Chapter 4
It took a week for Almathea to grow accustomed to life at Hogwarts. Or as close to accustomed as she could get, without leaving her quarters. She had blessedly been spared further interrogations from her two favourite authority figures, though really, she hadn't assumed much would happen. She had made it relatively clear that the real action would begin in September 1991, so really all she had to do, like Una said, was have fun until then.
So, she'd gotten to know her house elf, Eggy. She'd asked for furnishings for her room, nothing fancy, just something to make it a little cosier. Two armchairs and a small coffee table in the sitting room. A rug to place in front of the fireplace and a few pillows to scatter on it, as she'd discovered she liked to lounge in front of the fireplace at night in the very cold dungeons. A table and a few mismatched chairs for a "kitchen area" that really, she was planning on using as more of a desk than a dining table.
She'd also asked Eggy for writing supplies and he'd provided her with a couple of notebooks with parchment paper pages, a few quills and an inkwell. She'd rolled her eyes when she'd seen the quills, but she had to admit that she hadn't been specific in her request for supplies. And really, would a house elf be able to purchase Muggle pens or something similar? Almathea found she could wait to find that out. Meanwhile, she'd begun to slowly train herself in writing with a quill. Her fingers were always unpleasantly stained now, but her F's had never looked prettier.
She'd asked for a bed, a small wardrobe, a dresser and a rug for the bedroom. She was intrigued that Eggy had provided a set of green bedclothes and a set of blue ones. What, she didn't qualify for Gryffindor red? She had spent a while making jokes while she'd prepared the bed for the night.
When she'd asked for toiletries, she'd received a set of something that looked like potions. She wondered vaguely if these were made by Severus or they were something the school bought in bulk for the students to have, just in case. Was everything in the wizarding world a potion? Not that she was complaining. She'd never really been a fan of long luxurious baths, but when she'd added the bath salts Eggy had provided it seemed to heal all sorts of aches her body had been experiencing. Her hair had never looked better, and her skin was definitely improved. She'd long suffered with dermatitis and the shampoo cleared away most of her problem and had reduced itchiness substantially.
All in all, life was going well. As she spent her days practicing writing and then journaling her way through the Harry Potter books, hoping to remember as many details as possible, Eggy made sure to bring her a small serving of whatever everyone else was having in the Great Hall. But even as pleasant as being alone with her thoughts was, Alma was beginning to wonder when Dumbledore was planning to make his next foray into her mind and knowledge.
She made sure to spend at least an hour every day practicing magic, as much as she could remember at least. And where she couldn't think of a spell, she found that her "wand" would still create an effect based on what her mind interpreted as her intent. This came in quite useful, because it meant she wasn’t restrained by the limits a usual witch was. It also meant that she could “invent” a few spells as well, given how much more of Muggle culture she was exposed to.
And just as she was about to get comfortable and maybe decide to explore a bit of the castle, on Friday evening there was a knock at her door. She moved to open it cautiously, expecting it to either be Severus to escort her to Dumbledore or with a message from the headmaster. However, it was Dumbledore himself at the door. She figured it made sense. Severus would have probably knocked and opened the door before she answered.
"Good evening, headmaster." Alma said cheerfully. "I trust you've had a pleasant uneventful week." she felt it was only polite to add.
"Good evening, Miss Spencer. It has been a good week, thank you." he responded as he came inside and took in the changes she'd added to the space. "I trust you've settled in well?"
"Yes, thank you." Alma nodded politely. "Eggy has helped me with furnishing my space and provided some necessities, as well as brought me three meals a day, so I am well looked after." she added. These pleasantries were exhausting, like they didn't both know Dumbledore was here for an interrogation. "Would you like some tea, sir?"
"Tea would be lovely, thank you, Miss Spencer." Dumbledore sat in one of the armchairs and Alma summoned Eggy with tea and a selection of cookies and sandwiches for her and the headmaster. Alma motioned for Dumbledore to fix his own tea. She was sure there was some protocol regarding serving tea, but really, she couldn't be bothered to adhere to all these ultra-Victorian customs. She set about to fix her own tea, splash of milk, no sugar, just how she liked it.
"Severus has reported you've spent the majority of your time in this room. That could hardly be healthy, Miss Spencer." His gaze could almost be described as a glare, if his eyes were not twinkling mischievously. Privately, Almathea felt a little comforted that Severus was keeping an eye on her, even if it was because both him and Dumbledore saw her as a danger.
