Overture

2 - Overture

Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace and power in it.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Severus recalled, with a surprising surge of something akin to affection, how she'd entered his life full-time some four years previously: "As long as you don't keep cats. I can cope with children. I think I can. But please don't keep cats. When I meet my end, I'll kill Dumbledore all over again for making me play the crazy cat lady, you know." He'd wholeheartedly agreed with her notion about Dumbledore: "Oh, and I'll have to insist on my own bedroom. With a lock. Wouldn't want you or the children to come sneaking in."

Arabella Figg had been adamant about her demands, but it had been easy enough to meet each one. As long as she helped with half the football team left to him by Karkaroff, he'd been willing to meet almost any request short of physical favours, and he'd never had to fear those from Arabella. She'd taken a good week to find suitable homes for her cats and to lock up her Muggle home, and then she'd joined him in the Wiltshire countryside.

Seven children, the youngest not yet four and the oldest not quite of age; none of them used to having a reliable figure of authority...even before their father had been murdered, since he'd sent them into hiding, their mother dead shortly after the youngest child's birth. Arabella had done a fine job keeping them in line, tending to their everyday needs, educating them in everything important not pertaining to magic, and most of all obeying Severus's demands of maintaining discipline. It had allowed him to start, continue, and expand a line of potions that added income to his stipend of the Order of Merlin, First Class, and the small...very small...fortune Karkaroff had afforded him upon accepting responsibility for the late Death Eater's children.

Severus sighed to himself. What to do, what to do... The thought of Arabella chasing Dumbledore right now for having to play the crazy cat lady...a Muggle one at that...while watching over the Potter prat almost brought a smile to his face, but he quickly dismissed it. He needed to concentrate on the issue before him.

"Severus!" little Gretl called. "I can't close the buttons on my robe." She sounded whiny, and he sighed as he hurried up the stairs to help her. "What's going to happen to us now that Arabella has passed on?" the young girl asked as if reading his mind, her voice filled with both dread and curiosity, her lower lip quivering.

"I don't know yet, Gretl," he replied, figuring honesty was the best route. "I need to think it over." He let out a sigh. Trust the child to ask so bluntly. Gretl sounded like a Brit these days, unlike her older siblings, who all still held a trace of their Eastern European accents.

"Oh, Severus, please don't let the beldam look after us," the young girl exclaimed, and he looked at her in surprise.

"What on earth do you mean, Gretl?" Severus frowned at her.

Big, fat tears ran down her face as she started to sob. "Arabella always said if we didn't listen to her, the beldam would come to put us in line instead, though Hermann says it's not true."

"Oh, don't mind her; Hermann is right," Severus said absentmindedly. "Arabella said that whenever she wasn't sure about things. She didn't exactly have an easy life."

"Did we make it difficult for her?" Gretl looked at him with wide eyes.

He returned to the present, blinking. "No, darling. Of course not. Now, let's find Louisa, and she can read you a story." He picked her up and headed for her older sister's bedroom.

Severus readied himself to leave, giving Louisa some last-minute instructions. "Narcissa and Hermann will be here by lunchtime, and I'll try to be back as soon as possible. If you have any serious problems in the meantime, send your Patronus; you know how, correct?"

She patted his arm lightly. "Of course I do, Severus. We'll be fine, don't worry."

He nodded curtly and turned to hurry across the large garden, through the gate, and Apparated to the Glastonbury Tor.

It was said to be much harder for wizards than witches to be able to adjust their perceptions in order to see the lake and the isle in its midst, and Severus was surprised to see them emerge after a mere few deep breaths until he realised that he must stand right on a ley line; the air was almost crackling with magic. He waved uncertainly in the direction of the island, wondering whether such a vague gesture would suffice to summon one of the isle's residents to collect him.

