Jennifer Craw and the Isle of Legends

 

Chapter One

The Golden Letter

 

 

  It was, perhaps, the hottest summer in ten years, and it was most definitely the hottest summer that Jennifer had experienced since she moved to Britain five full years ago.  Of course, being a witch, things could have been quite a bit worse to bear without magic.  It also helped that her small little cottage, affectionately known as the Broom Closet, lay above a bluff that reached out over the open sea.

  As usual, her adopted son Corey, who was becoming an exceptional wizard in his own right, had his best friends Doug and Taylor over for his birthday.  Jennifer watched near the rocky shore while the three boys swam out farther than she liked so they could practice a bit of Gill-diving.  Glancing at her watch, she called out to them to get their attention, until finally after the third try she got one of the boys to look up.  The boy’s head then disappeared again under the water and Jennifer stood up, shaking her head with a sigh.  Suddenly the three burst out behind the rock with a scream, trying to startle her.

  “I might have fallen for that the first few times, Corey Willowby, but don’t you think I’d have figured it out by now?  Now come along, it’s getting late, and I’m quite sure the potion’s about worn off anyhow, it’s nearly been two hours,” Jennifer scolded them as they came out of their water.

  “Oh, Mom, we had plenty of time,” Corey protested as he grabbed one of the towels that appeared in mid-air.  “See?”  He said, showing her the gills on his neck and arms.  Just then the gills began to disappear, and Jennifer nodded knowingly.  “Well, maybe not quite as much time as I thought,” he admitted.

  After a careful climb up a long ladder staked to the side of the cliff, the four finally stepped up onto the bluff.  The tiny cottage looked deceivingly small from the outside; a small, stone-built house with a low porch and deep windows and a walled garden much like out of a fairy tale.  On the porch lay a striped cat, stretched out in the shadows and as still as a statue, giving them only a cursory look when Corey scratched his head on their way by.  Inside, a curious blue fire burned ice-like coals in the fireplace, cooling the air in the living room as well as the adjacent kitchen.  And in a small pen on one side of the room sat a one year-old auburn-haired girl, who had somehow managed to pull several of the books off the shelves built into the wall next to her.  Looking up at them, she somehow managed to get to her feet, climbing on the books she had felled, reaching her arms out over the pen.

  “Nana!”  Alexandria said.

  Jennifer sighed with frustration, walking over to the pen to get her, while the boys quickly opened up the bookcase on the other wall and headed up the stairs beyond.

  “I’m not Nana, I’m Mama.  Can’t you say Mama?  Or Mum?  Or something?”  Jennifer asked her, taking her into the kitchen.

  “Nana!”  Alex said, accepting the offered bottle contentedly.

  “No, I’m not Nana,” Jennifer said with a frown, sitting down with the baby on her lap, giving her a biscuit to gnaw at.  “Nana is busy upstairs with your brother.  You see, once upon a time, there was a young teacher only a couple of years out of school who became lucky enough to become a professor at the greatest wizard school of all, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  She came to the school headstrong and ready to conquer the world, but she soon learned that everything wasn’t as easy as it seemed.

  “Her family was in all sorts of trouble with Voldemort for fleeing him when he was still at the height of his power, and a lot of people wanted her dead.  But then, the teacher met up with another professor who helped her get past all that.  Oh, well, perhaps not at first.  I’m not sure you could say they hit it off on the first day, you know, because the sour older professor was suspicious of everything and everyone, even more than he is even today,” Jennifer explained, nodding to the girl.  “But after a bit of heart searching and after a lot of adventures that you’re not old enough for me to tell you about yet, the two of them fell in love and got married,” Jennifer said.  “Well, that is…alright, so it was a bit more complicated than that.  So they had to work past the fact that everyone thought he was a Death Eater, and the fact that her father, long thought dead showed up and tried to kill the professor because he thought he was one as well, and of course there was Voldemort to contend with and that horrid Wormtail, but I promise you they did eventually get married and have been living happily ever after…  Well, except perhaps for a few occasions when they had to deal with a Muggle who had gotten a hold of a cloak he oughtn’t, and a Wraith and a Dreadbiter did their best to try to kill one or the other, but I’ve found over time, that there’s just no keeping some people down no matter how many twists and turns get thrown at them.  And people will go on doing what they can to live normal happy lives despite these little things that come up.  And that is why they decided to settle down and have children and live happily ever after in spite of all that.  Of course, that does mean having to have a Nana here to take care of their children when they have to go back to Hogwarts so that they can be safe and sound, but that doesn’t make them any less your parents, and it doesn’t make me any less your Mama,” Jennifer said with a nod.  “So, let me hear you say ‘Mama’ just this once?”

  “Nana,” Alex said, discarding her biscuit on her floor.

  “What a stubborn little thing you are!”  Jennifer said with exasperation.

  “I wonder where she gets it from,” said a deep voice behind them.  In the open door leading to the basement stood a tall man with dark black hair and dark eyes, who was shaking his head at Jennifer with a frown.  Alex turned around excitedly and put her arms out expectantly.

  “Dada!”  Alex said demandingly.

  “I give up,” Jennifer muttered.

  “A sour old Professor, eh?” Severus Snape scowled, letting her know that he’d been standing there for some time.

  “I said older, I didn’t say old,” Jennifer pointed out to her husband, putting Alex back in her pen while gathering up the books that were in there, glancing at a title.  “Looks like our daughter is already showing interest in Biomagic Potion Formulas,” she chuckled. 

  “And what about sour?”  Severus persisted, squinting slightly.

  “Look, the post’s here,” Jennifer said quickly, going over to the kitchen window, gathering up the notes lying in the box on the sill.

  “Did you really think I was sour?”  He asked, standing over her like a hawk.

  “Well, weren’t you?” Jennifer said back gazing up at him almost nervously.  “You were the one who kept telling me that I was wet behind the ears…”

  “Well, weren’t you?”  Severus asked back tauntingly.

  “Perhaps a little, but at least I’m willing to admit it,” Jennifer said.  “Here’s one from Doctor Linde for me, I wonder what sort of Muggle healing technique he’s going to tell me about this time?  Oh, and here are birthday cards from my father and Danny…”

  “Here now, I’ll take a look at that last one,” Severus said, plucking the envelope from her hand.

  “Oh, really, Severus.  I know the girl’s living with the Malfoy’s now, but I seriously doubt they’d booby-trap her letters to Corey.  Malfoy’s always been subtler than that.  Besides, with all the protections on this house, I doubt it’d get through,” Jennifer said.

  “All the same, do you doubt that if Lucius had for one instant a chance to kill either of us that he wouldn’t?”  Severus asked.

  “No, of course I don’t,” Jennifer said quietly.  A man capable of hiring a psychotic killer to murder her mother was capable of anything, she knew.  Being the guardian of one of Corey’s best friends didn’t make him any less dangerous…in fact, in some ways he was more dangerous than before, and Severus knew that.  “You’re right, we can’t take any chances.”

  “I’ll take this down to the lab then.  Anything for me in there?”

  “Yes, Witolf’s bill, something from the Ministry and a letter from the school, McGonagall it looks like, probably our pre-term stuff.  Yes, here’s Corey’s book list,” Jennifer said, sifting through the post still as she handed Severus’ his.  She was staring at the last letter in her hand thoughtfully, putting the rest down for a moment, intrigued by the fine woven gold paper and at the perfectly written calligraphy on the front with her name written in gold leaf paint; Professor Jennifer Corsiva Craw Snape.  Turning it over she glanced at the seal in apparent shock.  Severus, who had paused to glance at the bill before heading downstairs, caught the peculiar look on Jennifer’s face and looked over her shoulder.  Stamped on the seal was the symbol for the Order of Merlin.

  “Well, don’t just stand there, open it,” Severus snapped impatiently.  Carefully Jennifer broke the seal and opened it, a soft golden glow emanating within, bathing her face in light.  She scanned it for a moment, her eyes growing wider and her face growing paler until she finally looked back at Severus.

  “I think I had better sit down,” she decided.

  “At least let me read it!”  Severus said, snatching it away as soon as she made the slightest gesture towards him with the note. 

  “’Dear Professor Craw, after careful review of your deeds and contributions to society, the council of the Order of Merlin is pleased to announce that you and one other have been chosen as this year’s initiates into our order!  After the completion of a short trial period where your sponsor will guide you through our laws and purposes, you will be admitted as a full member of the order with all of the privileges and obligations thereof.  If you are interested in accepting, please speak with your sponsor, Lunette Vallid, at the earliest opportunity.’”  Severus read; looking rather surprised himself for a moment before his face turned expressionless again.  “I wonder what took them so long?”  He mused.

  “Me?  Order of Merlin?  But I’m just a school teacher,” Jennifer said in awe.

  “Yes, and Dumbledore is just a school Headmaster,” Severus said sarcastically.  “You are going to accept it, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t know!  I suppose so.  I just wasn’t expecting this.  I mean, there are so many people that probably deserve it more.  Like Harry, or McGonagall, or you,” Jennifer said, making Severus blink.

  “I doubt I’m the right type to suit them,” Severus said seriously.  “As for the other two, it did say there was one other candidate, and I wouldn’t rule either of them out.  That lot are mostly Gryffindors, you know,” he added.  “I wonder where I put that bottle of Anise Wine I was saving for this sort of thing.”

  The bookcase opened in the front room, and out came a rosy, red-haired Irish woman, humming softly as she walked into view carrying a tiny bundle in her arms, smiling warmly at Jennifer and Severus.  Alex, who had been half asleep in her pin, suddenly jumped up alertly, stretching her arms out.

  “Nana!”  Alex said.

  “Now, what be you doin’ awake, lass, aren’t you even a wee bit tired after getting into so much trouble this mornin’?” The nanny exclaimed.

  “Here, let me give you a hand, Carol,” Jennifer offered, taking Aurelius from her arms.  The six-week-old baby seemed quite content no matter who was holding him, and even more content when Jennifer picked up the warm bottle on the counter and offered it to him.  The boy’s eyes were much lighter than Alex’s, but his hair was black as the darkest night, as if a part of the predawn sky that he was born under lent itself to him.  He was wearing a dark blue outfit that gave him almost a princely look, his eyes lidded contentedly as if he knew the entire household came to a pause at his every whim.

  “Well, you at least look well enough for visitors,” Jennifer grinned at him.

  “I’ll have Alex smart enough as well ‘ere anyone arrives,” Carol assured Jennifer, taking her up to the nursery.

  “I had better go make sure those three have gotten themselves together as well,” Jennifer said with a sigh.  “Are you going to wear that?”  She asked, straightening Severus’ threadbare black robes.

  “It’s my house, I will wear what I like,” Severus said in annoyance.  Just then there was a loud thundering noise outside, and Severus’ scowl grew as he glared at the front door.

  “Severus, I have got to check up on those boys, let Sirius and your sister in…and try to be civil!”  Jennifer said, putting Aurelius in the pen as she headed into the bookcase.

  “I am always civil,” Severus muttered, opening the front door.  “Will you please park that two-wheeled contraption off the lawn?” He snapped at Sirius Black before they even had time to get off.

  “How about adding some parking?”  Sirius suggested, pulling the motorcycle back on the dirt road.  “Even recluses like you should expect to have guests sometimes.”

  “Most of our guests use more normal modes of transportation that don’t require wheels, loud noise and nasty fumes that wouldn’t even be acceptable in a potion’s lab.” Severus said irritably.

  “Good grief, you two!  We haven’t even gotten in the door yet!”  The woman beside Sirius exclaimed.

  Anna Hughes Black’s grey eyes flashed slightly at the arguing men, indicating that she wasn’t about to put up with that today.  She was a tall woman with light brown hair pulled up in a tail, strands of which invariably escaping the ties and trailing her oval face.  In many ways she looked nothing like her half-brother Severus; she was as fair as he was dark, her features soft yet defined, and yet there was something about her expression and the strength in which she carried herself that was very much like him.  Perhaps that was what made Severus even more baffled as to how she ended up with the likes of Sirius Black, for Severus had long disliked the tall dark-haired man and his almost reckless views on the world.  Of course, a lot of that recklessness had been spurned from Sirius’ stay in Azkaban, Severus mused, but he had always been one to rush into things in his youth as well.  But now he was family, and Severus was reluctantly beginning to get used to him.  Of course, that didn’t mean he liked him, and he certainly wasn’t going to allow Sirius to think any different.

  Despite Sirius being in Anna’s life, Severus was still very fond of his sister.  They had been separated since their parents had died when he was eleven.  Anna, thought to have been born without magic, was taken to her mother’s parents in America, while he was left to attend school in Britain.  Then, just three years ago, they had found out that his sister wasn’t a Muggle at all, but an Aethermage, one who is magic instead of uses magic.  Had that not been enough, his wife had made a startling discovery just a few months before, and had found out that the ability was actually but a sign of a remarkable heritage; Anna was descended from all four children of Merlin.

  It was incredible to fathom, and yet when they spoke to Dumbledore about it the Headmaster had only nodded, as if he had already guessed.  Perhaps it was the strange artifacts that had begun to show up that had tipped him off, or perhaps it was her ability to begin to open the gate to the Otherworld.  But whatever the reason, Dumbledore was not surprised, and suggested that they try to keep the knowledge as quiet as possible.  Severus had little doubt of the reasoning behind that.  Already one person who had once been an ally had been prepared to go to extreme measures to try and keep Anna from exploring her heritage.  Severus had little doubt that others might be frightened enough to go even farther in their attempts to protect themselves from her magic, perhaps even try to kill her outright.  Not to mention he wasn’t completely sure what impact it would have on himself, for he knew that all of the blood ties to Merlin could not have come from her Muggle side of the family.  Most undoubtedly some of it came from his father’s side of the family as well.

  As Anna and Sirius walked in there was a thunderous shaking through the building as Corey ran down the stairs and popped open the bookcase, ignoring Severus curt snapping at him for not looking before he did so.

  “Hullo Aunt Anna!  Uncle Sirius!  Where’s my present?” Corey asked brightly.  Severus sighed disapprovingly, but Anna chuckled.

  “What makes you think we got you anything at all, you rascal?” Sirius teased him.  “We’re just here for the pumpkin ice-cream.”

  “And to see Aurelius and Alex, well, don’t you look adorable,” Anna said, picking up the baby boy from the pen.

  “Aw, come on, you wouldn’t come empty handed.  I’d never let you live it down,” Corey said.

  “Corey Willowby!”

  “It’s alright, Jennifer,” Sirius chuckled at Corey, taking out a small package.  Instead of handing it to Corey he set it on the coffee table, and instantly it grew ten times it size into a very large rectangular package.  Severus squinted at it with suspicion as the boy tore into in, his frown growing by the second as Corey finally ripped open the box.

  “Wow!  This is exactly what I wanted, a Spellstringer bass guitar!  Just like the kind Tremlet uses!”  Corey said excitedly.  “See guys, now we can start a band after all!”

  “The buttons on the side are your sonic controls, just don’t turn it up in the house or play it when the babies or asleep or your parents might be tempted to kill us,” Anna said, already noting the murderous look on Severus’ face directed pointedly at Sirius.  Corey strummed the guitar and Jennifer and Severus cringed at the noise that issued forth.

  “Corey, why don’t you go take that thing outside to the garden tables while I have a little chat with your uncle about his taste in gifts,” Severus glowered.

  “And set the tables while you’re at it, and get your friends some drinks; I’m sure Harry, Ginny, and your sister will be arriving soon,” Jennifer said.

  “Sure, Mom!  Thanks Aunt Anna!  Uncle Sirius!” he said, heading out the door with his friends.

  “Don’t you think you should have spoken with us before getting him something like that?”  Severus asked Sirius the moment the boy had left.

  “I have a feeling that they already knew what we would say,” Jennifer said, shaking her head disapprovingly.

  “Yes, you’re right, which is why we went and got it anyhow,” Anna said.  “I know neither of you like the modern music, but that’s no reason to hold Corey back if this is how he wants to express his creativity.  You can’t expect the boy to stay home and do summer homework every day.  He needs some room, give the leash some slack for a change!”

  “Corey’s an energetic boy who has trouble…well, staying out of trouble,” Jennifer said.  “I know we’re strict with the boy, but we’ve had to be to keep his feet on the ground.  Still, I don’t suppose it’ll hurt all that bad if he had another diversion, perhaps it’d actually help keep him out of trouble,” Jennifer said, earning a look of disbelief from her husband.  “At least it’ll be another thing we can restrict him from if he gets lazy with his schoolwork again.”

  “I can always have his room soundproofed if it’d help,” Sirius said amused.

  “We prefer to hear what’s going on in our house,” Severus snapped.  “Fine, it can stay, but from now on you check with us before buying him…or any of our other children for that matter, anything.”  Severus turned around then and headed down to the basement, muttering, “Spellstring guitar,” under his breath.

  “That went well,” Sirius said cheerfully.

 

  Large enchanted fans provided a steady breeze to their guests under a cloth staked tent where the garden tables had been placed, providing plenty of room for everyone.  Corey’s sister Essie was the next to arrive, walking over the pastures next to them and over the stone wall, leaving the sheep that had followed her braying beyond it.  Ginny and Harry arrived a little later, receiving warm hugs from Jennifer.  Harry hugged his old teacher and friend in return, walking beside her to join the rest of the party.  Severus, who was attempting to keep everyone in line before they arrived looked over and nodded at them as they approached.

  “So did she tell you?”  Severus said expressionlessly, looking over at Harry.

  “Tell him what?”  Jennifer asked puzzledly.

  “What you received in the post today,” Severus prompted her.

  “I bet she got the same thing I got in the mail today,” Harry suddenly grinned.

  “You got the Golden Letter too?” Ginny put in, her face brightening.

  “Golden Letter?  What’s that, Mom?”  Corey asked, wondering why Sirius and Carol were suddenly looking at them with amazement.

  “It means that Harry and I have been accepted into the Order of Merlin,” Jennifer said with a smile.  “Isn’t it fantastic?  I’m so glad you were chosen too, I can’t think of anyone else more deserving!”

  “I can. You,” Harry grinned at her.  “Who’s your sponsor?”

  “Vallid.  Yours?” Jennifer asked

  “Dumbledore,” Harry chuckled.

  “Well now,” Carol spoke up, “what do you think of that!  We’re in the presence of greatness and didn’t even know it!  Now we truly have many things to celebrate today!”

  “Hang on then, it’s my birthday, I wanna make a toast,” Corey said, standing on his chair watching a glass fill up in his hands.  “To Harry and Mom for their letters, may they take their rightful places in history and in the order, and to me, ‘cuz it’s my birthday, and to my new career as a rock star,” Corey said as Severus rolled his eyes.  “In short, I’d like to toast to new endeavors and new beginnings of all sorts, and may I never get a single detention this year so that Gryffindor and skunk Slytherin out of that cup they keep stealing.”  As he finally finished a few chuckles went out and nearly everyone honored the toast, except for Severus, who couldn’t seem to make up his mind whether to drink to that or not.

 

Chapter Two

Enemies, Friends, and Family

 

  As always after Corey’s birthday, Jennifer found her thoughts turning towards getting ready for the school year.  It wasn’t long before she had gotten out the inventory list for her class and drew up her personal list, ready for a trip to the farmland north of Carmarthen.  There in a stone-built cottage covered with vines off a dirt-trodden path was the family and school’s apothecary. 

  Although the cottage in fact looked quite a deal bigger on the inside, it was so filled with bottles, jars, barrels, bins and freshly hung herbs it seemed quite cramped, the odd mingling of smells ticking the nose and clearing the senses.  A plump dark-haired, woman whisked around the shop in a blue dress and an apron embroidered with roses, chatting with the customers and helping them get their orders ready.  Her three-year-old daughter followed her shyly, holding onto her mother’s skirts, hiding behind them any time anyone came in.  Alerted by the bell over the door, Ashley glanced over with a bright smile and a wave as Jennifer and Corey came in, taking a moment to call to the back room before continuing what she was doing.   A wizened old man who appeared in many ways quite ancient indeed, carefully walked out to the counter in tiny steps, his nose lifted slightly so that his small eyes could survey the two approaching from beneath his spectacles.

  “Professor Craw, isn’t it?  That time of year again already?  How is…how is…the tall fellow?”

  “Professor Snape, he’s fine, thank you, Mr. Witolf.  I have his list along with mine, and the school list as well.  Do you mind if I go ahead and get the bin items?  My son can help as well, he’s quite good with ingredients…”

  “That’s alright, we’ll manage,” Witolf assured her and held his hand out.  Jennifer handed the old man the list with a sigh and smile, but quickly his granddaughter was behind them glancing over his shoulder and plucking the longest one out of his hands.

  “I’ll just give you a hand, Granda, it is a terribly long list and I’m sure the Professor has other errands to run,” Ashley said, whisking quickly away with the school list.

  “Everyone is always in such a rush,” Glen Witolf sighed, shaking his head as he slowly made his way around the counter.  “No one takes the time to actually look around and smell the flowers any more,” he said, finally making his way to the first bin.  “Thank you for recommending the Herbalist.  He’s been a good supplier.”

  “Oh good, I was hoping that would work out for the two of you.  Mr. Longbottom used to be a student of ours, one of Sprout’s best,” Jennifer said.  Quickly she moved to raise the bin cover up that the old man was struggling with, holding it up for him.  Corey, in the meantime was following the woman around curiously, the toddler gazing up at him and smiling at him, but hiding in her mother’s skirts any time he looked her way.  Corey couldn’t help but be a little taken by the woman’s voice.  It had such a lilting accent to it and he rather liked to hear her talk with other customers as she filled the orders. 

  It was as Jennifer was insisting to carry a rather heavy box of crystallized Dragonsmoke to the counter for Witolf that Corey looked up to see a rather unlikely pair enter the shop.  Wasting no time, Corey pushed his way through a narrow walkway and over to his Mom, tugging at her insistently to turn around.  Jennifer turned and exhaled loudly then frowned in annoyance, for it was no one other than Lucius Malfoy and his niece, Danyelle.  His own expression was one of intense displeasure and open wariness.

  “Well, if it isn’t Lucius Malfoy,” Jennifer said after a moment.  “How odd that we keep bumping into each other like this?  It seems that every time I leave the house, there you are.  I thought considering the business your son is in that this would be the last place you would be, and yet here you are again.”

  “Please don’t flatter yourself, Craw.  You must not read much past the gossip column of the paper or you would know that my son has sold his business for a tidy profit and has gone on to bigger investments.  But then, considering your name is never in the financial section, it’s small wonder that you never read it,” he said, smiling thinly.  “He already makes more money in a year than you’ll ever see.  But then of course, I suppose you’d say there are more important things than money.  Perhaps success for you is stagnating in a dead end job that will never lead anywhere and a family whom you never see because of it.”

  “Really, Lucius, if you don’t have anything new to say, don’t bother,” Jennifer said coolly, turning back around to see the old alchemist peering up at them thoughtfully over a barrel of dried eels.  Corey gave Lucius a look of pure hatred, handing Ashley a bag of Sleepsand.  He took a step to the side the moment he got his hands free, watching Lucius carefully.  But Lucius decided to ignore obvious guardedness, taking a step closer to where Jennifer and the old man were standing.

 “How easily you dismiss your enemies these days.  I suppose now that you saw Cornelius Fudge put in jail, you feel more confident about security,” Lucius sneered slightly with amusement.  “I would have thought you would have known better by now than to put your faith in the justice system.  It’s time you faced the simple fact that unless you have the money or station to manipulate the system, you’re going to find it manipulating you.”

  “You mean like it has done to you?” Jennifer asked defiantly, her face lined with skepticism.  “It’s not the system that’s corrupt, only some of the people who think they can buy it,” Jennifer said, thanking Witolf with a smile and signing off the school’s order, paying Ashley for the rest.

  “Let’s see how long Fudge stays in jail,” Lucius said, smiling cryptically.  “Or do you still think he was acting alone?”  He asked, putting an arm around Danyelle and leading her gently over to the counter.  Danny smiled apologetically at them, but Jennifer was staring steadily at Lucius’ back, frowning.  After a moment, she nudged Corey on and the two of them entered the fireplace.

  “So what do you think he meant by that?  It sounded like a warning.” Corey said the instant they entered the Leaky Cauldron.  Jennifer hushed him quickly, waving to the bartender Tom, who greeted her warmly as they passed by on their way to the Alley.

  “Corey, you’re fourteen years old, you are old enough to learn not to talk about family business in public,” Jennifer chided him.  “I’m not quite sure what all of that was about yet,” Jennifer said, getting out her watch and glancing at it.  The gold pocket watch had lacquered back trim, and inside were several hands besides the ones that told the time, giving some hint to where her family members were.  “Looks like Severus is already here, and probably Essie with him,” Jennifer said, putting away her watch.  “Let’s go get your books.  I’m sure we’re bound to run into them.  Where’s your list at?”  Corey handed her the list and she went over it, suddenly making a face. “Corey Willowby, why on earth are you taking Advanced Muggle Studies?  It’s not required, and don’t you think one year was enough?  You’re not going to learn anything new.”

  “I learned new stuff in the other one, and Aunt Anna says the second course isn’t all essays like the other one.  It’s practical stuff like learning electricity and science and all sorts of fun things like that, even computers.”

