Up the winding staircase and out onto the still snow-covered grounds, Reginald Prince briskly walks through a clear wide path made for the students by the groundskeeper of Hogwarts, Rubeus Hagrid. He tightly grips his grandson, Severus in his arms and instinctively heads to the frozen black lake. Snakes were by nature cold, blooded creatures born in darkness, and ever fluid-like water.
Without the use of his wand, Reginald wordlessly casts a spell at the frozen black lake. A loud piercing crack is heard echoing throughout the entire valley. A few of the students even startle awake as if awakening to a nightmare, but most of the students sleep through the thundering sound thinking it was distant thunder from the depths of their subconscious.
The lower portion of the lake loudly breaks revealing a visible clear open space by the frozen, muddy banks. The inky black waters are frigid, and Reginald's breath is clearly visible including Severus's faint breathing. Wisps of steam are emitted from Severus's body producing faint trails into the cold night.
"Prince, what is the meaning of this?" Albus loudly asked, before his words freeze in his throat.
A dangerous, menacing air is evident even from the depths of Reginald Prince's eyes. Even when facing Gellert Grindelwald and his followers, he had never had such blatant bloodthirst directed at him. It was the first time that Albus truly understood the warning that Bob Ogden and others had given him.
Reginald blatantly turned his back on Albus Dumbledore, before stepping forth into the below-freezing waters. He calmly steps into the water holding Severus above the water. He extends his thumb downward-pointing at the dark waters. Magically, the tip of his thumb is slit open causing red droplets to drip into the dark waters vanishing without a trace.
"I bow to the Great Queen of the Night," Reginald said bowing his head forward.
"I sacrifice my own blood to beseech the Great Mother," Reginald said, before extending his arms as if presenting Severus to the half-quarter moon in the sky. The clouds had seemingly faded away and the half-crescent moon is perfectly reflected in the inky black waters of the lake.
"16 years on this same cold winter's night, this child was born," Reginald said. "I stand in place of those of who come and gone and are no longer here. I stand for the present and the future that may come to be and I bow before the might of the great Queen of the Night.
Bowing deeply in place, Reginald reverently continues, "This child born of water is also born of earth and fire. The vitality of the earth and the spirit of fire have awakened prematurely in this child. I plead before the Great Mother for a boon of mercy that the child might be saved."
A cool breeze brushes gently against Reginald's cheek like a caressing hand before the moon is covered once again in clouds. His dark eyes begin to fill with despair, before something glittering, and pale emerges from the depths of the pitch-black lake waters. His eyes widen in shock in disbelief at the sight before him.
A great glistening white snake hovers in the air before him. The serpent is as thick as a man's thigh and over 12 feet long. The serpent has glowing sapphire-colored eyes and a matching gem on its forehead that emits a sparkling glow. There are thickening stubs on the side of the serpent's head forming small horns.
Reginald instantly bows and says, "Great Serpent, I am Reginald Prince, a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, who once founded and made Hogwarts his home. I beseech that your grace and mercy might be bestowed upon his descendant, Severus Prince, who is also a direct blood descendant of Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff."
A young girl voice roughly ten years old emerges from the serpent's mouth to the surprise of Reginald and utter shock of Albus, whose eyes widen with delight much like that of children. "I know, who you are Reginald Prince," Nadira said flickering her tongue at the grandfather of her guardian and protector.
Nadira moves her head closer to the burning child to scent him. She could smell the scent of her protector all over the child. The protector had desperately sought to channel her brother's powers, but she could not. The protector's own magic would not permit it.
The gem in the middle of Nadira's forehead begins to brightly glow. A glittering blue, white light pours over them protecting and healing. Severus ceases to burn as the vortex of magic within his core forcefully ceases to violently whirl. The vortex is seemingly plugged, sealed for the time being until the correct time.
"I have sealed away a portion of his abilities," Nadira replied, "they will return when his magical core can bear the full might of his magic."
"Thank you, great one," Reginald said bowing deeply before the mystical serpent. "The Prince family owe you a debt and we always repay what is due."
A tinkling laugh of pleasure escaped from Nadira's mouth. "It is what the protector would have wanted."
"Protector?" Reginald murmured out loud.
Nadira abruptly darts forward and halts before the Headmaster of Hogwarts. She curiously tastes the air around him tasting the element of fire and air. It was a phoenix companion, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
Albus's blue eye just as intently studies the serpent before him. Most magical creatures could not learn to speak the human tongue and those that did were ancients of their kind. And yet this was still clearly a young magical creature not even half-mature judging by the creature's voice that still sounded very much like that of a child.
Nadira suddenly recalls the protector's warning and winces internally. She turns around and immediately dives into the black lake without any further warning. The ice behind her begins to loudly creak once more freezing anew.
Reginald rapidly moves out of the lake as the black lake freezes over smoothly behind him. His legs are half-frozen, but by the time he emerges at the top of the frozen bank, the lake has returned to its previous state. Not a single trace of the night's activities remained behind.
Wordlessly and windlessly, Reginald casts a drying spell on his clothes, socks, and shoes, before casting a warming spell over himself and his grandson. "Dumbledore," he said in passing brushing past him and heading back towards the Hogwarts Infirmary.
"Interesting," Albus mumbles to himself tugging on his beard, before shivering. A mystery to solve another time, but for now, he'd summon the house elves to fetch a warm drink. He was certain that not even Reginald Prince would turn down spiced eggnog with a good dose of brandy. They all needed a few strong drinks after such a night.