The news came incessantly in the next days. Various stories about Vaitiare came to light, and her name was associated with cold cases of disappearances and murders from years and decades ago.
The Ministry was still investigating the story of that mysterious veela who had perfected a sacrificial branch of the dark arts to lengthen her life and maintain her beauty, with the help of supernatural creatures that assisted her, trapping her victims.
The full extent of her crimes was unknown, and it is possible that the names of all her victims were never completely known, but that strange case led to the creation of a specialized group within the Department of Mysteries to investigate the use of runes in more detail and prevent similar situations.
Fortunately, most of the girls had been recovered and returned to their families. The muggle girls had their memories erased so they would forget what they had experienced, before being sent to muggle hospitals.
But some girls never showed up, including two of the students from the Scottish school. They were thought to have been murdered by Vaitiare and her men, and efforts were focused on trying to find their bodies.
***
The Hogwarts students spent several days in the infirmary, where they were interrogated by Dumbledore and the other teachers to find out what had happened.
Ginny tried to explain Hermione's situation as best as she could, but fortunately, Dumbledore believed her when she said that Hermione's spirit had taken refuge within her body.
"It's a fascinating situation," Dumbledore commented. "Although no less serious for that reason," he hastened to add, noticing the angry looks of McGonagall and the other professors. "I've never seen anything like it. Don't you feel any pain?"
"No sir, but Hermione would like to return to normal. She misses being able to use her body."
"Does miss Granger have any ideas about how to do that?"
"She has no idea. She says she notices the presence of her body, but she can't get out of me, no matter how hard she tries."
"Headmaster, it is possible that physical contact will help with the transfer," Snape suggested. "If miss Weasley touches miss Granger 's head and leaves her mind blank, she may be able to perform the body swap."
"Is this the Lady's idea?"
"Indeed, that was one of her theories."
"We have nothing to lose by trying, Albus," Flitwick suggested. He nodded after thinking about it, and Ginny was encouraged to approach Hermione's stretcher.
"Don't worry, you just have to relax."
"I'm going to miss you."
"Don't worry, I'm not going far away."
Ginny smiled and rested her hands on Hermione's head. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, trying to relax and ignore the teachers' expectant gazes.
She suddenly felt dizzy, and a feeling of emptiness at the base of her stomach. For a moment it seemed to her that she was floating and sinking at the same time, and she felt something coming out of her.
When she opened her eyes, she knew something had changed. She felt suddenly alone, but relieved. And on the stretcher, Hermione was breathing deeply, coughing and moving her limbs for the first time in days. She had returned to her body.
***
The situation at Hogwarts had also changed. With the sudden disappearance of the death eaters, Dumbledore decided to carry out a plan that he had been planning for a long time, and with the help of Harry, he managed to recruit Professor Horace Slughorn to teach Potions at Hogwarts.
Slughorn didn't know it, but he was the most important piece of Dumbledore's plan, and Harry had to carry out the most crucial interrogation of all to get the missing piece to defeat Voldemort.
Thanks to the arrival of Slughorn, Snape finally managed to transfer to the subject he longed for. However, it did not seem that this change had brought him as much satisfaction as expected.
The professor had become more elusive and reclusive since the incident at the Ministry and had barely exchanged a word with his colleagues since then.
Dumbledore did not stop watching him, although without asking questions, and turning a blind eye every time the professor left school without warning. He sensed that his position as a spy must be at a delicate moment, and he did not want to increase the pressure on Snape any further.
However, the weeks passed without the situation changing, so finally, one night the headmaster decided to put an end to so much secrecy and went to Snape's office.
Snape looked at him with surprise and distrust when he entered the room, but Dumbledore raised his hands, indicating that he had only come to talk.
"Let me start by saying that I thought you would prefer to have this conversation here, instead of in my office. There are no portraits here that listen to our words," Dumbledore sat calmly, and after a few seconds of hesitation, Snape imitated him. "First of all, I would like to ask how you are feeling. This whole situation must not have been easy," Snape returned an indecipherable look, with a strange shine in his eyes.
"I am moved by your concern, Headmaster," he replied sarcastically. "But you can see that I am in perfect condition."