  “There isn’t anything you can do on a computer that a person can’t do with a pen and paper and a bit of imagination,” Jennifer said.

  “But it’s faster than pen and paper, even with spells, and you can play games on computers too.  Besides, Aunt Anna says Counselor Vallid uses one, and she’s one of the best witches there is.”

  “Counselor Vallid works with Muggles on a day to day basis, there is no lack of games without the silly things, and the only reason you took the course was so that you could be in a class with Doug, Taylor and Danny at the same time,” Jennifer said knowingly, shaking her head at the list.  “Symbology?  You know, if Dabbler’s and Items wasn’t in here, Corey Willowby, I’d have come to the conclusion that you were trying to coast through another year with the least amount of work you could get away with.”

  “It’s not like I’ll need too much more practical studies than I’m already required to take,” Corey said, pausing as they got to the door of Flourish and Blotts,  “Besides, I’m going to be a band leader, I need a well rounded education.”

  “Whatever happened to your plan of being an alchemist?” Jennifer frowned disapprovingly as they entered.

  “Oh, well, that’s just my backup plan in case the first doesn’t work out,” Corey said, looking around the crowded shop.  Seeing some of his classmates, Corey went over to greet them while Jennifer waited for a clerk.  Within moments one had hurriedly finished his work just for the privilege of waiting on her, taking the list and happily scurrying off to fill it.

  “Hello Professor!  Long time no see!”

  Jennifer looked over to see Justin standing in line with his brother Aelfred, smiling warmly at her.

  “Justin!  How are you!  I hear you’re having a smashing season,” Jennifer said, shaking his hand.

  “Better than that, we came out first in our division,” Justin said proudly.

  “Too bad the team was bought out underfoot just after the win by an anonymous buyer,” said someone right behind them.  Jennifer looked up to see Perry Dalance’s father standing with his son just behind them.  He nodded to her with a smile.  “Good to see you, Jennifer.”

  “Good to see you as well, Chairman,” Jennifer said, earning a grimace and a wave of the hand from the wizard.

  “No need for that.  You’re one of us now, or soon will be, and we’re all plagued by titles as much as the next one in the Order.  It’s Erik,” he insisted.  Jennifer nodded with a smile.

  “I’m probably not staying with the Sentinels anyhow with the Cannons having asked about me, I’m getting a bit homesick,” Justin admitted.  “Besides, it’s rather dull over there.  From what I’m hearing, it’s been nothing but excitement over here.”

  “I can’t argue with that,” Jennifer chuckled as the clerk reappeared with the books. 

“But I suppose I should be getting back to school errands.  I’ll see you at Hogwarts, Aelfred.”

  “By the way, where are you getting your potion supplies this year?  We could use a good recommendation now that Malfoys’ Apothecary is gone,” Erik said.

  “Glen Witolf is who I go to.  Why, who bought the Apothecary, anyhow?”

  “Sludgebat.”

  “Sludgebat?”  Jennifer blinked.  “The Goblins let him in Diagon Alley?”

  “In favor of the almighty Galleon,” Erik said amusedly.  “I’ll try Witolf’s then, but I hope the old man can handle the extra business at his age.”

  “Don’t worry, just ask for Ashley,” Jennifer smiled, grabbing her change from the clerk and stepping away. 

  “Will do, Jennifer, thank you,” Erik said, turning back to look over Perry’s list.  Corey, standing right behind Jennifer, took his books from her helpfully as they headed out the door.

  “So that was Chairman Dalance?  I say, he wasn’t at all what I was expecting.  I thought everyone in Merlin was really old, like Dumbledore and Vallid.”

  “Corey Willowby!”  Jennifer said with surprise.  “Don’t you ever let Vallid catch you saying that she’s old!  Besides what about me, let alone Harry?”

  “Well, that’s different.  You guys have done more in a few years than any of these other blokes have done in their lifetimes,” Corey said with a grin.  Jennifer sighed and nudged him ahead.

  “That’s quite enough out of you,” Jennifer said.  “Come on, we had better find Severus and Essie.”  Corey suddenly spotted them going into Ollivander’s and the two of them curiously went over.  As they entered, Jennifer then noticed Anna talking to Severus in the front of the shop while several incoming first years waited their turn to get their first wands.

  “Here we are,” Jennifer announced as the two of them approached.  “But why are we here?”

  “Did you break your new wand, Essie?” Corey asked.

  “No, of course not.  We met Aunt Anna at the bank and she’s getting her wand today,” Essie explained.

  “Yes, well, good luck,” Jennifer said in such a tone that Anna looked up quizzically.  “I was here for over an hour trying to find a wand that liked me, and then I had to have one made,” she said, touching the wand under her sleeve reassuringly.

  “Over an hour?” Anna echoed, glancing over at the students.  “Most of the ones that I’ve seen so far have only taken a matter of minutes.”

  “Yes, but, they’re not…well, like you,” Jennifer said, earning a dirty look from both Anna and Severus.

  “Corey is a Focus Caster and it only took ten minutes when he got his, and it’s obvious after last year that she’s capable of using a wand…” Severus began.

  “I don’t really need one,” Anna interrupted, “Jennifer’s right about that.  But Dumbledore thought I should get my own, so here I am.”

  “Maybe you’ll get something more exciting than mine.  Mine was just a toad wart wand,” Corey grinned.  “Not that I use it anymore, I keep it in a special case in my room.”

  “As long as it’s not something silly like pixie dust,” Anna muttered, just before the last student left and they stepped up to the counter.  Ollivander brightened considerably as she stepped up, obviously recognizing her immediately.

  “So!  There you are at last, Tatiana Snape!  Your have your father’s eyes, and your mother’s nose.  One moment, and I shall go fetch your wand,” he said.  Jennifer tilted her head to the side slightly.  It wasn’t like Ollivander to mispronounce a name, his memory was even more accurate than Corey’s.  But before she could wave it off as mishearing it he was back, holding out a wand box without even having her test it.

  “There you are, thirteen and a half apple wood Enbarr hoof wand.  That’ll be seven Galleons,” he said cheerfully.

  “Wait, wait, aren’t you even going to ask her to test it?”  Severus asked with a frown.

  “She can if she likes, but there’s no need.  That is her wand.  Oh, and you may want to refrain from letting anyone borrow that wand, Tatiana, it was made with one of your family in mind, and it might not work for anyone else,” Ollivander said, waiting as Anna got out her coins.

  “One of our family?” Severus repeated prompting.

  “Pardon, Professor, I meant one of her mother’s side of the family.  Not that I have had the pleasure of selling too many wands to them since they went to America, and her mother already had a wand when she arrived.  I did find a wand for your Aunt Rigatona, however…let’s see, that was a fourteen-inch yew mermaid scale wand, I believe.”

  “I have an aunt named Rigatona?” Anna grimaced.

  “Yes, Rigatona Danaan.  I’m surprised you don’t recognize the name!  She was rather close to you when you were little, I know,” Ollivander said.

  “Perhaps he means Tony Dannon, Titiana,” Severus said carefully with a strange expression on his face.

  “Aunt Tony?  Aunt Tony is a witch?” Anna said with a frown.  “No wonder she didn’t blink during the entire wedding fiasco!  Why didn’t she ever tell me?”

  “Ah, I see, she’s going by a different name, just, as it seems, you are, Tatiana,” Ollivander said with a smile, accepting the coins graciously.  But other students had come in after them and he bowed slightly to them before excusing himself to go over to the next.

  “My name is Titiana, isn’t it?”  Anna said as they left the shop, looking over at Severus.  But the curious look on Severus’ face had not left, and Jennifer could tell that he was troubled, as if not so sure himself.

  “I wonder who else in your family isn’t a Muggle?”  Jennifer asked thoughtfully.  Anna turned to stare at her, frowning.

  “I wonder who or what they’re really hiding from?”  Severus added as Anna’s frown deepened.  It didn’t take her long to decide it was time to take another trip home.

Chapter Three

Tête-à-têtes

 

  When Tony answered the door she seemed neither surprised nor expecting Anna, but smiled warmly at her and led her to the kitchen, pushing a button on her automatic grind and coffee maker and brought out the store-bought biscuits, taking a seat at the table beside her.  The house looked no different than it ever had nor any less Muggle having every imaginable electronic appliance she could think of on the counters, and nothing out of the ordinary that Anna could tell in any hidden corner.  She began to wonder, in fact, if perhaps Ollivander was mistaken after all.  But something kept nagging at her inside, telling her that he was correct, even if she didn’t see any outside evidence of it.  They got caught up on trivialities while the coffee brewed, then Tony finally got up, smiling at Anna as she went to fetch the pot.

  “So, Anna, what in the world brings you over here not a week before you have to go back to work?” she asked, pouring them each a cup of coffee.

  “Do you know anyone by the name of Rigatona Danaan?” Anna asked, watching Tony carefully.  Tony paused a moment to look at her then smiled again, finishing pouring her own cup and sitting down.

  “Wherever did you hear that name?”

  “A wandmaker mentioned the name.  Did my grandmother really name you…Rigatona?”  Anna asked, and Tony chuckled.

  “Why do you think I had my name changed to Tony?” She winked.  “Yes, Anna, that’s me.  I suppose it’s time you knew the truth about me anyhow, now that you’ve come out as being a witch.  Rigatona is a very, very old family name, one of nine names passed into our family from mother to daughters.  In fact, so is Danaan.  You see, hundreds of years ago, some of us were descended from the race many people associate with the fae.  But when the call for reform came and Merlin began to encourage his followers to use the modern magic - which favored sifting magic into orderly and controlled methods such as wands and potions - some of the witches and wizards rebelled against the idea. Modern magic was also less powerful, and didn’t really fall into the natural order of magic itself.  A tamed animal loses a lot of the characteristics it had when it was wild, and so did magic.  So they…we…trudged off away from the changing society, practicing the old ways by just using what natural talents came to us instead of forcing ourselves to join into the new way of thinking.  Not that we didn’t have people who learned the new ways too, but for the most part, honestly, our magic just doesn’t work the same now.   Of course, it’s also to some extent weakened over the generations as well, so much it has gotten to the point where the magic talent only seems to show up only some of the time, and only to female descendents of the original line.  So, sporadic as it was, we just sort of blended in with the Muggles and our Muggle families, using our natural magic talents as a sort of supplement to our own lives instead of letting it run our lives like is does to those ‘modern’ wizards and witches.

  “Of course, our snubbing of the new ways also earned us a number of enemies over time, and earned us the nicknames of  ‘Weakbloods’ or even ‘Muggle Mutants’ although that couldn’t be farther from the truth.  So, we left and moved to America, where we could blend in without the criticism of those we left behind.  Our roots lie deep, so deep in fact that people have forgotten we’re even here.  But we are here, the last of the descendents that used magic in its raw state instead of formulas and focus words.  And although some of us only bear the names of our past ancestors so we do not forget where we came from, there are others of us that rise to the surface, reminding us all of the power we once all had,” she finished, smiling slightly.  “Well, I think that should answer most of the questions on your mind, yes?”

  “Yes, except one…is this sporadic line you speak of the reason why I didn’t get my magic until so late?  Because of this weak blood?”  Anna asked.  Tony suddenly looked uncomfortable. 

  “I think…yes, I think I’m going to let you find that part out for yourself,” Tony said at last, taking a deep drink of her coffee.

 

  Heading back to Hogwarts for Jennifer had always been almost like coming home after a long vacation abroad.  She always hated when the summer came to an end and with it a lot of the time she could spend with her children, yet at the same time it was almost a relief to get back to the castle, office and lab, and the familiar paintings that greeted her when she walked in and her large, comfortable sitting room.  She had always felt a sense of belonging there that she couldn’t quite explain, but it was a feeling that she didn’t really wish to shake.

  As always Minerva was waiting at the gates to greet them when they arrived, talking over the summer and the year ahead as they walked to Dumbledore’s Study.  As they headed up the stairs, Jennifer couldn’t help but notice a familiar face appearing in different pictures as they climbed, as if trying to keep up with them, waving to Jennifer when she finally got her attention.

  “Well, hello Professor, I didn’t expect to see you still awake,” Jennifer said with surprise.  The older woman in the picture smiled mischievously, her blue eyes twinkling.

  “I still have work to do before I can sleep again.  But may I say, it’s rather dull here in the summer, I am so glad to see you,” she said.  “These halls just weren’t meant to be quiet.”

  “Nothing is quiet with you about, Professor Dusthorn,” Minerva said, shaking her head with a smile as they headed up the last stair.  “Or have you forgotten the birthday party the other paintings threw for you?  I half expected that you were going to wake up the other Headmasters while you were at it.”

  “Now then, I admit the party got a bit rowdy, but the paintings get bored, you know, they needed the excitement.  And I daresay the ghosts all had a good time, especially Peeves,” Caprica Dusthorn said.  “I am sorry we got Argus mad as us, though.  He seems like a right chap…in his own way.”  Jennifer couldn’t help but grin, trying to imagine what sort of havoc a party of paintings could cause.  A moment later they had arrived at the spiral staircase, the doors to the study open and waiting for them.

  “Ah, there you are, right on time as always,” Dumbledore said with a smile, standing up.  “Welcome back.  I trust everything is well at home.”

  “A bit loud, but well,” Severus said, earning a chuckle from the Headmaster.

  “Yes, I heard about Corey’s gift.  Please don’t be too hard on Sirius and Anna.  They’re right in that the boy needs to spread his wings a little.  Not that you haven’t done a wonderful job getting him on the right track, but one thing I’d like you both to work on this year is, barring any true disasters of course, you’re to see yourselves as his teachers first and foremost, and let Minerva do her job as Gryffindor house leader taking care of any problems that might come up.  I also don’t want either of you singling him out by being any harder on him than the rest of your students,” he said, nodding knowingly at their grimaces.  “Yes, Minerva’s told me all about that as well.  Now, I have kept my nose out of it up to this point, but this is really a problem with a student not getting the room he needs, rather than about family.  I’ve had to overrule you both on one occasion or another over disciplining him, and have had to step in much more than I’d like.  You have two, and perhaps two more children of your own attending this school down the line, so you might as well discipline yourselves now on this issue so we don’t have to deal with these issues again in the future,” he said, an amused tone creeping up in his voice.

  “Yes, Sir,” Severus said solemnly.

  “Of course, Professor,” Jennifer nodded, slightly sheepish.  She knew without a doubt he was right.

  “Severus, you should be happy to know that the Forest patrols will no longer be needed this year.  Now that things are finally back under control, the Centaurs have taken over security there, and I’m sure Sagittari will help keep an eye on our interests as well if we need to know anything.  It is just as well, for Remus has obligations elsewhere, and Sirius is often abroad these days.  Audacious Belle should be in and out of the school on a regular basis looking into something for me, consider her a school friend.

  “As I’m sure Minerva wrote you, Hermione passed her teaching test and will be instructing Symbology along with her regular duties this year, so keep an eye on things just in case she needs any assistance.  Now, I’m sure the two of you wish to continue sparring again this year, but other than that, I ask that you keep your time as open as possible,” he said.  Severus frowned suspiciously, glancing at Jennifer.  “There are some things stirring that might call on your attention this year, although I am not entirely sure to what extent.  Especially you, Jennifer, being with the Order now… in fact, we shall be holding a meeting soon, next Saturday evening.  I think that meeting will be quite enlightening,” Dumbledore mused.

 

  The painting of the bright-eyed raven known as Dewhurst cawed a welcome as Jennifer got to her door and said the password, the door opening inwards into her sitting room. 

  The room had already been unpacked by industrious House Elves and everything was in its place, the windows open and her bat familiar, Ratfly, was dozing upside down on his stand.  Plopping down unceremoniously into her high-backed red chair, she unsealed the envelope that Dumbledore had passed her at the end of the meeting.  Severus closed the door behind him but stood by it for a moment, gazing at her with a slight frown.

  “Not bad, five more Galleons a month for teaching five years.  How long before I catch up with you?” Jennifer chuckled.

  “You’ll get another one when you reach tenure, and another if you take a senior position…that is if you decide to stay that long.  I’m sure other opportunities will come up from time to time that’ll tempt you,” Severus said calmly, hanging up his cloak.

  “Nonsense, Severus, what could possibly tempt me away from Hogwarts?  What about you, have you ever had opportunities come up?”  Jennifer asked.

  “From time to time,” Severus admitted, closing some of the windows.

  “Well I have every intention of staying and seeing our kids get in school,” Jennifer said, putting the envelope in the drawer, looking over at Severus thoughtfully.  “Do you think we should hold off on the schedule this year?  Dumbledore seemed concerned over something…something having to do with all the artifacts that are showing up out of the blue.  And something to do with Caprica still being awake.”

  “Jennifer…”

  “And I’m quite sure all these things coming up with your sister have something to do with it as well.  Do you think perhaps her being here is triggering some of it?  And I keep getting the feeling Fudge knows more than we do still.”

  “Jennifer, do we really have to get into this now?”  Severus said, sounding slightly irritable.

  “No, I suppose not.  Besides, we won’t really learn anything new until Anna gets back anyhow I think,” Jennifer said getting up and glancing at her class schedule.  “Conferences are on Tuesday and Friday this year.  Ugh!  And I have a double first year first thing Monday mornings, what in the world did I do to annoy Minerva that badly?  Oh, well, I’m more worried half the students showing up with Sludgebat ingredients more than anything.  Do you believe they let him in Diagon?”

  Sighing with exasperation, Severus strode back over to her and kissed her deeply, throwing her completely off guard.  As he pulled back he put his finger to her lips while she stared at him in surprise.

  “Do you hear anything?”  Severus asked her.  Wondering if she’d missed something, Jennifer paused to listen.

  “No,” Jennifer admitted.  Severus nodded, leaning over her slightly.

  “Precisely.  No crying, no wailing, no horrid twanging noise from Corey’s room, not even the sound of anyone yelling up the stairs to quiet down,” he said.  “When was the last time the two of us spent any time together without being interrupted?”

  “You want an exact date?” Jennifer asked, trying to keep a straight face.

  “Yes, well, I’m not about to let you clutter up our first night back with work and schemes of looking into things,” he said stubbornly, although his voice suddenly took on gentler tone.  “After all, it’s your birthday, you could try relaxing a little.”

  “Well then, if you insist,” Jennifer said, clearing her throat slightly and tossing her paperwork on the table.  “Did you have something specific in mind?”

  “I thought you’d never ask,” Severus said with a sinister smile.

 

  Bright and early the next morning, Hermione had found herself on her way down to the staff room, too nervous to sleep in, carrying with her a copy of Symbology:  The Patterns that Bind Us, reading over her notations in the column and correcting her wording as she went.  It was, in fact, the fifth time she had started reading it again from cover to cover, making sure she wasn’t leaving out anything important.

  It was some time before anyone else made it down to the staff room.  Finally Rolanda Hooch rolled in more asleep than awake, followed by Alvin Archibald, who looked overly amused about something.

  “Of course I’m not a morning person.  Falcons are nocturnal.  Now get away and leave me alone, you have a syllabus to write,” she said, trudging over to get a cup of coffee.

  “Go ahead and rub in the fact that you’re the only instructor not required to write one,” Alvin said.  “You are a grouchy one this morning.”

  “Maybe I don’t have to write a syllabus, but I have to spend the entire day checking over and doing inventory on all the sports equipment, and probably ordering a whole new stock of brooms, these have had it,” Rolanda said.

  “They had had it back when I was still a student,” Hermione joked, but got a nod from Rolanda. 

  “Exactly.  We need new balls too…the students have tried to charm them once or twice too often, and those Bludgers are really starting to lose their touch.  I swear that last game they weren’t hitting anyone even half as hard as they normally do.”

  “Well, we can’t have that, it wouldn’t do to have the hospital ward empty after a game for once,” Alvin teased.

  “Hey, a Bludger hit now and then is a great deterrent to students getting too cocky out there.  Even the most daring of them get a bit more cautious after a nasty hit,” Rolanda said, sitting down next to Hermione with her coffee and a roll.  “Heard you got a perfect score on the teacher’s exam.”

  “Yes, first time that had happened since Minerva took it, from what I understand,” Hermione smiled.  “It’s going to be nice to actually be able to teach this year, and such a fascinating subject too.  Did you know that even Quidditch itself is filled with all sorts of symbolic representations of magic, even down to the names and positions themselves?”

  “Sure, Hermione, sounds interesting, but could we not get too philosophical this early?  I’m not sure I can handle it yet.”

  “Good morning everyone,” Jennifer said from the doorway, beaming warmly at everyone as she headed over to the table, grabbing a cup on her way passed it.  “Good to see you all again!  How was your summer?”

  “I’ve had better,” Rolanda admitted.

  “I’ve had worse,” Alvin said. 

  “And why are you in such a cheerful mood?  Glad to be away from your kids too?”  Rolanda asked.

  “No, of course not, I miss them already,” Jennifer said, glancing up as Severus came in the door.  “Although I am glad to be back, just the same.”

  “I know what you mean.  I’m going to miss all the extra time I got to spend with Ron over the summer helping him with his newspaper work, but there really isn’t anywhere else like Hogwarts, is there?” Hermione said.

  “Even Severus has the audacity to be in a good mood,” Rolanda said in an almost taunting tone.  She was looking a tad more alert now, having already downed her first cup and halfway through on the next.

  “How can you tell?” Alvin said in a low voice, leaning over to her.

  “Because he’s been standing there listening for nearly fifteen seconds and he hasn’t insulted anyone yet,” Rolanda explained.

  “What happened over the summer that was so terrible?  You did go to visit your daughter, didn’t you?”  Hermione asked.

  “Yes,” Rolanda said glumly.  “She’s pregnant.”

  “What’s so terrible about that?”  Jennifer asked.

  “I’m too young to be a grandmother,” she muttered.

  “You obviously aren’t too young to have a daughter that age,” Severus said snidely, earning a very icy glare from Rolanda.  Jennifer gave him a dirty look as well, and he decided to sit on the other side of the table, suddenly absorbed in his book.

  “It’s not all that bad...I mean, if Corey gets married after he graduates and settles down the first year, I might be a grandmother as early as thirty five,” Jennifer said, sitting beside her.

  “Ha!  As if Corey would settle down.  That boy has a dozen plans in mind and none of them involve girls.  Besides, that’d also make Severus a grandfather and personally I can’t think of anything scarier than that.  Actually, yes I can.  Severus with a beard.”  Rolanda taunted.

  “Now why would he want to cover that handsome jaw line of his?”  Jennifer asked, gazing at him with a loving smile.  Rolanda stared at her.

  “I take that back.  You are scarier than he is,” she decided.  Seeing the look that Severus passed to Rolanda, Jennifer decided it would be wise to change the subject.

  “So how are you coming on your syllabi, Hermione?”  Jennifer asked.

  “Oh, I got those done yesterday and turned them in already,” Hermione said.  “And I went over and highlighted my book during the summer,” she added, drumming her fingers.  “All I have to do now is finish charming the new library books and I’m done.  I say, what do you do with all this spare time before school begins, anyhow?”  She looked up to see everyone looking at her.  “What?”

  “Sounds like someone’s overdue for a wakeup call,” Rolanda grinned at Alvin.

  “Happens to the best of us,” Alvin agreed.

  “Hermione, being a librarian is one thing, but teaching is quite another.  Some of these students were Sorted before you were out of school and they’re not going to let you forget that.  You never know what they’re going to bring up to haunt you,” Jennifer warned.  “I remember my first day here…goodness I thought I’d never survive it.  Of course, I got thrown in a major subject after only teaching first year Potions as an assistant…boy I certainly wasn’t ready for that.”

  “Amadeus started a fight in one of your classes that year if I remember right,” Rolanda grinned.

  “And they kept pressing me terribly about my father,” Jennifer nodded.  “Severus wasn’t exactly helping matters either by looking over my shoulder ready to criticize me every time I looked around.”  Severus looked up with genuine surprise.

  “As I recall, I believe I complemented you after your first day,” he said defensively.  “Besides, I had to make sure you were trustworthy.  After all, your family’s reputation preceded you.  And don’t try to blame what happened later on that month on me, either.  It was your doing confronting Malfoy at that first Quidditch game.  I only made sure you weren’t a target for awhile, which wasn’t easy considering you were always into trouble.”

  “And you were already in it up to your nose,” Jennifer pointed out, turning back to Hermione.  “All I’m saying is, don’t get too many preconceived ideas on how the students are going to behave, and expect things to be bumpy the first few classes.  It’s not as easy as you may think.”

  “Firm discipline always worked for me,” Severus shrugged, going back to his book.

  “Don’t just talk at them, keep them on their toes with questions,” Alvin agreed.

  “Don’t expect them to get everything right the first time,” Rolanda said, “then you should be fine.”  Hermione propped her head up in her hand.

  “Maybe I should go study my book on proper teaching techniques again,” she said, earning a round of exasperated sighs from the other professors around her.

Chapter Four

A Meeting in the Twilight Arc

 

  It was the third time that Jennifer had gone to Stonehenge, but never before had she been in such company.  She arrived beside Dumbledore, gazing around at the strange, wan blue light that domed the area, slightly confused.

