Severus, Poppy, and Minerva sat in front of Albus' desk the day before the students were due to arrive back from Winter Break.
"First off, Severus, I'd like you to congratulate Mr. Malfoy on his restraint. I'm not sure what Ms. Evans was thinking of when she told him, but even through his anger he still did not reveal the truth of Ms. Evans' predicament," Albus started off with.
"Quite, when I heard Ms. Evans return to her dorm after the disastrous end to their date, I feared for the worst," added Minerva. "Though, there is still time for Mr. Malfoy to disappoint us."
"I do not believe that will be happening," said Severus. "We had a talk a few days after it occurred, the twenty-third I believe, and I cautioned him on the negative effects of a full-blown revelation. I fear, though, that the information will get out regardless."
"As do I, which brings me to why you are here. Severus, have you found any way to counter the curse that has turned Mr. Potter into Ms. Evans?" asked Albus.
Discover moreBooksBooks & LiteratureChildren's BooksScience Fiction & Fantasy FilmsStory submission platformSeverus shook his head, "No Headmaster, while I have discovered much about the curse, including more of its effects and why it fell out of favor, I have not discovered a counter that I can perform."
"Can't perform, or won't perform?" asked Minerva. "I know how much you and Rose's father were antagonistic during your time here, and how much you took it out on Harry before her cursing."
"Can't perform," said Severus harshly. "I would be willing to swear an oath to that effect."
Minerva paled, "I am sorry Severus, after so many years, I just expected the worst."
"I understand, it's only with hindsight that I have seen how badly I treated the boy for his father's sins," admitted Severus, eliciting a gasp from both Poppy and Minerva, and a faint smile from Albus, despite his pain. "I let my hatred of the father blind me to the actions of the son. It was only when I could ignore my hatred for the father, and instead focus on my experiences with Lily, that I was able to fully grasp what her daughter truly was."
"Which brings me to my second point. Now that we do no longer have a choice in returning Ms. Evans to Mr. Potter, we need to decide how to reveal the change to the school and the wider magical world," said Albus.
"I strongly caution against that," said Poppy, and she spoke first only because she was expecting this, and got her objection out quicker than the others. "When you compare the health of Mr. Potter and Ms. Evans, well, the difference is night and day. Perhaps it was due to the curse, but Ms. Evans' health is as if she had lead a safe, healthy, and most importantly, happy, life since birth. As I warned you every September since Mr. Potter began his tuition her, when he arrived this year he was underfed, malnourished, underweight for his age, and showing the effects of extended periods of neglect, abuse, and malnutrition. When Ms. Evans came in for her first checkup, and in every checkup I've given her since, I've seen no sign of the damage those muggles did to Mr. Potter in Ms. Evans. If we reveal the connection between Ms. Evans and Mr. Potter, and you return her to her relatives, then I fear that all the gains made with her transformation will be destroyed, and she'll return to us a broken young woman."
There was a brief fight between Minerva and Severus on who would object next, but Minerva won, by virtue of being Deputy Headmistress.
Discover moreWriting contest entryemailTV show recapsMovie script breakdownsFan Fiction"I too must object most vociferously to any attempt at revealing Ms. Evan's history as Mr. Potter except in the most dire of circumstances, as her Head of House, as her Transfiguration professor, and as a friend of her parents," said Minerva.
"How does your friendship, however brief after their time here, connect with your opinion regarding the revelation?" asked Albus.
"Lily and James wanted their son to live a happy life, something that was taken from him when they died. Until this year I have not seen Harry happy outside of flying and receiving praise that compared him to his parents. As Rose, though, she's grown to be happy when with her friends, when studying, and even when with Mr. Malfoy, until her revelation of her history at the beginning of Winter Break. She's also been more studious, and all of her professors have professed that she's doing better in her classes than she did as Mr. Potter. Horace was especially effluent with his praise," Minerva explained.
"And you, Severus, how have you found Ms. Evans?" asked Albus.
"She's performing better than adequate, and with time, might make become passable in Defense," said Severus.
"That's high praise for you," commented Poppy.
