*catches up*


Zomg Heather, great job! Yay for cliffhangers...NOTTTTTTTTTTTTT!


Love you!

PAMS!


Suzy

To the author of the story,
I really hate cliffhangers,
but not as much as I hate Lucy!
Love Jamers!
PS Heather you are an awesome Writer!!
Love ya girl!

OMG! That is so intense I literally feared for ravens life! Oh crap! What's gonna happen now????? I NEED to know PAMS PAMS PAMS!

Chapter 41

Early the next morning, shortly before the sun rose, Hagrid went out to the maze to clear out the creatures he placed inside the day before. Hagrid’s heart was as big as he was. The thought of losing a student troubled him but to make it reality hurt him deeply. He is there with every student during their time at Hogwarts, from the moment they get off the train their first year, till they get on the train at the end of their seventh year. He always thought Cedric was a decent young man and would have made a fine wizard once he left Hogwarts. Then for Harry to witness Cedric’s death and battle with Voldemort made the pain in his heart deepen.

The creatures had been easy to gather, which made him happy. But there was one particular spider that kept running from him. Once he was able to restrain the arachnid, he gently put it in his cage and prepared to exit the maze. Something, however, caught his eye.

In the center of the maze, there appeared to be something on the ground. For a moment, he thought it looked like a human hand, but that wouldn’t have been possible. Anyone who entered the maze was accounted for; all of the school champions and the professors who were standing guard in case something went wrong. Knowing he needed to clear out the maze, he decided to see what it was.

As he got closer he realized that the object was in fact a hand. In a few quick strides, which would be the equivalent of a run to an average sized person, he stopped dead when he noticed to whom the hand was attached.

“Raven!” He rushed over to the young girl and dropped at her side. Raven, wake up!” Hagrid tried desperately to wake her up, but she wasn’t responding. Raven’s cheeks were ice cold and for a moment he thought she was dead. He noticed Harry’s invisibility cloak clutched in one of her hands and her wand lying next to the other one.

When he picked up her body, he noticed that she was breathing, although it was quite faint. Hagrid had to decide quickly what to do. He knew the students would be waking soon and to see another student would worry them more. The only thing he could do would be to take her to his hut and get help from there. He grabbed her wand and Harry’s cloak and ran as fast as he could to his hut. He gently laid her on his bed and immediately lit a fire in the fireplace. He got down his thick wool blanket and covered Raven tightly. He paced around his home for a moment wondering if he was forgetting anything.

“Help! I need to get help!” Hagrid started to leave. He opened the door then suddenly turned around to his dog, Fang. “Keep an eye on her, boy. I’ll be back.”

Hagrid slammed the door to his hut, then looked back to see if the loud noise woke the young girl up. With no such luck, he then ran to the castle. He decided to go to Professor Dumbledore’s office first.

Once he was at the Headmaster’s door, he burst through not caring at the moment if there was anything going on. Fortunately, Dumbledore was sitting quietly at his desk. He face was somber and pensive.

“Professor Dumbledore, sir! I need help, now!” Fear was apparent in Hagrid’s voice.

“Hagrid! What’s wrong?”

“I was in the maze, gathering the creatures an’ I saw somethin’! I went to see what it was and it was a person! It was Raven Snape, sir. Unconscious.”

Dumbledore immediately jumped out of his chair. “Where is she now, Hagrid?”

“My home, sir. Being out all night, she was as cold as ice. I had to get her warm.”

“I shall go to your home and check on her. You go and get Poppy and bring her down there immediately.”

“Shouldn’t we get Professor Snape, sir?”

“Severus is not here. He had something very important to do.”

“Shouldn’t we send him an owl?”

“No, my friend. This mission cannot be interrupted. Hopefully she’ll be fine when he gets back.”

Hagrid nodded his head in agreement. He always trusted Professor Dumbledore’s judgment.

As the two walked out of Dumbledore’s office, Hagrid left to get the nurse, while Dumbledore turned toward the exit of the castle to Hagrid’s hut.

As Dumbledore marched as fast as he could toward Hagrid’s, he thought about how he could have missed Raven slipping into the maze. He knew that something wasn’t quite right about the task last night, but he assumed he already had an answer. His biggest fear had become a nightmare; Voldemort returned and he began his wrath by killing Cedric. Dumbledore was already facing many tough decisions over the next few months. Now to have another student in danger worried him more.

His thoughts then turned to Raven. Snape had come to him earlier in the week to tell him of his concerns with Raven attending the third task. After Snape had told him about the dreams that Raven had been having all year, he felt that Snape made the proper decision to make her stay behind during the task. It was apparent that Raven felt she had to get into the maze to stop whatever she was seeing in her dreams.

He quietly opened the door and walked towards Raven. He tried to revive her but was unsuccessful. Dumbledore sat by her bedside for a moment to try a figure out what was wrong with her.

Dumbledore placed his hands on the side of Raven’s still cold face and concentrated on her thoughts. In a quick flash he saw her touching the pillar the cup stood on and then her thoughts quickly going to the graveyard scene from the night before. He had only heard Harry’s account but wasn’t able to see it. He knew it was all true but now, in quick flashes from Raven’s mind, he was able to see exactly what happened. He saw her get hit with the Killing Curse, her brief recollections of her past, and then Voldemort realizing her mental presence was there.

He removed his hands just as Hagrid and Madame Pomfrey opened the door. The nurse rushed to the young girls’ side.

“What’s wrong with her Albus?” said Pomfrey, pulling out some potions in hopes of reviving Raven.

“I’m afraid those won’t help, Poppy. Unfortunately, there is nothing here that can help her.” Dumbledore’s face was more somber now than before.

“What do you mean? What’s wrong?”

“She was in the maze last night. There was a strong magical connection to the plinth the cup stood on and by simply touching the pillar, she was mentally connected to the events that occurred last night in the graveyard.”

“Albus? If what you are saying is true, I haven’t heard of this in years. I don’t have the means to treat this here. She will have to be sent to St. Mungo’s.”

“Yes, Poppy. It’s true and she will have to be sent away. We will have to do it quickly. The longer she’s in this state, the more her mind will deteriorate. Especially after what I saw in her thoughts.”

“Would someone please tell me what’s wrong with her?” asked Hagrid, who was apparently confused.

“Hagrid, what Raven is suffering from is complicated. It’s rare and hard to treat. It’s called Mens Oculus, or Mind’s Eye. It‘s a common affliction for Seer‘s but it‘s rare even among them.”

“I’ve never heard of that.”

“Have you ever had a dream, Hagrid, where it seems so real when you wake up, you have a hard time for a moment differentiating your dream world from reality? Mens Oculus is similar to that idea. Only in this, your mind is fused with whatever it is seeing. If you get hurt while in your mind’s eye, you’ll get hurt in reality. The pain won’t be as severe as it would be in reality because the body is not where the mind is.