"And your wife and your daughter?" Dumbledore drilled him with his blue eyes, revealing that he knew the truth. Snape looked at his hands, avoiding his gaze.
"Safe," he confessed in a low voice.
"Are you sure about that?"
"As sure as I can be," Snape hesitated. "How did you know?"
"It might seem presumptuous, but I get the impression that your behavior does not correspond to that of a man who has just lost his family. After all, I've already seen you grieve the death of a loved one," he reminded him, seeing that Snape was frowning, offended. "And of course, I didn't miss the little distraction you orchestrated in the cave, freeing Vaitiare. How did you do it, to fake her death? It was very believable."
"Living Death filter. We both carried a vial with us in case something happened. Although it is true that she was very weak, and I feared that she could truly die. That's why I disappeared with her as soon as I had the chance," Snape shifted uncomfortably. "I had to stabilize her before taking her to the Dark Lord. Her condition was critical, Vaitiare's vampire magic almost killed her."
"And Voldemort?"
"He barely looked at her. In fact, he seemed relieved. To the Dark Lord, she was a potential adversary. Despite her usefulness as a follower and as an object of sacrifice, she was still a problem that he now no longer has to worry about."
"And her death only confirms the superiority of Voldemort's methods," Dumbledore deduced. Snape nodded. "Where are they now? Are they still in the country?"
"I already told you, they are safe."
"Severus..." the headmaster looked at him over his glasses, but his gesture had no effect.
"No, Dumbledore, I will not reveal their whereabouts, not even to you. The risk is too high," Dumbledore looked hurt by those words. "Besides, why do you want to know?"
"I could help you."
"We don't need your help. No one discovered their existence for sixteen years. We know what we are doing."
"I imagine that this time you will be more careful with the snakes," commented the headmaster, in a scathing manner.
"Eily has learned a lot in the last few weeks. She won't make the same mistake again," Snape growled.
"Even so, you could count on the protection of my spells."
"The same spells you used to protect the Potters?" this time Snape looked him in the eyes, without a trace of hesitation or doubt. "And for how long will we have such protection? Have you forgotten that your days are numbered?" he remarked, pointing to the headmaster's blackened hand. "Or do you no longer want me to kill you?"
"All right, it will be as you wish," Dumbledore conceded, accepting his defeat.
They both remained silent, looking towards the lit fireplace. After a few minutes, Dumbledore decided to change the subject, trying to resolve another issue that was worrying him.
"Vatiare's presence remains a mystery that I cannot understand. Who did she serve? And why did she come to Hogwarts?"
"She served herself. Her only objective was the perpetuation of her youth and the expansion of her power, but she was loyal to no one. As for why she came to school..." Snape looked at the flames in the fireplace. "Hogwarts was for her the equivalent of an orchard from which she could pick the most desirable fruit. She took advantage of the presence of the Lady and the death eaters, because she knew that no one would suspect her."
"Her presence was most opportune."
"Narcissa Malfoy has done excellent research on this," Snape grimaced. "Vaitiare had already come to Hogwarts, decades ago, when Professor Dippet was headmaster. Narcissa believes that Vaitiare is responsible for the disappearance of three students, who vanished without a trace in the Forbidden Forest."
"I remember those cases," Dumbledore agreed. "Fortunately, the Ministry reacted quickly when searching for them, even though we never found them."
"That's why this time she planned it more carefully, to have more time and not be related to the disappearances. The Dark Lord's attempt to conquer Hogwarts was the opportunity she needed, since she could blame the Lady, the death eaters, or even me, and she could also fool the Dark Lord and everyone else."
"And it also gave her time to prepare the runes that linked Hogwarts to the Department of Mysteries. Kingsley thinks she's been using that secret room for years," Dumbledore tapped his long fingers on the arms of his chair. "I regret allowing her to stay."
"It wasn't the first time she had done something similar."
"That does not excuse my carelessness. I have risked the students' lives in a very stupid way, and I also put you in a dangerous situation by asking you to spy on her."
"I was just doing my duty," Snape murmured. "Besides, I had personal reasons to find out why she was spying on me so hard."
"Certainly, she became a real annoyance. Did you ever know why she showed such excessive attention towards you?"
Snape was silent, considering his response.
