CHAPTER 22/EPILOUGE: DEATH DARES NOT KEEP THEM APART...

EXT. FRONT ENTRANCE TO HOGWARTS TO HAGRID'S HUT – AFTERNOON

(SEPT. 17TH, 1998)

Note: Extended from first scene in Chapter 3: Old Friends And Enemies.

Moesdolor and Verena began gently rubbing their foreheads together as Verena began wrapping her arms around the base of Moesdolor's neck, "Hello, old friend. It has been to long." said Verena softly, smiling gently as Moesdolor purred softly and sadly and with bittersweet tears welling up in Verena's cold blue eyes and rolling down her cheek. "Come, there is someone who's been nagging to see you."

Moesdolor then lifted his head up as Verena continued to cling onto the base of his neck, pulling her up and away from the ground below her. Watching from a distance, Harry and his friends continued watching the interaction between Verena and Moesdolor as Verena quickly crawled her way to the back of Moesdolor's head and sat herself on the back of his shoulders before Moesdolor shrieked and spread his wings, flying off into the clear blue sky far beyond the sprawling battlements of Hogwarts Castle.

EXT. A GREEN HILL, THE SHAMBLES, VERENA'S HOUSE – AFTERNOON (SEPT. 17TH, 1998)

With Verena on his back, Moesdolor flew over the Dark Forest and far past the Hogwarts school grounds, flying northwest into England and over the Pennines Mountain Range. Once in the North Pennines, Moesdolor followed an obscure branch of the North Tyne River known as the River Topplemoor, going further into the mountain range until catching sight of a large and extensive wizard village built atop five tall and mighty cobblestone viaducts in which the river flowed under. This was the Shambles, Verena's home town and the place she was born.

The terrain surrounding the Shambles was mountainous and moor-like with green and tall rolling hills stretching as far as the eyes could see. Atop one of these hills lied Verena's house and waiting at the front door to this house was Severus Snape, looking up as Moesdolor flew closer and landed in front of him. Moesdolor hovered a moment in front of Snape, flapping his wings before ultimately landing with a thunderous crash. Moesdolor folded back his wings and began shrieking and hissing as Verena jumped off and walked over to Snape, turning to look up at Moesdolor once more. Soon, Moesdolor quieted, walked up to Snape and sniffed him a moment.

Moesdolor wasn't sure if he was looking at the real Severus Snape or someone who merely looked like Severus Snape by use of Polyjuice potion. But after a few moments more, Moesdolor snorted, then brought his head down closer and gently placed his head up against the side of Snape's head before he began to purr. Snape smiled gently and then patted the side of Moesdolor's head.

Severus then spoke, "Hello, old friend. Where have you been?"

"I told Moesdolor to go back home to Romania with Uelithera, the Hungarian Horn-Tail that Harry Potter fought in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Did you even know that Uelithera was a female dragon and that she was Moesdolor's mate?"

Severus looked back at Verena then looked back at Moesdolor as he patted him on the forehead. Severus didn't seem all that surprised or bothered until Verena said, "She is also my dead brother Alistair's dragon."

Severus looked back at Verena once more and smirked, "Your dead brother's dragon? Good grief, we are tangled, even with our pets."

"I know," said Verena as she walked up closer to Snape, "I was rather surprised to when I found out. I hadn't seen Uelithera since my family was killed. But I suppose it doesn't matter if Moesdolor and Uelithera are two different species of dragon. It's like with the Blue Whale. They just take whatever they can get, no matter if it's their species or not since there are so few of the pure species left...is that wrong?"

"No, it doesn't really matter, if the love is there so what? They are in love so it doesn't really matter what kind they are or what creed they might be. Love concurs all, even differences and distinctions," – Severus then smirked, "It's like with my parents. My mother was a pure-blooded witch and my father was a Muggle. But the line got blurred when my father fell in love with my mother. He didn't know that she was a witch then, but it didn't matter. He loved her for just as she was. Then, when I was three years old, one little silly accident forced my mother into revealing that she was a witch and that I to had magical powers. Everything started to go downhill after that. My father began to drink, skirt chase and argue with my mother. But for that one brief moment, my parents loved each other and we were happy. But never the less, the hatred between Muggles and magical folk is ridiculously twisted and overrated."