  “This is the Twilight Arc, a very powerful ancient spell,” Dumbledore explained, seeing her expression.  “No one can disturb us while we’re in here; they can no more see us or hear us any more than we can them, for we’re neither in time nor outside of it.”  He looked up then to see Lunette Vallid and Harry Potter heading over to them, both in formal robes, Vallid’s black like Jennifer’s and Harry’s gold.  Dumbledore’s robes were silver, making his beard seem whiter than even normal against them.  “Ah, there you are Lunette.  Welcome, Harry.”

  “Thank you, Albus.  You know, it really feels strange calling you by your first name,” Harry admitted.

  “You are very welcome, we’re all colleagues here after all,” Dumbledore said.  “Now, if only I could convince Jennifer of that.”

  “I couldn’t possibly feel right calling you by your first name, Professor,” Jennifer protested. 

  “You called me Albus once,” Dumbledore reminded her.

  “I reserve the right to informalities in life threatening situations,” Jennifer said.  Harry smiled at her knowingly.

  “Oh, come now, Jennifer.  If I started calling you Professor Craw even when students weren’t around, wouldn’t you feel rather silly?” Dumbledore asked, a teasing twinkle in his eyes.

  “No, of course not, sir.  Why would I?”  Jennifer asked.  Dumbledore and Vallid exchanged glances and cryptic smiles before Dumbledore nodded to her.

  “Very well then.  If it’ll make it more comfortable we’ll do it your way, Professor,” Dumbledore decided, guiding them over to where the others stood in the ring.

  “My way?”  Jennifer asked, wondering what she’d done this time.  But she was soon distracted again, as she noticed something strange about the stone monoliths around them.

  Ghostly images of monoliths long since fallen had appeared where they had originally been.  Some of them, strangely enough, mirror images of other standing stones, as if somehow at some point they had been moved around.  Among the images dozens of wizards and witches, some she knew and others she had only heard of, stood in small groups talking to each other.  As they entered the outer ring, many of them looked over to Jennifer and Harry with approving nods and smiles before turning back to their conversations.  Lunette then quietly instructed them on where to stand before she and Dumbledore took their places in the innermost circle where the Order’s Council stood.  As if by some unseen signal, the rest began to gather as well, greeting each other like old schoolmates as they organized into half circles.  Jennifer frowned slightly, looking over the head of the Order.  There was Archimedes Muse, the Shea’s, Lunette, Dumbledore and Erik, but where was the seventh?  Jennifer could have sworn there were an odd number of them and wondered who might be missing.

  “Good evening, Council, colleagues.  Thank you for agreeing to meet a bit earlier this quarter, we have some members with obligations in the new world whom I thought should be here,” Erik said, smiling over at Lunette and Harry.  Lunette nodded with a smile.  “Very well, shall we start with Ancient Business then?  Glen, are you here somewhere?”  He asked.  Jennifer looked over in complete surprise to see the venerable old alchemist step up, leaning on a staff and dressed in ornate forest green robes with embroidered leaves running down the hems.

  “Right here, Erik,” Glen said, “No, I haven’t kicked over yet, never fear,” he added with a chuckle, getting a spattering of chuckles in return.  “Ancient business.  Let me see here.  Ah, yes, it’s about those dratted Equinoxes again.  They still are trying to claim rights over our meeting area, being that they believe themselves the archivists of the old magics, and demand access to the Twilight Arc,” he said.  Jennifer didn’t miss the humor in his gaze, as if this were a running dispute between the two Orders that never came to light.

  “Don’t tell me, they still claim the Druids built it,” Erik sighed, getting another chuckle from the rest of the Order.  “Everyone knows that the giants built it for Merlin after he rescued them from the Fomorians, centuries before the druid religion began.  Surely if they’re the experts in ancient history that they claim to be they’d have figured that out by now.”

  “Yes, you would think so, but when I ask them about it, they always ask for proof,” Glen said.

  “Albus, I know you have allies among the giants, perhaps they have some sort of proof to placate them?” Erik asked.  Jennifer could see he was getting tired of hearing the old argument as well.

  “We are allies, yes, Erik, but you must remember, they have been refugees from their native people a very, very long time.  The intelligence and technologies of their race have long disappeared from their long isolation from the rest of the world, and if they retain any knowledge of the events at all, it’s likely to be in the guise of distorted fables.  However, if you like I can arrange to ask them about it.”

  “Even a distorted fable might give some clue to finding indisputable evidence, Albus.  So, if you are willing, perhaps we can find a way to put the matter to rest.”

  “Of course, Erik, I will see what I can find out,” Dumbledore agreed.

  “Any other Ancient Business?”

  “There are some other ancient events in motion, yes, but I defer those to Old Business, since some of it coincides with their own affairs,” Glen said.

  “Very well.  Anyone have any other ancient business they want to bring up?”  Erik asked, glancing around.  “Then, let’s move on to Old Business, shall we?”  He smiled, looking over to Dumbledore again.

  “Your pardon, Erik, but would it be possible, if Lunette is ready, that is, to hold New Business first?  I would rather wait to see if our new councilman makes it here before I get into that,” Albus asked.  Lunette smiled at him, nodding.

  “Rather odd to hold New Business before Old, but I suppose it’s alright, so long as it’s alright with the rest of the council,” Erik said, glancing around to see nods all about.  “Very well, then.  Let’s have the New Business, shall we?”

“New Business!  First off, I suppose you’ll want to know how the project in the New World is going, and I want to report it’s going over splendidly well.  It seems that nearly every one of the non-magic counterparts that kept the knowledge of magic after Christmas last year have become very good allies, and have offered a great deal of friendship to those that were involved.  Many of them, in fact, are still exchanging constant correspondence with our society over differing ideas and technologies,” Lunette added, glancing over at Jennifer.  “The barriers between magic and Muggle worlds have always been thinner in the States, and as things progress with the project, I do believe there’s a lot of hope for further reintegration.” 

  Reintegration?  Jennifer was suddenly feeling rather alarmed.  Of course, she’d always known that it was what Merlin and the Order was hoping for that in the long term, but to have beginning to happen just over the ocean was an uncomfortable, frightening realization.  There was something always rather reassuring about the secrecy of their society, safely tucked away where no one could see and no one really had to bother mixing with other societies unless they wanted to.  Jennifer was quite sure that her own discomfort was probably small compared to many of the other purist wizard families out there.  The idea perhaps might be well received in the States, but she was quite certain it would be a long time before such extreme ideas would be received in Europe.

  “Splendid news indeed, Lunette, and we’re all very grateful for your efforts in the new world to further our Muggle allies,” Erik smiled at her.  Suddenly there was a flicker of light as someone entered the Arc from one side, and Jennifer turned around to see Arthur Weasley hurrying quickly over, hesitating slightly as he entered the outer ring, noticing that all eyes were on him.  He flushed slightly, smiling apologetically.

  “Sorry I’m late.  Minor family crisis,” he explained, taking his place up front with the council.

  “What, again?”  Archimedes teased, a soft chuckle arising from the order.

  “I hope I didn’t miss much,” Arthur said, looking quizzically at Erik.

  “Nothing we haven’t spoken of before,” Erik assured him.

  “Actually, I was about to introduce our new initiates, not that they need much introduction after the last five or ten years especially,” Lunette said.  Arthur beamed at Lunette very glad he hadn’t missed it.  “May I have the pleasure of introducing into the order Auror Harry Potter, who among other things I’m sure you all have heard about, is now the recognized apprentice to become the Sentinel of Light to Albus Dumbledore, his sponsor.  And this is Professor Jennifer Craw, a fellow Truth-Seeker and Keeper of Dark Magic, and is also my apprentice to take over as Sentinel of Dark Magic. I’m sponsoring her, of course,” Lunette added with a grin.

  “The council welcomes both of you to the Order.  You are the first two to be admitted since the Order’s reorganization to the old initiate system, and never can I recall two more deserving to be the first,” Erik smiled.  “I’m sure everyone will want to welcome you more informally after the meeting.”

  “Thank you, Erik, it’s an honor,” Harry said, and Jennifer nodded and smiled in agreement.

  “Anything else, Lunette?”

  “Oh, if anybody bought candy from my great-granddaughter’s school drive, see me after the meeting, please.  And don’t worry, I’ll do the conversions for that,” Lunette added.  “That’s all.”  Another chuckle erupted around the Order.

  “Shall we move on to Old Business then?” Erik suggested, looking around to make sure there weren’t any more comments on New.  “Albus, are you quite ready now?”

  “Thank you, Erik, yes,” Dumbledore nodded.  “First of all, I suppose you’re wondering how our new Sentinel is doing.  Sentinel Sagittari seems to be adjusting rather well to his new responsibilities, and is working on attempting to establish a pattern to these recent appearances of creatures and Otherworld beings that are beginning to appear after centuries of being unseen.  Whether they were but hidden and have chosen now to show themselves, or if they are finding a way here from their world we are not yet certain.”

  “Do you believe there might have been some that came when Lorcan attempted to unseal the gate?” Erik asked solemnly.

  “I am not certain, Erik, but I do not believe so.  Cornelius did do us a service, I believe, in forcing the seal back shut when Lorcan was destroyed,” Dumbledore said.  Jennifer blinked at that.  The gate hadn’t sealed again on its own?  “I do not think anything had time to come back out.  However, I do have a theory that it’s directly connected to the imbalance of the magics.  The more time seems to pass, the farther the ancient magic slips away from us.”

  “Is that so surprising, considering how long it has been since there has been a fourth Sentinel?”  Erik sighed.  “Has anyone tried speaking to Icarus about this lately?”

  “Yes, many times,” Dumbledore said.  “But he insists that as he is not alive it is not his place to make that decision.”

  “Then whose place would it be, surely he has given some hint to that,” Erik asked.

  “Yes,” Dumbledore said.  “He said that Merlin can.”  Everyone grew quiet, looking at Dumbledore’s serene expression.

  “Well, I suppose then we’re rather stuck, aren’t we?”  Erik said.

  “It would seem so, Erik.  Although I am wondering with the reappearance of the Spear of Lugh, if that isn’t a clue of which direction we should take.  I believe that if we are able to gather and unite the four items the Sentinels were chosen to protect, perhaps they might show us who might be capable of taking on that fourth position.  We know where two are for certain, as for the Stone of Fal, it is my intention with the help of Arthur, to try and discern if the one that was returned several years ago is in fact the real Stone.  As most of you know, the monolith was stolen fifty years ago, and no one was ever certain if the one that they had found is in fact the true stone.  My guess, however, is that it is not, but there is no way to tell for certain unless we find someone who can activate it.  Arthur’s ancestor was the last to hear the stone so he has agreed to help me look for it, although we are uncertain if it will react at all to him.”

  “Still, something must be tried,” Erik said with a nod.  “What of the cauldron, is nothing known of it?”

  “Quite a bit is known, that is, except its true location,” Lunette said.  “The cauldron hasn’t been seen since before Salazar Slytherin died.  It’s been out of the hands of the Sentinels of Dark Magic since that time period.”

  “I am certain it is not in the school.  I’m sure I would have heard or found hint of such a thing by now.  House Elves may not pay much attention to ancient evils and artifacts in dark corridors in general,” Dumbledore said, sounding slightly amused, “But a cauldron that never emptied of food would most assuredly interest them.  I am not even sure it’s in Britain, but where else it might be I cannot guess.”

  “It appears then that you have two mysteries on your hands,” Erik said thoughtfully.  “Please, if anyone finds anything relating to these two items, make sure you get with Albus on them.  We must try to do everything in our power to fix the balance.  The more time passes, the worse it seems to get.  The later we act, the less likely we will be able to fix it, and who knows what consequences the end result would be.  Perhaps all magic will suffer, and it will weaken them all.  Or perhaps we would lose control over Ancient magic altogether,” Erik said, looking up at the Twilight Arc thoughtfully.

  “Well, that would definitely make the argument over meeting here a moot point,” Glen chuckled.

  “True enough,” Albus said soberly.  “That was all I had for now, Erik.”

  “Very well.  Anyone else?” Erik asked.  “No?  Then last but not least, let’s go on to Profound Business.  That would be you, I believe, Francis.”  Jennifer stared in shock as she noticed Francis Pyther standing to one side, thanking Erik profusely.  Francis Pyther?  The artist vampire who was afraid of his own shadow?  How on earth did he get in?  Of course, she’d always liked the gentle natured man, but to see him here confused her to no end.  A vampire in the order of Merlin was odd enough, but what could Francis have done to get their attention?

  “Thank you, Erik, and for once I actually have something to report,” he said with a smile.  “It appears that the Committee of the Consciously Dead have been unusually active of late, as well as Conscience Paintings around the area.  They’ve been stirred up by the events with the reappearance of the Spear as well as the awakening of the Caprica Dusthorn painting, who seems to have begun to organize them under her guidance.  I believe from what they have told me that they believe that we are fast approaching a sort of metaphysical juxtaposition, where several old prophecies from the past either complete themselves or become obsolete, making way to open up new paths to the future.  I’ve also consulted the Centaurs, gypsies and a few local prophets, and for the first time that I can recall they all seem to agree with them.”

  “They all agree with each other?  That is profound,” Erik said in amazement.  “When is this juxtaposition supposed to occur, Francis?”

  “That, they don’t seem to agree upon,” Francis admitted.  “The Centaurs believe it is already occurring, the prophets think it will occur within the next year or so, and the CCD believes when it happens depends on certain things getting done.  I’m afraid, sir, that the CCD is rather of the opinion that they need to mettle a bit to make things come out the way, ‘they are supposed to.’  But why they mean by that, they haven’t said.”

  “Oh, dear,” Albus said.  “I suppose I had better warn my professors.”

  “I’ll make sure to warn the art museum and Incorporeal Affairs as well,” Arthur offered.

  “That at least we should do, but let’s not get too carried away.  As we all know, Profound Business does have a way of taking care of itself,” Erik said as everyone began to stir.  “Living who interfere with portents of the future are bound to get what’s coming to them.”

  “That is quite true, Erik,” Dumbledore agreed.  “But there is little harm in keeping our eyes and ears open, just in case.”

  “Which is, of course, why the Order discusses Profound Business to begin with,” Erik agreed. 

Chapter Five

The New School Year

 

  Aunt Rebecca was out of sorts, as she often was when she had to deal with magic.  Gritting her teeth and closing her eyes, she followed Essie and Corey through the pillar and onto the platform, sighing with relief and waving at herself as she survived it a second year in a row.

  “Can I have my ticket now, Aunt Rebecca?”  Essie asked.  “I can’t possibly lose it now.”

  “One moment, not until I make sure everything’s gotten on proper.  Who knows what would happen if something got left behind, transferred to another platform, for some poor bloke to find I can imagine, and then all that magic stuff inside, and your name on the label…oh dear, then what a mess we’d be in!”  Rebecca said, scowling.  “Off with you, baggage first, not one thing left behind.  Corey, where is your cat?”

  “He’s right here, Aunt Rebecca, it’s all right,” Corey insisted, tapping the cage.  “And my trunk, and my guitar, everything important.” 

  “What about your books?” she frowned at him.

  “Oh, those.  Yes, the case is still there,” Corey said, and she wondered not for the first time if he were trying to lose them on purpose.

  “Corey!  Essie!”  Corey’s best friend, Taylor Brittle, a tall, thin boy with tiny glasses on his nose dodged through a crowd of students to get over.  Rebecca looked over the boy nodding warily at him.  “There you are!  Danny’s already on board saving us seats.”

  “This is my Aunt Rebecca.  Aunt Rebecca, this is my friend, Taylor,” Corey said.

  “How do you do, Mrs. Hunt,” Taylor said politely.  “Can I help you with anything?  My stuff is already on.  Here, Essie, let me get that,” he insisted, taking her suitcase.

  “Well!  You seem normal enough at any rate!   Lets be getting this stuff taken care of then,” Rebecca said, coasting them over towards baggage while trying to avoid the main crowd around the train.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Taylor whispered to Corey.

  “Aunt Rebecca met Doug last year, but he and Julie got in a fight on the platform and Julie made daisies grow out of his ears,” Corey whispered.

  “I wish I’d been here to see that,” Taylor chuckled.  “At least it explains why he smelled so pretty on the way to school.”

  “Stop dawdling!  No offense, Corey, but I really would like to get out of this…crowd,” Rebecca said, standing near the cars.

  “Yes, Aunt Rebecca.”

  “And don’t forget your books!”

  “Yes, Aunt Rebecca.”

  Taylor quickly helped them hand their things up as Rebecca looked them both over one last time, straightening Essie’s coat dotingly.

  “All right then, I suppose you’re off.  Mind your teachers and especially Jennifer and Severus so I don’t have to hear any nonsense of your getting in trouble at Christmas.  Oh, and if you don’t mind would you please remember to send the owls to the kitchen door so I don’t have to explain to the neighbors why birds are attacking my house?”

  “Yes, Aunt Rebecca,” Essie nodded.  “I’ll try not to forget.”

  “Good.  Off you go then,” she said, frowning slightly as she watched them get on board.  A Dwarven engineer smiled warmly at her from the baggage car, and Rebecca carefully edged away, smiling back uneasily so not to seem too impolite.  With one last quick wave, she headed back out; unable to get off the platform fast enough to suit her.

  “You know, she really is getting better,” Essie said to Corey insistently as they hopped on, following Taylor through the cars and waving at people they knew as they passed them.

  “Yes, but she was a little more stable last year when Uncle Mark went too,” Corey chuckled.  “He’s sure kept her steady through all this.  I’m never going to forget how he stuck up for us when Dad came to convince him to let you go to school.”

  “I’m never going to forget how Dumbledore came and finally changed her mind,” Essie added with a smile.  “I love Hogwarts!  And I like going off to school too, because I don’t have to come home and tend the sheep after I get done for the day,” she added.

  “Watch out, Essie, now you’re starting to sound like me,” Corey grinned, as the finally got to their compartment.  “Hi Danny!”

  The dark-haired girl grinned at them from where she sat by the window as they sat down across from her.  She had grown less, well, flat over the summer, Corey noticed, and her features were softening somewhat and her eyes were more violet than ever.  But Corey had known since last year she had actually grown attracted to Taylor, although why a Slytherin girl so athletic as she did preferred a Ravenclaw who tripped over his own feet on a daily basis puzzled him.  Still, they were both at the top of the class, along with himself, of course, although Corey knew with his perfect memory he hadn’t had to work quite so hard at it.

  “Where’s Doug?”  Essie asked as she put her carry-on away.

  “Oh, he went to try his luck with Katie again,” Taylor sighed.  “I don’t know how Gail Sisna puts up with that.”

  “Why does he keep going after her like that?”  Corey said, rolling his eyes.  “I mean, he’s had study dates with every single girl in our Gryffindor class.”

  “And some outside of it,” Danny admitted, having done so herself before she and Taylor had gotten together.

  “All of them except Katie.  She keeps saying no,” Taylor grinned.  “You think he’ll ever learn?”

  “Not Porthos,” Corey grinned, calling Doug by his old nickname.  “It’ll take one heck of a girl to settle him down.”

  “So what do you think about Katie, Corey?  I mean, I think she keeps turning him down because she likes you,” Taylor said.

  “I wouldn’t want to get in Doug’s way,” Corey said, getting in his pocket to count his Sickles for the trolley.  “Honestly, Taylor, I don’t think I’ve met the right girl yet.”

  “But what if you never meet the ‘right’ girl?”  Danny asked.  “You can’t sit around and wait for lightning strike.”

  “Well, I’m only fourteen, I’ve got plenty of time to wait,” Corey reasoned, getting out his guitar and strumming it.  “Besides, if we end up being any good with this band thing I’m sure we’ll meet plenty of girls.”

  “Yeah, the kind Doug likes, but I’m not sure the kind you like,” Danny grinned at him.

  “All right then, miss know-it-all, what type do you think she’ll be?”

  “Well if opposites attract, she’ll be a cool tempered shy girl that always obeys the rules and can’t remember a thing,” Danny teased.  Just then Doug walked in and sat down, looking dejected.

  “Turned you down again, huh?” Corey asked.

  “She just doesn’t know a good thing when she sees it,” Doug said.  “At least Gail didn’t catch me, she was in my sister’s car talking to Perry.  Amadeus and his gang aren’t far either, but they didn’t seem to see me when I passed them.”

  “No cause to worry about them anymore, Doug.  They’re not going to bother any of you this year,” Danny said calmly, taking out a deck of cards.

  “What makes you think this year’s any different than any other year?”  Doug asked.

  “I wasn’t a Malfoy last year,” Danny said.  Doug and Corey looked over at each other but didn’t say anything as the trolley service arrived and they scrambled for candy and freshly popped Express Popcorn.  It wasn’t long before they found themselves talking about that train ride their first year, and Danny and Essie, who hadn’t been there that trip, made them start over and tell it from the beginning to have a chance to hear the entire tale.

 

  Anna Apparated to the gate and ran up the stairs just as she heard the train whistle blow in the distance, announcing the arrival of the Hogwart’s Express.  Quickly she made her way to her office and over to her desk, looking through her attaché for her notes and grabbing some paper and a pen, sorting out the notes in front of her.  Just then she heard someone clearing her throat and looked up to see Minerva McGonagall standing in the door, giving her a stern look.

  “Minerva, I am so sorry.  I got detained, but I have everything right here in front of me, I worked it out on the plane,” Anna said.

  “You know, you could have always written them before you left, perhaps after your letter to me saying that you were going to be late, two weeks ago?” Minerva said, drumming her fingers slightly.

  “All I need to do is copy them out.  I’ll have them on your desk tonight, I promise,” Anna said.

  “Very well, Anna, but I want to see you first thing tomorrow to go over agendas.”

  “I have a class at eight,” Anna pointed out.

  “Then I’ll see you at seven,” Minerva said.  “Now you’ll have to excuse me, I have students to sort.  Oh, and I’ll let your brother know you’re back but not to disturb you.  Goodnight, Anna.  Just leave them on my desk,” she added, walking back out.  Blowing her hair back in exasperation, Anna got to work on her syllabi.

  Minerva smiled softly as she came in to the Great Hall from the back door, taking a moment to whisper to Jennifer and Severus before heading up to the front.

  “Do you think she found out anything?” Jennifer asked Severus, who drummed his fingers thoughtfully, relieved that she was back but slightly irritated that she had cut it so close.  Sirius probably had something to do with it, he mused.  Seeing Jennifer’s expression change as she caught that, he quickly turned back to her question.

  “Probably.  After all, what else could have kept her?” He asked. 

  Jennifer glanced up to see the students beginning to arrive and a moment later Dumbledore came in, smiling at them warmly as he went to take his place.  Sagittari was not far behind, standing at the end of the table.  It was a sign that the first years had arrived and were probably waiting impatiently outside the main doors.  Between the Centaur and Severus sat Filius Flitwick on a stack of pillows, the trio making for an interesting sight for the first years coming in.

  Corey sat near the center of the Gryffindor table with Doug, who was busy trying to get Gail to look at him.  She, as usual, was rather annoyed with him, so instead was making eyes at the fifth year Perry Dalance, who had suddenly decided he didn’t mind it.  Finally Doug gave up with a dejected sigh then started looking around to see who else was available.  Corey couldn’t help but think back at his own Sorting as the new students stepped forward, remembering how it had put him in Gryffindor for lack of any other choice.  Still, he had fallen right into place with his classmates, even if they did often get angry with him into getting into so much trouble.  Looking back, the choice, however, seemed obvious.  How could he have fit in anywhere else?  And to think, he might not have been there at all if it hadn’t been for his now adopted Mom noticing him the first summer she lived in the Broom Closet.  As the last of the new students took their places and the banquet appeared, Corey snapped out of his thoughts to realize that his fellow Quidditch teammates were already talking about this year’s strategy.

   “We have a real stable team this year with not needing any replacements, but so does Slytherin,” Perry said.  “And Amadeus isn’t on suspension anymore, so we’re going to really need to pay attention out there, I think he proved last year that he’s not queasy about brutal tactics.”  Several of them glanced at Corey, who nodded.  “We nearly caught up with them, and I am completely convinced that we have a shot at the cup this year, even with the weak sparring team.  All we got to do is attempt to keep on top of things, and also not to be goaded into doing anything stupid.  We know they’ll try it, they always do, but we don’t have to fall for it.  Keep an eye on the younger ones and make sure they’re staying out of trouble too.  We don’t want any more first years coming in and sucking up all the points like has happened in the past.”  Corey looked annoyed.  How come all of the references seemed to be aimed at him?

  “Even if we succeeded in being angels all year, I’m not sure we could beat them,” Gail put in from the other side of Perry.  “I mean, Danny hasn’t lost a game, and off the field she is always grabbing points for all the extra credit stuff she does.”

  “So?  Danny doesn’t have the market on extra credit.  Volunteerism, that’s what we need.  Willowby, your friend’s on the paper, why don’t you two get in on it?”

  “Us?” Doug said, making a face.

  “And Gail, you and Juniper could always help Professor Sprout out after class, she’s always looking for help out there.”  Perry suggested. Gail started to make a face but saw Perry looking at her, suddenly nodding.

  “Of course, anything to help out, Perry,” she said.  Doug rolled his eyes.

  “Look, I don’t really think I’m cut out for the paper.  How about I get my band to just volunteer to play at the spring dance this year?”  Corey offered.  Perry looked at him.