"It's true, I've avoided roaming about the castle. I felt that I would need some time to explore and grow accustomed to it, so I wanted to begin when the students were on holiday, to have the place be a little less chaotic." She chose a cookie from the plate and dipped it into her tea. God, Hogwarts cookies were the best. In fact, all Hogwarts cooked meals had been superior to anything she had ever eaten in her life. She was beginning to see why everyone always praised the house-elves in the series.
"A sound assessment. I had posited that you were in need of an escort and was going to provide Severus' services for the task."
"Oh, I wouldn't wish to impose on him. He already probably has too much on his plate without babysitting me." Alma declined blushing profusely. Damn her hormones! Dumbledore wasn’t trying to set them up, he was just trying to place her under the supervision of his spy and get her questioned more often.
"Nonsense, I believe the socialization will do him good." Dumbledore said, picking a cucumber sandwich for himself. "In this regard, I find you are apparently similar creatures, avoiding socialization on a regular basis."
"Oh, I doubt that. Really, the only reason I have spent these past few days in this room was to get familiar with the space and avoid the students in the castle." Alma smiled. "I haven't received instructions about what story it is we are going for when it comes to my presence here. If I met a student, maybe I wouldn't be questioned per se, but my presence as a new entity would probably spread amongst the school inhabitants like fire. I doubt you have that many new people visiting the castle so I'd pass unnoticed."
"Yes, that could be true." Dumbledore said and sipped his tea, moving his gaze to stare at the fire. "I suppose we could present you to the staff as a mastery student doing practical work for her apprenticeship." he posited, cocking his head slightly to the side. "Do you have any skills one would earn a Mastery in?"
“Not unless one can gain a Mastery in reading.” Alma snorted. “It may still escape your notice, sir, but even if I have a wand that I can use for magic, I am not a witch and therefore have no inclination, use or requirements for a Mastery in any subject.” She picked up one of the sandwiches and took a bite to realise it had salmon in it. She spit the piece she’d bitten in a napkin. “Ogh, I hate fish! Have to mention that to Eggy next time I summon him.” She chased away the taste with a sip of tea and realised she was almost at the end of her cup.
“Then perhaps a study that would help your magic develop as well?” Dumbledore asked as he levitated the teapot to her cup and raised an eyebrow, asking for permission to fill it up. Almathea extended her cup, then poured the necessary amount of milk when the headmaster had filled it. Dumbledore fixed his own tea again before continuing. “I believe we shall need to include Severus in this discussion, going forward.” He didn’t wait for her answer, merely waved his wand at the fireplace, that had a pleasant fire inside it. He conjured a bowl of Floo powder and levitated some of it into the fireplace. “Severus Snape’s office, Hogwarts.”
The fire blazed with a blue green light and moments later, a voice came through it. “Headmaster?” Severus seemed pissed, Almathea thought.
“Severus, I am with Miss Spencer in her chambers. Would you please step through?” he called out.
“In a moment.” The Potions Master answered. Almathea wondered if maybe he was in the middle of a detention or a brew, given how disgruntled his tone seemed in the few words he’d uttered. She noticed Dumbledore placed the bowl of Floo powder he’d conjured on the hook next to the fireplace, as if he intended for Almathea to keep and use it.
It was only a few moments later that Almathea saw the flames blaze blue green again and Severus Snape stepped out of her fireplace gracefully, brushing a bit of soot from his clothes. She blushed in spite of herself. Had it really been just a few days since she’d last seen him? He was accompanied by a smell, of something chemical, so he had indeed been brewing. Her eyes went involuntarily to his fingers, that were stained with something yellow and powdery. Pollen, maybe? It was anybody’s guess, especially since she had no idea about potions ingredients or anything like that.
“Good evening, headmaster.” Severus acknowledged him. His eyes then moved to stare at Almathea with disdain. “Miss Spencer.” Alma really tried to not be disappointed by his obvious displeasure with being in her presence, but she couldn’t avoid it. She had issued the challenge last time they’d spoken that she would get him to like her, but since they hadn’t seen each other in four days there hadn’t been many opportunities for her to get used to him and put his disdain behind herself and present a better attitude than he was obviously capable of.
“Professor Snape. Welcome to my rooms.” She summoned Eggy and asked for another armchair and cup, so he may join them for tea. When she made no move to prepare his tea or ask about his preference, Dumbledore set about doing it himself, obviously aware of Severus’ preferred type of brew. She again felt that she was disappointing in her lack of hospitality, but she really couldn’t be bothered to be polite as she sipped from her own cup slowly.
