A Song for Severus ~ (Not Update, but Edit)

Chapter 64 ~ Brother and Sister Meet

Two days later, Volaria was in the process of walking up the dungeon corridor after leaving Potions class when Professor Snape opened his office door and with one pale finger beckoned her inside. Volaria always seemed to be the last one to leave the classroom, checking over her notes and the board to make sure she had all of her assignments correct.

The blonde witch entered the Potions office, her backpack slung over one shoulder, bulging with books. Severus looked at her. Yes, she did remind him of Hermione in her younger years.

”You should reduce your books,” he suggested, “It will save your posture.”

Volaria looked surprised she hadn’t thought of this herself.

”Thanks Professor,” she said, putting her backpack on the floor, sitting down in the rickety chair and looking at the wizard expectantly. After a moment, Severus held out a piece of parchment. Volaria took it from him and studied it. It was a pass for extra Potions tutoring, signed for today from seven pm – until.

“Give that to Professor Flitwick after supper, then meet me here,” the Potions Master said, “We must work on the spell.”

Volaria looked at the Professor, who stared back at her stoically. Suddenly, she knew.

“He’s here isn’t he?” she said in a whisper, her eyes starting to fill with terror.

Severus studied her.

“Yes, he’s here. But before you melt into a puddle of terror, Miss Ruddle, I must let you know that he has been transformed back into a normal wizard…in appearance at least. And he has no wand,” the Potions Master said.

Volaria blinked at him for several moments.

”He has lips and a nose?” she asked him.

“Yes. Yes. Hair, ears…the works, Miss Ruddle. He is no longer a magical danger to you,” Severus said impatiently, “However, he seems willing to cooperate with us and be rehabilitated.”

”He’s lying,” Volaria said firmly, “He’s planning something terrible. He might act like he’s going along Professor, but I know him. He’s not.”

”I agree with your assessment, Miss Ruddle, which is why I want you to have that spell down pat when Miss Granger comes to you with the news Voltaire wants to see you.”

He arched an eyebrow at her.

Volaria nodded slowly, though her heart was pounding at the idea of seeing her brother again.

”When we meet tonight, I will go over the details with you…what you are to do,” the wizard said to her, “No one must ever know I was involved with this, Miss Ruddle. If you go through with it…you will face the consequences alone. This is the price we pay for following our own hearts.”

”I understand, Professor. I would never implicate you,” the witch said bravely, “He’s my brother. This is up to me.”

Severus nodded with approval.

”You would have made a fine Slytherin, Miss Ruddle,” he said to the witch by way of compliment.”

Volaria gave him a little smile as she stood up and hoisted her bag on her shoulder.

“Yes. But I think I make a finer Ravenclaw,” she said with a bit of house pride.

Severus fought back a smirk.

“Until this evening, Miss Ruddle,” he said, opening the door for her.

“Goodbye, Professor Snape,” the girl said, exiting his office.

Severus closed the door and looked thoughtful. Volaria seemed determined to see this through, but when the wands were down, could she do it?

Only time would tell.

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Severus stared at the niffler Volaria just placed the spell on.

”Quite effective,” Severus said to the rather pale witch, “You learn quickly. Did it drain you?”

”I feel a bit drained, but not too much,” she replied.

Severus took out another niffler, which was happily running on the wheel in the cage when it was grabbed. The Potions Master set it on the floor in front of Volaria.

“Again,” he said imperiously.

Volaria concentrated, then cast the spell. Again, it was effective.

”Very good. You are probably going to have to focus much harder when it comes to Voltaire. Remember what you are going for…oblivion,” the wizard said.

Volaria nodded.

"Yes sir,” she replied, staring at the niffler.

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The following Friday evening, Hermione retrieved Volaria from supper and brought her up to Albus’ office. The Headmaster was seated at his desk.

“Ah, good evening, Miss Ruddle,” the Headmaster said to her.

“Good evening sir,” Volaria replied, sitting in one comfy armchair in front of the wizard’s desk as Hermione took the other. Hermione didn’t greet him. Volaria knew the witch had probably already been with the Headmaster before she came to get her.

”Volaria, I brought you here to inform you Voltaire is here at the castle,” Albus said.

Volaria sat there without any visible reaction, her face a bit stony.

Hermione leaned forward.

“Volaria, don’t you have anything to say about that?” she asked the young witch.