"She's also had a beneficial effect on Mr. Malfoy, who expresses an intent for defying the Dark Lord, whom he usually calls, likely at Rose's behest, Riddle," the half-blood added.
"And how will this affect your oath?" asked Albus.
Severus glared at the Headmaster, "If need be I can still perform as I swore."
"Rose, are you ready for this?" asked Ron, as they prepared to take the one-off floo connection from the Burrow to Hogwarts.
"Ready for the floo or getting to Hogwarts?" asked Rose.
"Well, now that you mention it, a bit of both," replied Ron. "I mean, you're terrible at taking the floo."
"It's the tumbling I think," said Rose. "Never could handle the spinning."
"Spinning?" asked Ron. "Never had any spinning," he added with a shrug.
"Are you going to be okay?" asked Mrs. Weasley.
"We'll be fine," said Ginny.
"But what if everybody's talking about Rose?" asked Mrs. Weasley. She then gave the aforementioned witch a tight hug.
Rose pulled the linen envelope, now well worn for her constant handling of it, from the pocket of her peacoat, then looked up at Mrs. Weasley, "I don't think that's going to be a problem."
Discover moreFictionPress content promotionAuthor collaboration networkFan community eventsAnime merchandise storeFanfiction editing service"How can it not be a problem?" asked Ron. "You told Malfoy your secret, and now he's bound to have told the entire castle who you really are. I'm quite frankly surprised it wasn't in the Prophet by now."
"Ron, you insensitive prat," chided Ginny.
"I think it'll work out," said Rose, taking one last look at the envelope before putting it back in her pocket.
"I do hope so, you deserve me good things in your life dear," said Molly. She then gave them all one last hug before sending them to Professor McGonagall's office.
"Are you doing better Ms. Evans?" asked McGonagall.
Rose nodded, "I think so."
"Well, there's someone waiting for your outside my office," said McGonagall.
Rose brightened, and rushed past both Ron and Ginny.
By the time the two Weasleys exited the Deputy Headmistress' office, Rose and Draco were snagging quite heavily.
"It is most important that we secure the true memory, Rose … How important, we will only know when we have seen the real thing. So, good luck," said Albus after showing Rose the altered memory of Professor Slughorn's discussion on horcruxes with a younger Riddle.
"Is that all Professor?" asked Rose.
"There is one more thing, something that I wish I did not have to tell you," said Albus.
"What is it?" asked Rose, suddenly concerned.
"It regards your most unfortunate curse," said Albus. At that he gently stroked his own blackened, curse-scarred hand. "It is my unfortunate duty to inform you that there is no known cure for the curse that befell you."
"None?" asked Rose.
"None that Professor Snape has found that he can perform," clarified the Headmaster. "I'm afraid that you are likely to be stuck as Rose for the rest of your life."
"It's not too bad," said Rose honestly.
"But what of your identity?" asked Albus.
"The Goblins have no problem, letting me into my vaults. Kreacher, for all his faults, still obeys me as his mistress. And Riddle does not know to target me beyond my blood status," explained Rose. "I'm sure that we can dodge the bludger of my NEWTs and what I'll do after Hogwarts once we come to it, perhaps we can reveal who I am to a select few then, but for now, everyone who needs to know, knows."
"If that is your desire, then … Good night Rose," said Dumbledore, dismissing the auburn haired witch.
"Good night Professor," said Rose.
"Look … at … me …" whispered the dying Snape.
Rose looked into his eyes, her boyfriend Draco at her side, as Severus Snape stared at her. Her emerald green eyes met his black orbs, and then, something immaterial left his eyes, and they were left fixed and blank. As the hand the held Rose's blouse thudded to the floor, Rose shed a tear as Severus moved no more.
"Rose, we need to go," pled Draco.
Rose gently closed Snape's eyes, and clutching the vial of memories to her chest, rose with Draco's help. The couple held each other, Hermione and Ron looking on, as Voldemort called to face Rose, her secret having been revealed by Scrimgeour to the public following Dumbledore's fall from the Astronomy Tower, not quite eleven months before tonight.
"This time, I shall enter the gray myself, Rose Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who tried to conceal you from me," finished Riddle in his treat. "One hour."