"I know, Severus," said Verena as she began petting Moesdolor on the neck and looking at Severus, "And even though I am pure-blood, I don't care that you are half-blood. I love you just as you are and who you are. And I think you're wonderful...and so handsome. I love you."

"I know...I love you to," said Severus as Verena smiled and placed her other hand on Severus's face. Severus smiled and gave a withering stare. Verena brought her hands down as Moesdolor pulled his head away and walked on and around behind Verena's house, where he then lied down for a nap. Severus looked on with a withering stare as he and Verena watched Moesdolor lie down and cover himself with his wings. Severus then spoke, "But I still can't help but think about Lily. I still love her and wish that she was here to see me. I miss her."

"I know, Severus. I miss her to. She was just as much as my friend as she was to you," said Verena as she wrapped her arms around Severus, who soon turned his head and looked back at Verena with a withering stare. Verena spoke once more, "And if you want me to, I can show you a way where you can visit Lily and be with her any time you wish, as well as stay and be with me."

"How?" said Severus as he looked puzzlingly at Verena, who looked up at him and smiled softly.

INT. HOGWARTS CASTLE, ROWENA'S SACRED CIRCLE – AFTERNOON (SEPT. 17TH, 1998)

Verena led Severus to a hidden opening deep in the dungeons underneath Hogwarts Castle. All around Severus, the walls were covered with moss and likens, as if they had gone very deep underneath the castle. They walked past a small waterfall which dumped into a small pond below and past lines of strange glowing plants that glowed in the dark around them. Severus then realized that Verena had led him into a cave underneath the castle that he never knew was there before.

"What is this place? Where are you taking me?" said Severus as he looked around.

"To an extra special place that only Rowena Ravenclaw knew about. This way," said Verena.

Verena turned a corner and went up a set of moss covered stairs, which led to a blank brick wall covered by moss, likens and fungus. Stopping at the brick wall, Verena pulled out her wand and began tapping bricks in a counter-clockwise motion with the tip of her wand as she spoke, "Sanctus Circum Ostendo Mihi Bicallis."

In an instant, there was a low rumbling sound as the bricks she touched with her wand began to move about as if Verena was opening a complex and enchanted Chinese puzzle box, revealing a narrow corridor. She then spoke "Lumos," and placed her wand out in front of her, grabbing onto Snape's hand and pulling him along. The corridor itself was only three feet wide, just big enough for people to go through it in single file.

After going a few feet down the corridor, they reach another set of stairs and began to go up them. At the top of the stairs, the corridor widened and torches lit. Soon, an arched glass door edged in gold and amber appeared on the seemingly blank stone wall in front of them. The glass of the door was covered with elaborate patterns and Ravenclaw designs etched in bright glowing sliver and encrusted with cut amber stones. It had a golden locking latch as a door handle and was glittering in the light of the torches. The door then unlatched itself and opened, sounding as though it was opened by some kind of complex clockwork mechanism. Verena entered through the door first, than Severus followed.

After entering the dark room, the door closed itself and latched shut behind Severus and Verena. Then more torches lit up in a cascading circle, revealing a small circular room. The floor was made of cobblestone while the walls where covered with fine rosewood paneling. There was a row of elaborately carved wooden pillars that went all the way around room and appeared as though they were carved into the wall itself. In the center of the room, there was a marble stone fountain which began to flow with water from the top of the fountain to the bottom. Severus began to look around in awe as Verena walked around the fountain and over to the wall behind it.

"Verena, what is this place?"

"It's Rowena Ravenclaw's sacred circle room. She often used this room to look into the fountain that showed images of the past, present and future. Rowena was not just a powerful witch but a powerful seer as well. She often saw the terrible things that were to happen to Hogwarts and the Wizarding world long before many others would and would warn the other founders of Hogwarts and the rest of the Wizarding world. Rowena predicted the First War of Wyverns One, but died before she could tell the others."

In front of Verena, there was a raggedy old blanket covering over something that was on the wall in front of her. Verena then spoke, "This is also where Rowena had been hiding this."

