and yellow.

\'The four houses? Did he have the audacity to drain power from the core? Was it still feeding it somehow? Could it be stoppered? Will have to discuss this with Albus in his office, away from Angelica.\'

At an impasse, he started casting revealing spells on the walls of books surrounding him. Only a few were guarded and special attention was paid to the titles. They were pulled from the shelves as they were identified and stacked by the door. One in particular caught his attention - \'Experimental Wand Making\' by Stefanos Mountaguire. That would definitely be one volume he would peruse quite closely when he had the opportunity. The great majority dealt with ancient dark magic.

\'Have never even heard of these. Might provide clues - \'

\"Merlin\'s beard,\" he whispered aloud, stunned at what he\'d found. A private journal detailing Salazar\'s day to day actions. Hidden from all, locked away forever. A deep revealing spell found nothing that would preclude him from taking the journal to his quarters. The volume slid easily into a pocket as he stepped back into the Pensieve Room.

\"Albus, if you two don\'t mind, I\'m going to return to my quarters to research a few things. I will return and finish checking the books later.\"

\"Quite all right, Severus. Angelica and I have been having a most fascinating conversation.\"

Severus said, \"Angelica, I have taken the liberty of securing the entrance. Will it disturb you to leave it open?\"

\"I don\'t believe it will make a difference after all these years.\" There was a hint of laughter in her voice and a small rush of love washed over him. \"I appreciate your concern, but I am sure it will be fine.\"

\"I will leave you in Albus\' capable hands.\"

\"He seems to be quite an intelligent man, also.\"

Severus tilted his head while eyeing Albus. \"Debatable.\"

\"You\'re slipping,\" she responded with a chuckle.

\"Indeed. How?\"

\"To give someone a perfectly good opportunity for blackmail? Come now, what are you planning?\"

\"Albus and I have those types of debates all the time. I gave you noththatthat he doesn\'t already know.\"

\"Bugger.\"

\"I think Albus is feeling rather neglected, Angelica. I\'ll be back fairly soon.\"

Severus turned and headed towards the fireplace as Albus and Angelica continued their conversation.

\"Now, my dear. Where were we?\"

\"You were telling me about a Tom Riddle that went to school here.\"

\"Yes, one of my great failures. We\'re finally cleaning up the last of the destruction he caused. There were a great many lives lost,\" he reflected sadly.