“Severus, I’ve asked you to join us because we’re discussing a future for Miss Spencer.” Almathea stared into the fire, aware of Severus' glare in her direction. Great, Dumbledore was not going to make this easy for her. “She has expressed a desire to study magic going forward, and in order to incorporate this with a position here at Hogwarts, I am considering if perhaps an apprenticeship in Magical Theory would not be beneficial to her.”
Dumbledore paused and Severus glared intently at him, his lips pursed, his posture rigid. Obviously, he could figure out where the headmaster was going with this. Pitting them against each other to see how good they could fare.
“I did not get the impression that Miss Spencer had any inclination towards spell crafting and the theory behind it, considering she has no problem in proclaiming herself a Muggle.” He said decidedly, his eyes boring into her own.
Almathea held his gaze and smiled, though she knew it probably came out as strained due to her nerves. “It is true, I have a rather limited understanding of magic still, since I am a Muggle, I don’t just proclaim myself as such. However, as I have been granted a wand, I feel it is only natural to want to make the most of my situation and try and understand everything I can about spells and magic in general.” She paused to pick up a cookie and dunk it into her tea, then took a tentative bite. Thankfully, she didn’t spill anything and her fingers didn’t tremble. “I’ve already tried to remember as many spells as I can from what I read, I’ve also tried a couple of other things I’ve thought of, and I’ve had some success. I’ve mentioned just now to the headmaster that the only type of Mastery that may suit me is in something that involves reading. In this case, I believe he may be right that to further my magic would require something like Magical Theory.”
To make a point, Almathea summoned her wand from the table in the kitchen area, that had a notebook open on it and a quill set in the inkwell. She used the wand thus summoned to conjure a balloon, small enough to fit in her hand, filled with water. “Since I don’t have a magical core per se, I’ve been working with an exercise that is meant to help with energy focus. A bit like meditation, I would describe it. The exercise has the purpose, in theory, to focus energy into a pinpoint, ideally concentrating it in one spot. Once concentrated, I use the energy to move the water inside this balloon, and the endgame is to burst the balloon simply by moving the water.” She demonstrated as she spoke, holding the balloon in her hand and moving the wand in a figure eight motion over it.
Almathea dared a look in Severus’ direction, and was surprised to see him genuinely transfixed with the motion inside her balloon. She felt a little better about her inexperience. True, she may not know much traditional magic, but she had theoretical knowledge of a lot of things that looked like magic, and if Magical Theory could help her learn and expand on traditional magic, that maybe was just what she needed. “This is step one of a three step regimen, that ultimately will produce something like a…” she paused as she tried to describe this properly, given the environment she was in. “A sort of offensive spell, in the form of a vortex, concentrated in the palm of my hand. I don’t plan on using it as such, but the exercise is very good for learning to concentrate and pinpoint magic to a specific goal.”
Severus’ expression had closed off again, but he was listening intently and she felt like she had indeed impressed him. “You see, every time I’ve tried using magic these past few days, I’ve felt exhausted and depleted, even after something as simple as a Lumos or a Wingardium Leviosa. I figured it was because I am older, I have never been exposed to magic before coming here and I am working with magic outside of its natural limitations, meaning a magical core. Therefore, in order to increase my magical stamina, so to speak, I adapted this regimen from a different piece of fiction that I read in my other universe. That particular fiction was not set in a magical environment, but it does contain magical and mystical elements that could be adapted into spells, if I wished.”
She sipped the last bit of tea in her cup and took the last cucumber sandwich, munching into it with satisfaction as Dumbledore and Severus took in her actions and her words. Indeed, she felt a little smug with her display, because she had worked hard to get her magic to the point where she could move the water inside the balloon, even just a little.
Almathea was not a fool. She knew that traditional magic was something good for her to learn. The kinds of spells taught in all seven years at Hogwarts were what she could use primarily while navigating her new world. But that didn’t mean she was limited to them and them alone. After all, Una had told her to have fun, and it was just what she was planning to do. But while the study of traditional magic would benefit her, her advanced knowledge in fiction would prove useful in creating spells that could help her with her mission, and hopefully also keep her under the Dark Lord’s radar.
Severus and Dumbledore seemed to be having a mental conversation as they stared at each other. Almathea guessed this was not off the mark, considering their proficiency in the mental arts of Occlumency and Legilimency. It reminded her that she needed to start studying Occlumency herself if she wanted to have any hope of keeping more secrets from Dumbledore going forward. She doubted she would be able to convince Severus to help her, so it was going to be a subject for self-study.
“You said this was step one of three in your strengthening regimen?” Severus asked as he exchanged a look with Dumbledore.