However in Miss Snape’s case here, her mind was hit with the Killing Curse. It’s like they say if you die in a dream, you die in real life. Since she wasn’t hit with the curse in real life, she was hit with her mind. She began to take on the effects of dying. She began to see her life flash before her eyes, so to speak. Right now, she is locked not only in what she saw in the graveyard, but her mind is slowly dying. She needs immediate care.”

Hagrid was shaken by what he just heard. There was a long, sad silence in the room.

“I need to meet with the Diggory’s and the Minister in a few moments. Poppy, prepare Raven for immediate departure, but keep it quiet. We do not want to alarm any of the students. They are already grieving enough. I will ask Minerva to gather her things while the student’s are at breakfast. Hagrid, stay here and watch over her while we get her ready to go. I will also alert St. Mungo’s of her arrival. They will need their best healers on this.”

Dumbledore picked up Raven’s hand and took one last gaze at her thoughts. Fortunately, at the moment, she was in a pleasant dream and now sleeping soundly. But he knew that her condition would quickly worsen. He hoped her happy dream would last as long as it could.


Raven found herself walking around a grassy field on a dark starry night. There was no wind or sound, just silence. She took a few steps around to try to find a familiar site, but everywhere she walked, it was just field.

“Hello? Is anyone here?”

Raven wasn’t scared but she had the feeling she was being watched.

“I know someone is here. Where am I?”

“In a dream.”

Raven heard the most comforting voice. A voice she wanted to hear for a long time; the voice of her father. Raven slowly turned around, to see her father standing behind her. Tears started to well up in her eyes.

“Don’t cry, my angel. I’m here now, just as I promised.”

Raven ran to him. She wasn’t sure if he was real until she touched his chest. When she realized he was tangible, she jumped forward and hugged him. To be in his arms again, was more than anything she could have wished for. “Where am I? Am I dead?”

“No, you’re alive. Like I said, this is a dream.”

“What’s going on?”

“Look for yourself.” With a wave of Tobias’ hand, a small cloud formed to the right of them. Inside the cloud, Raven could see herself lying in Hagrid’s bed, with Dumbledore, Madame Pomfrey and Hagrid standing nearby. Soon there was a shuffle and then it was just Hagrid, Fang and Raven in the room.

“What happened to me? Did it have anything to do with what happened in the graveyard?”

“You suffered the Mens Oculus.”

“The what?” Raven stared at him confused. She had never heard of that before.

Tobias went into an explanation about what happened. Raven became scared and feared for her life. “You don’t have much time with me, so we need to make this short.”

“Why don’t I have much time?”

“You’re mind is weakened. It won’t be long before it will take you back into you’re nightmare. Dumbledore is making preparations for you to go to St. Mungo’s for care.”

“Where’s Uncle Snape?”

“He’s doing important business on Dumbledore’s orders and can’t be disturbed.”

“I don’t want to go back to the graveyard. Please don’t let me go.”

“That I cannot do. But I need you to listen to me. Voldemort is going to try to find you. You mustn’t let him.”

“Why didn’t you tell me the whole story with my grandmother?”

“I never thought it would be an issue. That boy, Potter, I thought he took care of Voldemort. I never thought he would come back so I never saw the Dark Lord as a threat. Now that he’s back and knows you’re here, he’s going to do everything in his power to find you.”

“How do I avoid him? If he wants to find me, he will.”

“You’re Occlumency will become very useful here. Stay on guard. You’ll be safe in St. Mungo’s. He will never try to get you there.”

“The only place I will truly be safe is Hogwarts. He would never attempt anything with Dumbledore there.”

“This is true. Since you can’t be there all year, you must also do something that has been very hard for you for the last two years. Listen to Severus.”

“What? You mean, mind him?”

“Raven, I never taught you to disrespect him.”

“No, he disrespected us!”

“Raven!”

“He did! He told Lucius where we were after you told him not to! Now I’m stuck in this marriage contract that you agreed to! How am I supposed to get out of this one?”

“Raven, we don’t have much time. Do you want to end it this way?”

Raven was about to speak again but realized that she had gone too far. Her frustrations should never have interfered with this moment with her father.

“Now listen to me. As far as the contract goes, Severus has figured out how to get you out of it. He is just waiting for the perfect opportunity. But as far as listening to him where Voldemort is concerned, you have to trust him. He was once Voldemort’s most trusted follower. He knows him. Whatever he tells you to do, you have to do it!”

“But dad-“

“Raven, listen to me!”

The severity in Tobias’ voice, made Raven understand that he was right. If anyone knew how Voldemort operated, it would be Snape.

“One more thing.” Tobias turned sideways and grabbed Raven’s hand. “There are some people I would like for you to meet.”

Walking slowly from a small distance away, two women approached wearing white holding hands. Raven began to walk slowly toward the figures. They were both young and very beautiful. They both had dark hair and blue eyes. She knew who they were the moment they came into better view. Although they were both young, she knew that one was her grandmother and the other was her mother.

Raven gasped. She had never seen her grandmother before and only saw her mother in a photograph. Raven’s slow walk turned into a run and she leaped into her mother’s arms. After a moment she looked up at her grandmother and then hugged her as well.

“Listen to your father, my child,” said her grandmother, her angelic voice was soothing to Raven’s ears. “Tom is relentless. You’re uncle knows what‘s best.”

All Raven could do was smile and nod. She took in the words of her grandmother but she couldn’t help but stare in amazement of this extraordinary woman standing in front of her. She turned to her mother and wanted to break down and cry. But her mother stretched out her hand and cradled her daughter’s face.

“My daughter, I have been watching you since the day you were born. Your father has done well by you. I am so proud of the young woman standing here. You are strong and beautiful. Your uncle is doing his very best by you. You must let him. Don’t be too hard on him. In his own way, he does love you very much.

Raven shook her head. Deep down Raven knew Snape was doing his best. She could do better to make his life a little less painful.

Suddenly, Raven’s chest began to throb and the world surrounding her slowly began to fade away. She clutched her chest and found it harder to breathe.

Her father put his hand on her shoulder. “It’s time to go, Raven. We need to say goodbye.”

“I don’t want to say goodbye, dad!” She was starting to double over in pain. “I want to stay here, with all of you.”

The look in her father, mother and grandmother’s eyes said that staying was impossible. The pain in her chest worsened. Raven’s grandmother turned her around and kissed her forehead.

“Live your life, child. Show Tom that you are strong. Don’t let him use you. You are too valuable for him.”

Raven gave her grandmother a strong hug. When she let go, her mother was ready for her goodbye next.

“Times will be difficult in the days and months ahead. We are here for you. Just don’t lose hope.” She gave her daughter a hug. “I love you so much.”

Once she let go of her mother, she looked at the two women. “I love you both very much.”

“Raven, it’s time.” The one person she didn’t want to say goodbye to, again, was her father. His voice was comforting and his loving embrace always made her feel better in any situation.

“Dad, I don’t want to do this again.”

Tobias scooped his daughter up in his arms. “It has never been goodbye, my angel. I have been there for you more than you know.”

“How?”