"I think she wanted to find out if I was an ally or an enemy. She thought that if she seduced me, she could count on my help to frame the Lady and her death eaters, or she could even use me like Amicus to provide her with victims and help her escape, but if not, she would betray me, buying her some time, in addition to securing the trust of the Dark Lord."
"Any of the options would have benefited her. It's lucky you're such a good good Occlumens," Dumbledore congratulated him. "I don't want to imagine what would have happened if she had managed to cast a spell on you."
"I confess that at times it was really difficult to resist her spell. I had never faced a veela before. I hope I don't have to do it again," Snape shuddered, remembering the powerful influence of the seduction spell.
"But you did it admirably well. I'm really surprised."
"I don't think I would have been able to last as long if Hellen hadn't been present," he confessed, after a second of hesitation. Dumbledore looked at him confused, but then understood what he meant.
"The influence of the veelas does not have as much power if the person they want to bewitch is already in love," he commented. Snape shifted uncomfortably in his chair, not wanting to meet the other's gaze, but Dumbledore smiled weakly, letting him be. "But Vaitiare couldn't know that you..."
"We were very careful to hide it. But she was very interested in Hellen's magical power and was spying on her. It is possible that her interest began at the moment when the Daily Prophet announced that the Lady had returned. We already felt spied on then, but we thought it was due to the Dark Lord. She was the only victim who was not chosen because of her youth, so I imagine that Vaitiare wanted to consume her to increase her own strength, which is why she tried to take her that day in the teachers' room," he remembered. "But she must have connected the dots by following me. She was spying on me all the time, and I was too careless."
"What do you mean?"
"I went to look for Win when Hellen was unconscious, because I thought the house-elf could help her regain consciousness, and I also visited Eily. She had never been without us for so long, and she was scared. Besides, I didn't want to leave her alone, she's still too young," for a moment, Snape looked like a worried father, but then his features regained their usual secretiveness. "Vaitiare thought I was on a mission, and wanted to know if I was working for you or the Dark Lord. But she must have tracked me down somehow, or maybe she sensed Eily's magic. The fact is that she discovered her, and that's why she kidnapped her along with the other girls in her class. Win died protecting her."
"Then she did know that Eily was your daughter."
Snape was silent, frowning in thought.
"It wasn't very difficult to relate her to us. After all, I was visiting her, the Lady's elf was looking after her, and from what I understand, Eily did wandless magic in the Department of Mysteries. She must have confirmed her suspicions when Hellen lost control in the corridor."
"I understand. I'm glad we arrived on time and that this matter ended in the best way possible," Dumbledore folded his hands in his lap. "But I still have one thing left to know: where does your loyalty lie?" Snape stared at him, bewildered by that sudden question.
"With you, of course. You already know that," he responded, sitting very straight.
"Even now? After everything that's happened? Don't you want to disappear too?" he insisted. "You could join them if you wanted and hide next to them," Snape's hands shook slightly, and he pursed his lips.
"I'm not a coward," he muttered.
"I didn't say that."
"I swore to you years ago that I would be at your service for anything you wanted. I haven't changed my mind," he said angrily, looking upset at him.
"I am honored, Severus," Dumbledore spoke softly, remaining calm. "But we both know that what I have asked you to do involves great danger for you."
"I am aware of it."
"And you may never meet your family again," he insisted, staring at him. Snape hesitated but did not look away.
"I know," he murmured. For a few seconds, both of them were silent.
"Why? This sacrifice cannot be due solely to your loyalty to me, or the promise you made, and I am well aware that your past love for Lily Evans has nothing to do with your decision."
Snape looked down, clearing his throat. He considered his response, but ultimately decided he should tell the truth.
"You're right, this has nothing to do with Lily. If I stay, I do it for Eily," he confessed, looking at Dumbledore. "Every day that the Dark Lord is alive is another day that Hellen and Eily are in danger. Eily is a witch, and as she gets older her powers will grow. Even with the protection my blood may give her, she is still a descendant of Slytherin. It is possible that, after all, the Dark Lord will manage to find her," the professor narrowed his eyes, shuddering at the possibility. "And if everything goes wrong, and Harry Potter fails to fulfill the prophecy, my daughter will be at the mercy of the designs of a wizard who is impossible to defeat. It is my duty and responsibility to prevent that from happening."
