Angelica's Sorrow

CHAPTER FOUR


The wind still blew softly around Hogwarts. It had done this since that terrible day. It would not allow any further disturbance until the castle itself was fully healed. Soft rain was allowed, but only at night. Sunlight was needed for warmth and healing, but the full power of the sun was filtered by downy clouds. The wind gently stirred the medal hanging from the ribbon on the hut\'s door. The ribbon itself would never have been long enough to fit around Hagrid\'s neck, but then he wouldn\'t have worn it anyway.

Dumbledore looked out from his balcony and smiled. It wasn\'t a happy smile, but there was some small measure of satisfaction mixed within the saddness. Hogwarts was going to survive. The healing had started with the scars in the grass. They were even smaller today. The trees looked a little straighter and possibly a little greener. The mortar between the stones of the castle was starting to strengthen as well. It had worried him for a time that there wouldn\'t be enough of a reserve to restore the bonding.

Sunlight flicked his eyes for a moment. It drew his eyes to Hagrid\'s hut where the medal glinted in the sun. The preserving charm would hold it there until Dumbledore chose to remove it. That would come closer to the new term when Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank would take Hagrid\'s position. No one could take his place at Hogwarts, but the position had to be filled.

Dumbledore turned and made his way back into his office and down the stairs. He hadn\'t seen Severus yet today, but knew he had made an appearance at breakfast. Perhaps he had better visit the laboratory and see for himself. He had an important decision to make and needed to discuss it with Severus. He gathered five books into his hands and left. As he walked down the stairs to the dungeons he felt older in some ways than he ever had before. There was a deep tiredness that he had never experienced before. He briefly considered retiring at the end of next term, but knew he couldn\'t. Somehow with that thought the tiredness grew deeper.

Dumbledore paused outside the private entrance to Snape\'s quarters and knocked. There was no answer. After finding and lowering the wards he entered Snape\'s private laboratory and noted the disarray. This was highly unusual and he feared it might also portray Snape\'s state of mind. He looked around but did not see Severus. He stepped into Snape\'s private office and left the five books there for him to find. He replaced the wards behind him as he left. Fawkes was sent to search the grounds for Severus, but only to let him know where he was and not to send him to Dumbledore.

While Fawkes was searching for Snape, Dumbledore returned to the first floor and noted that the staircase going to the Gryffindor common room was finally moving again. Another good sign. It had been stuck for at least a week in the same position. He cast his eyes over the portrats and noted that most of them were mobile again. Only a few were still as frozen as a muggle photo. Another few days, or weeks should have them all back to normal. Strange, he still hadn\'t seen Peeves. Of course with all the damage done to Hogwarts there wasn\'t much Peeves would have been able to do to make things any worse.

By the time Dumbledore reached the front doors Fawkes returned to him, trilling a song.

\"Ah, yes. Thank you, my friend. I will go to him.\"

He was down by the lake, again. Staring into the water as though it might give him the answers he sought.

\"What do you want, Albus.\"

\"Only to try and help.\"

\"There is no help. I have tried everything I know how to try.\"

\"I did have a thought earlier that might help us determine what curse was used.\"

\"Poppy and every doctor in the wizarding world have tried every diagnostic trick in the book to attempt that. What is left?\"

\"Something that\'s not in the book.\"

\"I grow tired of your riddles, Headmaster. If you know of something that might help just spit it out for once!\"

\"It has only been tried once before, a very long time ago. I do not know if it will help.\"

\"What at this point will do more harm?\"

\"I propose to choose one of the four and have all their memories moved to a pensieve. Due to the nature of the curse, we have been unable to locate the memory itself. This might work by allowing us to sift through until we find the one we need.\"

\"You\'re talking about a lifetime of memories. Do you realize the size of the pensieve that would be needed?\"

\"Yes, I do. There is one in the bowels of Hogwarts beneath your dungeons. Salazar Slytherin was the wizard who created it. It is in one of the rooms off of the Chamber of Secrets. I discovered it while I was making sure there were no more suprises in store for us.\"

\"Why would he have created such a thing?\" Snape was astounded that such a thing was already in existence.

\"He wanted to try and manipulate the life experiences of an adult and see if he could change the person. He apparently altered too many memories and the body couldn\'t or wouldn\'t intergrate them. They were lost and the body was left as an empty shell.\"

\"How can you propose this, knowing we could be assigning one of them to an even worse fate?\"

\"Severus, we would not be altering the memories. They would be unchanged. What is left for us to try?\"

Snape pondered as he turned to walk back towards the castle. \"I want to inspect the pensieve before we even consider this possibility. If Salazar is the one who created it, there may be safeguards around, or in it that would preclude anyone else from using it for any reason other than what he intended.\"

\"I agree. It would be the prudent course. You will need the diaries I found along with the pensieve. They outline all the steps he took to remove the memories without harming the physical aspect of the brain or the body.\"

\"How many times did he try this?\"

\"Only one that was documented. I do not know if there were others.\"

\"I suspect there were many others. He did not accept defeat gracefully.\"

\"I know.\"

\"How soon can you give me the diaries? I need to get started as soon as possible.\"

\"They are waiting for you in your private office.\"

Severus paused. \"Albus, do you know the meaning of private? I resent your entering without my knowledge or consent.\"

\"I am aware of the meaning of the word. I only entered after I received no answer and became concerned.\"

Snape snorted and continued walking. \"Which one of the four will be used?\"

\"There are other people involved and I will leave it up to them to decide which one is to be placed at risk. I will contact the families when we have determined that we can proceed. I know Salazar used a muggle woman in her late thirties and the pensieve was barely adequate to contain all her memories. I do not know if it would hold all the memories of an older person such as Sibyll or Molly. It may come down to Mr. Malfoy or Miss Granger.\"

\"Use Mr. Malfoy.\"

\"That would require Narcissa\'s permission. We will ask at the appropriate time.\"

There was no twinkle present in the Headmaster\'s gaze. \"Go. Read the diaries. We can do nothing further now.\"

\"Yes, Headmaster.\"

Severus turned and strode rapidly towards the castle, leaving Dumbledore to watch as his shoulders straightened and purpose once more seemed to drive his steps. He hadn\'t seen this much determination in Severus since the final battle. Good, perhaps this would be the solution. They needed closure, one way or another.