Volaria shook her head.

“No. You already told me he was coming, Hermione and I told you how I felt about it. There is nothing else to say,” she replied.

Hermione and Albus looked at each other.

“He wants to see you, Volaria. He’s been very cooperative and wanted me to ask if you would visit him. It wouldn’t have to be a long visit,” Hermione said.

“What has he been saying?” Volaria asked.

“He’s been telling us what it was like to be raised by Bellatrix. How she used to beat him to make him strong and able to stand great pain,” the wizard said.

Volaria looked incredulous.

“Bellatrix never beat him! She let him do whatever he wanted. He never got punished for anything!” she declared.

”Maybe she didn’t let you see her mistreat him that way, but she did beat him, Volaria and forced him to kill animals and house elves,” Hermione said.

“No. No, he liked to kill, Hermione….I swear he did. Voltaire’s lying to get you to sympathize with him,” the witch claimed.

Both Hermione and Albus sighed. The girl was definitely riding on the wrong broom.

”He also told us, Miss Ruddle, that he would never harm his own sister. Perhaps it was because of Bellatrix you felt that way,” the Headmaster said gently, “He loves you.”

”Oh good gods,” Volaria thought, feeling a lot like she imagined Professor Snape felt toward these two. Her mouth formed a thin line. She wasn’t going to say anything more about this but thought she might need a pair of thigh high boots to wade through all the dragon dung Voltaire was spreading about in his rooms.

“Will you go see him?” Hermione asked the witch, “He’s no longer dangerous. He’s been changed back into a normal young wizard now…he’s very handsome and he has no wand, so it will be safe to visit him.”

”Can I bring my wand?” she asked.

”Yes, you can,” the Headmaster replied, thinking it would make the witch more at ease.

”All right. I’ll visit him then. When?” she asked.

“Tonight. Now,” Hermione said, smiling.

”Now?” Volaria said, her heart starting to pound again. She thought she’d have some time to get ready, to prepare herself.

“No time like the present, Miss Ruddle,” Albus said briskly, rubbing his hands together and standing up, “We’ll take the floo.”

“But…but…” Volaria protested weakly as Hermione drew her out of the chair and walked toward the fireplace, “I’m…I’m not ready.”

”Just cold feet, Miss Ruddle,” Albus chuckled, throwing some floo powder into the flames, which turned green.

“Hermione Granger’s rooms,” the wizard said.

They all walked through.

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Severus was walking down the dungeon corridor from supper when he saw Hermione, Albus and Volaria exit Hermione’s rooms. He ducked back into a niche, watching closely as they turned into the niche that led to the lower levels.

“Well Volaria, it’s up to you now,” the wizard breathed.

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”Volaria!” Voltaire said with a warm smile, walking up to his sister and embracing her warmly. Hermione and Albus beamed as the witch tensed up, her face pressed into her brother’s chest. Voltaire released her.

“I’ve missed you,” he said to the witch, who narrowed her eyes at him. Yes, he looked a lot like he used to, but was older now, his face more mature and angular. His voice was much deeper too.

”You look…good, Voltaire,” Volaria said cautiously.

”I feel good. Better than I’ve ever felt in my life, sister. How do you like attending Hogwarts?” he asked.

Volaria felt as if everything were surreal…Voltaire being polite and making small talk, acting as if he cared what she did…had he really changed?

“I enjoy it,” she said shortly, looking back at Albus and Hermione, who immediately misinterpreted her look.

“I imagine you would both like to be alone to catch up,” Albus said walking to the door, followed by a smiling Hermione, “Just knock when you want to be let out, Volaria…but you can visit as long as you like.”

Volaria looked at them nervously.

“All right,” she said in a soft voice.

Witch and wizard exited, and she looked back at Voltaire, whose eyes instantly narrowed.

“It figured you’d just fold and go along with them. You’re so fucking weak, Volaria,” he hissed at her.

Volaria frowned. Now this was the Voltaire she remembered.

“They offered me a normal life…not one full of blood and death, Voltaire. I didn’t want that,” she shot back at him, “Now I have friends and teachers. I’m happy for the first time in my life.”

”Didn’t take much did it? You’re as much a traitor as that bastard Snape,” Voltaire said, sitting down on the bed.

“You were going to kill me, Voltaire. I know you were. You considered me a rival for father’s throne when I never wanted it,” she said.