Suddenly, Verena pulled off the blanket, revealing a large arched picture frame with golden etching on it. It was four feet wide and six feet tall, allowing one to step into it while standing up. When Severus saw this picture frame, his eyes lit up, "Is that...? No, it can't be."

Verena looked back at Severus and smiled, "But it is, Severus."

"But I thought it was destroyed in the First War of Wyverns One."

"Actually your ancestors gave it to Rowena to watch over during the war. They wanted to make sure that it wasn't destroyed so they helped Rowena bring it down here to safekeeping. It is the Window of Auradinthia and the key to visiting Lily in the portraits."

Severus walked up next to Verena and glared at the picture frame as Verena spoke, "Only those who have died once can enter the world of the portraits and return...that's what the inscription etched on the top of the picture frame says. And we have both died once, so we can use it now."

Verena and Severus looked at one another and smiled.

INT. FIFTH FLOOR CORRIDOR TO AN ENGLISH GARDEN AND COURTYARD IN THE PORTRAITS, HOGWARTS CASTLE – AFTERNOON (SEPT. 17TH, 1998)

With the help of Severus, Verena brought the Window of Auradinthia up to the fifth floor corridor, where the in-resident rooms were located. The fifth floor corridor was now the least used corridor in the castle and thus made it easy for Verena and Severus to sneak the picture frame into one of the unused in-resident rooms. After making a hiding spot for the picture frame, Verena and Severus mounted the picture frame onto the wall and stepped back.

"There. It is ready for us to go in now," said Verena, looking up at the picture frame. The blank space within the border of the picture frame rippled with light slightly as if telling Verena and Severus to enter into it. After looking at the enchanted picture frame for a moment, Verena looked at Severus, smiled and then nodded her head towards the picture frame as though telling Severus to go in first. But Severus looked at her a moment, unsure. Verena then pushed him a little bit and grinned mischievously as she spoke, "Go, go on then. Don't be afraid. I've already used it, go."

Verena brought her hands up to her mouth as she watched Severus walk cautiously up to the picture frame. Severus placed his hand on the side of the picture frame a moment. Severus looked back at Verena, who was looking mildly excited and was jumping up and down slightly. Severus then looked back, then slowly and cautiously, he began walking forward and into the section of the wall that was surrounded by the picture frame. The wall rippled with light as he entered. He then completely vanished into the wall as if melting into it.

There was a light, than a blurred image entered his eyes. The blurred image then became sharper and clearer until be beheld the sight of a large and extensive English garden. Severus could feel a light breeze going through his hair and the warmth of the sun shining from above. He could hear the chirping of birds and the sounds of squirrels scurrying up the sides of trees beyond the garden wall that was draped in flowering vines. No longer blurred was the sight and instead was as clear as though he was still in the living world. Severus began to look around and for a moment he thought he had merely been transported to another part of the Wizarding world and had never left the world of the living, until, "Severus..."

Verena came up right behind Severus, mildly startling him. Severus spoke, "Verena, where are we? We can't just be..."

Verena stopped Severus in mid-sentence, than pointed in front of her at something. Severus looked over and soon realized that he was indeed in the portraits. Before Severus and Verena, they beheld a long picture frame, which looked out into the fifth floor corridor beyond. Severus walked up to the picture frame and gawked a moment, then knew where he was, "Verena, this is the English Garden mural in the fifth floor corridor."

"I know. It's so strange. Looking out into the corridor through the front of it. And I didn't pick this spot for no reason. This is to be our entrance through the Window of Auradinithia from now on. And it doesn't even feel like you entered the portraits and the spirit world. It feels just as real as the living world does, it's just so strange," said Verena as she walked off towards the courtyard further down the portrait.

"This is rather fascinating, Verena. I didn't know this was how those in the portraits lived and saw the living world beyond the portraits. A rather strange experience indeed," said Severus as he looked out into the fifth floor corridor, then looked up at Verena walking off. He then noticed that Verena's braid of white hair was nowhere to be seen in her amber colored hair and was curious as to what could have happened to it.

Severus spoke once more, "Verena, your braid of white hair, it's..."