“What urged Snape to barge into that abandoned classroom when you were about to cut your finger off? Me. What brought you and George back together, thus breaking the potion? That feeling you got that someone was pushing your heads together? That was me.” His air of cockiness made Raven chuckle. Her father could always make her laugh.

“That was you?”

“I am there for you more than you know. Sadly, I can’t prevent everything and I can’t help out everywhere. But know that I’m here and I haven’t forgotten my promise. I know you need me and I’m doing the best I can do, considering the circumstances.”

Raven hugged her father as tight and for as long as she could. As they embraced, her chest began to throb harder. “Daddy, no! I can’t say goodbye. I love you too much.”

“I love you, Raven. But it’s time to go.”

Raven took one last look at her mother and grandmother who were standing there smiling. She then looked at Tobias. Raven always thought he had such a strong presence, but he was just enough of a teddy bear that he wasn’t intimidating. He was smiling down at her in a sad yet almost comforting way.

Tobias walked towards his wife and mother-in-law. He took his wife’s hand and the three of them walked away from Raven. The pain in her chest caused her to crumple to the ground. She closed her eyes hoping to focus the pain somewhere else. When she opened them, she was back in the graveyard, reliving the horrid events of the night before.

Oh no! This is not good! I know she'll get treated, because if she didn't, then the story would be over, but still! I hope it gets treated quickly!
I won't quote the entire thing, even though I want to, because I love all of this. It's so sweet, but sad at the same time. So bittersweet. :/
This, too, is bittersweet. I'm glad she got to meet her Mom and Grandmother though. But still, it's so sad.
*Cries because of the pain and sadness* So sad.
That was cute
I wish she'd go back to the good dream too or wake up all together.

Great post! PLEASE PAMS!

:O hasn't read this before

That was amazing Heather! I can't wait to read the next one!

PAMS

Suzy

*tries not to cry* Okay.

Awesome writing. Really. And I enjoyed the tiny reprieve from the hating of Lucius And I'm curious on how Snape will get Raven out of the contract. And her recovery from this.

PAMS

*holds in the tears*
Girl, you are a GREAT writer!
Need more soon!
PAMS
Jamers!

Wow this isgood reading. I love the story so much
I want more!!!!!!

OMG! Great post I hope she's okay and moldy voldy dies! *evil laugh* much love!
~lauren~

Here's the next chapter. And I wanted to tell you guys that I'm sorry for not posting sooner. I'm working a new job that has me working strange hours. All I have time to do when I'm home is sleep. As soon as my hours become more steady, you'll be seeing more. Thanks for your patience. Loves and lots of hugs!

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Chapter 42

Snape returned a week later to Hogwarts, mentally and physically exhausted. His first thought was to unpack his trunk, skip the end of year feast and go to bed. However, he realized Dumbledore would probably want him to report on his mission. Considering his the circumstances from the past week, though, he thought that the Headmaster would understand if they could hold off their meeting till after he caught up on some rest.

As he slowly unpacked a few of his things, his thoughts drifted to Raven. Part of him wondered if she questioned his whereabouts at all, considering their rocky relationship. Especially after their last conversation, he didn’t leave with them on good terms. The rest of him wondered how she was holding up after learning of the incident at the Third Task. He thought if she was to have gone to the final task, would she have been able to stop what happened. Her premonitions were right. Cedric died and there was a good possibility that she could have prevented it and Harry would not have been there to unwillingly bring Voldemort back. Snape sat on his bed and the more he worried about Raven, the more he became more concerned for her.

For the past week, Snape had been with his former master, Voldemort, on Dumbledore’s orders. Dumbledore did not want Voldemort to question Snape’s loyalty so he ordered him to return as a spy. While away, Voldemort interrogated Snape on 13 years of information about his loyalty, the other Death Eaters, Dumbledore and last but not least, Harry Potter. Unfortunately, one subject came up that Snape wasn’t prepared to talk about but knew he was going to have to account for it.

“Severus,” Voldemort said as he sipped some of his blood red wine, “do you remember the mission I sent you on seventeen years ago?”

Snape let out a heavy sigh. “I do, My Lord.”

“When you reported to me about the failure of your task, I was quite angry. However, certain information has been brought to my attention that will redeem you.”

Snape quickly evaluated his situation. He knew that Lucius had already spoken to Voldemort. “My Lord, if I may. I know the information I have. Please, allow me to explain.”

“Yes, explain to me why you didn’t bring this to my attention earlier.”

“The reason I had not said anything was because I did not know you were still interested in pursuing it any further. However, now that you have mentioned it, I will have no problem retrieving whatever, or I should say whoever, it is that you wish.”

“Tell me Severus about your niece. Tell me about Raven. After all, I need to know all I can about her.”

“What would you like to know that you don’t already?”

“Tell me of her abilities. I understand they are as strong, if not stronger, than her grandmothers.”

“She is skilled in the art of Legilimency and Occlumency. She has the ability to do wandless magic. She is even starting to develop Seer abilities. Without realizing it, she knew that Alastor Moody was Barty Crouch Jr. Since her Seer abilities are not properly developed, she wasn’t able to understand what she was seeing. Dumbledore wants her to have private lessons to help her use this ability.”

“Likely for his own cause. We mustn’t let him get a hold of this amazing asset, will we Severus?” Snape shook his head. “Does she support our cause?”

“I believe she leans toward the other side. My Lord, Raven is complex. She will argue anyone down; she has no fear, and won’t come to our side willingly. I’m only saying this to prepare you. Her attitude and presence is unlike any other witch or wizard I have ever seen. She wears Muggle clothes no matter how much I tell her of my disapproval. She will stand up to you. As I said, she has no fear.”

“Thank you, Severus. Your information will be most useful. It will help me for when I meet this remarkable young lady.”

“My Lord, I have one last question. I’m sure that Lucius was the one to provide you with the information about my niece.”

“You are correct. What is your question?”

“The marriage contract between Raven and Draco, is it still your plan for them to marry?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I can’t help but think that this is solely Lucius’ plan for them to be married. I believe that Raven will be most useful to you if not in the position of being Draco’s wife. I request your permission to absolve the contract. If you want Raven to her full potential, she cannot be married into the Malfoy family.”

“I know that Lucius intended to keep her in his family. He didn’t anticipate my return. Very few knew I was coming back. The contract is unnecessary. I was going to have Lucius terminate the contract but I think this would be a good job for you. Go Severus. You have things to do.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

Snape came out of his memory and stared at the floor. He was relieved that Voldemort gave him the go ahead to get Raven out of the contract. If Lucius knew that Voldemort disapproved of the contract, he would have no choice but to end the agreement. But in the end, no matter how he looked at it, he was going to end up being responsible for hurting Raven.

He continued to unpack, when there was a knock at the door. Snape walked slowly towards the door. He opened it and was happy to see Professor Dumbledore

“Good evening, Severus. I’m glad to see you have returned.” Dumbledore stood at the doorway, looking at Snape over his spectacles.

“Thank you, sir.” Snape gestured for the Headmaster to come in.

“I know you are tired, but we need to talk.” Dumbledore sat in the nearest chair. “I hope you intend on coming to the feast tonight.”

