Meeting Patronus | A Severus Snape Love Story

Chapter 19 "Roots"

Many people mistakenly believe that the roots of a tree grow downwards towards the core of the Earth. In reality, they grow to the sides, able to stretch for miles if they wanted to. The roots seek to connect to the network of roots from other plants and trees. They communicate with each other, passing down ancient information from seedlings to grandmother trees. When one hurts, the others hurt. When one thrives, the others can thrive. Just because the network lays underground, hidden from view, it does not mean it isn't there.

You wonder. Could it mean that people are also intertwined this way? Woven with a similar network of roots. Could something happening hundreds of miles away ripple through the web for all of us to feel? If indeed what is done to one can be felt by all of the others, then what you do to someone is also done to you. Once a tree is cut down, the web is damaged. The damage imprinted on the information and energy received by the others. Some ecosystems never recover after such trauma.

Could it be that Ryan Sullivan felt this way? The pain inflicted onto him by his father, passed on to you, and reflected back to him in the form of guilt and shame. Did his father know, that by abusing his son, he abused himself? Was that the point? He once pleaded for you to help him protect him. Was it just to keep him around as his whipping boy?

You didn't believe it at first. You even laughed. Someone as arrogant as Ryan Sullivan would never. You thought about your last conversation, fear and desperation in his eyes. Maybe you should have known. Maybe that was his last cry for help.

"He's gonna kill me, [y/n]."

You go to the edge of the boy's dorms, looking for him now. A spell stopping you from crossing the threshold.

He's in there. Or on the quidditch field. Or in the great hall with his smug face, pulling mean pranks on some Gryffindors. Or flying around on his broom somewhere. Maybe a party, no, his party. He's just passed out somewhere from drinking too much the night before. He's in a girl's bed from a hookup. He's lost in the woods. He ran away from home.

He's anything. Anything but dead.

Dumbledore calls all students and personnel to emergency assembly. Only you and the Professors know why. You walk beside the twins, stricken silent and numb. You're not in your body right now. You're somewhere far away; another reality where this isn't happening.

The students shuffle to take a seat, many confused about what's going on. The twins ask you what's wrong. You can't answer them. You can't say anything right now.

The hall quiets as Dumbledore walks up to the podium. The energy in the room shifts, like everyone can sense something's wrong.

The Headmaster wastes no time delivering the news. There's no easy way or right time to say any of this.

"Thank you for gathering here today. I regret that I must inform you all of some devastating news before you all are dismissed for the holidays." He straightens.

"This morning... a student at Hogwarts passed away." He states slowly. The words pierce you. The student body erupts in audible gasps and whispers. "A student by the name of Ryan Sullivan." The twins look at each other and to you in shock. Suddenly, the air feels like it has been sucked out of the room. Your heart pounds. People around you steal glances at you and whisper. Everyone is wondering the same thing: Why?

"Ryan Sullivan was a promising young man with so much potential only a semester away from graduating. He had his whole life ahead of him. A true tragedy." Dumbledore pauses, scanning the room of confused and devastated students. "I have made the decision to reveal to you all the nature of his death as it is important, we be transparent in order to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. The Ministry of Magic has informed me that they believe his death was caused by a drug overdose." You feel tears prickle at the corners of your eyes. How could this happen?