"...Like a key in a door lock," said Verena, who turned to look at Severus and smiled, "It unlocks the Window of Auradinthia much like a key unlocks a door. As a result, the braid of white hair stays at the entrance, leaving your hair as it was before you gained the braid the white hair. Of course, the braid returns once you go back into the world of the living. Your braid of white hair is missing to, Severus. Your hair looks like it was before you died."

Verena turned and continued walking as Severus brought his right hand up to the right side of his head and looked at his hair, noticing that his braid of white hair was missing to, once again as black as the rest of his hair.

"Ingenious," said Severus as he brought down his hand again and quickly went after Verena. Verena soon stopped and glared in front of her as she entered the circular stone courtyard beyond the water fountain and the lush display of flowers and other decorative plants. The courtyard looked old and the walls that made up the courtyard looked as though they were crumbling to ruin and were covered in moss, liken and flowering vines.

Severus soon entered behind her and looked around, "This place is so cheerful and organic. This is not my cup of tea at all. Why did you ever pick this place as the main entrance into the portraits?"

"Because she comes here," said Verena as she smiled and pointed to the center of the courtyard in front of her. Severus looked in the direction where Verena was pointing. Sitting in a small patch of grass beyond the courtyard was Lily Evans, along with several of her friends. Verena whistled, grabbing the attention of Lily and those who were with her.

Lily looked up at Severus and glared a moment in silence; she then spoke as her friends looked on silently, "Severus?"

"Lily," said Severus tearfully.

"Severus!" cried Lily as she stood up and began running towards Severus. Severus ran forward towards Lily, with Verena looking on. Lily and Severus soon met in the center of the courtyard, embracing one another and laughing joyously like to old friends that had not seen one another in ages. In blissful joy, Severus lifted Lily off the ground and spun her around in his arms. He then sat her back down as Verena walked up to Lily and Severus and smiled. Lily grinned at Verena then let go of Severus before she turned and embraced Verena.

"Verena, I'm so glad to see you again."

"Lily...hello," said Verena, unsure of how to react.

Lily's friends laughed as one of them spoke and looked on, "Look at that. Lily likes Snivell. I wonder how James would think about that."

"I think James already knows," said Lily sharply as Severus turned and looked at Lily's friends.

He then spoke, "Don't I know you three ladies?" said Severus coolly. Lily's friends shrieked and ran off, not wanting to have anything to do with Severus.

Lily's friends spoke in turn from a distance, "That Snivell Snapus scares me!"

"I know! I can't see what Lily sees in him! It's scandalous this!"

"Come on! Let's go tell everyone the Snivell is back at Hogwarts!"

"Those Tavarti sisters are going to be the death of me yet. Now everyone is going to know you're here, Severus." said Lily as she watched her friends leave while Verena giggled under her breath.

"Let them know, I'll be ready for them."

"Indeed you will be, Severus. Come on. I know just the place for them to see you. The empty portrait on the first floor corridor…come on, this way…" said Verena as she grabbed onto Severus and pulled him along. Verena then looked back at Lily and spoke, "If anyone asks, Lily. Severus will be in the empty portrait on the first floor corridor...at least empty of an inhabitant. As for me, I've got an appointment with the infamous Harry Potter and his friend Hermione, who are here at Snape's funeral."

Lily nodded as Severus spoke, "Funeral...what?"

"Not now, Severus. Come on, before they see us here." said Verena.

Lily grinned and waved as Verena pulled a mortified Severus along towards the direction of another portrait. Verena and Severus then vanished into the nearby portraits, following a path through them to the empty portrait on the first floor corridor.

A CURIOS SHOP, DIAGON ALLEY – MORNING (AUTUMN, 1998)

As wizards and witches walked past a window display of a local curios shop, an enchanted sliver tin was displayed in the center with a sold tag attached to it. It sat there silent for a moment and then began to glow, suddenly making a whirling and rattling sound and bumping around. The sliver tin then suddenly burst open and a strange crimson light emitted from it, which transformed into the hideous face of a fiery dragon, which shrieked and roared loudly, its gaping mouth open wide as if swallowing a hapless victim. This tale and the mystery which lied behind it was far from over.

THE END - THE STORY CONTINUES...CHRONICLE 2