“Yes, but I was hoping to get some rest. Please, sir, may we talk after dinner?”

“I would be more than happy to talk about your mission later, however there is something more pressing that we need to discuss.”

“Can it not wait, sir?”

“I’m sorry, Severus. I know you are fatigued but this cannot wait. It’s Raven. She’s ill.”

Snape’s face went white. He knew that when he left, they were not on good terms. At the same time, she was fine. She wasn’t showing any signs of illness. “Wh-what is wrong? What happened?”

“Harry and Cedric were not the only students in the graveyard the night of Voldemort’s return.”

“Potter mentioned nothing of her when he was recounting his story.”

“She wasn’t actually there. Raven suffered the Mens Occulus. Mentally she was connected to the graveyard. There was enough residual magic left from the port key, that when she touched the pillar that the cup stood on, her mind was transported to the cemetery. Severus, she was hit with the Avada Kedavra curse that killed Cedric. She is currently at St. Mungo’s undergoing treatment.”

Snape understood everything about the Mens Occulus but had never known anyone to suffer from it. He also knew that if her mental presence was hit with the Killing Curse, there was a possibility that her mind would think she’s dying, therefore she could die.

Dumbledore continued. “Moody, or I should say Barty Crouch Jr., knew she was having her dreams. He confessed everything to the Minister. When he found out about her dreams, he remembered Voldemort showing interest in her. He set her up to be there to find more favor with him. What he didn’t plan on, was Harry and Cedric getting to the cup before she could and of course, Harry coming back alive. I didn‘t learn any of this until speaking with the Minister later the next day. Crouch was already…gone.”

Snape rubbed his face and stared off to the side of his room.

“Severus, he knew about the ring Raven wears. He was somehow able to figure out the magic behind the ring and use it to his advantage. He didn’t say how he was able to procure the power to it and we’ll probably never know. But I’m sure he had to have asked Lucius for assistance.”

Slumping down in a chair, Snape realized that he could lose his niece. Urgent action needed to be taken. He jumped up and grabbed some of the things he already put away and repacked his trunk.

“Severus.”

Snape continued packing. He paced back and forth in front of Dumbledore as if he wasn’t there.

“Severus!”

It was if Snape didn’t hear Dumbledore. He rushed over to his desk and flipped some papers around as if trying to find something.

“SEVERUS, STOP!” Dumbledore’s words echoed throughout Snape’s quarters. Snape stopped and fell into his chair. “There is nothing you can do for her this evening.”

“She’s vulnerable!”

“Voldemort will not try anything while she is in the hospital. He wants her healthy. He would be unwise to take her in her current condition. I do have Arthur and Molly Weasley checking in on her from time to time. Considering the relationship between their son and Raven, I didn’t think you would mind.”

Snape nodded. He knew the Weasley’s could be trusted to care for Raven’s well-being. “I have to leave first thing in the morning.”

“I understand. In the meantime, know that she is in good hands and they are starting to make some progress in her treatment. Severus, she will be fine.”

Dumbledore’s words were not as comforting as Snape would have hoped. “No, she won’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“When she gets out of hospital, she will still have the fight of her life. She needs protection, sir. Voldemort would not indulge the details but he intends to kidnap her. He was going to use me, but I told him that would be detrimental to his plans. He agreed and will send someone else. If we don’t get her some protection, who knows what Voldemort will do to her.”

“You’re niece is strong. She won’t allow Voldemort to do anything to her without a fight. But we have time to formulate our own plan for Raven. As I said earlier, there is nothing we can do for her tonight. Please come to the feast and have a bite to eat. You need to replenish your energy. I‘ll come by later and we‘ll go together. You have some time, get some rest.”

Snape sat back down and agreed that he would attend the feast. Dumbledore expressed his thanks and left the room. Snape stared at the ceiling for a moment the back down to the floor. His mind was filled with guilt and fear. He felt responsible for what happened, at the same time, he wondered how he would have been able to stop her.

He cradled his face in his hands and closed his eyes. Although he was deeply saddened, he was still quite tired. He fell asleep and found himself walking through a field with a night sky full of stars.

Coming out of the trees from one side of the field, he saw a figure approaching. He tried to pull out his wand but realized he didn’t have it. As the figure got closer he saw that it was his brother.

“Tobias? Is that you?”

“Yes, brother. It’s me.”

“Where are we? What are you doing here?”

“This is just a dream. I’m here to talk to you.”

Snape stared blankly at his brother.

“I brought Raven to this place in a dream after she fell out of consciousness.”

“Why didn’t you help bring her out of her condition?”

“You know that Raven has to pull herself out of her sleep.” Tobias walked around Snape. When he came back around he put his hand on his shoulder. I’m impressed, brother. You have done a pretty good job by with her.”

“I fail to see that considering her current state.”

“Don’t underestimate her. She’s stronger than you think. She will pull out of this and be stronger than she has ever been. But now is your opportunity to do something for her. You have been given permission, by the Dark Lord himself, to get her out of the marriage contract. Now you have leverage on Lucius.”

“You brought me here to tell me something I already know?”

“What you don’t know is how much it will help her now. And there is something else. When I brought Raven here, I told her to listen to you and you will keep her safe.”

“I’m doing the best I-“

“I know, brother. But what you don’t know is that once Raven sets her mind to something, she does it. Sometimes she acts too quickly and doesn’t really think of the repercussions of her actions.”

“What are you saying?”

“I can’t reveal too much. But know that she will not be the same when she pulls out of this condition. She will be angry and bitter, and unfortunately, she will be just like you. She will get herself into loads of trouble. It will be temporary and you’re patience will be tested. Don’t get too angry with her. This time for her will be traumatic.”

“She’s already difficult, and now she’s going to become more difficult? Why on earth did you insist that she live with me? I am not a patient man.”

“The fact is that you both need each other. She needs a strong presence to care for her and you need her love. You have not failed me, Severus. One day, you and Raven will see how much you truly care for each other.”

Severus turned his back and realized that his brother was right. But to admit that would mean he had heart.

“It’s time for me to go. Take care, brother, of yourself and my daughter.”

Snape turned around and wished his brother would stick around and give him more parenting lessons. Instead, he walked over to his brother and shook his hand.

“Good to see you, brother.”

“Good to see you, too.”

Tobias took several steps back to the woods. He turned around and looked back at Snape. “Don’t stick around too long. There is someone at your door.”

It took a moment for Snape to realize what Tobias had said. A loud knock woke him out of his dream. He rushed over to the door to see that is was once again Professor Dumbledore.

“It is time for the feast, Severus. Shall we go?”

Snape nodded, his head was still in his dream, his brother’s words still resonating in his head. He shut his door and walked with Dumbledore to the Great Hall.

Pshhhtt! In your dreams!
Ooooh! Lucius won't have a choice but to terminate the contract if Voldy says so! Ha!
Awe, he cares a lot for her I like this Snape
Exactly what is going to happen3!?!??
Great post! PLEASE PAMS! I have to know what happens!

