Silvanna Snape {Marauders}

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Ugh I'm gonna be SICK I have a chem exam that decides whether or not I go to uni today. Wish me luck :)

After a spot of lunch, Silvanna felt rather like she did when she was called to Professor McGonagall's office, or the horrid occasion when she'd been taken up to Dumbledore's. She was sat in a grand study opposite her granddad, and her grandma was at his shoulder, peering over at the book he was thumbing through. It had a very worn leather cover, and the pages were crinkled and yellow. The writing was various loops of cursive.

They were silent for the most part, and occasionally nodded, or said a comment like, "Interesting - skipped a few - thought we'd lost it." Eventually, Silvanna got tired of them.

"I really don't understand," she said, "Did Aunt Edith say I could fly?"

"Did Eileen really tell you nothing?" asked Quintin, frowning and looking up. Silvanna shook her head, and he sighed. "The Princes have been around for hundreds of years," he began to explain, "And each marriage, each birth, had been carefully monitored by the head of the household. Not for blood purity - we've even had muggleborns marrying in occasionally - but for magical ability." Silvanna was still lost, and she was sure it was evident on her face.

"We value the gifts we've been given immensely," Evelyn tried, and Quintin turned back to the book. "I was chosen to marry into the family because of my ability as an occlumens." Right, thought Silvanna, mind-closing.

She nodded slowly. "And Aunt Edith was chosen because she'd a seer?"

"Precisely," said Quintin, "The issue is, the gifts often skip generations, so you never really know what a child might possess. Some, like you and I, will have a variety. Some, like Maude and Eileen, have no special magic, but that makes them if no less use to us because they may carry it in their blood, even if they can't use it."

"I see," said Silvanna slowly, "What can you do, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Somewhere further up our family tree there's mermaid blood," Quintin began, "Thus, I can breathe underwater. My hearing is also significantly high - I can hear now that Maude has drawn one of the trees outside." Silvanna pricked her ears, but could only hear the ticking of a clock. Her cousins were all the way at the other side of the house. "And I'm also an occlumens."

"Wow," said Silvanna, marvelling at it. "So how do I use it?"

"Well, that's why we've invited you," said Evelyn, as Quintin book-marked three pages and handed her the book. "Some of your ancestors also had these gifts and noted their findings. So now, we can teach you how to control it."

For now, Silvanna had enough answers, and so followed Evelyn back to the main hall, which had no furniture in it, and for the most part was a large, empty space, aside from the rows and rows of portraits. "We'll start with invisibility, I think. The last one was four generations before you - Quintin's cousin, Albert. He says to make it seem as though you're stretching your skin out...it's easiest if you start at the hands and work your way up...well-" she snapped the book shut and Silvanna jumped. "Give it a go, then."

"Oh - now? OK." Silvanna closed her eyes and focused on her hands.

"Try not to physically stretch," said Evelyn, "Try using your magic." That was the most useless pointer Silvanna had ever heard. What else was she supposed to do? After a few moments more: "You're straining too much, dear. You'll pop a blood vessel." Silvanna bit her tongue to stop from retaliating.

"Oh, just stop," snapped Evelyn after a few minutes more. "You're doing it wrong."

"I am trying," retorted Silvanna. "It's just not working."

"You're not doing it right." Silvanna thought this was a bit harsh - she didn't see Evelyn turning invisible at the snap of her fingers. "Think about how you feel when you perform a charm. Look - do you have your wand?"

"Uh - yes," said Silvanna, withdrawing it from her pocket.

"Good," said Evelyn, her lips twitching into a thin smile. "Now perform a water charm - and really think about what the magic feels like."

Silvanna obliged, and nervously aimed out the open window and onto a stretch of grass. "Aguamenti," she said, and a jet of water spouted from the tip. She felt a sight tingle in her palm and fingertips as the magic rushed through her, one that she felt so often it was like second-nature to her by now.

"So now try again," said Evelyn, sounding impatient. Silvanna scowled but closed her eyes again, taking a deep breath. She felt it this time, like a little buzz near her fingertips, and guided it as much as she could to 'stretch' her skin, until she was physically shaking. "There! Well done, that's good." Silvanna opened her eyes and saw the ends of her fingers had disappeared. In her shock, they quickly reappeared. "I want you to practice that before bed each night," Evelyn told her, and Silvanna nodded, still shaking and feeling exhausted. "Now, where's Floyd - he can help you with legillimency..."

*****

Silvanna made sure her door was locked before she fell asleep, but she was so exhausted she hardly had any time to think about the day's events and practice her invisibility before she closed her eyes. Legillimency had been far easier than invisibility, but they'd only let her practice on Evelyn because she was an Occlumens.

The following morning, Silvanna had breakfast along with everyone else, but her cousins were quickly rushed into the gardens to stay out the way. "I've received your school report from Professor McGonagall," said Evelyn as Silvanna ate her third croissant.

"What? Oh - OK - how?" Silvanna spluttered, before taking some pumpkin juice to stop herself embarrassing herself further.

"I wrote ahead for Dumbledore's approval, it wasn't too much fuss," said Evelyn, and Silvanna saw she had it in front of her that very moment. She wondered what it said. She knew her mother got one at the end of every year, but she'd never actually read them. "There's a few set texts I'd like you to read. I don't like their Dark Arts curriculum for one, and your Herbology marks are too low." Silvanna wasn't even that bad at Herbology, she was just average! And she'd done well this year.

"So I'm getting homework?" asked Silvanna, finishing her breakfast.

"Reward doesn't come without hard work," said Evelyn, looking up at her disapprovingly. "I expect you to be putting the effort in to be a functional member of this family." Silvanna just nodded, before looking into her lap and raising her eyebrows. The only thing that was stopping her from snapping back at her was the fact that Dumbledore had ordered her to do as she was told. So that was what she'd do.