Avalon was, he reflected, an ingenious set-up. The entire lake was invisible to Muggles; they simply saw the typical rolling hills of the Somerset countryside...fields dotted with cattle, an occasional copse of crab apple trees, the odd farm in a valley with a creek lined by elderberry trees running by, fences made of blackberry bushes, and the occasional shepherd herding his flock. Stories about the legendary isle floated about every now and then, sometimes in the form of a new book, at others, in a new movie. Likewise, festivals celebrating the metaphysical, fuelled by the brusque magic the lake emitted, were thriving in all the villages surrounding the lake, often providing some extra income for witches or wizards sufficiently apt in tarot or rune reading.

Both lake and isle were usually invisible to wizards and witches as well, though witches occasionally broke through the barrier. When a Muggle came too close to the boundary, fog descended over the entire area, and some people had been lost to the mists forever.

Severus breathed out, relieved, when he saw a small boat move in the direction of the Tor. At first, all he could make out was a figure clad in white, her hair surrounding her head like a halo. As the boat drew nearer, he realised a young woman was steering it without wand and seemingly no effort. When she halted the boat, she stood and bowed lightly. "Professor Snape," she said, "Minerva is expecting you." A small smile played around her lips as she gestured for him to enter the boat.

As soon as he sat down, the boat turned and headed in the opposite direction, now bound for the Isle of Avalon. He'd never noticed her casting any spells and studied her curiously as her eyes focused on the shore before them. He suddenly thought back to the end of the war when he was stuck nearly dead in the Shrieking Shack and knew who she was. "Miss Granger."

"You remember me," she said, her voice quiet and measured.

"How could I forget Hogwarts' greatest know-it-all." He smirked, wondering how a mere four years away from teaching had softened him so much he couldn't even bite a Gryffindor anymore. Perhaps, he thought, it was the atmosphere that was rapidly changing as they drew nearer to the legendary island. It felt, in a way, similar to crossing the Channel from Britain to France, only the shift was much sharper, more palpable, and decisively profound in a manner he was unable to establish precisely. Maybe it was the transition of one era of his life into another, but he found himself incapable of dwelling on the thought.

His mind drifted briefly to his home. Narcissa would have arrived by now, and at least Louisa wouldn't be overwhelmed with adult duties and responsibility; Gretl would be happy to play with Hermann. Finally, he focused on the imminent meeting with Minerva.

Severus started when the girl spoke. "It is a portal, Professor. Many people have experienced deep insights on the short journey between the Tor and the isle."

Her almost sad, gentle smile intrigued him, and he wondered what had brought her here. Before he made up his mind whether or not to express his thought, she spoke again.

"Why I'm here matters not; what matters is that I'm here. For me at least." She quieted again and navigated the boat to softly glide onto the dry sand.

Liesl rushed out of the nearby stone hut to greet him. "Severus! I'm so sorry about Arabella's passing. How are my brothers and sisters?" She stepped into his held-out arms and embraced him tightly. "Sometimes I miss you."

He patted her hair. "The children and I miss you, too, sometimes, Liesl. How are you faring?"

"Oh, it is wonderful here. I enjoy every day, well, most days. It is very peaceful, very much unlike anything I remember from Bulgaria." Sadness shadowed her pretty face, but only for a moment.

He marvelled how much of her once strong accent she'd lost over the last couple of years. She didn't sound English yet, but any stranger would merely detect a slightly foreign accent.

"Severus," Minerva said as she reached the edge of the beach where they'd arrived. "It's good to see you."

As soon as a modicum of niceties had been exchanged, Minerva beckoned the group to follow her to a large stone construction visible in the distance. "Let's sit down and have some tea."

Severus was grateful Narcissa had prepared Arabella's body for the burial and set up the altar out in the garden...Arabella's favourite spot near the old oak...by the time he returned from Avalon. He had just enough time to slip into plain, black robes before Minerva arrived with Liesl, the elder dressed in plain, pine green robes of exquisite material befitting a priestess and Liesl in an equally plain robe, this one cotton, of lighter colour. Avalon had certainly done wonders for her self-esteem; he couldn't help wondering if Minerva thought of preparing the young girl for the role as the Lady once she passed. No, not Liesl. She's probably training the Granger girl for that; she's always been her favourite...

