Sodalis

Chapter 3

The wizard had been able to stave off his shock long enough to make sure Miss Granger was stable while they waited for help. Once he was satisfied that she wasn't going to spontaneously wither away he allowed himself time to take in this new development.

Severus sat for a long while, rubbing at his arm. Casting various spells and curses to see if it would come back. When cutting himself to check under his skin had only succeeded in adding more blood to the marble floor, he finally accepted it. The evidence was right there. The Dark Mark, his tether to the psychopath, was gone. Not only that but other dark curse marks had faded into nothingness. Even the Unbreakable Vows he had made over the years were no longer tugging at his consciousness. He felt stronger, healthier, younger than he had felt in years. It made him weep.

That's how Dumbledore found them. Miss Granger in stasis on the ground and Severus Snape laying next to her, arm over his face as he wept softly. He had pulled his sleeves down out of habit, feeling naked without his layers.

"Severus, my boy. How did you come to be in this place? If the Castle hadn't seen fit to help me locate you, your patronus would have had me blasting through the walls." Dumbledore stepped forward and Severus felt him kneel down in the space between himself and Miss Granger. Hermione. The witch who has taken all the darkness from you, has a name she's given you leave to use multiple times! He mentally chastised himself. He couldn't think of her as a mere student anymore. What have you done, Hermione?

The dark haired wizard sat up and rubbed at his face as the Headmaster ran his own diagnostic spells. Finally, Severus was able to look around at the bright and open space. It was a large empty room. The floor was white marble with black and gold whisps dancing across it. The ceiling was made mostly of a dome of stained glass that depicted a woman surrounded by books and archways. In one hand she held a skull and the other a ball of light. It did not move like the others like it in the castle. The walls were the same stone as the rest of the castle, though without the wear and tear of time and school children's touch.

"Her magical core is nearly depleted. I've cast the best spells I can but you and Poppy will have to tandem brew the necessary potions. I can handle the final incantations and magical transfer to aid her recovery but we must move quickly," The great wizard stood, levitating the girl next to him, "Can you stand?"

"I'm fine Albus. Where exactly in the Castle are we?" Severus asked as he made his way to his feet. He pocketed Miss Granger's wand and followed the Headmaster's lead. They trekked across the room, through an archway, down a long dark hallway and let out into the same hall as the Room of Requirement. "That was the Room of Requirement?"

"One of the rooms it can become, yes. It seems to be an ancient ceremony room according to the little information the Castle has granted me. I will see if the other Heads know anything once Miss Granger is taken care of," The Headmaster raked his eyes over him and it made him nervous. There was a steeliness to his eyes that no sparkle could cover. It hurt him to see that the Headmaster thought he had done something to Hermione.

Severus felt oddly naked walking the halls without his billowing cloak and frock coat. Down below they could hear the castle inhabitants waking and going to breakfast. It was a small mercy that they weren't likely to run into any students on the short path to the hospital wing from the 7th floor. Another fainting student would not go over well with the Healer.

The rest of the morning passed in a flurry of activity. Madam Pomfrey had jumped into action immediately upon seeing the girl's diagnosis herself. Soon Severus was in the small potions lab next to the Hospital Wing, tandem brewing with the healer.

There had only been 2 other times that they had ever had to heal someone's magical core and that had been himself and the Headmaster, and the damage to their cores had been less substantial than the young woman's. Both of them are quite powerful wizards and, while he didn't doubt the brilliance of the girl, he didn't know if she would have the capacity to have a quick recovery.