And the plot thickens . . .

Just felt the need to say that. And yay for the permission to break the contract. Even though it came from Voldy-poo.

*camps out to wait for what's next* I feel sorry for Snape. And Raven. And possibly George.

PAMS

I love it =D like it when you writes about what the other characters are thinking. Can't wait for the next one

Curlzzzzz!!!!
Great Job!
Cant wait from more!!
Jamers

Chapter 43

The halls at Hogwarts were lively again after a week of mourning. Although most were still grieving for the loss of Cedric Diggory, and some were fearful of Voldemort’s return, everyone was happy for one reason; the time had come to go home.

While students were wishing each other a safe and happy summer, Severus Snape was preparing for his departure as well. He wasn’t taking the time to pack thoroughly. He knew that once things were settled with Raven at St. Mungo’s, he could return and finish up.

The night before, he gave Professor Dumbledore his full report on what happened in his week with the Dark Lord. He also mentioned the conversation he had with Tobias in his dream. Dumbledore became concerned but assured Snape that he would do what he could to protect her as long as she stayed with him. Before Snape laid down to rest, he wrote a letter.

Lucius,

We need to talk.

St. Mungo’s
5:00 PM
Saturday evening

Be there.
Severus

Once Snape had mailed the letter, he went to bed.

On his way out of his office the next day, he was stopped by George and Fred Weasley.

“Professor?” asked George.

“I do not have the time to speak with you,” Snape grunted.

“I know you know where she is! Where is Raven?”

Snape paused. He thought that they had known about Raven’s condition, especially if their parents knew and were guarding her. “She’s ill. If you want to know more, you’ll have to speak with your parents.”

“What do you mean ‘ill?’” the twins asked simultaneously.

“Sick! Under the weather! Not feeling well!” Snape started to walk fast, away from the inquiring twosome.

George ran in front of the Potions Master and stopped him. “She was fine when I last saw her! No one has seen her since the task. You’re hiding something!”

“I’m running late. Your parents can fill you in. I don’t have the time.”

“Look, let’s pretend we are not at school and you are not my professor. I am in love with Raven and you are hiding something about her! I am not going to wait for my parents to sugar-coat a story. I want the truth and I want you to tell me. Now!”

“First of all, Mr. Weasley, we are at school and I am your professor.” Snape sighed. “However, being that you are fond of my niece, I will tell you all I know. She is severely ill. She is under the effect of a powerful spell. It is unclear to me how she became that way, but she fell ill while at the Third Task.”

“She wasn’t there! You made her stay in the dormitory!”

“She doesn’t listen to a word I say, does she? I realize, now, that you two have more in common than what I thought. She was in the maze that night. How she got there and what exactly happened, I don’t know. I do know that I can’t find out what happened while I’m standing here talking to you. Your parents have been keeping an eye on her while I can’t. They will talk to you. Now, if you don’t mind, I will be off.”

George or Fred never uttered another word while Snape walked away.

Snape left the grounds at Hogwarts and walked towards the small wizarding village of Hogsmeade. His plan was to apparate to St. Mungo’s from there. Once in Hogsmeade, he was greeted by Professor Dumbledore.

“Severus, before you go, I have something to give you. It will aid you in your task ahead.” Dumbledore handed Snape a rolled piece of parchment. “To bind, it must be in ink and blood.”

For a moment Snape didn’t know what he meant. He unrolled the parchment and read the writing. It became clear to him what he had to do. Snape nodded and shook the Headmaster’s hand.

“Good luck to you, friend,” said Dumbledore. “I will be at St. Mungo’s once I have cleared up some loose ends at the school.”

“Thank you, sir.” Snape said, and then disappeared.


When Snape arrived at St. Mungo’s, he went straight to Raven’s room on the fourth floor. To his surprise, there was someone already in the room with her. It was a woman, about his age, with dark hair and complexion. She wasn’t dressed like a Healer and he became concerned.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

The woman turned around suddenly. “You must be this young lady’s uncle. I was told you would be arriving today.”

The woman came over to shake Snape’s hand. “That doesn’t tell me who you are.”

She smiled at Snape‘s bluntness. “I am Marcela Morales. I was summoned here from Spain to treat this young lady.”

“From Spain?” Snape was baffled. He had never heard of the Healers summoning someone from another country. Of course, he didn’t know how Healers operated. “Why couldn’t the Healers here deal with this situation?”

“They tried many different techniques to revive her but were, obviously, unsuccessful. They asked me to come here because they heard of some of the things I was doing in my country with mind magic. When I came here, there was really nothing I could do. The Healers, here, did everything I would have done. There is nothing left for us to do. The work needs to come from this young lady, and I think she’s has nearly given up hope.”

“That‘s it? You‘re giving up?”

“We are attempted using Legilimency to contact her through her thoughts and bring her out that way. However, her dream self is resisting us. But," she paused and stared intently at Raven, "I’ve just realized something.”

“What?”

“If you are skilled in the art of Legilimency, you could penetrate her dream, and bring her out of her coma. She trusts you and will likely follow you.”

"What do you mean?"

"Use your skill to get inside her mind and then into her dream. Talk to her as if she was actually standing before you and convince her that it's time to wake up. It should work."

"You make it sound easy. What's preventing you from accomplishing this task?"

"She seems to be using Occlumency to block anyone from coming in. You, being her uncle, will recognize you and hopefully let you in. The mind is like a house locked up tight. Just because you knock doesn't mean the person inside will let you in, especially if that person is a stranger. But if that person is someone they trust it’s likely they will open the door. If my guess is correct, she will allow you into her thoughts and then you could do what you need to do to wake her up."

"You say this was already attempted by Healers here. Do you know if they saw anything?"

"They don't talk about it much. All they saw was darkness and a very sad, traumatized girl."

"Did they see any details?"

"Forgive me, sir, but I'm wondering why that is important?

"I believe Raven saw some things about a particular incident that happened a week ago."

"I know what you are talking about. The return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I have already spoken with Professor Dumbledore. He stressed the importance of the situation."

"I’m not sure if she was there, or if she witnessed it. Something happened that night and I think there is a connection between the two. If word got out to the wrong person that she was here, her life would be at stake."

"Oh, yes, I understand. Anything that you tell me will remain confidential."

Snape nodded and looked over at Raven. He wondered if he could do what was put before him. He trusted Marcela. She seemed to care for Raven. He was thankful that she was there for her.

"Do you know when you would like to try this?"

"Tomorrow morning. I would like to get some rest first. The last few days have been restless."

"Yes, I understand. I will see you in the morning, then. Good day, sir."

Marcela left and Snape stood at the foot of Raven's bed and only stared at her. It appeared that there was no life left in her. The color of her face was as white as the sheets she laid on. Her lips were no longer red but purple, and her eyes were surrounded by heavy, dark circles. Snape walked to her side and sat in a chair close to the bed. Raven’s hand, that still bore the ring that Lucius gave her, was cold to touch.