Gretl approached the priestess, seemingly fearless. "I want to help as well. Don't you think I'm big enough?" she asked, her eyes wide and her expression very serious.

"Aye, lass, you're just big enough," Minerva said, suppressing a smile. "Here, let me transfigure your robes to make you look the part as well." A second later, Gretl was dressed in black and red, her face carrying a proud smile.

"Will you want to bless the Circle as the South?" Minerva asked her, smiling when Gretl nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes. Yes, and I even know the words!"

"Go; join your sisters, then."

Brigitta and Marta, both wearing the traditional black and red robes, were lighting the candles while Minerva swept the Circle widdershins to clear it of any negative influence, avidly watched by the Karkaroff girls. Even Gretl was silent and only nodded in greeting as Louisa, similarly attired, joined the group.

Minerva replaced the broom with a sword and cast the Circle, her arms making one sweeping movement to define the space, intoning, "This is a place which is not a place...in a time which is not a time...halfway between the worlds of the Gods and of mortals."

She stretched her hand out, and Severus took it to let her pull him into the Circle. He offered his hand and brought Louisa into it, who grabbed Gretl's arm. When all were inside the Circle, Louisa stood tall and started, her voice quivering lightly, "I am the West. As the sun sets, so our friend left us. The water of our tears, like the salt water of the sea and the life water of our mother's womb, blesses this Circle."

Gretl spoke clearly, her voice filled with unfamiliar strength for one so young. "I am the South. As life is a day, so our friend has passed into the night. The fire of our life, the memories and courage, the strength given to us by our friend blesses this Circle." She looked proud with her head held high, emitting palpable power, and resembled a miniature priestess.

Brigitta stepped forward next. "I am the East. As all that falls shall rise again, so our friend will be reborn. The air we breathe, this treasure of our life, the compassionate caring we give each other blesses this Circle." She, too, looked unusually proud, though far more timid than her younger sister. The older children were certainly far more scarred from years in hiding than the younger ones.

When Liesl said her words, Severus marveled at the transformation of the girl. She'd left just over two years ago to join Avalon, but it had changed her profoundly. Gone was the coy girl with the incredibly strong Eastern European accent, replaced by a young, beautiful woman whose self-confidence would never again be an issue. Her voice carried strongly as she intoned, "I am the North. As the earth forms us, so our friend shall return to it. Our mother feeds us and clothes us. She gives us everything, and in the end she takes our bodies back. And earth blesses this Circle."

Severus reflected further on the Karkaroff children as the girls one by one said their good-byes to Arabella. Friedrich had left last year to attend the last year at Hogwarts; he had an uncanny ability for Charms that Severus had felt unable to nourish. He occasionally wrote, but was probably the most withdrawn of the bunch. Louisa, though old enough to leave, appeared to have no intention to go anywhere. He was glad for it, for she was the pillar for her siblings; even Liesl still owled her regularly.

Something in the corner of his vision interrupted his reverie, and he realized with a start that Minerva had raised her arms now and begun to draw down the moon. He took a sharp breath and concentrated on drawing down the sun, then intoned, "You are the goddess, as are all women. You give birth, feed the children from your own body. Then you take them back to your womb for a new birth. World without end, eternal creation."

Minerva's lips quirked upward as she nodded almost imperceptibly. "You are the god, as are all men. You are born. You live, you die, only to be born again. All father, all destroyer, ruler of the land of the dead."

He hid his sneer. Ruler of the land of the dead. Indeed.

Then, in unison with the priestess, "Birth and death. Birth and death. Birth and death."

The girls unfolded the cloth, and as they started to slowly wrap Arabella's body for its final journey, Brigitta said, "The sun will rise again."

