The Redemption of Severus Snape

Part 20

Lindsay waited by the castle's main entrance. A seventh-year boy sat next to her with his arm draped lazily across her shoulders. She sat cross legged with her hands folded over her knee. The boy was showing her a trick that was clearly intended to impress her, and she was obviously feigning an interest. Snape arrived at precisely nine a.m., just as he'd said. "Mr. Caldwell!" The boy jumped to his feet. "Ten points from Ravenclaw for inappropriate contact with a female. You'll see me this evening for your detention."

"Yes, sir." Caldwell disappeared, with great speed, in the direction of the library.

"Are you ready, Miss Gray?"

"I certainly am."

"We'll be walking to the gates."

"Are we going to Hogsmeade?"

"No." Snape didn't say another word to her until they were on the other side of the castle's gates. "Take my arm."

Lindsay did as instructed and instantly wished she hadn't. She could see nothing, but felt the sensation of rapid movement. She gripped Snape's arm tightly. She felt like her body was being compressed and expanded, like a rubber band being shot across a room. She landed heavily, but stayed on her feet. "That was unpleasant."

"That was apparition," replied Snape. He moved Lindsay to stand in front of a shop window. "Stay here. I won't be long."

Snape disappeared into the bowels of the dark shop. Lindsay peered through the dirty glass of the shop window for a moment. She stepped back and read the sign above it--"Slug & Jiggers Apothecary". Lindsay turned around to view the rest of the shops. They all appeared unwelcoming; in fact, the entire street as far as she could see was dark and dreary, not cheerful and sunny like Diagon Alley. Even the patrons that walked the avenue were very shady looking folks, most of whom appeared as though they had great secrets to hide. She had no idea where she was and wasn't the least bit nervous about it. Lindsay loved new places and new faces. As found in most localities, there were people who were poorly dressed; others who were moderately well-dressed; and still others, the least common type, were dressed in expensive fabrics. Lindsay was the only one dressed in Muggle fashion, which drew many a curious stare.

From one of the nearby shops, exited a tall handsome wizard. He was very well-dressed with black trousers, burgundy velvet frock-coat, and a double-breasted, black and silver brocade waistcoat. Lindsay thought he looked like a character out of a cheap romance novel. He had long dark-brown hair that was greying at his temples and wore a neatly trimmed beard. The wizard noticed Lindsay immediately and asked if she was lost.

"No, I'm waiting on a friend."

"With your permission, I'd like to keep you company until she returns."

The wizard moved closer. He was indeed very tall. Lindsay didn't often have to raise her head to look a man in the eyes. "That's very nice of you, but he's just in there. He won't be long."

"He? A gentleman who leaves his lady unattended?"

"She's not interested, Arkaidus."

"Severus! The young lady is with you then?"

Snape didn't answer him. He just pushed him aside, grabbed Lindsay's arm, and shoved her into the shop. He dragged her to the counter and stood her in a corner. "Don't move. Touch nothing. Speak to no one."

Lindsay found Snape's behavior bizarrely amusing and made a mental note to tell Dumbledore about it thinking he'd find it amusing too. Snape stood in front of the sales counter and spoke to an older bespectacled man standing behind it. The older wizard kept shooting glances over at Lindsay. He appeared to be very amused. He casually tilted his head in her direction. "That's quite an expense for a teacher's salary."

Snape's jaw set. He glared malevolently at the older man. Through his teeth he said, "Get it, now!" The older wizard didn't shrink away, but placidly disappeared into the back of the store. He reappeared with a small parcel, which he handed to Snape. A lascivious smile still graced his face. Snape turned from him without a word, grabbed Lindsay again, and shoved her out the door.

"Did that man just call me a hooker?" Snape didn't answer. His cheeks were a little flushed, and Lindsay thought he looked embarrassed. "At least he said I look expensive. I suppose that's a compliment of sorts. Where to now?"

"Ollivander's."

Snape led her to the more familiar and much more cheerful shopping area of Diagon Alley. They entered a quaint old shop that was stacked floor to ceiling with long thin boxes. Something about the place reminded Lindsay of a tobacco shop. They were greeted by an elderly man with large pale eyes.

"Ah, Mr. Snape, I haven't seen you since you were a teenager. Your wand is made of red oak; it's somewhat rigid and was quite handsome until you requested that I stain it black. The core is dragon heart-string from a Peruvian Vipertooth, twelve inches; a more dexterous wand than your grandfather's. Cassian Prince was the proud owner of an acacia and dragon heart-string wand, fourteen-and-quarter inches--dark, temperamental, and very unyielding. The core for that wand came from an Hungarian Horntail. The wizard that collected it died from severe burns. A more reserved wand chose your mother; walnut, nine-and-a-quarter inches, unicorn hair—a bit delicate, a near copy of her own mother's wand...."

"It is the young lady who needs your assistance, Mr. Ollivander."

"Oh, yes? And you are?"

"Lindsay Gray, Mr. Ollivander."

"An American? May I ask where you purchased your first wand? I have a very talented colleague in Salem. I admire her work very much."

"This will be my first wand, sir. I'm a late bloomer."

"Latent magic is uncommon. I have only met two whose magic developed late, and both were wizards." Ollivander peered very closely at Lindsay for a few seconds before turning to a stack of boxes. "Let's try a walnut with dragon heartstring." Lindsay took the wand that was offered to her and quickly dropped it. "Very bad core choice for you. Let's try the same with unicorn hair." This wand emitted a very offensive odor. "No, no," mumbled Ollivander. "Here we are. Let's try this, same core, made of pear wood." After twenty minutes, Snape moved to the other side of the room to sit in a chair. Two hours later, he was bouncing his knee and drumming his fingers on the arm-rest. Ollivander was flushed with excitement, and mopped his sweaty brow with an old handkerchief. Open boxes were strewn everywhere.

Judging by Snape's reaction, Lindsay surmised that it wasn't typical to take so long to find an appropriate wand. She was quickly becoming very self-conscious. "I'm sorry, Mr. Ollivander...."

Ollivander put up his hand, "Hush, hush." He tapped his chin with his index finger as he surveyed his mountain of open boxes. "Would it?" he mumbled to himself. He looked over to Lindsay and back at his stack of boxes. He disappeared into the back of his store and returned with a very dusty box. "In the days of my dear father, Gervaise Ollivander, it was common for witches and wizards to bring cores of their choosing to be fitted into wand shafts. The results were often unsatisfactory." He set the box down and gingerly opened it. "The core of this wand is a tuft of ear-hair from a very ancient and beloved house-elf. The wand was intended as a memorial, but it disliked its owner intensely and was returned. As you can see the shaft is heavily carved and ornate. This is some of my father's finest work. The shaft is cedar, very supple; thirteen inches."

"Here goes," said Lindsay as she picked up the wand. A strangely familiar feeling of warmth gently moved through her body. A burst of blue sparks shot from the wand's tip.

Ollivander clapped his hands together in unrestrained merriment. "Yes, yes, that's the one! How remarkable, a very unique wand indeed. And a cedar; I'm always honored to meet a cedar carrier."

"Not to rush you, Mr. Ollivander," said Snape, "but we are in a hurry."

"Oh, yes, that'll be twenty galleons."