His thoughts turned to the marriage contract, which made him think of the plans the Dark Lord has made for Raven. Anger and fear filled him. “If you had listened to me, this never would have happened. Your stubbornness has got you in trouble once again. Yet you never listen to me…you never will. You’re just like your father. Always leaping and never looking.” Snape paused and walked over to the window. “I’m…sorry I didn’t come sooner.”

As Snape looked out the window, he realized that his feelings for Raven have grown. Where he has always looked at her as a promise that needed to be filled, he now sees that he loves her as a father to a child.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. It was Molly and Arthur Weasley.

“Severus?” asked Molly.

Snape walked away from the window and toward them. “Yes, I’m here. Thank you for looking over her these past few days.”

“It was nothing. She’s very special to us. How are you?”

“I’m fine. We are going to try another technique to help her in the morning. We’ll know more of her status then.”

“Let’s hope that works. The poor thing is getting worse by the day.” Molly went over to Raven’s bedside and caressed her cheek. “Severus, I hope you don’t mind, but George is here and he is adamant about seeing her. I told him, it would be alright, if it was okay with you. You don’t have to say yes, just because he’s here.”

Snape knew there was no saying no to George. He also knew that he had a few more hours till his meeting with Lucius. Snape looked over at Raven and nodded his head.

Molly smiled, “I’ll get him then and then why don’t we go and grab a quick bite to eat and leave these two alone. I’m sure you haven’t had much all day. You need your strength for Raven when she wakes up.”

Molly waved in George and after taking two steps in, he stopped. He looked as though he was in disbelief of what he was seeing. “Mom! You said she was okay! You said she was fine! She doesn’t look fine! She doesn’t even look as though she’s ill! She looks like she‘s…dying!”

“George!” exclaimed Molly. “There is no need for shouting in a hospital. Have you ever thought that Raven can hear you?”

“I knew you would make her story sound better for my benefit. I would have been better with the truth!”

“Would you?” asked Snape. Snape went over and shut the door. “Would you have done better knowing that she witnessed the death of Diggory? Would you have done better knowing the effects of the Killing Curse that was used to kill Diggory, is what’s killing her? Would you have done better knowing that the Healer’s have done all that they can for her and her only hope is me? Would you be better if you knew that if I failed, she’s gone? I know the truth, Mr. Weasley and I can barely swallow it. Now that you know the truth, how do you feel?”

George stopped and hung his head. His mother went over to him and wrapped her arms around him. “George, dear, she’ll be fine. You know she’s strong and she’ll come back fighting like she always does. Right now, you need to just be with her. Talk to her. Try to get her back yourself. Maybe your voice will help her.” George nodded. “We’ll be back in a little while to get you.”

Molly kissed his cheek and the three, including a frustrated Snape left the room.

“I’m sorry for my outburst, Molly. I just lost control for a moment. I should not have taken my fear and anger out on your son,” said Snape.

“You’re fine, Severus. He lost it, too. You and he both care for her very much. It’s hard not to lose a little bit of control when someone you love is as sick as she is.”

“Severus, what is your plan for her. You said that there is a technique that you are going to try tomorrow?” asked Arthur.

Snape nodded and explained what he was going to do. The Weasley’s seemed to think that the plan should work.

“But first,” said Snape, “I have something else to take care of.”

“What would that be?” asked Arthur.

“I’m getting Raven out of the marriage contract with the Malfoys. Lucius will be here in a few hours. He hasn’t got a choice. We will absolve the contract and at least that chapter in her life will be over. When she wakes, she will have one less thing to think about. The Healer, Marcela, said that her road to recovery will be long. One less item on her plate may speed that process along.”

“She will be thrilled,” said Molly.

“I hope so. I’m not exactly her favorite person right now. When I last saw her, we were not on good terms.”

“She will have forgotten it by the time she awakens. And you should, too. When she wakes up, focus on her recovery, not what happened a week, a month or even a year ago. You both will need each other to get through all of this. And you have us and Dumbledore for support.”


After a few hours of talking, Snape and the Weasleys returned to Raven’s room. Inside, they could hear muffled voices. Once they heard George’s voice shout, “Get out,” they rushed inside.

Lucius was standing at the end of Raven’s bed, visibly angry. George was leaning over Raven as if trying to protect her from him.

“What is going on here?” asked Snape. “Lucius what are you doing in here?”

“I came to see you, Severus, and a Healer told me that you would probably be in this room.” Lucius’ face returned to a normal color.” “I came inside and this young man began to verbally abuse me. When I tried to ask him what was wrong with Miss Snape, the assault of words only became worse. Arthur, I thought you taught your children better than to disrespect their elders.”

“George, let’s go,” said Molly, pulling her son up.

“No! I’m not leaving her in here with him!” yelled George.

“It’s okay, dear. Snape is here and he will take care of it.”

Molly and Arthur shuffled George out of the room. Before they left, Snape put his hand on George’s shoulder. “It’s going to be fine. Don’t worry about him and don’t worry about her. All will be better soon.”

George gave Snape a faint smile and left with his parents.

“Now that the riff-raff is gone, what is the meaning of this?” asked Lucius. “What has happened to her?”

“I’m not going to beat around the bush, Lucius.” Snape marched up to him. He knew his anger was uncontrolled now and Lucius was going to be just the person to take it out on. “She knows you were there, in the graveyard, the night of the Dark Lord’s return.”

Lucius took a few steps back. “How could she possibly know that?”

“I know that Barty Crouch Jr. made the Triwizard Cup into a portkey to get Harry Potter there. I also know that he planned for Raven to be there as well. Raven knew Moody was Crouch but didn’t understand what she was seeing. I knew. He overheard conversations between Raven and I about her visions concerning the tournament. He convinced Raven to get into the maze that night. But he needed some help, from you.”

“From me? How preposterous!”

Snape lunged at Lucius and pinned him up to the wall. “You gave him access to the powers in the ring, didn‘t you! You knew she was going to be there and you used the ring to find her for the Dark Lord!”

Lucius released himself from Snape’s grip. He straightened his robes and regained his composure. “I didn’t know she was going to be at the graveyard. And I didn’t give him access to the ring. I can only assume Crouch got the information from Draco.”

“Crouch could only get access from you.”

“I swear to you that I wouldn’t share this magic with anyone, especially one who I believed to be Alastor Moody!”

Lucius’ answer sounded truthful. But he didn’t answer all of Snape’s questions. “How did you know she was there?”

“I pulled out a mirror to show her to him. Instead, she was there in the graveyard with us. She was standing in the distance, but I couldn’t see her. For a moment, I thought she had an invisibility cloak. Turns out, she was never physically there.” Lucius paused for a moment and looked at Raven. “What is wrong with her?”

Have you heard of Mens Occulus, Lucius?”

“Yes. But in order for the Mens Occulus to work it needs a base. It needs to have an object linked with the mind in order for it to work.”

“Dumbledore believes it was where the cup was placed. He believes that when she touched it, her mind was taken there.”

“That doesn’t explain her condition now.”