”I couldn’t have you producing children, Volaria. They will be rivals as well, and might not have your attitude,” the wizard shot back at her.

Volaria looked at her brother with her eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean they ‘will’ be rivals, Voltaire? You’re not going to be the Dark Lord now. You’re normal,” she said to him.

“You’re out of your mind if you think I’m going to just be another commonplace wizard, Volaria. I was born to lead. I will become king…as soon as I can get out of this place. Dumbledore is a fool just as our father believed. I just have to tell him and Hermione what they want to hear and I get a little closer to freedom every day. I don’t care if it takes years…when I am on my own, I will recruit new Death Eaters…younger ones, stronger ones…and we will take the wizarding world by storm!” Voltaire swore, magic swirling around him.

“You invoked an oath, Voltaire…how did you do that? You’re not eighteen yet!” the witch gasped.

Voltaire shrugged.

“I don’t know. Maybe the elixir had something to do with it. But it doesn’t matter. I am deadly serious about it. You’d do well to swear fealty to me now sister, and maybe I will spare you when I regain my throne. Maybe,” Voltaire said to her.

Volaria studied her brother. Yes, she had to do it. She had to cast the spell and end this madness before it began again. She remembered what Professor Snape had suggested to her at the end of their last lesson. He was right. It was best to do it that way.

“I see you are going to do this, Voltaire…so I guess I have no choice,” she said.

“No, you don’t if you want to live,” the wizard replied, a victorious look on his face.

Volaria walked toward him slowly as if to embrace him. Voltaire, thinking this was how she was going to swear fealty opened his arms and accepted her. Volaria clutched him close and focused.

“Obliviate!” she cried.

Suddenly she was drawn into Voltaire’s mind as the wizard shuddered against her.

“Like a vacuum…draw it all out,” she remembered Professor Snape saying to her as she focused on the niffler, reliving its small life as she removed its memories. Now it happened with Voltaire. She saw him at the arena, casting the Dark Mark above the crowd and drew it past her like a great wind. She saw him crucioing Bellatrix, drinking the elixir, murdering unarmed wizards and witches with the Killing curse, having sex with Bella….the memories flew past her faster and faster, falling into the void she’d created behind her, pouring out of the wizard’s mind like water. She went back farther.

Now she saw Voltaire being embraced by Bella, killing a house elf with a club, flicking eggs at her, telling her to shut up when she drank the elixir. Then killing small animals with a pointed metal rod, sitting in Bellatrix’s lap as she caressed his head and told him he would be the greatest wizard in the world and she would be his queen…then back further until she saw him with Jordan, the wizard bouncing him on his knees, Voltaire laughing wildly. This was the place to stop…before all the madness.

Volaria pulled away from the wizard, who looked at her blankly for a moment.

“Jordo?” he asked her, blinking.

“No, Voltaire. I’m not Jordo,” she said softly, “I’m your sister, Volaria. You’re my brother.”

”Want Jordo!” Voltaire said, his eyes beginning to fill with tears.

”Jordan’s not here,” Volaria said, watching as her brother began to cry, looking around the room with a lost look in his dark eyes. He didn’t know where he was. It was a strange place. He wanted Jordan, who was safe and familiar. Suddenly he let out a screech.

“I want Jordo!” he screamed at the top of his lungs, falling back on the bed and kicking his legs in a perfect tantrum as Volaria backed up, her hand over her mouth.

She hadn’t expected this.

The door was flung open and Albus and Hermione ran into the room.

Hermione ran over to Voltaire and tried to calm him.

“Voltaire, what’s wrong?” she cried.

“Want Jordo! Want Jordo!” the wizard cried, rolling over and hiding his face from the witch.

Albus looked at Volaria, his blue eyes dark behind his half-moon glasses.

”What did you do?” he demanded of the little witch as Hermione tried to roll Voltaire back over.

“No! No! Lemme ‘lone! Jordo!” he cried, fighting with Hermione weakly, like a young child would do.

”What I had to,” Volaria replied, looking at her brother, “Now you really can show him what it’s like to be raised with love.”

Hermione rose up off the bed and walked toward Volaria slowly.

“Why? Why do this, Volaria? Didn’t he deserve a chance?” the witch asked her.

Volaria nodded.