  “You mean with that thing you were plucking on the train?  I want to earn points, not lose them,” Perry said frankly.  Corey glowered at him, but Perry ignored it.  “Seriously, folks, thinks of things you’re good at and volunteer to help out.  I doubt most Slytherins will go that out of their way to be useful, so I think it might turn to our advantage.”

  Doug and Corey were glad when they were finally released to their dorms, lingering in the hall to wait for Danny and Taylor.

  “Do you believe that Dalance?  He’s only a fifth year and he’s bossing the team around like he was head boy or something,” Doug said.

  “Well, he is team captain, now, and he’s not been doing all that bad.  I admit he’s a bit of a pain, but he is right.  Personally, I’m really getting tired of people of calling me the “end” of the winning streak just because I had a rough two years starting out.  I didn’t come anywhere near losing so many points last year,” Corey said.

  “Only because Dumbledore kept overruling your punishments every time you got in trouble,” Doug smirked.

  “That’s because I only got in trouble when I had to.  I mean, if it hadn’t been for us, Danny might have been killed,” Corey protested.

  “Yes, but we’re not supposed to talk about that, remember?  Nobody knows who saved her, and we will get in trouble if we start talking about it,” Doug said.  A moment later, Danny and Taylor appeared in the hall and they waved them over.

  “There you are,” Corey said.  “We’re going up to see Professor Dusthorn.  You coming?”

  “Wait, what about what Professor Dumbledore said about the Trophy Room still being off limits?”  Danny asked.

  “Oh, we’re not going to the Trophy Room, we have other connections,” Corey explained.  “Come on, we should at least say hello before curfew.  We haven’t seen her in months.”

  “All right, I admit I’d love to see her myself,” Danny smiled, touching something around her neck.

  “You sure we’re not going to get in trouble?”  Taylor asked.  “It’d be a rum go to lose points on the very first day.”

  “I can hear Perry now,” Doug smirked.

  “Come on, guys,” Corey said, heading up the back stairs.  One passage and two doors off the main corridor was an abandoned classroom with only a low hung painting on the bare walls.  In the painting, a kindly looking bearded wizard sat in an empty classroom reading a book.  He looked up as they came over to him, smiling.

  “Hello, young ones.  Here to see Professor Dusthorn, are we?”

  “Yes, sir, if it’s not inconvenient,” Taylor said.

  “I will go see if she’s free,” the wizard winked, getting up and stretching before disappearing from the painting.  A moment later, a bright-eyed elderly woman in gold robes appeared, smiling warmly at them.

  “Well, well, well!  And just whom do we have here?” Caprica asked with a smile.

  “Have you really forgotten us?”  Danny asked.

  “But goodness, you’ve all changed!  Danny, you are blossoming into quite a young woman, I see.  How was your summer?”

  “Wonderful, really, the best ever,” Danny said, earning a pleased look from Caprica.

  “No one could be more glad to hear that than I.  Corey, Taylor, Doug, why you’ve all shot up some inches, haven’t you?  And Doug, was that you I heard screeching down the halls?”

  “Not, funny, Professor.  It’s not like I can control it.  There’s a potion but Mum wouldn’t let me take it, said it’d sort itself out,” Doug said glumly.

  “Mum’s know best,” Caprica said, eyes twinkling with mischief.  “Don’t worry, it won’t take long for it to settle out.  It is good to see all of you back, and so hard to get anything done without a few helping hands.”

  “Well, we’re back, so just feel free to call us if you need anything,” Corey said.

  “And feel free to call me when you need someone to talk to,” Caprica said.  “But you’d best be off to bed.  You can’t be falling asleep in your first day of class, can you?”

  “What about you, Professor?  I mean, you will warn us when you get sleepy again, won’t you?” Corey asked.  Caprica smiled at him.

  “Don’t worry, Corey.  With all the work I have left to do, it’ll probably be months, if not years, before it’s time for me to sleep again,” Caprica said.

  “What sort of work would a painting have to do?”  Doug asked.

  “I think that’d be rather obvious,” Caprica said, slightly amused.  “Paintings preserve the past, and the people and special moments that take place in them.  And I, as Caprica, preserve a very special friendship,” she added, glancing over at the four of them.  “But that is for another discussion on another day.”  Giving them one last smile, she left to return to her own painting as the wizard quietly returned and took her seat.

  “I wonder what she meant by all of that,” Doug said, waving to the wizard as they left so he could be alone with his book.

  “Well, if paintings preserve the past, and really, preserve the moment their painted in,” Danny said as they walked down the hall, “Then if she has work to do, perhaps something tied to the time when that painting was done is important in the here and now.”

  “Well, I heard Mom saying once that Caprica helped Sagittari accept himself as the Sentinel of Wild Magic,” Corey said.  “So perhaps, being once a Sentinel herself, that’s what it’s all about.”

  “That would explain the first part easily enough, but what about the second?  Preserving a friendship?  I don’t think she was talking about us,” Taylor said.

  “No,” Corey said with a nod.  “But I have some idea about who she might be talking about,” he said, wondering how he was going to find out for certain.

 

  It wasn’t until lunch the next day that Anna finally had time to talk to anyone about what she had found out from her Aunt.  Severus was the first to find her in the staff room, and Jennifer found the two of them and Hermione listening to her recounting when she came in a few minutes later. 

  “I’m not even sure who I can trust anymore when it’s obvious my own family is hiding things from me,” Anna said with a sigh.

  “Well, you’re not the only one.  I wasn’t told any of this either,” Severus scowled.  “Titiana is such a common name in my father’s family, I never had reason to doubt it was otherwise.”

  “I’m not blaming you,” Anna sighed.  “I just don’t understand why they kept my heritage from me so long.”

  “Well, at least there’s little doubt where the Merlin blood came from on our father’s side of the family,” Severus said.  “The Snape origins have been dated back centuries, from Romans who settled around the Yorkshire area and blended into the local color over time.  From what I’m told, the magic line married in several centuries before we took the Snape name, from a man descended from the Le Fey line,” he said, lost in thought. 

  “Le Fey?  As in Morgana?”  Anna asked.

  “She had several sisters, and I’m not quite sure which one he was actually descended from.  I suppose I could ask our father’s brother Augustus,” Severus grimaced.  “Frankly, I’d rather not.  Suffice it to say it’s very possible that the Merlin blood you’re looking for on our half of the family probably came from that line.”

  “Rigatona Danaan,” Hermione repeated.  “Well, at least that origin is fairly obvious.  Especially with the nine names, and only seeming to appear in the women in your family...your mother’s half must have fae blood in it, and probably royal fae blood at that,” she said, as Anna, Severus and Jennifer looked over at her expectantly.

  “Well, Rigatona is another name for Rhiannon, and Danaan, of course means ‘children of Danu’, the Elven Mother, and the royal line.  Nine names, because priestesses were often in groups of nine, and it’s also common if the Elven blood came from a female that their traits pass on mainly to daughters.  So, since Merlin only had one daughter, it is probably that line your mother’s family follows,” Hermione concluded.

  “That doesn’t explain why they hid my heritage from me.  Us, I should say,” Anna corrected.

  “Perhaps we should ask one of those who we know for certain helped cover it up,” Jennifer suggested.

 

  To any who didn’t know where to look, they might have never have noticed the curious bricks on the sidewalks that marked the edge of Lost Tower.  Droves of Londoners and tourists stepped on it and over it without thought on their way to their destinations, unaware that it meant anything at all.  But as Jennifer stepped over the foundation line in the street she was no longer surrounded by the noise of cars and crowds, and instead met the sound of a roaring Griffon that resided in the Menagerie of the Lost Tower of London.  She paused and looked behind her as Anna stopped short to gaze at a jet-black cat with green eyes.  It stared back at her with boredom as its nine tails wiped lazily about behind it.

  “Come on, you can look at the animals some other time.  We’re supposed to meet Audi and Severus in the lobby, and we only have an hour before visiting hours are over,” Jennifer said.

  “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say this was directly connected to the Tower of London,” Anna said, glancing over at the other entryway thoughtfully.

  “It is.  The Muggles wanted to tear this section down a long time ago, so some wizards got together and found a way to preserve it.  The Muggles only think it got torn down,” Jennifer grinned.  “Not that it hasn’t been altered, of course; it’s been gutted and refurbished over the years.  I’m kind of surprised you’ve never been here yet, as much work as you’ve done for the Ministry.  You didn’t think they kept petty criminals in Azkaban, did you?”

  “No, I’ve heard of it, I just didn’t ever have any reason to come here,” Anna said, following Jennifer inside.  Severus was standing just inside with his arms folded, tapping his fingers against his folded arms impatiently.

  “What kept you?”

  “Sorry, my last class Fridays are first years.  You know they can’t even boil water without blowing something up,” Jennifer said, falling into place beside him as they headed up the stairs.  “Where’s Audi?”

  “In there already,” he said.  The guard standing at the door greeted them respectfully before showing them in.  A long table stretched across the center of the room, a token barrier to those visiting, but otherwise quite open and no where near as secure as the visiting room Jennifer went to once a month at Azkaban prison.  That irritated her, she realized, although she wasn’t quite sure why.  Perhaps it was because the nervous man sitting behind the table had himself nearly killed her, and even wanted to condemn her and Anna to eternal sleep.  Yet he was here, and probably treated quite well.  Still, Cornelius Fudge had been the Minister of Magic and a very respected man, and Jennifer couldn’t help but wonder if that fact had also saved him from any stricter security measures.  Cornelius, holding onto Audi’s hand when they came in, quickly noted Anna’s wary expression, Jennifer’s look of dislike, and Severus’ open hatred.

  “Hello, Jen-girl, Anna, Severus,” Audi smiled.  “I hope you don’t mind, I thought I’d head on up to let Corny know to be expecting you.”

  “Good.  Then I hope he’s prepared to actually tell us something useful for a change,” Severus said curtly.  “And without games this time, if you don’t mind.  We’re not buying the wild chases any more.”

  “No, I suppose I blame you for being angry with me.  But I haven’t done anything at all that I didn’t think was warranted, and that includes everything I’ve done to protect Anna…from herself, and from others,” Cornelius defended himself.  Severus growled softly but stopped when Jennifer touched his arm.

  “Why was everyone led to believe my birth name was different?  That sort of thing couldn’t have disappeared off of official records without a little help,” Anna said.

  “You’re right of course.  It was I who authorized Alice to change the records, writing it off as a clerical error.  After all, it was only one letter…”

  “Wait just one minute,” Jennifer said, suddenly alarmed.  “Look at me and say that again.”  Cornelius nodded and looked over at her.

  “Yes, it’s true, your mother knew about Anna too.  Of course, she worked for me, so she knew quite a bit of things.  But it went a bit farther than that, considering what had happened at your parent’s wedding.”

  “I don’t understand,” Jennifer said, sitting down.  “What do my parents have to do with all of this?”  She glanced up at Severus, who was squinting slightly at Cornelius.

  “Severus, do you recall going to the Craw wedding with your parents?”  Cornelius asked.

  “No,” Severus said, frowning slightly.

  “Then perhaps it’s time you did,” Cornelius said.

Chapter Six

Memories Long Forgotten

 

  Severus shrugged away from his stepmother as she tried to straighten his collar and unbuttoned it again.  Why didn’t she just leave him alone?  She wasn’t his mother, and she should know by now that acting like she was wasn’t wanted.

  “I like the collar down, Meryl.  It doesn’t look good with my dress robes the other way,” he said.  “Why don’t you go fuss over Anna?  I’m sure she has a button somewhere that isn’t buttoned yet.” Meryl backed off with a sigh, lost in thought.

  “That’s quite enough, Severus,” Octavius said sternly, looking at him disapprovingly.  “There are going to be a lot of important people at this wedding; some we definitely can’t risk offending, and that ‘we’ includes you.  You’re old enough to know that the public does not need to see your true colors, and I’d rather you treated your mother with the utmost respect while we’re there.”

  “Stepmother,” Severus corrected venomously.

  “I could just leave you home,” he warned.

  “Octavius, he’s only nine.  I doubt anyone will notice how…”

  “I notice, and that’s enough.  He’s old enough to know his place,” Octavius frowned at the boy.  “If you can’t say anything respectful to others, don’t say anything at all.”

  “Fine,” Severus said.  “If that’s what you want, father.”  Severus glanced down to see his three-year-old stepsister hang on his robes, trying to get his attention.  With a bit of effort he was able to pick her up, unbuttoning her top button.  Severus had always despised his stepmother for trying to fill his mother’s place…a right she had even less of having been born to Muggle parents, something that his own mother, he knew, would have rightfully condemned.  But Anna was a different story, for Severus knew she could no more control her parents than he could.  In a way he always felt a little sorry for her, nearly as much as he felt for himself.  After all, Meryl had proven time and again she couldn’t take care of her stepson, how could he expect her to be able to take care of Anna?  And his father was often gone most of the day, so certainly he couldn’t help.  No, it was up to Severus himself.  He often took it upon himself to make sure Anna’s needs were taken care of before his own, ignoring Meryl any time she tried to help.  As far as Severus was concerned, they were better off on their own, and quite capable of taking care of themselves.

  It was a very quick port to the Craw Mansion, a luxurious country estate on the eastern coastline.  Flowers and trees were in full bloom, and the back lawn had been decorated with garlands of blossoms and set with tables around the ornate fountains and trees that landscaped the area, decorated all the way up to the edge of a small wood that were cropped above the rocky cliffs.  Wizards and Witches of the higher class mulled about the area, and Octavius began softly telling Meryl and Severus who was who.  Quite a few people from the Ministry were there, from Cornelius Fudge to Bagman and Crouch, and even more people of real influence, such as Cassius Malfoy, John Nelson, and the Lestranges.  Suddenly his father’s voice took on an odd tone that even Severus couldn’t help pull his head up to look.

  “There he is, that’s him,” Octavius said.  “Standing over by Thomas Craw.”  Severus glanced over to see a dark-haired man in fine black robes standing near the groom.  Suddenly, the man’s head snapped up and looked straight over at them before smiling thinly and giving Octavius a curt nod.  “He’s seen me, I’m going to need to go over.  Perhaps it’d be better if you took the children over to the tables.”

  “Let me go too, father,” Severus said.

  “You’ll do as your told,” Octavius snapped.  “This is no time for your games, Severus. You will mind me today,” he said in a voice Severus knew better than to cross.  “Watch over your sister, and make sure…make sure she doesn’t leave your sight,” he said carefully before walking over.  Severus’ eyes followed him, slightly puzzled about the tension in his father’s voice.  When Octavius neared the two men, Severus noticed that the man that had unnerved his father was looking straight at him.  It was an eerie, searching stare, as if the man gazing at Severus could see everything…his thoughts…his feelings.  The man then smiled softly and nodded to him, and Severus nodded back.  Suddenly he felt himself being pulled back, and looked around to see Meryl behind him, pushing him quite forcefully over towards the tables with a worried expression on her face.

  “Stop it, what are you doing?” Severus said, trying to shrug away from her grasp.  “You’re going to wrinkle my clothes.  Don’t touch me!”

  “Your father warned you to mind.  Do you want me to tell him that you’re not?”  Meryl said, sounding stricter than she ever had sounded with him before.

  “He told me to mind him, he didn’t say anything about you,” Severus pointed out, stepping away.  “I wasn’t doing anything.”

  “You did more than you know,” she said.  That was when she looked around and noticed a group of women standing by the fountain and headed towards them.  One of them turned and noticed them approaching, smiling warmly.  The woman’s hair was golden brown in color piled loosely upon her head, and her green eyes were glittering happily.  She was wearing a snow-white wedding gown with hand-sewn lace around the trim that sparkled in the sunlight, and there was little doubt that the bride could not be any more radiant than she was at that instant.  Severus stopped and gaped at the beautiful woman before Meryl cautiously nudged him forward.  “Alice!  Congratulations!  My goodness, what a lovely bride you make!” She said with a smile, putting Anna down a moment to hug her.

  “Meryl!  I’m so glad you could make the reception!  Where’s Octavius?” she asked.

  “Over there,” Meryl said quickly.

  “Ah, I see,” Alice said, nodding knowingly as she looked into Meryl’s eyes.  “Don’t worry, nothing will mess up this day of all days.  This must be young Severus, then!  Why, he’s a regular young gentleman now, isn’t he!”  Alice said, giving him a warm smile.  Meryl grinned nervously at the boy, but was quite surprised when the boy took Alice’s hand and kissed it.

  “Congratulations on your marriage, Mrs. Craw.  From what my father has told me, you are marrying into a fine family,” Severus said.

  “Oh, um…thank you, Severus,” Alice said, exchanging glances with Meryl before turning to Anna.  “And this is your little darling, isn’t it?  How very pretty she is!  She takes after you quite a bit, doesn’t she?  But she has her father’s eyes.”

  “Hullo there!” A young boy with dark hair walked up in long blue robes, slightly soiled as if he’d been playing in them, grinning over at Severus.  “I haven’t ever seen you before.  What school do you go to?” Severus eyed him warily, wondering what dustbin he dropped out of.

  “Severus, this is Sirius Black.  His father scouts properties for Thomas.  Sirius, this is Severus Snape, his father is a friend of Thomas as well.  And this is little Anna.”

  “Hullo Anna!  I say, can she have candy?” Sirius asked.  When Meryl nodded he pulled a lollipop out of his sleeve, handing it to her.  “A sweet for the sweet.”  Meryl couldn’t help but chuckle.

  “My goodness, you’re going to grow up to be quite a charmer!” Alice laughed.  “Like father like son, I suppose.”

  “Can I go, Meryl?” Severus said abruptly.  Meryl frowned at him.

  “All right, but please don’t bother your father…” Severus turned without another word and walked back towards the house.  Surprised, Sirius followed after him.

  “Hey, wait up, where are you going?  Don’t you want to meet the other kids?”

  “Not particularly,” Severus said, looking around.  He no longer saw Thomas or the stranger, and his father seemed to be busy talking to Miles Nott. 

  “Some of them are even going to Hogwarts.  Might be fun to hear all about the school and all.  I go to Prince’s Wand Primary in London.  Where do you go?”

  “I go to a private school,” Severus said, walking around the building.  “Why don’t you go join your friends?  I’m busy at the moment.”

  “What are you doing?”  Sirius asked.

  “Looking for someone,” Severus explained.

  Suddenly he noticed the man again from across the lawn and headed in that direction.  Sirius stood and watched him, looking back towards where the others waited for him then back at the boy again, wondering if it was worth the effort to find out what the other boy was doing.  But curiosity got the better of him and he couldn’t help but wonder what could have been that important.  As he ran to catch up, he suddenly realized where Severus was going and grabbed a hold of his arm.

  “Wait a minute, you’re not going over there, are you?” Sirius said.  The obvious fright in his voice was enough to make Severus look at him a moment.  “Don’t you know who that is?”

  “No, but I have to talk to him,” Severus said with a shrug.  In fact, he wasn’t even sure why he wanted to, only that there was a persistent nagging call inside him that he couldn’t shake.  There had been something about his eyes, Severus thought, or it was something about how he held himself?  Perhaps it was even the fact that no one seemed to want him to go over there that attracted him.  But whatever the cause, it wasn’t long before Severus found himself standing in front of Voldemort.

  The dark wizard paused his conversation to look over at the boy, and a smile crept across his face.  Now that he had actually gotten there, Severus found himself wondering what he should say, but before he could get up the nerve to say anything, the wizard did.

  “This is Severus, Octavius’ son,” he told the men standing next to him, who nodded to the boy, turning back to Voldemort questioningly.  But Voldemort was looking steadily at Severus, who couldn’t seem to bring himself to look away.  “Is that your mother and sister I saw you with earlier?” he asked in a gentle tone.

  “Stepmother,” Severus corrected automatically, earning another smile from Voldemort.

  “Yes, of course…your mother was Sabina Selezin’, wasn’t it?  She was from a very reputable family indeed.  And what wizard family does your stepmother come from?”  Voldemort asked.

  “She isn’t, she’s a…I mean, she was Muggleborn,” Severus explained.  Voldemort tsked softly.

  “Poor boy.  It must be very hard for you growing up without a mother, and a mudblood pretender in her place.”  Voldemort said, putting a hand on his shoulder.  “She doesn’t begin to understand you, and your father betrayed your mother, so not worthy of your trust?” he asked.  Severus looked away, but Voldemort turned his chin back around.  “It’s alright, Severus.  Don’t be afraid.  I understand,” he said.  “If you need anyone to talk to, just come to me, and I’ll make sure everything is taken care of.”

  “Severus?”  Severus looked up to see his father striding up at a quick pace with Thomas Craw right behind him.  There was a look of anger and tension in Octavius’ face, but it had taken Severus a moment to realize it wasn’t directed at him.  “I’m sorry, Voldemort, if he was disturbing you…”

  “Not at all, Octavius.  Your son has quite a lot of potential.  I suspect he’ll go quite far in life with the right sort of guidance,” he said evenly.  “You know, I could use such a boy in my work, especially since I don’t seem to be getting the cooperation I need from others I could name,” Voldemort continued, gazing at Octavius.

  “I will continue with my support, Voldemort, for my own reasons, and not because of threats.  If it wasn’t for Thomas and Malfoy, I wouldn’t have even gotten mixed up in the business affair to begin with,” he pointed out, glancing over at Thomas before turning his gaze back to the dark wizard.  “But you will leave my family out of this.”

  “I intend to,” Voldemort said, “for now, at least,” he said, giving Severus one last smile as he walked away.  Thomas quietly excused himself, following closely behind.  Octavius quickly turned around and grabbed Severus’ shoulders, gritting his teeth slightly as he leaned down to look at him.

  “Tell me what he said to you,” Octavius demanded.  Severus attempted to shrug away, but his grasp was too tight. 

  “We didn’t talk about much of anything.  He only asked me about Meryl.  Let me go.”  Severus said defiantly.

  “What about Meryl?” he asked, his anger apparent.  Severus didn’t particularly want to make him any angrier either.

  “He just asked who she was, that’s all,” Severus said.  “Then you came.  Can I go play with the other kids now?”

  “No, I want you where I can see you,” Octavius said, standing up, glancing over at Voldemort and Thomas again.  Just then, Meryl ran up, looking obviously upset.  “What’s wrong, what is it?”

  “Anna, I can’t find Anna!  She was sitting by the table watching the other children playing hide and seek in the woods then she just disappeared. While I was watching her.”  She said, giving him a hard look.

  “We need to find her quick before certain other people do,” Octavius said.

  “We might not find her in time alone.  Let me go get Aunt Tony, she’s over talking to Alice and Auror Belle,” Meryl said.

  “Fine but please no one else,” Octavius hissed.  “Severus, I want you to find your Aunt Viv and stay with her, do you understand me?  Do not leave her side,” he commanded sternly.  Taking one glance back over to see Thomas and Voldemort stepping inside, Octavius hurried away.

  Severus frowned as he watched them race off.  Anna disappeared?  She probably just wandered into the woods.  Why in the world were they getting so frantic?  It wasn’t as if she hadn’t disappeared before only to end up being asleep in some odd corner or another.  One thing was certain; he knew he couldn’t leave it up to adults to find her.  Turning around and purposefully avoiding where his great Aunt was standing, Severus headed towards the woods.

 

  Sirius Black hated hide-and-go-seek.  He had never been any good at it, and he often suspected that the Hogwarts students were cheating and finding some way to make themselves invisible.  Even his best friend from primary school was better at it than him; James never ever got caught.  So Sirius never found any joy in being the one who was ‘it.’

  He had gone quite a ways out in the woods when he realized the trail was gone, and wondered if he hadn’t gotten turned around somehow.  Well, he could hear the sound of the waves, so he decided to try and follow them to the cliff where he could make his way back without getting lost.  It was hard to tell when they were getting louder.  He often stopped to listen, trying to figure out if he was going the right way.  Suddenly he heard a whinny, and turned around to see a Unicorn colt standing behind him.  It wasn’t looking at him…perhaps hadn’t even noticed him.  Instead, she was looking out into the brush. Sirius looked around just in time to see something white disappearing into the woods.  Her mama perhaps, Sirius guessed, or another Unicorn at any rate.  But for some reason the colt didn’t follow, just stood and whinnied pitifully. 

  “Hello there,” Sirius said.  The Unicorn filly turned around in apparent surprise and swiftly trotted up next to him, looking at him expectantly, her head standing so close to his that he held his breath, afraid he would scare it away.  Hesitantly he reached up and patted the beast on the nose, relaxing somewhat when she didn’t run away.  Instead, the Unicorn began nuzzling the sleeve of his robes as he stared at it in amazement.  “What do you want?”  Sirius asked as it started chewing at his sleeve.  He froze for a moment, trying to convince himself that unicorns didn’t eat meat, when he remembered what he had in his sleeve and pulled back his arm, taking out a lollipop.  He stared at it as the Unicorn looked at him quite expectantly with pleading eyes.  Sirius had never seen anything quite so beautiful in his life.

  “Here, how about a trade?  I’m lost.  I need to get back to the wedding.  I give you candy, you show me how to get out?”  He asked.  The Unicorn looked at him as if not quite understanding.  “Maybe you’re too young to understand me,” Sirius mused.  “Show me your Mum, can you do that?  I give candy, you take me to your Mum?”  The Unicorn neighed then as if that had made sense, and encouraged by its reactions and gentle nudges, Sirius got on her back.  “Ok, let’s go find your Mum,” Sirius said.