Gretl added, her voice grave, "Life continues."

Louisa chimed in, "Love is all that we can be sure of."

Finally, Liesl said, as she carefully completed the wrapping, "Only the Mother is eternal."

Minerva motioned to Liesl, and the two picked up the body, now lighter in both weight and energy, for the ritual had enabled its soul to depart completely, and exited the Circle, Minerva nodding lightly towards Severus, who started to dismantle the Circle by first ushering out the girls.

Narcissa was waiting in the living room and offered a tentative smile when Severus entered. "How did it go?"

"All right. Minerva and Liesl took her body for burial on the island."

"Oh," Narcissa said softly, then added, "Lucky Arabella." Her eyes met his. "Aren't you going back to Avalon? Lucius is not expecting me back tonight; I can stay here."

"Yes. I should go," he said. "Are you sure it's all right with Lucius?"

Narcissa waved her hand dismissively. "He knows what happened, and he knows how you feel about leaving the children alone. Yes, Severus, go."

He murmured a thank you on his way out, rushed to the gate, and Apparated back to the Tor where a boat was already waiting, manned by a woman unknown to him, who took him back to the isle without speaking a single word. He was grateful for the silence.

When the small group congregated in the stone house after the burial to share supper, Severus said, "Thank you, Minerva. I had no idea how to deal with it all." Exhaustion washed over him in such strong waves he found it hard to focus on the simple, yet tasty food in front of him.

She patted his arm. "You are welcome. Now, what are you going to do? Have you found someone else to look after the young ones?" She poured the tea and handed him a mug, which he took gratefully.

"No. Narcissa agreed to come over every day, but it is more to humour me than anything else. I cannot expect her to keep it up for any length of time. But frankly, who would want to work for me?"

"No, you can't ask Narcissa in terms of a permanent arrangement. Looking after Hermann is probably close to what she can manage on top of Lucius..." Minerva looked at him. "Severus, you're a war hero. Surely, if you put an ad in the Prophet..."

His bitter laugh cut her off. "Yes. If I put an ad in any paper, I'll have a bunch of witches lining up who're all after my so-called hero status. They have no interest in children!" He joined in with Minerva's heavy sigh.

"I..." Minerva stood up. "Excuse me for a moment."

He nodded curtly and turned his attention to the tea in front of him. I wish Arabella hadn't died on me... Merlin, how will I cope with looking after the children without any help? Kurt came to his mind, the natural rebel; then Marta, only a couple of years older than Gretl but utterly determined to get her way with everything. He blamed it on the fact that all the children had been in hiding for so long, and Marta had never had a chance to live out her terrible twos or threes, but Arabella had coped ever so well with it all and shielded him from any major confrontations.

"Severus," Liesl said softly, as if afraid to catapult him out of his thoughts, "would you like me to return to look after my siblings?"

He looked at her, then shook his head. "No, Liesl. You deserve the life you want, and I have no doubt it excludes looking after your siblings until they're grown." He met her eyes. "Believe me when I say I know what it's like to be where you don't want to be, and you deserve better." He was rewarded with her bright smile.

"I shouldn't be, but I am glad you know and understand, Severus," she said. "I'll be forever grateful that you let me come here." Her smile now made the entire world look brighter.

"Don't mention it," he said gruffly, utter loss at how to react to her gratitude overwhelming him.

"Sir?" The Granger girl had appeared in the door.

I'm glad Liesl is happy on the isle of Avalon. Of course I've always known it's her destiny; she came into this life with the agreement to become a priestess.

I want to embrace Narcissa for comfort, give her many advance hugs so to speak, for she is in for a very rough time. She's finally having a reprieve where Lucius is concerned; he cannot help but accept me, if not love me. But the next few months will be rough for both of them, and I cannot help it. I need to concentrate on Gretl; my dear Gretl, my soul mate.

A/N: For alpha and beta reading thanks, please see chapter 1.

Reviews are love.