"I understand," Dumbledore looked down, unable to refute that. "In that case, we must do everything in our power to put an end to Voldemort as soon as possible."
"You have me at your complete disposal. What do you need from me?"
"For now, continue with your tasks as a spy. I need you to remain a close figure to Voldemort, no matter what."
"And then?"
Dumbledore waved his withered hand, staring at the black skin illuminated by the fireplace light.
"I will inform you of everything in due time."
***
The weeks passed by, and Narcissa Malfoy's worry only increased.
Lord Voldemort had agreed to free Lucius from Azkaban but was still torturing him for his failure. A few days earlier, he had called Draco and tasked him with the murder of Albus Dumbledore. If he succeeded, the Malfoy family's honor would be restored.
Narcissa loved her son and knew he had many qualities, but even she was aware that Draco would never be able to fulfill the task. And Narcissa didn't want to imagine the consequences of such a failure.
She desperately needed help, and after much thought, she decided to go and beg Snape to help Draco. She hoped he would accept, since Draco was his favorite student, but if that didn't work, she was more than willing to use blackmail against him.
Narcissa had written a long letter talking about her experience with the Lady. She had tried to capture everything she remembered from those weeks, including the strange relationship between Snape and her, and other details, such as the tattoo the Lady sported, the sudden absence of her scar, and the mysterious stretch marks on her belly.
If Snape didn't help them, or if he tried to harm Draco, she would expose everything.
***
Dumbledore's plans moved forward, and after much research, he had finally confirmed his suspicions, obtaining the last piece he was missing to understand how to defeat Voldemort, and the role that Harry had to play in all of that.
He and Harry were sitting, in opposite sides of the desk, with the Pensieve between them. They had just visualized Professor Slughorn's most protected memory, and finally, Dumbledore was explaining everything.
Voldemort's obsession with powerful objects, the destruction of Riddle 's diary, the headmaster's black hand, and the broken ring on his finger. Now all that made sense.
Harry could finally see what the next target was and was more than willing to accompany the headmaster on his journey to destroy the locket Horcrux.
What Dumbledore had not told him, and would hide from him until the last moment, was the harshest truth of all: Harry was the recipient of a Horcrux, and he must die for the prophecy to be fulfilled.
Only Snape knew the truth, and as he had promised, he would keep the secret until the time was right.
What none of them had foreseen was that that moment would come too late, in the middle of the final battle, months after Dumbledore's murder, and with the professor on the verge of death.
***
The war was over. The survivors of the Battle of Hogwarts celebrated their victory in the Great Hall, badly injured but relieved. They also tried to recover the bodies of the fallen, to give them a dignified farewell.
Minerva McGonagall had separated from the groups searching the grounds and the castle, to head to the Shrieking Shack, following Harry Potter's directions.
She had insisted on going alone, since the other teachers were overwhelmed, and Harry deserved to enjoy a few minutes of rest surrounded by his loved ones.
Besides, it was important for her to be there. It was something personal.
Severus Snape had been a colleague for seventeen years, and an enemy for the last few months, and she needed to make peace with the idea that Dumbledore's murderer had actually been his most loyal ally.
She still had a hard time understanding the whole story, even though Harry had explained it to her in detail. She was shocked by the idea that Dumbledore had been able to plan his death so cold-bloodedly, and at the hands of one of his colleagues, no less.
She wouldn't have been able to do it, she was sure of that, but perhaps that was why Dumbledore had turned to Snape instead of her.
"Poor Severus," she thought. She still remembered the first day that young Snape had gone to Hogwarts to work as a teacher. The First Wizarding War was at its height, and he was a renowned death eater, but even so, Dumbledore had protected and defended him.
And in return, Snape had given everything for him, his loyalty, his services as a spy, and his own life. In the end, and despite all the problems that had caused him, Snape had been his most faithful ally.
And now he was dead, without being able to enjoy the recognition and glory he deserved, without knowing that his sacrifice had been worth it, and without being able to live with the family he had secretly built.