  A strange sensation went over him then that he didn’t quite understand, and he found that he could somehow read her thoughts.  She was lost too, he realized.  But how could she be?  Her mother was right there.  No, that wasn’t her mother at all, she seemed to think her mother was a human.  Just then, Sirius saw a tree right in their path and cried out loudly in surprise as they passed right through it and out the other side.  The filly stopped short, wondering why he screamed, and whinnied questioningly.

  “Maybe this riding stuff isn’t such a good idea,” Sirius decided, getting off.  “Are you sure we’re going the right way?” he asked, listening for the ocean again.  But Sirius heard another sound, the sound of someone calling a name and it sounded like ‘Anna’.

  “Hullo?”  Sirius shouted back.  “Help!  We’re lost!  Over here!”  Sirius yelled.  “Don’t worry, Unicorn, we’ll find your…” he turned around, but the Unicorn was not there.  Panicking over a sudden sense of loss that overcame him, he nearly didn’t notice when a small hand reached up and grabbed a hold of his robes.  Looking around in surprise, he found himself looking at the little girl he met earlier, reaching up for his sleeve as if waiting to find something there.  “Wait a minute, it can’t be!  Not at your age,” Sirius said in awe, crouching down beside her.  “It couldn’t have been you?”  Anna finally found what she was looking for, sitting down unworriedly as she tried to bite the wrapper off with her teeth before handing back towards him.

  “Fix?” she asked.

  “It was you!  Somehow, it was!”  Sirius said, ignoring her beating the lollipop across his hand before she gnawed at it again.  “You’re an Animagus!  That’s astounding!” 

  Just then, a bedraggled figure burst through the brush, and Severus glanced between the two of them before running over to Sirius and rammed his first into his eye then tackled him.  The two of them rolled over as Sirius tried to fight him off and finally began to get headway, for although the other boy was taller; Sirius quickly realized that he was the stronger of the two.  Anna yelled at Severus, but apparently her older brother still hadn’t learnt what the word ‘no’ meant.  So Anna plopped down and began to cry, hoping it would get them to stop.

  “What the heck is the matter with you?”  Sirius asked when he finally had the other boy pinned.

  “What is the matter with me?  Why did you kidnap my sister?”  Severus asked.

  “I didn’t kidnap your sister!  I got lost, and then I saw a Unicorn and then it ended up being her!”  Sirius said.

  “That’s the lamest story I’ve ever heard, how stupid do you think I am?”  Severus asked.

  “Pretty damn stupid if you think I’d kidnap your sister!  My Dad would kill me!”  Sirius said.

  “My Father is going to kill you when he hears how you led her away with lollipops!”

  “I did NOT lead her away!”  Sirius said.  “We were trying to get back to the mansion.”

  “Oh, so now all of the sudden it’s we?  So you admit you were with her,” Severus said.

  “She was a Unicorn!”  Sirius shouted at him. “Look, someone’s got to calm her down, and I can’t do it if I have to keep you pinned to the ground.”

  “Don’t you dare touch my sister!  Let me go!  If you don’t let me go, you’re going to wish you had!”  Severus snapped, struggling.  Sighing loudly and deciding that he could easily pin him again if he had to, Sirius let him up.  Severus wasted no time getting to his sister and picking her up, but the toddler hit him on the shoulder with her hand.

  “Bad!  Bad!” She said angrily, her crying slowly subsiding.

  “See? I told you, she’s on my side.” Sirius said.

  “Oh, shut up, Black!  You know what, if you’re not lost then I guess you don’t need me to help you out of here, do you?”  Severus said, backing up with his sister.  Sirius blinked.

  “Oh, come on, you wouldn’t seriously leave me here!”  Sirius said.  “You really think I’m going to let you?”

   “Try and follow me then,” Severus challenged him.  “But you won’t be able to keep up.  I just wish I could see the look on your face when you finally meet your fate.”  He turned around then and was about to dash away when he suddenly heard a ferocious growl.  Turning cautiously back around, his eyes came open wide as he saw the large dark canine beast that Sirius was backing away from.  It was, without a doubt, a Grim.

  Severus wasn’t about to stick around to see it eat the other boy, and certainly didn’t want to see his sister meet a similar fate.  Severus dove into the trees, wondering if he could run fast enough to get help before the fool boy got completely mauled… at the very least he served to keep the beast occupied so he could get the toddler safely away.  But before Severus had taken more than a dozen steps his arms dropped, for Anna had disappeared.  Crying out in alarm, Severus looked around only to find her standing between the Grim and Sirius, looking at it sternly.  Before he could react, she suddenly pointed at the beast with the same expression she had given Severus a moment before.

  “Bad!  Bad!”  Anna said, slapping it on the nose.  A sudden blast of light came out of her hand, and Sirius and Severus found themselves knocked back as the wave hit the beast, which cried out in pain as the light completely enveloped it.  Whatever happened to it, Severus didn’t get to see, so blinded by the light that by the time his eyes readjusted he only saw Sirius lying a few feet away under a tree, and Anna, who was sitting calmly in the leaves, chewing on the wrapper around the lollipop.

  Severus felt hands on him as someone helped him to his feet and looked up to see his father.  Meryl had passed beside them and had scooped up Anna in her arms squeezing her tightly, while two elderly looking women helped Sirius up.

  “Why, it’s Sirius Black,” the plumper woman said with surprise.  “Are you alright?”

  “What happened?  What was that light?  Where did she come from?  What did she do to that Grim?”

  “Good lord, a Grim?  Here?” They looked up to see Cornelius Fudge standing there with Alice, looking quite pale.  “Where is it?”

  “I’ve never heard of anything like that ever being in this wood before,” Alice said.

  “It was after Sirius, I think,” Severus said.  “Probably for kidnapping my sister.”

  “I didn’t kidnap anybody!  I got lost and I found a baby Unicorn and then it turned into her!  And she can Apparate!  And she got rid of the Grim!”  Sirius said insistently.

  “It couldn’t have been Anna, that’s just impossible,” Severus said.

  “Can we get back to that ‘stupid’ thing again?” Sirius asked, glaring at him.  That was when Severus noticed that none of the adults were talking at all.  In fact, Severus’ father was hovering protectively around Anna and Meryl and kissing his wife’s forehead in such an open display that Severus felt a pit in his stomach.  Whatever was happening was serious, more serious than Severus had realized, but exactly what was a mystery to him.

  “Well, I suppose this proves my theory,” Tony said slowly, turning towards Audi.

  “Do you think he noticed?” Audi asked.  There was an eerie quiet.

  “Well, I’m going to go find out,” Alice said, turning around.

  “Alice, wait.  He might sense you trying to read him, and if he does, he’ll want to know why you’re probing him,” Audi said.  “Let me do it.”

  “He’ll suspect me a lot less than you right now.  I’ll let the Blacks know Sirius is alright,” Alice said, heading back into the woods.

   “You can’t leave her here, you know,” Tony said.  “As much as she’s popping in and out, it won’t take long for them to figure out she’s not a normal child, and she won’t be able to control it…that is, unless we do the one thing we discussed.  Maybe you should let us take her to the States, she’ll be safe there…”

  “You can’t do that!   You can’t send my sister away!” Severus said in such a loud voice that all the adults hushed him.

  “Even if we sent her away, what about these two?  All you-know-who needs to do is talk to them once and ask the right question, and he’ll know about her talents.  He’ll see her as a threat,” Fudge said nervously.

  “You see her as a threat,” Octavius accused Fudge.

  “If you want to keep her here, you’ll have to take my advice and seal it, at least until the Ministry can get anything solid on him…”

  “Fudge, by the time the Ministry gets anything on him, it’ll be too late,” Audi snapped.  “He’s already grown in power more than anyone should’ve allowed and before long nobody will be able to do anything.  I say we just kill the bastard and end the problem now.”

  “And have a hundred men after you to avenge him,” Octavius said.

  “Well, we certainly can’t sit here all night discussing this anymore, people are going to start wondering where we are,” Tony said impatiently.  “We’ve been over this for months now.  Octavius, Meryl, she’s your daughter.  You’ve already heard our advice on the matter.  Whatever you decide is what we’ll go with.”  Octavius turned to Meryl, his soft gaze questioning.  She stood there for a long time looking at her daughter, before she finally turned around again.

  “I want to keep her.  I know it’s risky, but she’s our daughter, no one else’s, and it wouldn’t be fair to either her or Severus to separate them.  Besides, I think it’d look suspicious if we sent her away now,” Meryl said, a pained expression on her face.  “She is too young to understand her magic, and I’m not sure I even understand it fully.  But I also know what’ll happen if the Death Eaters find out about an Aethermage on their doorstep.  I suppose that means we must hide it in the only way we can.”

  “It is the right thing to do, Merylin,” Fudge said softly. 

  “But the moment he is gone, I want it fixed,” she added seriously.  “All of it.”

  “Agreed,” Fudge said, “The moment it’s safe, then everyone will know the truth.”

  “You should probably start with the boys, Cornelius.” Octavius said softly.

  “Here, I’m sure I can be of assistance,” Tony said, stepping up.

  “I will be glad when this is over and we can all talk about this,” Meryl said, gazing at Severus.  “I just hope we can get them to understand we’re only doing this because we must.”  Fear gripped Severus then, not quite sure what was going to happen, but pretty sure from the look in her eyes that he didn’t want to know.  But before he could back away or even think of running, the old woman and Mr. Fudge was standing in front of him, and Fudge took out his wand.

  “Obliviate!”

Chapter Seven

Consequences

 

  As Jennifer listened to the tale from Fudge’s point of view, she couldn’t help but notice when Severus dazed off with an odd expression on his face, as if suddenly having an internal struggle.  He fought passed it, she was sure, and was stuck in a memory.  Anna as well seemed stricken in a similar way, but not so completely; the memories that were hidden from her were not as clear in her mind because of how young she was.  Yet neither Jennifer nor Audi missed the anger that was building in both of their faces when Fudge finally paused in his tale of the reception and the two of them returned their thoughts to the present.  Severus’ eyes darted over to Fudge, his face expressionless.

  “I hate you,” Severus snarled, the fury in his eyes betraying the forced calmness of his expression.

  “Yes, well, I suppose I don’t blame you.  But it was not my decision to make.  Your parents made it,” he pointed out.

  “You were the one who gave them the idea to cut Anna off in the first place,” Severus growled.  “And how dare you obliviate me like that?”  Jennifer quickly put a hand on Severus’ shoulder as if reminding him where they were.

  “Severus, he had no choice, none of us did,” Audi intervened.  “You were already touched by Voldemort, we all saw you go over there and speak to him…we were afraid that he might have found out through you.”

  “And you…you never mentioned you even knew my parents.  How many times have I went out on a limb for you, and you didn’t even bother to inform me that anything was being kept from me?” Severus snapped at Audi.

  “Severus, what did you want me to do?  Come up to you and say, hi, I met you and your sister when you were kids and did you know you got obliviated?” Audi said.  “But honestly, I’d rather you both blamed us than start blaming your parents.  They were in up to their necks in trouble before any of this…they just didn’t want to risk the two of you in what they were caught up in.  And then, when they were killed, we had no choice to keep it a secret,” Audi said.

  “What about when Voldemort disappeared the first time and everyone thought Harry destroyed him as a baby?” Anna asked.  “Why weren’t we told then?”

  “That was because of another problem,” Audi sighed.  “That was because of where Sirius was at the time.”

  “Azkaban Prison,” Anna said softly, and they nodded.

  “We had suspected that the two of you might have a deeper connection, and Audi had written to me not long after he had been put into prison, before I had even told her what happened, that a change had come over you, and you had grown aloof and disconnected for no apparent reason.  So with your Aunt Tony, who understands your magic a bit better than most, and with Audi’s help to tie up some loose ends from our world, sealed the magic even deeper than ever before.”

  “And it worked…that is, until he got out,” Audi sighed.  “There was no controlling it then…you were grown up and on your own, and we heard second hand from your Grandmother you had gone to Britain. By then it was too late.”

  “That was the first time I stepped into Diagon Ally, and then you found me,” Anna said accusingly at Fudge.

  “Of course, and obliviated you and sent you back, straight to visit your aunt.  You must remember that we thought that Sirius was a murderer then, and both you and Harry were in grave danger.  I had no choice, I had to send you back.”

  “But that wasn’t the only time you did it,” Jennifer said suddenly.  “You also sent her back that first year I was in Hogwarts”

  “He was still a fugitive then,” Fudge said.

  “Yes, but that wasn’t who you were afraid of,” Jennifer said.  “It wasn’t Sirius you were worried about at that point.  You were worried about what Dumbledore was going to do when he found out about what all of you were hiding all of these years,” she said, feeling her own anger building.  “You never told him, did you?  He knew about the fairy blood, but he never knew the extent of her power until Anna appeared in Hogwarts on her own.  Until then, he was lead to believe that she was a Muggle just like everyone else was.  You were afraid that he’d be able to put things together right quick enough and find out.  But why?  Why in the world would anyone want to hide something like this from Dumbledore?”

  “Because, Professor, they knew I never would have allowed it.”  They looked up to see Dumbledore standing in the door, and Jennifer could tell at once from his face that he had been there the entire time.  He was gazing at Fudge with a look that Jennifer wouldn’t like to be on the receiving end of…a serene disapproval that spoke volumes.  “I perhaps might have advised them to find a quiet place to live so that the children could grow up in peace without fear of being exposed before they were ready, but I would never have caused them to forget, nor would I have denied abilities to a child that was not old enough to be included in the decision whether or not to do so.”

  “Well, it wasn’t your decision to make.”

  “It wasn’t yours either, Cornelius,” Dumbledore stated quietly.  “And yet your fingerprints are all over this decision, mixed with the fear of Voldemort is what motivated them to agree to it.  So, Audi, this is why you so readily agreed to move to America when I wanted someone to keep an eye on things there.”

  “Well, I did owe a lot to Jennifer’s mother, but I admit it had occurred to me that it’d also put me closer to Anna as well, yes,” Audi nodded.  “And you’re right, Albus.  I knew you wouldn’t have approved, but I still think we did the right thing.  Anna grew up safe and happy without having the burden of being an Aethermage, and no one suspected her as anything but a Muggle.  She found out when she was ready to handle it, and no one was harmed by not knowing what happened that day.”  Severus abruptly stood up and walked out of the room, Jennifer watching him with a worried expression before looking back up at Dumbledore, whose eyes hadn’t left Audi’s.

  “Do not be so sure of that,” Dumbledore said.

 

  Jennifer climbed up the long stair to the Owlery and opened a door that led out onto the parapet, unsurprised to find it unlocked.  There, looking out onto the evening like a shadow longing the darkness stood Severus, as he often did when there was something on his mind.  Closing the door behind her, Jennifer quietly walked over to his side, taking hold of his arm without saying a word.  They stood there silently for a long time before Severus finally moved, putting an arm around her with a sigh.

  “You really do look a lot like your mother,” he said at last in a low voice, glancing over at her.  “Even at nine I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was.  She had a light in her eyes that was all her own, just as you do,” he said gazing at her sincerely.  “Perhaps I saw something of my own future that day without knowing it.  In fact, I know I had, in many other ways…” he said, his voice faltering a bit.

  “What is it?”  Jennifer asked, looking up at him with concern.

  “The Grim Fudge spoke of…I’m not sure it was a real Grim, but rather the shadow of one…in either case, I was the one that had called it there,” Severus sighed, gazing out at the lake as well.  “I didn’t know it at the time, but now, I’m quite sure I had.  I was angry at Sirius, convinced that he had attempted to harm my sister, and wished that he would meet his fate.”

  “You know under other circumstances, I would have found the irony of that very funny,” Jennifer admitted, although her face was solemn and supportive.

  “As far as I had known up until tonight, I had met Sirius in school, in an incident I’d rather forget,” he said, snorting at that.  “And as far as I had known, the first time I had ever wished ill on someone and had it occur was the night my parents died.  But what if I had remembered?  What if Dumbledore had known?  What if the entire event could have been prevented if someone had realized beforehand that I was capable of that?”

  “I doubt it would have prevented what happened,” Jennifer said quietly.  “And I’m not sure you should really want it to have.”  Severus looked over at her with surprise, squinting at her.  “Severus, you are who you are because of what happened.  Had you not killed the man who had killed your parents, he would have surely murdered you and Anna as well, and then where would we be?  You had no choice.  It wouldn’t have changed anything.”

  “Perhaps,” he said quietly.  “But perhaps also had Dumbledore known that Voldemort had already shown interest in me, a lot of other things might have been avoided as well.  I had forgotten just how angry I was at my father for marrying again, especially someone my mother would not have approved of.  Too angry to notice how often she put my needs above her own, trying to make amends that I wouldn’t accept.  She did everything in her power to try to change that, and I blocked every attempt.  And then I betrayed them, by telling Lucius and his friends where I lived.  I am sure now that that is how they found us that Christmas just as sure as I am that Voldemort was ultimately behind it.  How quickly after that he convinced me he had nothing to do with it!” he sighed, angry with himself all over again.  “If it hadn’t been for Dumbledore stepping in after that incident with Sirius several years later, I don’t think I would have seen another sunrise after that day.”

  “I still would have loved you,” Jennifer said softly.  Severus looked over at her for a long time before finally leaning over and kissing her.  Dumbledore, who had just opened the door behind them, smiled slightly and closed it again, suddenly feeling more reassured than he had a moment ago.

  Quite some distance away, Anna had just come home to the mansion after having a long talk with Audi, pulling off her jacket and heading over to where Sirius was sitting behind his desk.  He looked up and smiled, partially out of relief, and Anna realized he’d been a bit worried about what had been keeping her.  Before he could ask, she had taken a lollipop out of her pocket and handed it out to him expectantly as he looked at her with bewilderment.

  “Fix?” Anna said. 

  The color suddenly drained completely out of Sirius’ face.

 

    Corey headed out of the Gryffindor common room to find his Mom waiting, glancing at her watch impatiently.  She was wearing her favorite burgundy dress with the black sashes, as she often did when she went to visit Azkaban.

  “There you are,” Jennifer said, shaking her head at him.  “You know how your grandfather hates it when we’re not right there the moment visiting hours start, although I do admit I’m not much in the mood to go traipsing about another prison area right now.  Oh well, let’s be off,” she said, leading them down the steps and out of the castle, heading for the train station.  It was a windy day, and the air was already beginning to chill, and as they headed through the floo system to the island the temperature fell even more, the rain echoing through the bare entry all of the prison.  “Brr!  I should have brought some tea along,” Jennifer said.  “Going to be another long winter, I think.”

  “Just as long as it stays nice our first few games,” Corey said, walking along side her, holding up his arms expectantly as they got to the first checkpoint.  “Of course, we play Ravenclaw first game.  No contest there.”

  “Don’t get too cocky, Corey,” she warned him after he got patted down and they moved on.  “Ravenclaw is also picking up a Seeker again this year.”

  “True, but I doubt they’ll be anywhere the competition we have to worry about with Slytherin.  Danny’s the best!” Corey said, peering around corners every time they passed a corridor.

  “Corey, what are you doing?”  Jennifer asked, looking at him curiously.

  “I was just seeing if Mad Ick was following us yet,” he admitted as they passed the second checkpoint.

  “What do you mean yet?  What makes you think that horrid ghost would bother following us?” Jennifer said, hoping that Icarus hadn’t heard Corey say his name out loud.

  “Mom, he always follows you around when you’re here,” Corey grinned at her.  “What would make today any different?  Besides, I have a message for him.”  Jennifer looked at him for a moment before stopping short. 

  “Please tell me you haven’t been in the Trophy Room.”

  “Mom, I haven’t been in the Trophy Room,” Corey said, looking her straight in the eye.  Jennifer sighed.

  “Good.  For a moment there you had me worried.”

  Whatever she was going to say was cut short as she got to the last guard post where Thatcher Boltin waited for her with a smile.  He was a dusty haired, cheerful enchanter the same age as Jennifer, but a Hufflepuff to the core.  He was also her father’s personal guard, and also one of Thomas Craw’s greatest defenders.  The two of them had become good friends over the last few years, and Jennifer was grateful that her father had such a dependable companion in his jailer.  It had sometimes been hard for Jennifer to accept her father’s fate to live the rest of his life in such a place, although her father never seemed to regret turning himself in.  Thomas had plenty of visitors, and filled his cell with books, magazines and newspapers, keeping him up to date with the outside world.

  In fact, as Jennifer and Corey came in to the visiting room, she couldn’t help but notice that her father looked healthier than he had since he had been imprisoned.  She smiled slightly at that, but he on the other hand was busy tapping his watch and frowning at her.

  “You’re late again!” he accused her.

  “Well, Corey wanted to come along so I had to wait for him, and you know how he procrastinates,” she said.

  “I do not!” Corey said, handing his packages over to Boltin to put through the magic field.  “Guess what, grandfather, I’m learning to play the guitar.”

  “Yes, do you mind if we leave him here with you until he gets over this phase?”  Jennifer teased.

  “Mom!”

  “I think the Warden would revolt if we even threatened to put a teenager of any sort in here,” Boltin chuckled, handing the packages over to Thomas, who immediately began shuffling through the letters and pulling Severus’ letter out of the pile.

  “And how are my other two grandchildren?”

  “Active,” Jennifer chuckled.  “I spent nearly all day yesterday chasing Alex around.  And Aurelius is perfect, never gives much hassle to anyone.”

  “That doesn’t sound much like Craw behavior,” Thomas grunted.  He was still slightly annoyed that they had chosen not to give him a first name to represent the Craw line as well, but as far as Jennifer was concerned that was his own fault, and Thomas knew better to start that argument again.  “And the next one is coming when?”

  “Dad,” Jennifer chuckled.  “We’re working on it, give us some time. Besides, you know it’ll be after Halloween before we know anything in any case, and there’s plenty enough to do without worrying about it.”

  “Two down two to go,” Corey said cheerfully.  “Good thing you gave Carol a raise.”

  “What, already?  She’s only been working for you for two years,” Thomas said.

  “I got a raise myself this year and I passed some of it on.  She’s doing a splendid job with them, Dad.  They adore her.  Perhaps too much,” Jennifer admitted, quieting down to let him read his letter.

  “So…” he said after a moment, putting it down thoughtfully.  “They knew about Anna all along, did they?”

  “Apparently,” Jennifer nodded.  Corey looked over at them, wondering what he had missed. 

  “Truly, it’s neither here nor there…too late to change it all now.  And they were right about one thing…if Voldemort had known the truth about her, she and her mother would have been dead before her next birthday,” Thomas grunted.  “Nobody he saw as a threat survived.”

  “Except Dumbledore,” Jennifer said.  “And you.”  Thomas smiled thinly.

  “Yes, and look where it got me.  Life in prison for attempting to stop it all from happening again.  That’s gratitude for you.”  Jennifer shook her head with a smile, knowing better than to get into that again.  “I don’t suppose now that you’re a hotshot Order of Merlin you couldn’t see about getting me a pardon?”

  “Dad!”  Jennifer said with exasperation.

  “In for a penny in for a pound,” Boltin chuckled.  “He was just given more yard rights for good behavior, Jennifer, I think it’s going to his head.”

  “Yes, they have decided I am not a flight risk, so I have two hours in the brine-filled air instead of half an hour.  And of course, it’s been raining half of those days since it started.  Now if only we could get rid of this wretched field so my daughter could actually hand me my mail without a go between…”

  “Don’t count on it, Thomas,” Boltin said, shaking his head.  “Too many of us guards have heard what happens when you get angry.  Allowing you more time to roam alone in the yard is one thing, but I seriously doubt the Warden will ever want to risk what would happen if you lost your temper with a visitor.”

  “As long as nobody lets Lucius Malfoy in, it won’t be a problem,” Thomas shrugged, “and so far, he’s not stepped one foot in Azkaban since the bastard bought his way out.”

  “Thatcher, what about the possibility of relaxing it a bit for security cleared guests like Dumbledore and myself?”  Jennifer asked.  “Certainly someone allowed to have a wand in here shouldn’t have to worry about one unarmed Craw.”

  “I beg your pardon, daughter, but a Craw’s first weapon is his mind.  We’re only unarmed when we’re dead,” Thomas said sternly.

  “Dad, you’re not helping me here,” Jennifer sighed.

  “I don’t know, Jennifer.  You’re just going to have to write the Warden and ask,” Boltin said with a shrug.

  “And just what are we asking him about?” An echoing voice asked.  Jennifer groaned softly and glanced around as the gloomy faced Icarus appeared floating through the inner wall, looking straight at Jennifer.

  “Must you stick your nose into everything Icarus?”  Jennifer asked in annoyance.

  “There you are!”  Corey said excitedly.  “I was hoping you’d turn up today!”  Everyone turned and stared at Corey, including Icarus, who looked quite surprised indeed.  “I’m a friend of Professor Dusthorn.  Did anyone tell you that she woke up?”

  “Corey Willowby!  I thought you said you hadn’t been in the Trophy Room?”

