The Redemption of Severus Snape

Part 16

Lindsay dined with Remus in his quarters. He'd been ill again and was still recovering. He moved away from his small dining table and sat in a large overstuffed armchair wrapped in a shabby brown dressing gown. Lindsay was fussing over him, wrapping a blanket around his feet and legs.

"Stop hovering, Lin. I'm fine."

"You look awful."

"I'm just tired." Lindsay stopped fussing and moved to the table to clean up the dishes. "There's an easier way to do that."

"It's just habit, I guess."

"Come and sit. The house-elves will tidy up." Lindsay took the chair opposite him. "You look preoccupied. What's bothering you?"

"I'm disturbed by something I was reading. Is Necromancy actually real?"

"That is very advanced stuff; too advanced for you, but, yes, it's real."

"I just don't understand this idea of Dark Magic. Moving objects is easily explained. It's telekinesis, applied kinetic energy...."

"Ugh, Muggle terms again."

"It's the only way I can relate, Remus. Even transfiguration can be explained scientifically—if I try hard enough. Much of what I understand of the Dark Arts is similar to the magic I see people performing every day. How do you know the difference?"

"Regarding the less complex forms of Dark Magic, much of the difference lies in the intent of the witch or wizard performing it. Let's use the Imperius Curse as an example. As you know, it's one of the Unforgiveables because its ability for misuse is so profound. But let's assume one were to use that curse just long enough to prevent a person from harming herself or someone else. The spell is dark, but in this example, its use wasn't. It's a grey area to be sure, but the curse was used with good intentions. That, however, doesn't make one exempt from issues regarding the legality of casting the curse."

"Alright, so application can affect spell classification—at least in terms of moral issues. But what about the more advanced stuff, is it strictly dark, and what makes it so?"

"I don't teach Dark Magic, Lin. I teach defense against it."

"I hate it when you're evasive, Remus."

"I know, but you must admit that I'm quite good at it."

###

Lindsay bypassed the Gryffindor common room. She took a separate staircase that led to her rooms. An unpleasant smell of something burning assaulted her nostrils when the suit of armor that guarded the entrance to the hallway moved aside. She stepped past the guard. The hallway floor was covered in low-lying black smoke. The same black smoke was billowing out from under her door. She touched the knob to see if it was hot, it wasn't. She heard two identical male voices talking and laughing on the other side of it. It was undoubtedly the Weasley twins again. Without a word, Lindsay turned and headed for the kitchens to get a cup of coffee. It was probably going to be a long night, and she had no intentions of being anywhere near Professor McGonagall when she discovered whatever it was the twins were up to.

After twenty or so minutes of wandering the castle, Lindsay found herself in the dungeons, a part of the castle she rarely visited. She'd allowed her mind to wander and paid little attention as to which direction she walked. She heard a terrible racket coming from Snape's office and picked up her pace to investigate it. She entered just as Snape was upending a heavy wooden table with his bare hands. There were several glass jars lying broken on the floor. She noticed some light-blue goo oozing toward her and stepped out of the way before it reached her feet. Snape whirled around suddenly, his black robes flowing around him, and stopped in his place with a ferocious look on his face. He'd thought he was alone and was momentarily startled by her presence.