McGonagall sighed as she thought about it. Only she and Dumbledore had known Snape's best-kept secret, and at first, she had thought that the former death eater had murdered Dumbledore as a form of revenge. After all, he had lost his wife and daughter on the same day, while acting under Dumbledore's orders, and that had to drive anyone crazy.
Now, knowing the truth, McGonagall wondered if Snape had actually agreed to be part of Dumbledore's plan because he had nothing left to live for. He had lost his first love, Lily, during the First War, her son had to be killed by Voldemort, and his second chance at life and love had been destroyed by the veela Vaitiare.
And to make matters worse, his last ally, the wizard whom he respected the most and whom he perhaps saw as a father figure, was also going to die, murdered by himself.
It was little wonder that Snape had given up, after standing up to lord Voldemort for the last time.
And now it was up to McGonagall to find his body to give him a proper burial, hoping that, if there was something beyond death, Snape could finally be reunited with his loved ones and rest in peace.
Trying to control her emotions, McGonagall wiped away her tears and looked around, noticing the large pool of blood that glistened in the light of her wand. Snape must be there, just as Harry had told her. But to her surprise, there was no body to recover.
Puzzled, the teacher looked around, thinking that perhaps Harry had made a mistake. But Snape's body was nowhere to be found.
Thoughtfully, McGonagall looked at the pool of blood. Had someone come before her? Had the body been taken? But there were no other traces, and no rest of magic.
With a shudder, McGonagall remembered a conversation in Dumbledore's office, months ago, when the runes still glowed on the walls of Hogwarts.
That day, the Lady had revealed many things, including the plan to fake her death to escape her fate at the hands of Voldemort. A few hours later, McGonagall had guarded the Lady's body, lying on the cold floor of the cave, but she did not forget that strange look in Snape's eyes, and the caution with which he had acted, and for a moment she wondered...
Had the Lady really died, or had she managed to fake her death? Would Dumbledore have known the truth? And Severus? Was he included in the headmaster's plan?
Was this another elaborate ploy by Dumbledore to reward his faithful colleague? Or perhaps it was the desperate gamble of a cornered man, trying to save his life at the last minute?
She could ask Dumbledore's portrait, but it was very possible that he would not give her any answer. And even so, did she really want to know? Did she have the right to know that information?
Resigned, McGonagall sighed. At that point, the truth little mattered. The war was over, and Voldemort had been defeated. Maybe some things should better be forgotten.
Waving her wand, McGonagall gathered various materials from the room at her feet and using her skills to the best of her ability, transformed them into a human figure.
His appearance was very similar to that of the missing professor, including the neck wound that Harry had described to her.
Carefully, she wrapped the fake body in a curtain and floated it away. The war hero would have his own funeral before the eyes of the magical community.
A few days later, when she was back home, McGonagall received a strange note in the muggle mail. It came in a blank envelope, with no return address, and was unsigned.
It only said "Thank you", but McGonagall smiled briefly before destroying it.
***
The sound of the waves repeated rhythmically, with a hypnotic song, while the water wet the whitish sand. The beach was the image of paradise.
On the shore, a mother and her daughter were playing to build a sandcastle. They had both taken great care to complete all the details, using small shells, twigs and some leaves. Their little masterpiece filled them with pride.
A figure approached them, walking across the sand. It took a few seconds for the woman to recognize who it was. He had cut his hair, and a short beard hid his features. His clothes were different from what he usually wore, shorter, with lighter colors. It was as if he wanted to pass himself off as someone else.
The woman ran towards him and threw herself into his arms. He hugged her tightly, not wanting to let her go. They kissed as if it had been months since they had last done so.
The girl also approached him, jumping and showing joy, demanding his attention. He picked her up, surprised by how much she had grown and how tanned she was.
The three hugged each other tightly, wishing that time would not pass. But they didn't have to worry, they had all the time in the world.
The family was reunited at last and would never be separated again.
THE END
................................................. .....
If you liked this story, try reading another of the Fanfiction that I have published
The snake and the lion (Severus x OC)
Saving Ravenclaw (Severus x Rowena)
Marriage of convenience (Draco x Astoria)
Memories of a Death Eater (Severus x OC)
Getting to know S. (Severus x OC)
Snape's family (Severus x OC)
The Dark Lady (Severus Snape x OC)
Blood of my blood (Severus Snape)