Professor Snape's Maledictus

Chapter 4 - Answers

Mai POV:

I sat in the headmasters office, trembling in fear of what they would do to me about it. My eyes stayed on the floor as I silently questioned it. But my attention was quickly stolen by a sudden hand grasping my right shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze, I turned around to see Professor McGonagall giving me a reassuring smile and all I could muster is a pathetic half smile and turn back. 

"Hello Mai Graves, what brings you, Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall into my office today?" He asked warmly, keeping a soft and quiet tone as not to startle or make this any more worse for me.

Apparently I was at a loss for words because Professor Snape spoke up instead. "she turned into a large owl and flew away from Minerva and myself when we both were calling out to her to wait"

"Some Gryffindor students were picking on her" McGonagall finished off.

I just nodded gently to confirm what they were saying.

"So your an Animagus? You are awa-" Dumbledore started out. But I quietly cut him off before he got the wrong idea.

"no. I...I'm not. I don't really know how to explain it though" I muttered, keeping my gaze to my shoes.

Professor Snape piped up. "With your permission Dumbledore, I could use the Legilimency Spell to see what is the matter and explain to the best of my abilities" Dumbledore agreed with a nod and waved for Professor Snape to stand in front of me. "Now Miss Graves, I'll need you to look at me so I can perform the spell properly. Understood?" 

I nodded, showing I understood and looked up at him. 

Professor Snape's POV:

I took out my wand and muttered "Legilimency" While point it at her, I was very quickly zapped into her memories and the first thing I saw was a younger Mai and an older woman, presumably her mother, sitting on a bed and talking.

"Listen to me Mai and listen carefully, you understand the dangers that come with the curse you carry within your blood, correct?"

"Yes Mother"

"You are aware that someday you will wake up as an Owl and cannot return to the life you live today, right?" The woman's tone got softer with every sentence.

"Yes Mother"

"promise me you will not give birth to a child, so we can finally put an end to this curse and let your brother carry our legacy on"

"I promise Mother"

"you do know I love you dearly despite suffering from Maledictus, right?"

"of course mother, I love you too"

Before I could react, I was pulled into another memory, one from earlier today.

"Did this freak not learn from last year not to get in our way?" One chirped, smugly staring down at the shaking girl infront of them.

"Guess we'll have to spend all year teaching her the same lesson" Another chimed in, chuckling and his tone filled with mockery and an under lying of eagerness to get started.

It wasn't long before all three were pummeling punches on me without mercy.

"Hey!" A deep and furious voice called out, all three boys stopped and turned around to see who shouted, Me on the other-hand, my fight or flight instincts activated and before I could think it through, my body filled with the familiar feeling as it shifted from the once 5'2 girl to a large black owl, and very quickly flying through the corridors and out an open entrance, rushing to someplace I could deem safe to calm down and gather myself together. The air beat against my small feathered body as my wings pounded the air, until my talons were wrapped tightly around the railings of the astronomy tower, and only once I was positive I was balanced correctly, I shuffled my wings until they were comfortably pressed against my body once more.

I finished with my spell and just stood there, staring at the sobbing girl in front of me, astonished that one small girl has to go through so much.

"She suffers from the Maledictus curse. . ." Was all I could mutter out, Dumbledore and Minerva's faces fell as they realized what I said and her inevitable fate lies ahead of her.

"Why didn't you say anything to us?" Dumbledore asked softly.

"I...I di-didn't want an...anyone to pity m-me" She sputtered out, with her tone was broken, only emotion you could sense was fear.

Everyone was quiet, the room falling deathly silent, apart from the few quiet sobs and hiccups coming from Miss Graves. Professor McGonagall wrapped her arms around the young girl and gently stroked her hair until she calmed down. Professor Snape stood there, dumbfounded by what he just saw. Dumbledore seemed to be deep in thought with what his next moves should be with the situation right in front of him.