“Yes. Once I’ve managed to efficiently burst the balloon simply by moving the water inside, I move to the next level of difficulty.” She conjured a plastic ball and squeezed it in her palm as hard as she could, to show that it had no give. “The first step is meant to develop control. The second step is meant to develop power. The plastic ball doesn’t have water inside it, but it does have air. Using the same theory, I will pinpoint my magic to move the air particles inside in order to burst the ball. But because the surface is hard, I will also have to increase the power I put into the magic I channel. I wish I could demonstrate, but this will have to wait until I can manage the first step and start training for the second one.”
Almathea then vanished the balloon and the ball and carefully concentrated her wand on the palm of her hand, drawing figure eights over it. “The final stage is putting the two together, but without a physical constraint. The spell will look something like this.” She was quite satisfied with the image of the vortex in the palm of her hand, more so when it began to emit the sound she expected from it. She knew that it would soon fizzle and dissipate, but it was a light demonstration she was going for and not a full on blast. Surely enough, the spell strands burst forth in sparks from her hand. “As you can see, it’s quite unstable because I haven’t completed my training to reach this point.”
Dumbledore nodded as if he expected the effect, and maybe he did. It was probable, very much so even, that he could understand what she was trying to express in a more theoretical sense than her very visual demonstration. It was the one place where she was truly deficient, the theory. As she considered this, Dumbledore rose from his seat and made to exit the room. Almathea panicked and rose involuntarily after him, forcing Severus to leave his seat as well.
“Your demonstration and theories were lovely, Miss Spencer, and I look forward to seeing you expand on them.” Dumbledore nodded politely, then moved to look from her to Severus. “My time is rather limited, but I leave you in the capable hands of Severus. Please discuss with her a plan of action for her continuing studies. I find her grasp of magic quite intriguing and refreshing.” He bowed his head lightly and went out the door, closing it behind himself.
Great. Just great, Almathea thought. Leave me alone with the dungeon bat, why don’t you, you old meddling wizard. She took a deep breath and turned to face Severus with a weak smile on her face. “I’m sorry he’s making you work with me.” She averted her eyes toward the fireplace when he fixed his own gaze on her. “I promise I’m not as useless as it seems. I actually do rather well with individual research, so I think if you could just point me in the direction of the library and give me a list of books to go through, I could continue with my experimentation on my own. I’ll provide updates, if you wish. We could set a schedule for them.” She offered.
Severus scowled and turned toward the fireplace himself, as if itching to grab some Floo Powder and really remove himself from this situation. He drew himself a bit taller and crossed his arms over his chest. “Your posited theory has rather a few valid elements.” By the way he said it, it was physically painful for him to admit. “As such, I will provide you with material to further your study. However, given your limited exposure to magic, I would be remiss to allow you to experiment with magical theory unsupervised.”
Really, as if she hadn’t been experimenting alone for the past four days and she hadn’t blown anything up. Honestly, he liked to consider himself so superior sometimes, as if he was the only one capable of care and consideration when experimenting with new things. She chose life and nodded in understanding. “I see. Well then, how do you wish to proceed, Professor Snape?”
He took a moment to ascertain if she was truthful in her use of his title, or mocking him, and when she hoped he didn’t notice any condescension in her tone, he turned back toward the fireplace and leaned a hand toward the Floo powder bowl. He scooped a bit of Floo powder from the bowl and held it out toward the flames. “I shall take this evening to think of an adequate plan of action and proper materials of study. In the meantime, if there are any other aspects that you would like to discuss, it would be good to make a list.” He threw the powder in the fireplace and called for his office. He took one final look at her before stepping inside the blue green flames. “We shall meet for breakfast tomorrow at eight in the Great Hall and discuss.”
Oh great, no goodbye, good evening, fuck you provided. Well spank you very much too and have a fucking good night. Almathea huffed as the flames dimmed and gave in to the petulant child inside her, stuffing her face in a pillow and screaming until she could feel the prickle in her throat. By the time she emerged from the folds, her cheeks were so red she was afraid they’d burn the pillow. Her heart was hammering in her chest, but she had evaded the worst of the panic attack. God, it could not be alright for her to have this sort of reaction from prolonged exposure to him, one on one. Especially since they were going to have to work together going forward, with what she needed to study.
But it was alright. She would be alright. She was here, and he was impressed, so she was on the right track. And she was going to learn magic.
A wide grin spread on her face and the blush in her cheeks was spreading a warmth in her belly. Spending time with Severus was perfect for her plan.