  “I haven’t been, Mom.  Dusthorn was afraid after you all found out she was awake that you Professors would try to stop us from talking to her, so she set up another place for us to contact her,” Corey explained.  Jennifer stared at him completely aghast when a mischievous, delighted chuckle suddenly erupted from Icarus.  “She said she’s not going to sleep until she’s preserved a special friendship.  What do you think she means by that?”

  “It means, my dear boy, that Professor Dusthorn has a lot of work to do, and so too, I think, does your Mom, because she’s the only one who can help us find the one who’s missing,” Icarus confided to the boy with a solemn smile.

  “Wait a minute, what are you talking about and what does it have to do with me?”  Jennifer demanded.

  “Ask Caprica,” Icarus said, waving her off.  “I’m not good enough for you to talk to, remember?  But you, Mr. Willowby,” he said, turning so his back was to Jennifer, “Can come and see me anytime you like.  And please, let Caprica know that I have not forgotten.”

  “Yes, sir,” Corey grinned.  Breaking out into another chuckle at being called ‘sir,’ Icarus faded away, leaving Jennifer gazing at Corey with an almost murderous look on her face.

Chapter Eight

Sour Notes

 

  “Do you believe that?  She threatened to ground me during the holidays,” Corey said glumly.  “At least I know they already signed the forms for Hogsmeade this year.”

  “Why is your Mom so hard on that ghost anyhow?” Doug asked, poking at his breakfast.

  “I think he poisoned a whole bunch of people, and then himself.  He used to be a professor here at one time,” Corey explained.  “Back when the school started.”

  “How did he end up at Azkaban?  Was he a prisoner there?”  Taylor asked.

  “If he was he was one of the first.  It was an old fort before that, always in dispute by one Muggle tribe or another, but then the wizards came in and hid it to prevent the constant bloodshed.  Still, if he was a prisoner, how did he get the stuff to make the potion to bump himself off?  And why was he wearing Hogwarts robes at the time?”  Corey wondered as they walked down the hall.

  “Maybe he was moved,” Taylor suggested.  “After he was dead.”

  “I didn’t think you could move ghosts,” Corey said.  “I mean, don’t they pretty much stay where they died at?”

  “No, not always, a lot of ghosts are moved.  In fact, a lot of the ghosts here now didn’t die here,” Taylor said.  “Sometimes they just die somewhere someone thinks is inconvenient, or in a Muggle area and become really disruptive.”

  “That’s what the Department of Incorporeal Affairs does…they bond a spirit to their remains, and then exhume them to a new location,” Doug says.  “I say, you have to have a stout heart for that job.  I wouldn’t be caught dead doing a job like that.”  Corey and Taylor smirked at him.

  “There you are!  Sorry I’m late,” Danny said walking up.  “Had a meeting with a few Slytherin about something and it ran over.”

  “Oh?  Anything we ought to know about?” Corey asked, peering at her quizzically.

  “Not especially, at least not yet,” Danny said, glancing over their wary faces.  “Look, I told you not to worry about it.  I have everything well in hand.”

  “You’ve said that before,” Doug said.

  “Well, I mean it this time,” Danny said.  “Ask Dusthorn if you don’t believe me, she doesn’t miss anything in this school.”

  “Maybe later, right now we’d better be getting some practice in,” Corey said.  “Come on, let’s go to the back lawn, nobody will bother us there.  Have you all been looking over those books I gave you?”

  “I’m going to need help,” Taylor admitted.  “Do you really have to have another guitar?  Why can’t I play drums?”

  “Because I have had lessons,” Doug said.  “And so has Danny, so you can’t take keyboard either.”

  “Don’t worry, Taylor.  I’ve read every book I can find on guitars and I’m sure I can help you if you get stuck,” Corey said. “We’ll start out with something simple.  How about the Wizard Rhapsody?”

  “How about Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?”  Taylor suggested.

  “I have no intention of being laughed out of school if anyone caught us playing something like that,” Corey said, rolling his eyes.

  “But it’s the only one I know the chords to!  You’ve only given us a month,” Taylor protested.

  “Oh, boy.  We have a lot of work to do,” Danny sighed.

  After hearing the most horrendous noise she had ever heard, Professor Sprout peered up from behind the seedling tables of the greenhouse and looked around, quickly grabbing her earmuffs out of her pocket and putting them on.  After checking over her mandrakes to make sure none of them had grown out of their pots, she went outside to investigate.  Spotting the problem at last, she walked over to the castle wall, shouting at the top of her lungs to be heard.

  “Mr. Willowby!  Brim!  Brittle!  Nelson!  What in the world are you trying to do?”  She shouted.  Corey, who stopped in the middle of a rather upbeat chorus looked up, followed by Taylor (who was having trouble keeping up anyhow) and Danny, who had to tap Doug twice on the shoulder before the drummer (who felt he was on a roll) finally stopped.

  “Just practicing, Professor Sprout.  Did we disturb you?”  Corey asked.

  “I think you’ve disturbed everything in hearing range, and as loud as that was, I’m sure that was quite a lot,” she said.  “I’m afraid you’ll have my plants uprooting to get away from you…my rabbits’ foot fern already tried to hop away!  You’re going to have to find somewhere else to practice.  I can’t have you screeching like mandrakes and upsetting the plants,” she said sternly, taking off her earmuffs.  The four students slumped slightly and began minimizing their instruments.  “Why don’t you try setting up near the lake, or on the far grounds, or wherever else you can find that’s far away,” Professor Sprout suggested.  “Oh now, don’t fret.  I’m sure you’ll get better,” she reassured their gloomy faces, turning around.  “At least, I’m quite sure you couldn’t get much worse,” she muttered to herself as she walked away.

  Next they tried to set up near the Forest border, but Sagittari no more wanted them disturbing the animals he had in the pens than Professor Sprout had wanted her plants disturbed, and it wasn’t long before he had coaxed them away.

  “Well, we can’t go any farther out, how about up?”  Danny suggested.  “How about one of the Towers?  The Astronomy tower maybe?”

  “Sinistra keeps it locked during the day.  What about the Owlery, do you think the Owls would mind?”  Taylor asked.

  “Redwing doesn’t seem to mind,” Danny said nodding to her owl, who was sleepily watching them from a tree.  “So maybe they won’t.”

  “Well, we’d better hurry, we don’t got much more time before dinner,” Taylor pointed out.

  “Then we’ll just come back after,” Danny said, as they heading inside.

  “What about sparring?”  Doug asked.

  “I’ve decided I’m not going to sparring club this year,” Danny said.  “Quidditch is enough of a commitment, and between that and this new band, I’d rather just concentrate on that.”

  “I was planning to drop out anyhow,” Taylor admitted.  “I’m tired of coming out last in the tournament every year.”  Doug remained quiet.  He wasn’t so sure he wanted to leave sparring, especially if Danny was leaving.  That would mean Gryffindor might actually have a chance to win the points this year!

  “Well, if you’re sure, gosh, that’d be great!”  Corey said.  “I miss having you guys around as much as I miss not being able to spar.  Me and my stupid Focus Casting.”

  “Nonsense, Corey, it’s part of what makes you, you,” Danny said with a smile.  “Just like riding circles around you boys is what makes me, me.”

  “Hey!  You’re not all that hot,” Doug protested, but only received a round of laughter from Danny.

   Minerva McGonagall was halfway up the stairs when she heard it, dashing up the rest to find out what on earth was going on.  Panting she looked into the Owlery to see the four students attempting to practice.  Many of the Owls had left, but a few of them had stayed behind, watching them curiously and hooting and screeching along with the band.

  “Good heavens!  Mr. Willowby!  Quietus Mute!”  Minerva cast in desperation, waving her wand at the instruments.  The students looked up in bewilderment to see the Deputy Headmaster there, staring at them.  “Whatever are you doing?  Can’t you think of somewhere else to practice ‘Hogwarts Forever?’  Those poor owls!”

  “That wasn’t ‘Hogwarts Forever’,” Corey said in surprise.  “At least, it wasn’t supposed to be.  And the some of the owls seem to like it!”

  “Well, there are many Professors who also come up here to get some peace and quiet, and I’ll not have the four of you disrupting them either.  You’re just going to have to find somewhere out of the way to...express yourselves,” she said, sounding slightly exasperated.  “Besides, shouldn’t you be getting ready for dinner?”  The four students looked slightly dejected as Doug put away his drums and the rest left dragging their instruments behind them.  Minerva shook her head and looked after them a moment before breaking into a soft chuckle.

  After a quickly eaten dinner the four met up again for one last try, heading up to the abandoned classroom, far enough away to hopefully not disturb anyone.  Still, Corey decided some feedback might be a good idea, so coaxed an audience of ‘one’ to come and listen.

  As Corey and his friends finally finished the song they looked up at Caprica expectantly. 

  “Well, I think you have your work cut out for you,” Caprica said, sounding highly amused.  “So what’s your band’s name?  The Four Musketeers?”

  “No, Caprica, those are private nicknames.  We don’t want it public,” Corey said thoughtfully.  “What about Corey and the Comets?”  The other three groaned.

  “No Corey and anythings,” Doug protested.  “How about the Gryffins plus two?”

  “I’ll quit first,” Danny glowered.

  “I’ve got one, how about The Screech Owls?”  Caprica suggested.  Nobody else thought that was very funny.

  “There you are, I thought I heard your plucking back here,” Jennifer said.  Corey looked over at her with surprise.

  “I thought sparring club was tonight,” Corey said.

  “It is, but when I noticed a few missing students, we…that is I…thought you might be up to something,” Jennifer said, looking warily over at Caprica but nodding respectfully to her.

  “We’re not going to spar this year, Professor.  We decided we’d rather have time practicing our music,” Danny said.  “Although, we can’t find anywhere anyone will let us practice at.”

  “How does anyone expect them to get better without letting them practice?”  Caprica tsked.  “They’re not disturbing anything here, Jennifer.  Might they not stay and practice, at least for tonight?”

  “Oh, all right, I suppose you can’t get into much trouble doing that,” Jennifer sighed, turning around.

  “And while they’re here maybe I’ll tell them some stories,” Caprica said, causing Jennifer to pause at the door.

  “Like how Icarus ended up at Azkaban prison?”  Corey asked.  “Or who the missing one is that Icarus spoke of that Mom had to find?”

  “Yes, Corey, perhaps I will tell you about that,” Caprica said.  “Although who he’s referring to the professor should already have guessed.  He was referring to Janus Craw.”  Jennifer turned back around and leaned on the door, gazing at the picture thoughtfully.  Caprica smiled at her knowingly before turning back towards the students.

  “Janus Craw was one of Slytherin’s apprentices before the school was founded, wasn’t he?”  Danny asked, sitting down.

  “Yes, most definitely, and a very good friend.  He was quite talented in the dark arts, which is how he ended up catching Slytherin’s eye, but was also a dedicated scholar, and a very strict but capable teacher.  But then one summer he left on a quest and never returned.  No one has seen him since.”

  “I heard Janus left because Hogwarts stopped teaching the Dark Arts,” Jennifer put in, getting a slight smile from Caprica.

  “Rather, Hogwarts stopped teaching the Dark Arts because Janus left,” Caprica said.  “I had tried finding a suitable replacement, but we ran into a string of…disagreeable problems with the Professors following him.  So, the board decided to change to defense instead.”

  “What sort of quest?” Corey asked.

  “He went to find an artifact that had been taken from the school just after it was formed.  It was called Dagda’s Cauldron.”

  “Dagda’s Cauldron?”  Jennifer echoed, standing straight up.  Caprica looked at the expression on her face with complete amusement.

  “I thought that might get your attention,” she chuckled.  “Yes, it had been a gift to the school from one of the founders, Salazar Slytherin.  But you see, he and Godric Gryffindor had gotten into a rather heated argument about how it would be used.  It was not long after that that the Cauldron disappeared.  Salazar long accused Godric of hiding it, but whether he did or someone else had stolen it is still unknown.  It also seemed to further instigate the rift between Salazar and the other founders, and it was at that point that we believe that Salazar began to build his Chamber of Secrets,” Caprica said softly.

  “Janus thought that perhaps Salazar himself might have hid the cauldron, so when Slytherin died, Janus tried to trace its last known whereabouts.  Finally decided he had found the location he left to try and discover it, but he never returned.”

  “Did he leave any hints to where he was going?”  Taylor asked excitedly.  But Caprica shook her head.

  “He hadn’t even told his son or his wife, only that he’d be back before the end of the summer.  Some thought he might have gotten fed up with school politics and disappeared on purpose, but I don’t think so,” Caprica sighed softly.  “It was turbulent times then, the school had a bumpy ride after the founders began to fade.  Obviously we somehow managed.  The point is, though, that I don’t think that would have kept him from coming back.  I am quite sure that something must have happened to him.  And whoever picks up the quest to find the Cauldron will probably also have to take up the quest to find out what happened to Janus Craw,” she said, looking straight over at Jennifer.

   “I bet Mom could find out,” Corey put in.  “She’s always been good at finding things out.  Dad says she has an inborn talent for trouble,” he quipped.

  “Corey!”  Jennifer said, trying to ignore the chuckle coming from the painting.  “I think that’s enough for one night.  Finish your practicing and head to your rooms, I need to get back up to sparring club before Professor Snape comes looking for me.  Don’t forget, we have a guest speaker in Item Creation Class tomorrow, so attempt to be on time for a change?”  She added sternly before exiting the room.

  “You think she’s going to go after it?”  Taylor asked, looking over at Corey.

  “Without a doubt,” Corey nodded, looking over at Caprica who grinned back at him, obviously pleased at that fact.

Chapter Nine

Learning Experiences

 

  Jennifer smiled warmly at her class as they looked over the well-dressed Goblin standing in front of them grinning toothily.

  “I thought it might be nice to have some guest speakers this year that create some of the items we use everyday, and perhaps help us learn a bit about how those things are made,” Jennifer said to the class.  “For those of you who do not recognize him, may I introduce Grendelbane the Eighteenth, who runs the prestigious Grendelbane’s Wand Shop in Myrkinbrek.  He is going to be discussing some of the basic considerations that go into wand making.  Welcome to Hogwarts, Grendelbane, it is an honor to have you here.”

  “Of course, of course, thank you,” he said.  “The art of Wandmaking is the art of creating a perfect balance between the wood and the magical component inside it.  It requires a steady hand, a good sense of magical auras, and of course, a great deal of knowledge of enchantments and component potency.  Today, I have assembled for each of you pre-balanced woods and components for you to choose from and use to make a basic wand.  Remember, not all components do well with all woods, so if you have any questions about a combination, please ask.”

  Jennifer sat back, enjoying not having to teach for awhile, following the lesson with interest as she herself chose a piece of wood and the feather off a Feathered Toad and followed his instruction on how to put it in and seal it off and was busy on the sanding stage.  He seemed to spent quite a bit of time speaking and answering questions from Corey before going and correcting some of the other students on the way they were doing things, finishing up with a short class on wand enchantments before it was over.  Grendelbane took a moment to clean his glasses as they left, and Jennifer shouted out homework assignments before any of them managed to get out the door.

  “That was quite a bit of fun, I think even I learned a dozen things during your talk.  Thank you,” Jennifer grinned, still working on polishing the wand she had made.

  “I owed Dumbledore a favor,” he said, waving it off.  “Goblins don’t believe in being in debt.  Besides, I also found it quite enlightening,” he mused, looking over to the door.  “That Willowby boy, he’s your adopted son isn’t he?”

  “Yes he is, why do you ask?”  Jennifer said, wondering what Corey had done this time.

  “He seems to have a keen eye and feel for woods and components…managed to pick out the best possible combination out of all of those samples I sent,” the Goblin said musingly.

  “Yes, Corey’s always been very talented in the Physical Arts, he’s top of both of his potion classes as well,” Jennifer smiled proudly.

  “He’s a Focus Caster, isn’t he?”  The goblin inquired, getting a quick yes in reply.  “It’ll be interesting to see where he goes with all that talent,” he said, packing up his tools.

 

  Corey’s next class was Symbology, a class he was quickly learning to dread.  So far, the first few weeks had been a matter of reading and memorization, so Corey was without question at the top of the class.  However, he was soon finding the lectures to be rather hard to keep up with, as hard as he tried.  After all, Hermione was his friend before she was ever Madame Granger.  But why did she have to talk so much?  Stifling a yawn, Corey tried to turn to the subject at hand.

  “Now, as you already know, Symbology is used in magic in many different ways, to either heighten effectiveness of a spell, or to heighten the longevity of a spell, creating patterns that will help the spell maintain itself.  Since we’ve hit upon the basics of how it heightens effectiveness, today I’m going to tell you about how it’s used to maintain spells,” Madam Granger said with a smile.  “As I’m sure you’ve learned in your history classes, there are a lot of spells which have been operating in this castle since the school was formed.  Most of them function on numeric symbols, such as running in sets of four.  You will find four used as a key number throughout the castle, and not just in relation to the houses themselves.  Can anyone else think of any other significances to the number four?”  She asked, looking around with a frown.  Most of the class looked half asleep, and were evidently surprised that they were asked a question at all.  Hermione leaned on the side of one desk and drummed her fingers.  “Doug?”

  “Um, well there are four positions on a Quidditch Team, does that count?” Doug asked.  Hermione thought about it. 

  “Considering the school’s history, yes I’d think that’d count.”  Corey put up his hand.

  “There are four basic types of magic?”  Corey said.

  “Very good.  Of course, there are several offshoots of them, but four basic forms.  In fact, that is probably why the school was formed in the way it was, with each of the founders representing a different magic,” Hermione explained.  She paused a moment to grab Baylor’s potion book from where he was hiding it behind his Symbology book, studying for a later test.  “Baylor, what other symbolic importance is there to the number four?”

  “Um,” Baylor glanced around for some clues, but none of the other Slytherin seemed to be paying enough attention to help.  “There are four…seasons?”

  “Well, yes, but that really doesn’t have any symbolic significance,” Hermione sighed.  “At least not with what we’re discussing.”  Suddenly there was a horrid noise, and a few of the students chuckled as they turned to see Otto Delaney, a third year Hufflepuff, had dozed off in his chair.  Hermione woke him up by slamming her books on his desk, and he fell out of his seat, causing another round of laughter coming from the students.  “Ten points off Hufflepuff for sleeping in class.  Come on, everyone.  After reading the first two chapters you all should have caught on to this by now,” she said, putting her hands on her hips.

  “Madame Granger?”  Corey said, waving his hand in the air.  “I don’t mind memorizing all of these charts on the symbols and their uses and such, but I’m not sure everyone gets the point.  So what if there were four founders and four magics and four Sentinels and all that?  Well, there were four artifacts too I guess, and then four people went and used the spell from the scroll to call up those dragons during the Voldemort battle, so there’s symbolism there too, but really, those things happen regardless.  I can cast a spell seven times or with seven people but that doesn’t make it significant.  How can you tell when it’s coincidence and when it’s not?  In any case, this stuff doesn’t seem to have anything to do with real magic at all.”

  “It has everything to do with all sorts of magic, and in fact, everything else in our lives as well,” Hermione explained, trying not to get frustrated.  “What are traditions, but symbols of the past?  When we pass on those traditions, we are passing on key information from times long gone.  Just as the future is defined by the choices we make, it is also very much defined by everything that happened and everything that lived before the present.  And our decisions in turn will effect generations to come until the end of time.”   Some of the class looked blankly up towards her, while others twirled pens, passed notes, and attempted to dose off without looking as if they were dosing off.  Why weren’t they getting it, Hermione wondered.  “All right, let’s see just how well you listened to what I’ve been talking about.  Get out some paper, we’re going to have a quiz,” Hermione said with a sigh.  It was after she marked them that evening that she knew for certain she had a problem.

 

  Jennifer came into the library with a book list in hand; slightly surprised to see Hermione slumped over her desk in a depression, barely even glancing at the stack of books in front of her.  She walked up and tapped on the desk to get her attention, and Hermione straightened up, looking glum.

  “Teaching troubles, huh?”  Jennifer asked.

  “I gave a pop quiz today.  Corey was the only one that passed it,” Hermione said, earning a wince from Jennifer.  “They’re falling asleep in my class.  They don’t seem to get it at all.  And even Corey doesn’t see much of a point.  I am such a lousy teacher.  I should have stuck to just being the librarian.”

  “Hermione,” Jennifer sighed slightly, sitting down.  “Is it possible that perhaps you’re trying just a little too hard?”

  “What?”

  “You spend all your time lecturing and giving homework, but teaching is more than that, it’s about finding out how to get through to your students.  If all you do is make them memorize lists, how are they going to really learn about the subject at hand?”  Jennifer asked.

  “But if they’re going to learn Symbology, of course they’re going to need to learn what individual symbols mean.”

  “But that’s just the trouble, the symbols don’t mean anything to them,” Jennifer said.  “Look, I’m not going to tell you how to teach.  You know the drill, you passed the test…you need to develop your own style, and nobody can help you with that.  But I will offer you one leg of advice.  Don’t tell them, show them,” she smiled.  “Get them involved somehow instead of just sitting and listening all the time.”

  “But how do I do that?”  Hermione asked.

  “I think you can figure that part out for yourself,” Jennifer said encouragingly.  “Now how about helping me trace down some of these books?”

  “Dark Wizard history, tenth century volume, yes I remember I checked this out before, when we were trying to find out information on Janus Craw,” Hermione said, scanning the list.

  “I need to find anything that might give some hint to where he might have gone when he left the school,” Jennifer said.  “Apparently, his son was never sure.”

  “Yes, I remember that.  After he left, no one ever heard from him again,” Hermione said, glancing over the list once more then looking around.  A ghostly figure was standing near the bookrack, organizing the books that had just come in.  She was a fairly young woman in a long, very old fashioned dress and yet somehow seemed to manage to blend right in to the quiet library, she herself very pensive indeed as she gazed out the window before getting back to her work.  “Dame Rachel?  Has Dark Wizard history volume ten come back in yet?”

  “No, Madam.  I believe Professor Archibald still has it, he was working on something for his class,” Dame Rachel answered.

  “Oh, well, if he’s using it for class, it can wait,” Jennifer assured them.  “I’m sure there has to be something else in all of this that might tell where Janus Craw was going.”

  “I suppose you’ve already checked his journals?”  Dame Rachel asked.

  “Journals?” Jennifer said in surprise.

  “Yes, he was a chronic chronicler,” Rachel said with a chuckle.  “I remember him very well, he often spoke to the ghosts around the castle, not that there were so many of us then.  But he always kept a written diary of everything, and spent many hours in this library researching one thing or another.”

  “What happened to his journals, then?” Jennifer asked.  “Are they here in the castle?”

  “They’re not in the library,” Dame Rachel said with certainty. 

  “Perhaps they’re in the Craw vault?”  Hermione suggested.  Jennifer glanced at her then got out her Puzzlebox from her cloak, opening to take out a list, scanning down it.

  “I don’t see anything in here that might be it,” Jennifer said with a frown.  “But I know things had been taken from it, and not everything got in the vault at all…some of it was sold.”

  “Surely no one would have sold that,” Hermione said.

  “Audi was the one who put together the vault, I’ll ask her if she saw it,” Jennifer decided, putting the list back.  “Maybe then we’ll know if it was sold, or it was stolen.  Either way, I’m sure I have to find it now.”

  “Why, what is so important that you need to find out where he went?”  Hermione asked.

  “Dusthorn thinks he had gone off to find Dagda’s Cauldron.  So if someone else has a hold of those books, they might also have the key to finding it,” Jennifer said.

  “They might already have it,” Hermione said thoughtfully.  “Or, it might not show anything at all.”

  “We have some more books on the Cauldron too, if you like,” Rachel smiled.  “Shall I retrieve them?”

  “Rachel, I don’t know what I’d do without such an able assistant,” Hermione praised her.  She smiled slightly, looking amused.

  “Yes, thank you.  I hear that a lot,” she said, turning and fading into a bookshelf.

  “How did she die, anyhow?” Jennifer whispered to Hermione curiously.

  “Oh, she told me she died giving birth to a child that wasn’t hers,” Hermione said.  “But it’s not something she’s willing to really talk about.”  Jennifer puzzled over that for a moment, but before long her hands were filled with books, and she headed back down to her office.

  It was not long after she settled down to read that Severus arrived, shutting the door so quickly to that Jennifer looked up with surprise, staring at the fury in his face searchingly.

  “I just received a note from Audi.  Apparently, Fudge has gotten himself a pardon.”

  “What?”  Jennifer said, taking the note Severus held out to her.

  “By the Minister of Mysteries, for ‘undercover services rendered.’”  Severus snarled.

  “Wait a minute, they can’t do that unless…”

  “Unless something about the crime specifically had to do with the undercover work itself.  Yes, I know the law well, how else would I be standing here?  But what I want to know is how stealing the Staff could be in anyway related to undercover work, let alone stealing items out of your vault…”

  “Technically that wasn’t stealing though, he had legal possession of the vault then,” Jennifer said, looking thoughtful.

  “Illegal possession of cursed items, then.  Not to mention what he tried to do to you and my sister.  I swear if he gets anywhere near either of you again, he will have to deal with me,” Severus swore, his eyes flashing dangerously.

  “I wonder if he has Janus Craw’s journals too,” Jennifer said.  Severus stopped his pacing to look at her.

  “What journals?  What do they have to do with anything?”  Severus asked irritably.

