Always In Your Shadow: Calista Snape Volume I (Snape's Daughter)

15.

Severus nodded, but still didn't continue. Poppy offered Severus another gobletful of water, but when he refused, and cast a rather pointed look at the curtain, she excused herself and bustled away.

Severus returned his attention to Dumbledore. "Bellatrix's presence is gone, but it's possible she may attempt to return. Calista is... I had to shield her, before Bellatrix destroyed her mind utterly. She's still shielded, until she decides to break free of it. She'll... she'll more or less be like this until that happens."

"You said she may attempt to return. Were you able to determine how she was able to infiltrate young Calista's mind, all the way from Azkaban?"

Severus considered his words. He had never told Dumbledore about the scars on her back, had wanted to respect Calista's privacy. But telling Dumbledore something seemed a necessity, now.

"She took advantage of a shared memory that made Calista particularly vulnerable," he said quietly, "An incident of... ritualistic abuse. I'm not certain how she managed to connect to Calista in the first place, but she was able to take control of her mind by forcing her to relive the memory over and over again in her dreams."

"And you believe she may try the same tactic again?"

"It worked once," Severus said baldly, "I would be surprised if she did not."

"Then you are proposing that we remove the memory of this incident?"

"I think we will have to, to prevent it from happening again. I've already gathered the original memory, and all of the mirrored memories of it from the dreams she forced Calista to have, to the forefront of her mind. When you're ready to extract them, I can ensure the right memories come out."

"How critical is this memory, to Calista's development?" Albus asked.

"I'm not sure how many other memories will need to alter their shape because of its removal," Severus admitted, "But a byproduct of the way that Bellatrix had been systematically breaking down Calista's mind is that it was easy for me to gather the memory, and all of its dependent memories, cleanly. It... it might change the way she recalls her past, but it shouldn't damage her mind."

Severus paused, hesitating.

"Is there something else, Severus?"

"I want to destroy the memories," he said, with some difficulty, "But... the nature of the abuse... there's power in what Bellatrix did, and it's something she could use against Calista, if she were ever to escape from Azkaban and find herself in possession of a wand again. If Calista lost those memories permanently, she would be utterly unprepared to defend herself."

"Then you think the memories should be saved, so she can reacquire them in the future."

"I don't like it," Severus said, "But I think it may be necessary."

Albus nodded. "I can keep them safely in my office, if you wish," he said, "Until you feel that it is time to return them to her."

Severus hesitated again, then nodded. Dumbledore produced two delicate glass vials from a pocket of his periwinkle robes; how had he known they would be needed?

"I make a habit of carrying several of these on my person at all times," the Headmaster said, "One never knows when it will be necessary to remember something for later, hm? Will two vials suffice?"

"I think so," Severus said.

Dumbledore lifted his wand, looked to Severus for confirmation. Severus nodded. Dumbledore stepped closer to the hospital bed, and set his wand lightly against the sleeping child's temple. Severus tugged at the little tendril of his mind that he had kept connected to the memories in question in Calista's mind, and he saw the tip of Dumbledore's wand glow silvery-blue.