"Don't listen to him," said Ron, who had returned on Christmas, now four months past, after leaving Rose, Hermione, and Draco two months previous.
"It'll be all right," said Hermione. "Let's … let's get back to the castle."
"'Mione's right Rose," said Draco, his arm still around her in support. "We need to make a new plan. Riddle's in the forest, so the castle should be safe enough to regroup."
Rose looked down at the vial of silvery memories again, "We … I need to see what Severus left me. This was his last act of defiance against Riddle, giving me these memories. I need to see if he figured something else out."
"We'll do it together," said Draco, reassuring Rose with a squeeze of her shoulders.
The quartet made there way up to the castle, finally gathering with everyone else in the Great Hall. Rose was sobered by the row of dead in the middle of the room. Ron beside her was the only Weasley not surrounding George's body. She and Draco kept back as Ron and Hermione went forward to offer comfort to the Weasleys. Draco, though now friends with them on a personal level, still felt that the history of animosity between their families required that he wait to pay his respects.
Rose and Draco instead went over to the bodies of Remus and Tonks, the married couple laying next to each other, the killing curse leaving them looking more asleep than dead. Rose thought about little Andy, their baby girl now orphaned as she was. Sure, Andy had her grandmother and namesake, as well as her godparents, Rose and Draco, but still, Rose felt that they were cut down too soon, that too much had been lost to Riddle in his quest for power.
Rose turned and sobbed softly into Draco's shoulder, no longer able to take in the cost of this final battle.
"It's all right Rose," said Draco, though even he knew that the words were empty. They'd never truly be all right.
"I can't take it anymore Draco," said Rose. She then slipped past Draco, and fled out of the Great Hall. Draco followed, as Rose led him to the Gargoyle before the Headmaster's office. Draco didn't hear the exchange, but was pleasantly surprised that Rose was able to quickly get past the guardian, and Draco followed her up to the office.
Rose was in the center of the office as Draco came up behind her, wrapping her in a hug from behind. They both looked around, seeing the empty portrait frames, as their occupants had fled to get a better look at of the events of the night.
Rose, though, knew where she was going, and quickly made her way to the stone Pensieve in the cabinet opposite the Headmaster's desk. Draco stood beside her as she poured the memories into the rune inscribed basin.
With a look to Draco, who replied with a nod, Rose took the two of them into the memories.
The found themselves in the very room they had left, though it was earlier, before the battle, before the death and destruction.
"Hello Rose," said Snape's memory. "If you're here, then I'm likely dead. Hopefully my godson is still beside you."
"Can he see us?" asked Rose.
"I think this was him talking to himself, so that he could be talking to us in here," said Draco, though even he barely understood it.
"While what I had told you about the curse was true, it was only true from, as a famous actor once put it, a certain point of view," said Snape in his own memory. "While the rest of these memories will show how much I cared for your mother, as well as information that Albus kept from you, this is about something that I kept from your. While I doubt that it will matter anymore, perhaps the two of you were less in love than I suspected."
"What's he talking about?" asked Rose.
"Let's just listen," replied Draco.
"I told both Draco and Albus that I knew of no way that I could counter the curse that made you Rose, and while true, it was not the whole truth. There is a way to counter the curse, but it requires two very important elements. First, the counter must by cast by the same person who cast the Maiden's Blessing curse in the first place, so in this case, Draco."
"Okay, that's easy," said Rose.
"Secondly, it must be cast before the victim loses their virginity," said the memory of Snape with a crooked smile.
"And there's the rub," said Draco with a chuckle.
"You may hate me for what I have done to you, Rose, but I could not stand losing you as I lost your mother. Losing you to Harry, losing the spitting image of Lily to Potter, I could not do that. Hate me if you must, but I will never regret my omission."
"The wand's more trouble than it's worth," said Rose. "And quite honestly," she turned away from the painted portraits, thinking now only of the four-poster be lying waiting for her and Draco in Gryffindor Tower, and wondering whether Kreacher might bright them a sandwich or two there, "I've had enough trouble for a lifetime."