  “According to Dusthorn, Janus Craw left to look for Dagda’s Cauldron.  So I went down to the library to ask Hermione to help me find out more, and then Dame Rachel said she thought he had some missing journals somewhere,” Jennifer explained.  “But they’re not in my vault, so that means they were either sold at the auction, or Fudge got them out of the vault.  Audi would know for sure…”

  “And you were going to include me on this, when?” he asked, folding his arms.

  “I’m telling you about it now,” Jennifer pointed out.  “I just found out last night when I went to check on Corey.  But if Fudge had the journals, and it had said something about the Cauldron, then why would he have gone to the trouble of getting the staff to search for the Cauldron in the Tomb?” she mused.  “It obviously wasn’t down there.”  Severus frowned at her, saying nothing until she looked up at him.

  “I hope you’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking.”

  “Severus, the Cauldron is my responsibility, at least it will be soon,” Jennifer argued.  “And Janus was one of the most reputable Craws ever known.  If something happened to him, isn’t it my job to find out what?”

  “It’s your job to teach Potions to snot-nosed students who don’t appreciate it, and to take care of yourself so that we can get back on schedule.  But every time you get that look in your eyes, I know you’re going to forget that,” he grunted.

  “We should at least make sure those journals aren’t in the wrong hands.  If Fudge…”

  “Jennifer, for once I am putting my foot down.  I don’t want you going anywhere near that man for any reason.  Someone who is capable of switching sides to suit his needs is a lot more dangerous than he might appear.  If you need those journals found then fine, but I will handle it.”  Jennifer gazed at him for a moment before nodding, seeing full well he wasn’t going to back down this time.

  “All right, Severus.  I’ll just work on seeing what information I can get here,” Jennifer agreed.  Severus nodded to her, turning towards his office while wondering what they had gotten themselves into this time.

 

Chapter Ten

Book Hunt

 

  Cornelius Fudge had a modest two-story townhouse on the outskirts of an upscale wizard neighborhood in London.  It was brick and blanketed in ivy, and perhaps looked quite the common house if one didn’t know what to look for.  From the décor inside, it was rather obvious that Fudge had an expensive taste in antiquities, and not all of them of the wizard sort but some of Muggle backgrounds as well.  Severus picked up several delicate porcelains off the mantle with a gloved hand, looking them over thoughtfully before setting them precisely where he found them, surveying the room.  He rather doubted Fudge would have left the book in the library proper, it would have been too obvious, Severus mused.  Then again, Fudge was a bumbler by nature, so perhaps he was careless enough to leave it there.  He had gone halfway through the shelves when he heard the door rattle and calmly threw on a cloak he had slung on his shoulder, pulling on the hood and disappearing before returning to his work.

  A moment later, Cornelius Fudge entered with Ludo Bagman, offering him a seat and taking out a tray.  Severus squinted slightly in thought as Fudge peered expectantly in the teapot.

  “Odd.  Where the devil are my House elves?” Fudge said, gazing around.

  “Never mind, Corny, I’m not staying long, I just wanted to make sure you got back all right as unnerved as you are.”

  “I have a right to be unnerved.  You have no idea how many people would prefer me dead right now for one reason or another.  Malfoy is mad at me.  Dumbledore is definitely not happy with me.  And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

  “Oh, come now, Corny, the old man is not out to kill you.  Perhaps you’d better take one of those tonics of yours and head to bed.  You’re starting to sound as paranoid as old Moody.  Besides, not all of your friends have abandoned you.  I’m here!  I might not be much I suppose, but I can get you free tickets to any Quidditch game you’d like.”

  “Ha.  As if I’d dare be so public.  My days are numbered, Ludo.  I can feel it.  It’s all a matter of time before they catch up with me.”

  “Who, Corny?  Who are they?”

  “Take your pick,” Fudge said, pouring himself a drink out of a glass bottle on the table.  “You know, prisons are uncomfortable places, but I felt a lot safer there.  Even now I feel as if someone is watching us, waiting for a chance to act.”

“I’m sure it is all in your head, Corny,” Ludo assured him as Severus quietly slipped upstairs.  “If it’ll make you feel better, I can always ask someone from Enforcement to drop by and check up on you.”

  “Just not Ederick, if you don’t mind, I’m quite tired of his constant questioning,” Fudge said.

  “All right, all right, Corny,” Ludo said.  “Here, you can borrow my latest copy of the Insider’s Pitch.  Lots of good articles in there,” he said cheerfully, setting down the magazine on the table.  “If you’re not feeling better in the morning, just drop by the office, I’ll let Penelope know to be expecting you.”

  “Thank you, Ludo,” Cornelius said, getting up and walking him to the door.  Upon closing it, he locked the door with four different locks both magic and Muggle.  With a wave, every light in the place came to life, as he looked cautiously around as if suspicious of everything.

  “Lakky?  Lakky, where are you?  Are you all right?”  He called out, looking around. ”Una?  Kibbitz?”  He shouted from the kitchen door.  Suddenly a drowsy looking House Elf opened up a cabinet and tumbled out, yawning and shaking his head violently.

  “Lakky is sorry!  Lakky didn’t hear master come in, he was sleeping.  He is very sorry, master!”

  “Where are your brother and sister?”  Fudge frowned.

  “Fast asleep.  But I will wake them at once.  They should not be sleeping when the master is here and waiting,” Lakky said, suddenly grabbing a broom handle three times his size.

  “No no, not that way!  Here, just work on tea and a light supper, will you?  I’ll be in my room.”

  “Yes master,” Lakky said as Fudge sighed, heading upstairs.

  Severus looked up in annoyance as Fudge came in the room, sighing silently.  Couldn’t he have stayed downstairs just a little longer?  But just then, Severus’ interest peaked when Fudge walked over to the wall, twisting the head of an ornate Satyr statuette.  The wall slit to the side, revealing a small vault.

  “Spinach Bean,” Fudge said, and there was a soft pop as a large dial suddenly appeared on the safe.  He looked around nervously.  Why in the world did he feel like someone was breathing down his neck?  Attempting to shrug it off, Fudge finished opening the safe.  The book he took out wasn’t the book that Severus was looking for, but he recognized it right away.  It was a very old hand-written spell book, the very one that he had taken from Lorcan a year and a half ago.  It was book-marked in several places, and he had glanced at the different bookmarks until he found the one he wanted, sitting down in a chair next to the fireplace.  But before Severus could get a good look at what spell Fudge was looking at, he was alerted by the presence of a House Elf and quickly backed away.

  “Master, master!  You are in danger!”  Lakky said in a panic.  Fudge stood up abruptly, staring at the Elf.  “Someone is here lurking in the house!  A wizard, master.”

  “Where?  Are you sure?”  Fudge said taking out his wand, his hand slightly unsteady.

  “Yes master yes, he is…he was…wait, he is gone now.”

  “Well, don’t just stand there, go find him!  Find out who it was and return!”  Fudge demanded.  The Elf left, and Fudge went downstairs, suddenly suspicious.  He opened the cabinet where the other two Elves slept, carefully checking for dust, then sniffing in the air.  Suddenly a whiff of poppy and dragon powder hit him and he had to back away, sneezing slightly.  Just then Lakky returned, tugging on his coat.

  “Lakky is sorry.  Lakky thinks he was mistaken, there was no one here.”

  “No one here?”  Fudge repeated, pointing at the cabinet.  “Then how do you explain the smell of Fairynip in your bedchamber?”  Lakky’s eyes went wide.

  “Lakky doesn’t know!  Lakky doesn’t use such things, Master.  Una and Kibbitz do not either!   We could not serve master well always comfy and sleepy,” Lakka said.

  “Well, someone was here,” Fudge said, pacing nervously.  “First thing tomorrow I’m going to call Goblin Security and have this place trespasser proofed.”

  “Yes, master,” Lakky said, following him up the stairs.

 

  Sirius opened the door to see Severus standing there with a folded up ornate cloak in his arms, quickly letting him in and leading him through the darkened mansion into his study, closing the door behind them.

  “Any luck?”  Sirius asked.

  “No, and yes,” Severus said, taking a piece of paper out of his black cloak, sitting down a moment to write a note to Harry.  “I didn’t find what Jennifer was looking for, but I do know he still has another book he shouldn’t have, the Book of Merlin.”

  “What?  How in the world did Fudge get his hands on something like that?”  Sirius wanted to know.

  “He got it from Lorcan when he was trying to open the gate.”

  “And how did Lorcan get it?”

  “He stole it, I believe, from Lucius Malfoy,” Severus said, drying the ink with a spell and pinning it carefully on the folded cloak, getting up.

  “All right, and he got hold of it, how?”  Sirius prompted.

  “I have no idea.”  Severus then opened up a chest behind Sirius desk, placing the ornate cloak inside it and closing it.  “Harry won’t be back until after Halloween, will he?”

  “No, not until the fourth week in November.  Of course if there’s an emergency, I’m sure he’d come if we asked him.”

  “No, no reason.  Unfortunately, the House Elves woke up too soon and Fudge is now suspicious, I doubt he’ll allow anyone to get such an easy entry into his house.  Still, it should be easy enough to get the book, if I can get myself invited in,” Severus said.  Sirius gave him a dubious look.

  “He doesn’t like you.”

  “Trust me, the feeling is quite reciprocated.  But if he’s going to keep playing both sides of the fence like he is, he’s going to get burned,” Severus said grimly.

  “Like you did?”  Sirius challenged.  Severus scowled at him.

  “That’s different.  He’s an amateur, I’m a professional,” Severus said.  Sirius rolled his eyes behind Severus’ back.  “Besides, I still need to find out what happened to those journals of Janus Craw.”

  “Have you thought of getting a record of that auction listing?”  Sirius asked.  “Debtor’s auctions are usually public files, if it had been sold it might be listed in there.  Of course, being a book, it might have been in a lot, and I’m not sure it’d show up then,” Sirius mused.

  “If that’s your way of offering to be useful, do it,” Severus said.  “Either way, I plan to find a way to get that spell book somehow as well.”

 

  Jennifer had just gathered up the tests from her last morning class and dismissed the students when Ederick Thurspire knocked on the door of her classroom, a slight smile on his face.

   “Pardon me, Professor, might you have a few moments to chat?” he asked.  Jennifer looked at him thoughtfully.  What in the world did he think she had done this time?

  “Sure, I was about to go to lunch, care to join me in my office?” She said, opening the door for him.  She gazed over at a large wooden box beside the fireplace where a monitor basilisk lay with its head on the edge, an eye patch over one eye while a curious yellow crystal eye stared at them from the other side.  “Rasputin, go tell Severus I won’t be joining him for lunch, I have company,” she said, kicking the box slightly when he didn’t move right away.  “Go on, you lazy thing, and don’t scare the students.”  Rasputin reluctantly slipped out of his warm spot and slowly heading out of the room, looking none too pleased about having been woken up.

  “Nice painting,” Ederick said, looking at the large seascape that hung on the wall.  A delicate sea breeze and the sound of the waves and gulls could be heard coming from it.

  “Thanks, it’s a Francis Pyther,” Jennifer said, popping out the trays.  Within moments it was filled with sandwiches, small salads, and a choice of cool drinks, which Ederick accepted one, thanking her politely.  “So what do you want, Ederick?  I gather this isn’t a social visit, or else you’d be seeking less hostile companionship.”

  “Yes, I suppose you’re right,” Ederick chuckled.  “Actually, it’s about Cornelius Fudge.  You see, someone broke into his house last night and I was wondering if you had any ideas who might have done it?”

  “Broke into his house?”  Jennifer asked.

  “Well, so he says.  There wasn’t any sign of forced entry or anything of the sort, but his house isn’t completely sealed against visitors, either.  We did find traces of Fairynip in the cupboard where his House Elves were.  Apparently they had been drugged so not to give any clue to who did it.  Fudge recognized it at once and alerted us.  Strangely enough, nothing else seemed out of place, and he didn’t think anything was missing.”

  “What makes you think the Elves just didn’t get into some and have a drop too many?”  Jennifer inquired.  “It’s quite a common mixture, you know.  You can buy the stuff anywhere.”

  “A hunch, perhaps,” Ederick admitted, watching her carefully while rolling his glass in his hands.  “Fudge has gotten quite paranoid, even more than when he was with the Ministry, and he’s quite convinced that someone is out to kill him.  Considering that nothing was taken from the house, I think it’s a definite possibility that someone might have that motive for breaking in, but if so, why didn’t they finish it?  Or were they just looking for something and just didn’t happen to find it, or couldn’t get to it?”

  “How would I know?”  Jennifer asked impatiently.  “Fudge has many enemies, and I’m quite sure from my experience with him that he has acquired all sorts of things he probably oughtn’t have over the years.”

  “Well, when Fudge was arrested, he had an illegal item that belonged to your family…”

  “Which was destroyed,” Jennifer put in.

  “Which he got out of the Craw vault before it was given over to you,” Ederick nodded.  “Are there any other items that he has from the vault?”

  “That I know of for certain?  Only the Queen’s Ladle, which the Ministry has yet to find despite promises that they would recover it,” Jennifer pointed out.

  “What about things you don’t know of for certain?”  Ederick asked.   Jennifer glanced up then and Ederick turned around to see Severus leaning on the door with his arms folded, a dangerous flash in his eyes.

  “I thought you had a guest, Jennifer, but it appears you have a pest control problem instead,” Severus commented, glaring at Ederick.  “If you’re here to accuse my wife of anything, do so and stop dancing about, so I don’t have to delay throwing you out any longer than necessary.”  Ederick stood up guardedly, although he nodded politely to him.

  “And might I ask where you were last evening, Professor?”  He inquired.

  “Visiting my brother-in-law, not that it’s any of your business,” Severus snapped.  “Don’t you have anything better to do than be sent on wild goose chases by ex bosses, who somehow manage to get off on undercover pardons?  Just exactly what sort of undercover work involves stealing priceless artifacts?  Or perhaps the

Staff was just given to him, and not actually stolen at all?”

  “I’m not privy to everything that goes on the in Ministry of Mysteries, Snape, you’ll have to take that up with them,” Ederick said.  He then noticed Jennifer watching him carefully and turned the other way, grabbing his coat.

  “Another case of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing,” Severus said tauntingly.  “I’d suggest before you start looking outward for a cause you pay a bit closer attention to what’s eating the Ministry from within.”  Ederick turned to Severus then as he neared the door, his face showing open dislike.

  “For your information, the Ministry is stronger in organization now than it ever has been,” Ederick said proudly.

  “Forgive me, Thurspire, but that is not saying much,” Severus said dryly.  “As for Fudge, he obviously has, or thinks he has, a lot of enemies.  Although if I were he, or you, it’d be his friends I’d worry the most about.  Most of his enemies wouldn’t waste the effort on the bumbling fool.”

  “I don’t think Fudge is the bumbling fool you seem to believe he is, Severus.  But then, neither am I,” Ederick said in the same dry tone.  “You keep underestimating your adversaries, sooner or later you’re going to find yourself up a creek.  Or a river,” Ederick finished, nodding to them.  “Have a good afternoon,” he added to Jennifer, heading down the hall.  Severus frowned after him for a moment before heading back in and closing the door.

   “You were visiting your brother-in-law?” Jennifer repeated with obvious skepticism.

   “Yes, I had to borrow something from Harry, and I knew he sometimes left the chest of his cloak there,” Severus said.  But Jennifer wasn’t about to let him go without looking at her, gazing into his eyes for a long moment before and shaking her head at him.

  “What am I going to do with you?” she sighed.  “You could have gotten caught.”

  “Not likely,” Severus snorted softly.  “It actually was the safest way of looking for the journals without tipping off what we were searching for.  Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be there.  But I have Sirius searching the old auction files to see if he can find a clue for us.  Hopefully, he’ll have better luck.”

Chapter Eleven

A Haunting Evening

 

  Taylor hopped over to the Gryffindor table after breakfast and squeezed his way between Corey and Doug, looking rather excited.

  “It’s official, and I wanted you both to be the first to know,” he said, pulling out the article he was working on for the paper.  “Danny is taking over as team captain of Slytherin this year, starting with their first game and your second this Sunday.”

  “Halloween afternoon,” Doug said.  “Hope it doesn’t run over.  It’d be bad karma to play too late on a night like that.”

  “You sound pretty excited about it Taylor, considering Ravenclaw’s already lost its first game,” Corey said.

  “Well, I can’t get excited about our team anymore, so I’ll just get excited for both of yours.  It’ll be the game of the season, and I get to announce for it and write about it,” Taylor said.

  “I wonder why Amadeus let it go so quickly without a fight,” Corey mused.

  “And have you noticed how he’s been avoiding us this year?  Not one sneer or name since we got back, very odd,” Doug said.  “It’s like it’s a whole different table of people.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” Corey chuckled.  “A Slytherin by any other name is still a Slytherin.”  Taylor gazed over to the far table to see Danny sitting with the team huddled around her.  Casper and Baylor were to either side, while the Starling twins, Janders and Amadeus across from her.

  “I don’t want to see any funny stuff like what happened last year,” Danny told them, looking directly at Amadeus when she spoke.  “We’re the best team in the league, and they have the second weakest Seeker and an average Keeper.  It’s the Beaters we have to worry about.”

  “If you don’t want us to take them out, what do you want us to do?” Amadeus asked with tension in his voice that Danny recognized as irritation.  It wasn’t easy going from ringleader to second, and Danny could tell Amadeus hated being out of control.  But she also knew full well after the talk he and Draco had had during the summer that he wouldn’t overstep his boundaries.  She wasn’t even totally sure what the deal had been, or what Draco had originally promised him.  Danny didn’t particularly care to know, either, so long as they stayed in line and did what they were told.

  “Just keep them busy.  There’s no reason with the Chasers we have and me as the Seeker that we need to do anything but make sure they’re distracted,” Danny said.  “I don’t know about you but I for one got rather tired of the glowers we were getting for winning last year.  Let’s show them we can beat them because we’re the best not because we’re bullies and they’ll have to give us the respect we deserve as reigning champions.”

  “Strategic meeting?” Snape inquired.  The team looked up to see him standing right behind them with a nearly imperceptible smile on his face.

  “Yes sir.  Actually, since you’re here, is there any chance we can book the Pitch for the day?  Being the new captain and all, I need to get everyone organized,” Danny said quickly.  Casper and Roger grinned at each other knowingly.  What could be better than monopolizing the field the day before the game so the Gryffindor team couldn’t use it?  Severus’ lip twitched, perhaps in amusement, before nodding slightly.

  “Very well, Miss Nelson.  Come to my office after you’ve finished but don’t dally, I’ve things to do today.”

  “Yes, Professor, thank you,” Danny said as he moved away, turning and grinning back at the others.  “Never hurts to have an edge,” she said as the others nodded approvingly.  Quickly she finished up and left the table, waving to Corey and the others as she headed out of the room. 

  By the time she arrived, Snape was already sitting at his desk, glancing thoughtfully at a letter.  He gestured for her to come in when she knocked on the open door, and then hissed softly.  Rasputin, who had made himself comfortable lying across the desk, reluctantly got up and vacated the area, glancing over at Danny with his glass eye before laying on the hearthstones.  Putting down what he was reading, Snape took out a piece of paper to write her a note.

  “Should be a rather entertaining game tomorrow, provided there aren’t any incidents like there was last year,” Snape commented, as he began writing.

 “Don’t worry sir, there won’t be,” Danny said.  “I’ll make sure of that.”  Snape paused and looked as if he was going to say something when another knock rattled on the door and he looked up to see Craw standing there.

  “Not ready yet?”  She asked in an almost exasperated tone.

  “This’ll just take a moment,” Snape assured her, getting up to grab something off the shelf.  “While you’re waiting, will you run these up to McGonagall?” he asked, heading over to the door to speak to her.  Danny strained but couldn’t really make out what they were talking about, peering over on the desk to see if the note for her was done.  As she did, she happened to spy the letter that he was reading when she came in.  Curiosity getting the better of her, she glanced over to make sure they weren’t looking before quickly looking it over.

  There were a couple of book lots that went for the outrageous sum of 2500 pounds a piece, but unfortunately they were both bought by a anonymous bidder.  If Janus Craw’s journal was sold at all, I’m sure it was in one of those lots, but it’s going to take some work to try and get that information from the auctioneer’s, in this case, Gringotts Bank.  ~Sirius

  Janus Craw’s journal?  Sold at an auction?  Danny pondered that a moment, wondering if Caprica knew about it yet.  But her thoughts were broken as Snape came back over to finish the note.

  “I couldn’t help but to notice that things seem to have changed dramatically for you at school this year,” Snape said.  “Strange after all of the trouble you had last year with Amadeus that he so willingly stepped out of the way for you to become captain.  I would have thought that would be out of character for him,” he said, a question in his voice.

  “I guess he’s finally learned how to recognize a born leader when he sees one,” Danny answered.  Snape began to hand her the note but pulled it back as she reached out, getting her attention.

  “Just a little free advice from your advisor before you go,” he said, his face expressionless but his gaze steady on her.  “Amadeus may be willing to step out of the way when he is pressured, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be looking for opportunities to turn his position around.  I wouldn’t turn my back on him for a moment, if I were you.”

  Danny nodded slowly.  She hadn’t realized it had been so obvious what had happened, but then Snape never seemed to miss much when it came to what was going on in the house.

  “I’ll keep that in mind, sir,” she said, taking the note.  “Thank you,” she added, heading out.  Jennifer appeared in the door a moment later, looking back down the corridor as she put on her gloves.

  “No trouble, I hope?”  Jennifer asked curiously at Severus’ solemn face.

  “Nothing out of the ordinary,” Severus said, grabbing his cloak as they headed home for the day.

 

  Halloween arrived cloudy and chill but the mood in the school was filled with excitement, first over the game and the feast to follow.  Jennifer couldn’t help but notice that the ghosts around the castle seemed stirred up even more as usual this time of year. 

  “I suppose it’d be tempting fate to have two quiet Halloweens in a row?”  Jennifer commented to Severus as they paused in the hall, hearing Peeves laughing in the distance, expecting a crash to follow.  After a moment when the crash didn’t come, Severus resumed his stride towards the Pitch.

  “Since I no longer have Forest patrols, I think I’ll join you and Hermione in the halls tonight.  There is something definitely brewing.”  Severus said.

  “Perhaps we’re just getting paranoid in our old age,” Jennifer chuckled.  At the Pitch the two of them separated as Jennifer headed down to the lower benches to sit with the Gryffindor students, while Severus went up to the Slytherin box.  Jennifer couldn’t help but grin when she saw Alvin head out into the field.  Rolanda had been trying to talk him into refereeing for months, and apparently her efforts finally paid off.  Jennifer couldn’t help but be a little nervous about this game, remembering all too well what had happened last year when Corey nearly lost his life.  As if she wasn’t tense enough, she suddenly felt a cold drop of water hit her face as it started to sprinkle just as the two teams left their gates.

  Corey, for his part, didn’t seem the least bit worried.  Rolanda had come by before the start of the game and thoroughly checked all of their equipment and had found no problems with theirs or the school’s.  Perry Dalance led them out as the crowd began to cheer, Corey and Doug twisting upside down and waving towards the Gryffindor stands and hearing their names announced by Taylor up in the teacher’s box.  But it was when Danny’s name was announced that the crowd really went wild as she easily spun into a pretzel knot and out as she passed the Slytherin box, waving to her cousin Draco.  Katie had looked back at the other Seeker with a frown but was quickly reassured by Doug, who had flown up beside her and cheered her before taking his position.  He then grinned at Corey, giving him the thumbs up as he looked across at the other team.  Hatred flashed in Amadeus’ eyes when their gazes met, but Corey nodded with mocking respect before turning his attention on Professor Archibald, standing below.

 With a solid kick Archibald released the Snitch and Bludgers and threw the Quaffle up, immediately grabbed by Juniper Lydian who sped off with it before Baylor and the Starling Twins had time to react.  Amadeus, however, hadn’t missed a beat, swinging his broom up to meet one of the Bludgers as it headed back down and smacking it towards the Gryffindor chaser just before the rest of the chasers joined the pursuit.

  Doug was the first to reach the second Bludger, passing it downfield hoping to distract the Slytherin Keeper Nott long enough for Juniper to make her throw.  But suddenly Juniper veered straight up from the rings, surprising everyone at the sudden move.  Before Nott could react, she circled around the rest of the Chasers and dove below them as they tried futilely to follow, then launched the Quaffle through the lowest ring, the crowd clapping in appreciation for the play.  But now Lisa and Liam had the ball, passing it back and forth as they made their way up the Pitch, and Corey knew they weren’t to be trifled with.  Pushing his now-soaked hair out of his face, Corey waited for the Bludger to come charging back before taking control of it, aiming straight between them.  But as the Bludger neared, the two suddenly split up and Liam sped the Quaffle for the highest hoop.  Having experienced the twins’ tactics before, Perry hadn’t missed their last pass between each other and managed to stop the Quaffle before it entered the hoop, batting it towards the Gryffindor Chasers who quickly took it towards the other end of the Pitch.

