Forever Yours

2. Lulu

Severus Snape walked briskly down the first floor corridor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  His shoes echoed loudly in the empty hallway.  He had been busily making notes when Harry Potter burst through his office door.  Harry had a strange expression on his face and was breathing heavily like he had been running.  He came into his office without knocking, which annoyed Severus tremendously.

"Professor Snape?"

Severus had immediately looked up at the sound of his voice.  He wasn't his usual arrogant self, but he seemed genuinely concerned about something.  His eyebrow raised.  "What brings you down to the Dungeons this late, Potter?"  Harry really shouldn't have even been out of bed, but the thought hadn't occured to him at the time.

"Professor Dumbledore wanted me to give you a message, sir.  He wants to see you right away.  There's a bit of a situation in the library."

Severus stared at him blankly.  "In the library?  Did a book fall on someone's head?"

Harry sighed.  "I'm just the messenger,sir.  I was on my way back to Gryffindor common room when he asked me to come get you.  I honestly don't know what's wrong.  He and Professor McGonagall were headed that way."

He rose from his desk.  "Thank you, Potter."  He had swept past him like a bat, in a hurry to see what the problem was, leaving Harry alone in his office.

Severus finally made it to the doors of the library and burst inside.   The sight before him was a strange one.  All of the staff, excluding none, was gathered around a table in the back visible from the doorway.  They all looked his way when he started walking toward them.

"Ah, Severus," Albus greeted him with a smile.  "I see Harry got my message to you.  We have a bit of an unusual problem."

"I'm ready to help," he said.  "What seems to be the trouble?"

Dumbledore moved back from the table.  There was an owl perched on one of the library chairs with a white envelope in it's mouth.  In large print was the word STAFF on the front.  Severus frowned.  The owl was gorgeous.  It's body was white with tan feathers with black spots.  Its face was white framed with a heart shaped tan ring, its eyes as black as coal.  The owl had a long light colored beak.  

"Where did the owl come from?" Severus asked once his eyes took on the beautiful creature before him.  He came to a stop just in front of the chair.

Minerva McGonagall, who was standing graciously beside of Albus, innocently shrugged her shoulders.  "Not a one of us has any idea."

"It's been here all day," a gray-haired lady spoke up.  Severus looked in her direction.  It was the librarian, Madame Pince.  "I thought it might have belonged to one of the students, but apparently it does not."

"Why didn't you just shew it away?"

She looked absolutely insulted.  "You think I didn't try that?  You can't shew away an owl that your hand goes through!"

Severus knitted his brows together in confusion.  He looked to Dumbledore for clarification.  Dumbledore smiled and explained.

"This is a rather unusual owl, Severus.  It has a special ability.  Allow me to demonstrate."

He stuck his hand toward the owl.  Severus expected it to fly away, but it sat very still.  He watched as Albus's hand went straight through the owl, like there was nothing at all sitting there.  His eyes widened in surprise.

"Is that even possible?" Severus questioned.  "For an animal to have powers?"

It was Dumbledore's turn to frown.  "It is not unheard of, nor is it very common.  In my best opinion, this is a very unique creature, one that would rather not have anyone in this room touch it.  But, as the letter has STAFF written on it, I would assume it would be for one of the staff.  I had Harry tell you to come here because you are the only one that has not tried several times to reach the envelope."