“I gave him one. An honest one, Hermione…and in the process I gave the wizarding world one as well. He didn’t change, Headmaster,” she said, turning toward Albus. “He told me what he planned to do…so I had to do something…don’t you see. He was fooling you…”

She looked back at Hermione.

”Fooling the both of you,” the witch said.

Suddenly Severus walked into the room. He looked at the sobbing Voltaire, sitting up on the bed now, wiping his nose with his sleeve and shuddering, red-faced. He looked lost and frightened.

“What’s going on here,” Severus asked.

Hermione looked at him.

”Volaria’s obliviated almost all of Voltaire’s memories. He’s got the mind of an infant,” Hermione said, looking at the witch, who looked back at her steadily, “And she’s got to be punished for it, Albus. She can’t get away with this.”

Severus studied the young witch.

“Miss Ruddle, let me see your wand,” he said imperiously, holding out his hand.

Volaria reached into her pocket, withdrew her wand and handed it to the Potions Master.

He looked at it, then held it out.

”Priori Incantatum,” he said.

From the tip of Volaria’s wand, the image of a potted plant appeared, suddenly growing much larger. The image faded.

“Apparently, the last thing she used her wand on was a plant in Herbology,” the Potions Master said, “Here is your wand, Miss Ruddle.”

He handed the wand to the witch, who pocketed it again, then turned toward Hermione and Albus.

“There is no proof she cast the Obliviate spell on her brother,” the Professor said, his eyes glittering.

“You know she can do wandless magic, Severus!” Hermione exclaimed.

”Yes I do. As do you and Albus. Voltaire did know…but he knows no longer. How are you going to explain to the Ministry her abilities when you hid them from everyone’s knowledge? Hiding the ability to do wandless magic is a crime as you well know. If you report Volaria, you, Albus and I will be the ones serving a bit of time, if she even shows she can do wandless magic, which I doubt…as a Ravenclaw, she will do. Am I right, Miss Ruddle?” he purred at the witch.

Volaria looked at him wide-eyed.

“Wandless magic? I only just learned how to use a wand!” Volaria exclaimed convincingly.

Severus looked at Hermione and Albus with a small smirk as Volaria walked over and stood by his side, also looking at them.

“Severus, you put her up to this! This stinks of Slytherin!” Hermione exclaimed furiously.

Severus arched an eyebrow at the angry witch, then looked down at Volaria.

”Miss Ruddle, did I have anything to do with what happened here?” he asked her.

”No sir. You barely even speak to me, though you were kind enough to tutor me in Potions one evening, though you weren’t happy about it. I appreciated that, sir,” Volaria replied.

Albus looked from Severus to Volaria, sighed and shook his head.

“Hermione, apparently Volaria is in the clear. We cannot prove she did this without implicating ourselves. We will have to start rehabilitating Mr. Ruddle from the ground up. That is our only recourse. We can’t even demand a pensieve from Miss Ruddle because of her age,” the wizard said.

Hermione stood tight-lipped for a moment, then suddenly slumped. They were outdone by a thirteen-year-old witch…and most likely a conniving sneaking wizard bordering on forty.

“Fine,” she snapped bad-naturedly.

Severus’ lip quirked.

“Well, if we are finished here, I think I will escort Miss Ruddle back to the dungeon corridor,” the wizard said, guiding Volaria towards the door, “She needs her rest for class tomorrow and I am sure it’s been a trying evening for her. Goodnight, Hermione. Headmaster.”

And with that Severus and Volaria departed.

“Jorrrrrrrrdoooo!” Voltaire wailed.

Albus looked at the wizard sitting on the bed with his legs stretched out in front of him speculatively as Voltaire chose this moment to hold his breath.

“Do you think he’s at least potty-trained?” the Headmaster asked Hermione, who frowned distastefully.

“Gods, I hope so,” she replied.

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Volaria and Severus walked up the long stairwell silently. When they finally reached the dungeon corridor, Severus accompanied her as far as his office, then stopped. He looked at her soberly for a moment, then arched an eyebrow at the witch.

“Well done, Miss Ruddle. A Slytherin couldn’t have done it any better,” he said to the witch.

“No, a Slytherin couldn’t have, sir. That’s why it took a Ravenclaw,” she replied.

For the first time since she’d met him, Volaria heard Professor Snape laugh.

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A/N: Yeeeeehawwwww! A very tight alliance indeed. Go Miss Ruddle, Go! Thanks for reading.