“Dumbledore briefly looked into her thoughts and saw that she was hit with the Killing Curse that killed Diggory. Her mind is reliving that night over and over. Every time getting struck by that curse.”

“Is there anything that can be done for her?”

“There is a possibility, but you don’t need to worry yourself about that.”

“What do you mean by that? She is my future daughter-in-law. Of course I’m going to worry about it.”

“Why? Because you can’t present her to Voldemort in this condition? He will be so disappointed, after you’ve already promised her to him.”

“I have never intended to give her to Voldemort!”

“Oh yes, that’s true. You never intended to give her to Voldemort when you signed the contract, but to use her for yourself. However, you didn’t intend on him coming back. And now that he is, you have just the reason for him to make you his favorite.”

Lucius walked up to Snape and got up to his face. Anger was in his eyes, and the only thing stopping him from killing Snape, right there, was being in a public place. “And there is nothing you can do, now, to stop me.”

Snape half-smiled. “Oh yes, Lucius, there is something I can do.”

“What’s that?” Lucius’ overconfidence was still unwavering. Snape knew that this was the moment to act.

Snape walked over to his niece’s bedside and pulled out the parchment that Dumbledore gave him earlier. “I have a contract for you drafted by Dumbledore and approved by me.”

“A contract? For me? How ridiculous! I’m not signing a contract.”

“You’ll sign this one.”

Lucius walked to the opposite side of the bed. “You seem pretty sure of yourself, Severus.”

“The contract states as follows:

‘I, Lucius Malfoy, of sound mind, do hereby release Raven Snape of all obligations of marriage to my son, Draco Malfoy. Any and all artifacts linked to the marriage contract signed by Tobias Snape and I, Lucius Malfoy, will be destroyed, including but not limited to, the signed contract and ring upon Raven Snape’s middle, right finger. Upon signing this contract, I agree that the subject of marriage between her and my son will no longer be discussed. I also agree that if I break the rules of this contract, Raven Snape is permitted to go to Ministry of Magic officials and give an eye-witness account of the night of June 24th, 1995. As long as the terms of this contract are met, Raven Snape will keep the account of such night, private.’

Then at the bottom it says, 'I give my blood and my name to bind this contract.‘ Any questions?”

“This is ridiculous! What makes you think that I will sign a contract that Dumbledore drafted? I will sign no such thing.”

“It seems that Dumbledore and the Dark Lord agree on something, Lucius. They don’t want Draco marrying Raven. At least, by force.”

“The Dark Lord?”

“Yes. He knows of your plan. He realized your plan the night you told him about her. He believes he can get Raven on his own without a marriage contract with the son of a Death Eater. You will do well to sign this. You have a lot to lose if you don’t.”

“Fine!”

Snape handed Lucius a quill with some ink and Lucius signed his name at the bottom of the contract. He then took the tip of the quill and stabbed his finger. When he saw his blood, he pressed his finger next to his name. The moment he let go, the drop of blood spread over the piece of parchment. When the blood had covered the page, the blood disappeared with only Lucius’ fingerprint remaining.

“It is done,” said Lucius, angrily.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Snape looked down at Raven’s hand and pointed at her ring finger with his wand.

With a heavy sigh, Lucius took a strange ring off his finger and threw it on Raven’s bed, along with a small mirror. Then he reached over the bed and grabbed her hand. He took out his wand and pointed it at the ring. “I release you.”

The orange stone glowed and the two serpents, which were encircling the stone, slid back to their original places, facing the stone. Inside the glowing stone were the words, “haud diutius reus.” Lucius took off the ring and threw it down next to the other one.

Lucius reached inside his robes and pulled out an old, rolled up piece of parchment and also, tossed it next to the rings. “These are worthless now, do as you see fit.”

“I shall expect Draco’s ring, and if Narcissa has one, by owl tomorrow if not by the end of the day today.”

Lucius let out a heavy sigh. “Yes! Of course!”

Snape nodded and Lucius walked towards the door. “Lucius.”

“What now, Severus? I’ve given you everything tied to that contract and you’ll get the other rings tomorrow. There is nothing more.”

“What do those words mean? The ones in the stone.”

“No longer bound.”

Is it weird that I'm kind of excited for this experiment? hehe, It has to work.
Awe, poor George. I feel horrible for him.
Haha, sucker! *sticks out tongue* Eeeepp! I'm happy that they're no longer in the contract! And I can't wait to see Snape work his magic! great post! Please PAMS!

oh =D that's a start to recovering and I hope Snape succsedes

Yes! She is released! Ya boo sucks to you Draco! And where was sirius in all this?

Yay! Go Snape for standing up to Lucy Boy!
Cant wait for the next Chapter!
Pams Girly!!
Jamers

such a great chapter and chapters! sorry I got so behind but I've been working on my FF and submitting a second FF
but i do love your story PAMS!

*finally catches up*

WOWZERS. 1 chapter i have never read before, and stuff added to the one i have. Great stuff momma!!! Keep writing!!

PAMS!

Suzy

Chapter 44

Snape never left Raven’s room the rest of the night. He studied the rings that Lucius left behind and tried to find clues as to exactly how they worked. After several hours pouring over them, he finally decided to get some sleep to prepare for the next day.

With a hot plate of breakfast in hand, Marcela woke Snape up the next morning.

“Sleep well?” she asked.

“Well enough.” Snape ate a piece of toast, as he quietly watched Marcela studying Raven. “What are you doing?”

“She has been worsening everyday. Her breathing has become more shallow and her pulse is weakening.”

Snape suddenly lost his appetite. He wiped his hands on his napkin and slowly got up from the chair. “When shall we start?”

“Whenever you’re ready.”

Snape nodded and walked over to Raven’s bedside. He grabbed her hand then sat next to her.

“Professor, there are some things you must know. At first, she will resist you. She will do all she can to block you out. Soon, I believe she will let you in. You will witness all that she saw and see her actions in the process. Do what you can to stop her. Remember, she is replaying this dream over and over. That being said you may have more than one shot to convince her to wake up. Once you’re strength runs out and you can’t hang on anymore, it’s over. A weak mind can’t do anything for a weaker one. Also, I will be here. If I see her getting worse, or you getting too weak, I will terminate the procedure. Understand?”

Once again, Snape nodded. “Yes, I’m ready.”

Marcela readied herself on the other side of Raven’s bed. Snape took a deep breath and placed his hands on both sides of Raven’s head and closed his eyes.

In a quick flash he found himself standing in a smoky grey room. He walked around for a moment looking for any sign of what to do next. After walking around in several circles, he was finally stopped by Raven. There was a strange look in her eye. Not only did she look tired and angry, she looked like nothing more but a shell of the young woman she used to be.

“Why are you here?” she yelled. “I told you all to leave me alone.” Raven clutched her chest and doubled over. But as quick as she bent over, she shot back up as if nothing had happened.

“I’m here to help you.” Snape walked a few steps toward her.

“Why are you here?” Raven looked as though she didn’t recognize Snape. “You shouldn’t be here!”

“You need to wake up, Raven. It’s time.”

“Leave me alone!” Raven turned and walked away from her uncle.

“I’m not leaving without you!”

Raven stopped. “You‘re not like the others. They won‘t help me.”

Snape slowly walked up behind his niece. “It‘s me. It‘s your uncle, Severus.”

Raven turned around. She had huge tears in her eyes. “Snape? Is that you?”

“Yes, it’s me. You need to come with me.”

“No!” Raven cried. “Not until I save Cedric and Harry! Quick, come with me! Help me save them!”

Snape watched helplessly as Raven ran away. He started to chase after her but she disappeared. “Where did you go?”

“Follow me! They are over here!” Raven’s voice echoed all around him.

Snape had no other alternative but to follow in the direction in which Raven took off running. In the middle of a swift run, he was in the middle of the graveyard. He saw Harry and Cedric walking around, and Raven standing near a gravestone feet away from them. He walked over to her.

“Raven.”

She didn’t answer. It appeared she didn’t know he was present. Raven looked worried and confused. Out of the darkness, he noticed the dark figure looming out of the shadows. Once it became clearer to him, he saw that it was Peter Petigrew holding a cloaked figure. He knew immediately that it was Voldemort.

“Raven, we must go!” Snape tried to tell her. He tried to grab her arm, but his hand passed through her as if she was a ghost. He noticed Raven’s eyes widen as she took off running. She darted in front of Cedric, just as Peter shouted, “Avada Kedavra.”

He went over to Raven, whose mind immediately sent Snape on a whirlwind of her memories. He saw his ill brother, then the time he first met Raven when she arrived at his doorstep. He saw the moment she met Potter and his friends, and her first date with George.

Soon after, he saw her trying desperately to get up and look over Harry who was frightened at the newly risen Lord Voldemort. In witnessing these events, he realized how lucky Potter was to have survived the ordeal. Soon, Snape was no longer in the graveyard, but in his house the night Raven put on the ring Lucius gave her. He saw the night she cried in his arms, and almost felt uncomfortable watching himself. He thought to himself he could have done so much more to help her. Once he saw her, in her memory of the night of the Yule Ball, he realized how much of a strong dignified woman Raven will become.

Snape jolted back to the graveyard where he saw Lucius and the other Death Eaters had arrived. He looked down at Raven who was clutching her chest and struggling to get to her feet, but he quickly found himself in another one of her memories.

He looked upon a very young Raven running to her father and sitting in his lap. She was asking questions about her mother. Snape wondered how hard it must have been for his brother to care for a child alone, without a motherly figure around. Except for Mrs. Weasley, Raven has never had a woman in her life to care for her.

Snape saw his brother as a father for the first time. He saw his face light up when he talked to her, even about the delicate subject at hand. He handled it with ease. He answered her questions with love, truth and in a way she could understand. Fatherhood seemed natural to Tobias. Snape wondered if he could ever follow in his big brother’s footsteps.

When they both arrived back in the graveyard, Snape was shocked to see the dual between Potter and the Dark Lord.

Potter held himself up pretty well. I’m surprised.

Soon, Snape was witnessing the Priori Incantatum between Potter and Voldemort, while Raven was watching in awe. It was a most spectacular sight. All of the ghostly images of Voldemort’s victims were swirling around the graveyard, giving Potter encouragement. Potter’s parents were there as well, giving Harry instructions to get away. He gazed upon Lily. He nearly lost all concentration when he saw Harry pull away from the dual.

Once Harry took Cedric’s body and escaped the graveyard, he noticed how furious the Dark Lord was. He also realized that, for a moment, he forgot what he was there to do. He ran over to Raven, who looked confused as to why she was still there. She was still clutching her chest and even in her mind, she looked near death.

“Raven! We must go!”

There was still no answer. Finally Snape tried again to grab Raven’s arm. It was if someone woke her up from a deep sleep. She jumped and took a few steps back from her uncle.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, never taking her eyes off Voldemort.

“I’m here to get you out of here.”

“I can’t leave. It won’t let me.”

“What won’t let you?”

“I can’t leave until I save Cedric. Cedric dies because I didn’t get there in time.” Her voice was monotone and soft. She looked like she was in a trance. “If I can just get to him in time-”

“Raven, Cedric is dead! There is no need to stay here any more. Come with me.”

“HE‘S NOT DEAD!” Raven looked at Lucius and became frightened. “Lucius is going to tell him about me.”

“I know which is why we must leave.” Snape walked in front of Raven to try and get her attention.

“Why are you here? You’re not supposed to be here.” She continued speaking in a dead, almost possessed manner. There was no feeling in her words. No life.

“I’m here to save you.” Snape was desperate. He felt his strength weakening.

“He found me.”

Snape turned around and found Voldemort walking towards Raven. Her fear began to build more so than it was before. Voldemort closed in, very close to Raven’s face. “I see you.”

Raven let out a scream and soon Snape was back into the same smoky grey room as before.

“RAVEN!” Snape shouted.

“I’m here.”

Snape whisked around and saw Raven standing before him. She was visibly shaken. “Why are you here?”

“I told you. I’m here to get you out of here.”

“Cedric and Harry need me. I can’t get out of here till I know they are okay.”

“Raven, I don’t have much time, and you don’t either. It’s time to leave this place.”

“I’m too tired to go anywhere. I should stay here and do what I can for Harry and Cedric.”

“Harry is fine. He’s home now, which is where you should be.”

“No, he’s not at home. He’s here and in trouble and I must help him.”

Raven took off running. Snape yelled for her but she didn’t respond. He took off in her direction, once again, and ended up back in the graveyard. Only this time, he didn’t play observer, he took action.

He walked over to her. All that was happening before was happening again. When Raven took off running in front of Cedric, Snape grabbed her arm.

“There is nothing you can do. Cedric is dead.”

“Why did you stop me? This is not how it is supposed to go!”

“Raven, wake up. You are playing this scenario over and over in your head. Every time, Cedric dies. There is nothing you can do to stop it.”

“I have to try.”

“No, you already did. You tried and were very brave. But now you need to come with me. It’s over.”

Raven continued to watch, in horror, the incident in the graveyard. “Am I dead? Where am I?”

“You’re not far at all and you‘re not dead. But I’m here to help you. Just take my hand and I will get you out of this place.”

Raven stared at her uncle, who outstretched his hand. She started to reach for his, and when she saw the Dark Lord, she pulled it back.

“He’s returned, hasn’t he? This isn‘t a dream?”

“Don’t worry about him. Just take my hand.”

“Is this a dream?” she shouted.

“He has returned. I can take you to safety, away from him. But you have to take my hand.”

Raven looked as though despair overcame her already frail disposition. She sank her shoulders and hung her head. After looking back up to her uncle, then giving one last look to Cedric’s lifeless body and Harry, she took her uncle’s hand.

oh I hope that she can be better soon. And the way Severus cares about Raven is so beautiful

Have I ever told you that I love this story
Keep on going

Girl, why do you leave me hangin?
I cant wait for more!
Jamers