  A flicker of light flashed in front of Corey followed by a low rumble.  Alvin suddenly blew his whistle twice, shouting at the teams the moment the next point was scored for Gryffindor, declaring lightning rules in effect.  That meant they couldn’t go higher than the canopy of the Quidditch boxes, where the lightning rods were placed. Corey frowned.    That would definitely reduce overall maneuverability.  It was also going to make life difficult for the Seekers, for the Snitch would likely cross that border many times, mindlessly unaware of the lightning.  Crossing the border had the penalty of automatically giving the other team the Quaffle, so the Chasers especially seemed to lower their flying height as Roger threw out the ball to Lisa.  It also meant a longer wait time to get control of a wayward Bludger, which was going to make things more of a challenge for the Beaters as well.

  Danny immediately lowered her broom closer to the ground, frowning.  The lightning would get worse before better, she thought, counting the seconds in between the flashes and the thunder, and the rain was pouring now.  Every time the light flickered she thought she spied the Snitch, only to realize it was just a reflection.  But then Katie moved suddenly, and Danny hesitated, wondering if she too had a false start, until another flash of lightning revealed the golden ball in front of them.

  Corey, catching the two Seekers’ movements out of the corner of his eye, pushed forward to get to an incoming Bludger, hitting it across Danny’s path.  Instinctively she dove, barely pulling up just inches above the field before ascending again towards the Snitch, desperately trying to keep from losing it.  Just as she had caught up to Katie, the Snitch went above the line and the two of them had to break off.

  Across the Pitch, Juniper and the Gryffindor chasers were proving to be more than a match for the Slytherins in the harsh conditions, for the restrictions had slowed them down and limited their normal plays, and none of them really felt like playing much at all now.

  “Don’t just hover there, find that horrid thing so we can end the game!”  Lisa said as she passed on their way back up field.  Danny, determined to see it through, coasted around the field near where the Snitch had disappeared, dodging another incoming Bludger from Doug.  Just then, a crack of lighting flashed as a very loud crack of thunder sounded very close indeed.  In that instant, Danny saw someone standing in the middle of the field.  Blinking slightly from the rain she squinted, taking another quick glance around, coasting nearer to the spot she had seen the figure.  That was when she found herself looking at the ghost of a girl about her age.  She was wearing Quidditch robes herself, and a Ravenclaw patch, Danny realized, and carrying a ghostly broom in one hand.  In the other, she had the Snitch itself, tossing it up and down like a normal ball and watching the Slytherin thoughtfully.

  “You’re not going to get it, you know,” she said, sounding bitter.  “If you try, you’ll only end up like me.  Would you like that?”  She asked.  Not waiting for an answer, the girl threw it back up into the air, and as Danny looked up towards it, the haunted image faded completely away.

  Katie flew above her head on a beeline for the Snitch, speeding towards it a lot higher than she should have, and Danny felt a strange chill down her back.  Leaning forward on her broom she sped not towards the Snitch, but at Katie, grabbing hold of her from behind just before she reached the ball, pulling the girl and her broom down with her.  If there had been a penalty call, Danny had not heard, for a streak of lightning crackled down just then, blazing over in an arch to the nearest box and dissipating on the rod.  The two girls, lying on the muddy turf, looked at each other shakily before getting back on their brooms.

  The Snitch was much lower now, spinning about in the circle near the middle of the field not a yard off the ground, and as the girls sped forward, Katie pushed ahead, grasping the golden ball tightly in her hand.  The Gryffindor crowd suddenly broke out in a cheer, but to Danny the cheer sounded subdued, and not because she had lost her first game at Hogwarts.  Instead she gazed toward the center of the field, wondering about what had just happened.

 

  By the time they had gotten changed and dry it was nearly time for the Halloween feast.  Amadeus had come down long before Danny and had already gathered a group around him.

  “If anyone doubted my captain skills they shouldn’t now,” Amadeus said.  Danny paused at a distance to listen, her jaw clamped shut in annoyance.  “After that long winning streak, we lose it the first game she’s captain.  And she gets on me about being rough with the other teams and what does she do?  Knocks their Seeker completely off her broom, and she still doesn’t get the Snitch.”  Exhaling, Danny walked over to the team, Amadeus suddenly biting his tongue.

  “There you are, Nelson.  Bad luck today.  Bet you had trouble in the rain…”

  “Can it, Amadeus,” Danny snapped, sitting down.  “I don’t buy your lines.  But if you have any criticism about the way I run things, now’s the time,” she said, a flash of fire in her eyes.  Amadeus shook his head.  “Good.  I don’t know if you deserve any messages from my cousin or not, but if you, Baylor and Wyatt meet me in the common room later I may have something for you.”

  “What did happen to you out there, anyhow, Danny?  One minute you looked like you were dazed the next you were tackling Katie,” Lisa asked.  But before she could have time to answer, the rest of the professors had come in, followed by Headmaster Dumbledore.  Instead of sitting down, McGonagall chimed her glass, and the students quickly settled down, looking up at them.

  “I just wanted to compliment the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams for the game today, they both played very well under very harsh conditions.  But, I most especially want to acknowledge Danyelle Nelson, for her quick thinking near the end of the game assisting Katie Marner and preventing a terrible accident.  So, I’d like to go ahead and award twenty points to Slytherin for that.”  Danyelle suddenly smiled as the table broke out in cheers, Amadeus clapping less enthusiastically beside her.  At the Gryffindor table they were clapping heartily as well, but Doug couldn’t help but feel slightly annoyed, and told Corey as much while they were eating.

  “We finally beat Slytherin after all this time and what happens?  They get points for it,” Doug sighed, gazing at his caramel apple.  “I am very glad Katie’s alright, though.”

  “I wonder how Danny knew about the lightning before it happened?” Corey said looking over at her.  Catching his glance, Danny made a motion with her hands, and Corey nodded to her.  “I think we’re going to find out, she wants to see us after the feast.”

  “What was that?”  Perry suddenly looked over from where he was talking to Gail.  “We have to go straight to the common rooms after the feast, remember?  Don’t you even dare think about it, I’ll tell Dave what you’re up to.”

  “Oh, don’t be such a tattletale, Perry.  We’ll only be a minute, not long enough to starch a prefect’s robes about,” Doug snorted.  “As if you and Gail haven’t been doing your fair share of lingering in the halls lately.”

  “Ignore him, Perry, he’s just jealous,” Gail said.  “Good thing Katie dealt well with the rain today, the two of you seemed to be falling all over yourselves out there.”

  “I’d like to have seen you do any better with rain pouring down your face.”

  “Doug, calm down, it’s all right,” Corey said.  “Don’t worry, Perry, we won’t linger long enough to get in trouble.” 

  After filling up on ice cream, the two boys headed down the hall a bit, watching the doors until Taylor and Danny came out, joining them.  A curious moan came from behind them and they looked around.  Seeing nothing, they turned to each other again, listening to Danny’s recount of the game.  It didn’t take Danny long to fill them in to what happened.  Taylor especially seemed intent when he heard the girl had a Ravenclaw robe on, but had no more idea than they did who she might have been.

  “Why hadn’t she ever appeared before, I wonder?”  Taylor asked thoughtfully.

  “Maybe she just appears on certain days.  Like Halloween, all the extra energy might have woken her up,” Danny guessed.  “But from what she said, I gather she died in a storm much like this one.”

  “The storm’s gotten worse too,” Corey pointed out, nodding out the window at the beating rain.  “I bet if this castle had electricity it’d be out by now.”

  “Do you suppose Caprica knows who the girl might have been?”  Danny said.  Corey looked at her and shook his head. 

  “Oh, no.  We’re sure to get in trouble if we’re caught there tonight, and there are going to be professors on patrol.  It’s just going to have to wait until the morning.”  Just then there was a loud thud as if something heavy had hit the ground and the students jumped slightly, looking around again.  “In fact, I think it’s high time we went to our rooms.”

  “Would you guys mind walking me up?”  Taylor asked nervously.  “I’m not sure I want to go down these corridors alone tonight.”

  “No, I don’t suppose I blame you,” Corey admitted.  “All right, we’ll walk you and Danny back first, since there’s two of us going to Gryffindor.  That way none of us have to be alone.”

  “I think you’re making a bit of a deal over nothing, but I’ll go along with it,” Danny said.  “After all, we know most of the ghosts here are fairly harmless, and we’ve all learned our share of Defense spells for more malignant ones.”

  “What about the Bloody Baron?  He doesn’t seem all that harmless to me,” Taylor said.

  “I think he even unnerves Mom a bit,” Corey agreed.

  “Don’t worry, I’m a Slytherin, I’ll protect you,” Danny promised them.

  It was just as they had gotten to the corridor that led to the Ravenclaw dormitories when they heard a crash that sounded like dishes breaking, followed up by a giggle.

  “Peeves,” Doug said with certainty.  “We better let the professors know he’s up to no good again.”  But apparently the poltergeist had heard them for he suddenly hovered in, looking over at them.

  “Naughty students not in room yet.  Naughty, naughty, naughty!”  Peeves hummed delightedly.  He suddenly faded out as a paddle suddenly appeared from down the corridor, hitting Doug on the backside with a loud whack and he yelped and rubbed his rear.  The paddle hurried to catch Taylor too, when Corey raised his hands, pointing at the poltergeist.  Remembering a spell his year in sparring club, he gazed at the troublesome spirit and intoned, “Preoccupy!”

  Peeves suddenly looked blank, and then suddenly began looking at his hands as if seeing them for the first time.  Then he wondered where his navel went.

  “I didn’t think that spell worked on ghosts,” Doug said.

  “I don’t think it’s going to last, we’d better clear out before he comes out of it,” Corey answered, heading them down the hall.  Another round of lightning flashed in the hall and Dame Rachel floated out of a wall, looking at the students with a frown.

  “And just where are you going?”

  “To bed,” Taylor said quickly.  “Good night, all,” he told them.  “I’ll ask around and see if anyone knows who that girl was,” he added, heading passed the ghost and up to the painting to the Ravenclaw dorm rooms.

  “Excuse us, Dame Rachel, we need to see Danny back to her room,” Corey said, before walking back the other way. The ghost looked after them thoughtfully for a moment, before continuing on her way, disappearing through a wall.

  “This school has gone completely mad tonight,” Doug decided, hearing chains rattling in the distance. 

  “It’s as if every ghost in the castle is awake and active,” Danny agreed as they headed down the back stairs.  “But there’s nothing to worry about, really.  I mean, if any of them were any real danger to students, they’d have been moved by now,” Danny reassured them.  Just then they heard a howl as the Bloody Baron suddenly appeared zooming down the hall.  Corey and Doug screamed loudly and dove as he swung passed them, for he probably would have gone through them had they stayed where they were.  Danny sighed and shook her heads at them, glancing over at the Baron.

  “You shouldn’t be in the halls!  All students were to report directly to their dorms,” the Baron boomed, eyeing the two Gryffindors dangerously. 

  “Excuse me,” a voice said from behind them.  The three looked up to see Caprica making her way into the picture, only there was something rather odd about her.  That was when Corey realized that she was wearing a mustache.  “Baron, dear, could you please go get your servant?  He is busy redecorating all of the portraits with mustaches and beards,” she said, sounding exasperated.

  “I cannot seem to turn my back on him for a moment,” the Baron snarled before hovering down the hall, apparently forgetting all about the three students.

  “There now, two birds with one stone.  Come now, hurry and get her back, boys.  I’ll get the Fat Lady to cover for you the first bed check, but you must get to your rooms without any further delay.  This is not a night for students to be out.”  Caprica said.

  “What is this all about, Professor?  Why are all these ghosts stirred up?”  Corey asked.

  “Nothing for you to be concerned about, dears.  I will tell you all about it later, but for now, be off with you!” She said with an unusually stern face.

  “I can walk back from here, it’s just down the hall,” Danny assured them.  “You two just get to your rooms before you run into anyone else.”

  “Dead or alive,” Doug agreed.  Waiting until she disappeared down the hall, the two boys turned and hurried up the stairs, nearly in a jog by the time they got up to the right floor.  As they crossed the wing to the castle, skirting passed the main stair, the two of them suddenly stopped in sheer surprise when they saw dozens of ghosts of every sort, some very familiar, others they had never seen before, gliding down the stairs, visible all the way down the spiral.  Many of them stopped to greet the paintings, who waved in return.  Corey grabbed Doug’s sleeve, breaking him out of an awed stupor, and the two of them raced back to the painting of the Fat Lady, now bearded, who frowned at them as they neared.

  “There you are!  About time you got back, I rather don’t like skirting around bed counts when they ask me,” She said, opening for them without the bother of a password.

  “What did you tell them?”  Corey asked.

  “I told them everyone was accounted for.  I didn’t tell them everyone was inside,” she explained.  “Caprica and you boys owe me one.  You can start by cleaning off this beard tomorrow.”

  Doug and Corey knew better than to argue, a little afraid she might amend her report to include they had come in late.  Instead they headed in to see most of the Gryffindors had gathered around the fire, while Nearly Headless Nick was telling them ghost stories.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough ghost stories for one night,” Doug said.  Agreeing wholeheartedly, Corey headed up to bed.

 

  Jennifer finished her second pass and met Severus near her office, shaking her head slightly in amazement.

  “I’ve never seen them so worked up.  Have you ever seen them like this?”  Jennifer asked him.

  “I’ve seen them stirred up before, but never quite to this extent,” Severus admitted.  “Dumbledore is aware of the situation, however.  Everyone accounted for?”

  “Yes, thank goodness.  I have a feeling all of this racket would unnerve nearly any one of them.  In fact, I’m not so crazy about it myself,” Jennifer admitted with a slight chuckle.  “We’d better check on Hermione.”  Severus nodded and the two of them headed up the stairs and down the main hallway.  A loud screeching wail rang out then stopped as quickly as it started.

  “Sounds like the Baron caught up with Peeves,” Severus said calmly, barely even pausing.

  “Sounds like they were on this floor too,” Jennifer added.  Just then they heard someone calling Jennifer’s name, and looked back to see Hermione heading over towards them.

  “You need to see this,” Hermione said seriously, heading down the side hall.  “I knew Hogwarts had a lot of paintings, but you should see the paintings in the Great Hall.”

  “There aren’t any paintings in the Great Hall, are there?”

  “There are now,” Hermione said, opening the back door wide enough so that the other two could peer in.  Every inch of wall in sight was squeezed with a painting, the different sizes fitting like stones in a building.  But even that paled in comparison to the inhabitants of the room, for floating through the room at various heights was the largest host of ghosts that any of them had seen.  As they stood there staring for a moment a ghost came up beside them, clearing his throat.

  “Excuse me,” Sir Nicolas said with a smile.  “Running late, you know.  Promised to tell stories to the Gryffindors first.  I was on a roll too, until Willowby and Brim came in late and ruined one of my stories just when it was getting to the scary part.  Ah well, couldn’t miss the fun here anyhow.  Pardon me,” he said cheerfully, walking through the wall by the door.  Jennifer and Severus squinted at each other, exchanging suspicious looks.

  “Oh, dear, it looks as if Professor Dusthorn is throwing one of her parties again,” Dumbledore said from directly behind them.  They cleared the doorway so he could enter, gazing around at all the spirits.  The tables had been pushed back to the walls and filled with very unappetizing looking morsels, while above, the denizens of the paintings crowded around those that had food and games in them.

 Above the mantle, Caprica had finally succeeded in borrowing the chessboard painting and was playing a game across from her friend from the empty classroom.  It was his turn, however, and was taking his time about it, so Caprica’s eyes wandered around the room until she spied the four living folks in the back of the Hall.

  “Oh, hello Albus!  Come on in, guys, Happy Halloween.  You know Albus, we could really use a few more feast table paintings around the school.  And maybe a croquet field, if it’s not too much trouble?” Caprica beamed at him.

  “I thought you promised you were going to tell me when you were going to throw another party?”

  “I’m sorry, Albus, it was a spur of the moment thing,” Caprica said.  “All the ghosts were worked up over all the goings on lately, and I thought with all their chain rattling a diversion was in order.  And, since I knew you’d send all the students up early, I knew the hall would be empty.”

  “Check,” the wizard she was playing chess against said.

  “Oh dear, now look what happens when I get distracted,” Caprica said.

  “How ever did the school survive having a half-pooka as a Headmaster?”  Severus asked starkly.

  “Hey, I heard that,” Caprica said, finally making a move.  “And here I was thinking you could stay and we could throw you a birthday party after midnight, and you start picking on my heritage.”

  “That’s quite all right, and if you don’t mind, I could do without the general announcements on personal dates as well,” Severus said.

  “Check,” the wizard said.  Caprica glowered at him.

  “Are you cheating?”  She asked

  “Of course not,” the wizard said.

  “Would you tell me if you were?”  Caprica asked.  The wizard smiled.

  “Of course not,” the wizard said.

  “Wait a minute.  Now I know where I recognize you from,” Jennifer said suddenly, staring at the two of them.  “You’re Professor Bedivere O’Laren.  You’re the Seeker!”

  “Guilty as charged,” he beamed at her.

  “Aha!  I knew you were cheating!”  Caprica said.

  “I was speaking with Janus’ descendent,” Bedivere said amusedly to Caprica.

  “Bedivere O’Laren, the famous Symbologist?”  Hermione said excitedly.  “You and I have to talk.”

  “Hermione, he’s only a painting, let’s not get carried away,” Severus told her.

  “Professor Snape, even in the Muggle world, there is no such thing as ‘only’ a painting.  A painting is a symbol of both the artist’s soul and that of his subject.  Sometimes it can symbolize much more than even that, depending on how he wishes to represent it,” Bedivere said calmly, waiting for Caprica to make her move.

  “Is this a private party or can anyone crash it?” Rolanda asked from where she stood near the main doors.  Beside her was Argus Filch, who was looking none too pleased for being there.  “We were on a missing painting hunt,” Rolanda explained.

  “Don’t worry, we’re not missing, we just decided to decorate in here for a change,” Caprica said cheerfully.  “Come on in, there’s plenty of room, if you don’t mind a ghost walking through you from time to time that is,” she said.

  “We’ll speak of this in the morning, Caprica.  Please make sure everyone gets back to where they should be before dawn,” Dumbledore said.  “At least it will keep them all out of trouble in the halls,” he noted to Severus and Jennifer.  As he went out the back door, the head table was suddenly filled with sandwiches, drinks, and other edibles, and Jennifer and Hermione quickly headed over.

  “Jennifer, what are you doing?”  Severus asked.

  “Joining the party,” Jennifer said.

  “I’ll be back, I’m going to go get Alvin and see if Filius is willing to get his band out,” Rolanda suggested.

  “Ah music!  Lovely idea!”  Nicolas said, tipping his cup in their direction.   “Can’t think of a better way to spend the evening, can you?”

  Severus knew better to answer that, especially when it was obvious he wasn’t going to be able to pull Jennifer away.  Shrugging in resignation, he walked over to her side and decided to make the best of it, getting himself a glass.

Chapter Twelve

The Ways of Getting Through

 

  November proved brisk and windy, the quickly browning leaves twisting in the wind outside as the students excitedly prepared for another Hogsmeade trip.  Jennifer hummed softly as she made her way in from Sagittari’s hut, taking the long way to her office so as to be able to peek in on Severus’ class, listening to his lecture.

  “Anyone who got any wrong on this test I expect for you to turn in complete explanations of the appropriate way of handling each situation and exact details why you believe your answer was wrong.  It might interest you to know that according to these test scores, if any of you actually had to face any of these creatures, half the class would be dead right now,” Severus snarled at the class.  “Wipe that smug look off your face, Miss Ames, just because you only got one wrong doesn’t mean you weren’t on that list.  Life doesn’t allow for second chances.  As for you, Miss Willowby, you missed so many that I’m quite surprised you even managed to get as far as this classroom without something picking you off as an easy target.”  Essie shrunk back in her seat, more out of embarrassment than actually any true fear of Snape.  Many of the other Hufflepuffs were gulping slightly, while across the room the Slytherins were mostly snickering at her. 

  Snape whipped quickly around with his wand and unlatched the door of the supplies closet behind the Slytherins, and suddenly a ferocious lion headed beast with bat wings burst out of it, the class screaming in panic.  Severus rolled his eyes as they scrambled towards the back of the class, and he grabbed hold of Essie by the back of her robe, pushing her forward.

  “You.  Handle it,” he told her.  Essie gulped, not remembering anything on her homework sheet that looked like that.  Suddenly it changed, transforming into the shape of the largest bee she had ever seen.  Terror gripped her, being quite allergic to them, and reason gave way to panic and she fainted.  Sighing in annoyance, he pointed at one of the Slytherin students nearest to it.  “Fine.  Greisley, you handle it,” he said.  Victor took out his wand and headed over to the beast as it began to change again, catching it before it had time to completely transform.

“Riddikulus!” Victor said, pointing at the boggart.  The boggart suddenly took the shape of Essie, and the Slytherins all began to laugh, startling it.  Angela Ames, who didn’t see much of anything funny about it, took a few steps up herself, casting the spell a moment later.

  “Riddikulus!” she entoned, and the poor boggart turned into a visage of Victor wearing a bunny suit.  The entire class, with the exception of Victor himself, began to laugh, waking up Essie who glanced around dazedly, realizing what had happened.  As the boggart retreated back into the closet, Severus sighed and locked the door, dropping a small vial in Essie’s lap while snapping at everyone to get back to their seats.

  “Ames, that’s a ten point deduction from Hufflepuff for casting a spell in class without being instructed to,” he snapped.  “Victor, five points added for recognizing and giving the appropriate response to a boggart.  I would have given you ten, except it would have been more effective if you’d given some thought to what the whole class might have thought amusing.  Miss Willowby, I expect an extra paragraph on why your own response was an inappropriate response to a boggart as well.”

  “Yes, Professor,” Essie said meekly, inhaling the smelling vapors to clear her mind as she took her seat.

  It was then that Severus was finally aware of Jennifer standing in the doorway, giving her a look that clearly showed that he thought this was going to be a very long year.  In response she only smiled at him, catching him slightly off guard.  She tapped the birthstone bracelet she was wearing and held up three fingers.  Severus’ lip twitched slightly and he nodded to her, but before the students could become too interested in trying to figure out what had quieted the Defense Professor, Jennifer slipped away, leaving Severus to bark at them for looking out doorways when they should be paying attention to him.

 

  “Class,” Hermione Granger announced as they came into the room, “This is a chessboard.”  That, in Corey’s opinion, was an understatement; for it was definitely the biggest board he had ever seen, the pawns standing just above his own height and the other pieces towering above them.

  “Is this the chessboard?”  Aelfred asked in awe, having heard stories about the whole thing from his brother.

  “Yes, although don’t worry.  As you can see, it is quite disarmed,” Hermione said.  True enough, unlike a regular wizard’s chessboard, these did not seem to be carrying any weapons.  Several of the students noticeably relaxed.  “I assume most of you know how to play.  If you don’t, that’s all right.  You may be able to pick up some things the other students miss.  As you can see, the chess pieces have been moved about already as if in the middle of a game, but if you look carefully, you might begin to notice it is more than that.  It is, in fact, a message from the past.  Your task is to try and figure out what it is.”

  “Madame Granger?”  Corey asked, raising a hand.  She nodded to him.  “I understand this is a school exercise, but, if someone wanted to leave a message, why not just write a letter?”

  “Paper crumbles, stone wears, paint fades and languages change, between invasions of other cultures instilling their languages over time as well as just raw interpretations of each word over the years.  But symbolism in its truest sense… as in symbols of food, water, shelter, and other basics don’t change, and with a bit of deductive reasoning can be more accurately interpreted than a forgotten dialect of a forgotten language.  Now, I all want you to look around a bit, and speak up if you see anything unusual.”  The students began to walk around it, studying it. 

 

 

 

  “Well, for one thing, it’s not a complete set, there’s a king missing,” Doug said immediately, walking around the edge of the board.  “The black one’s gone.”

  “The black bishop is definitely in trouble,” Julie pointed out, not about to be shown up by her younger brother.  “It’s here between two white castles on the wrong side.  That black knight two paces in front of them could take them I suppose.”

  “But both black castles are right in front of the white ones,” Taylor said, frowning.  “I wonder how they got turned around?”

“And look at these four pawns in the center of the board, one black, three white, but all facing outward from the center,” Corey added, gingerly stepping onto of the board.  “I say, what in the world is the king doing all the way out here unprotected?  Unless you count the fact he has pawns behind him.”

  “Which side is the white side and which side is the black?  All the pieces are facing different directions,” Gail asked.

  “Well, if you went by game rules, white pawns couldn’t be in row 1, so I figure this side with all the black pawns would have to be,” Corey reasoned.

  “But there’s a black pawn on this side too,” Julie pointed out.  “I don’t think we can apply normal chess rules here.”

  “I say, that black castle needs to get out of the way so that black bishop can get out before the white queen trounces on them.”

  “What’s the point of trying to get the bishop when there’s not even a king?  They’ve already lost,” Doug shrugged. 

  “We’re supposed to be finding symbols, remember?  Not analyzing it as a game,” Julie pointed out.  “If it were a normal game, the two white bishops wouldn’t be on white squares, and the two black ones wouldn’t be on black ones, they’d be on one of each.”

  “Four pawns in the center, one black,” Corey said thoughtfully.  “Do you suppose it represents the four houses?  And this King and Queen is looking after them.”

  “But there isn’t anyone at all on the other side, you’d think there’d be four to represent the founders or something.”

  “Well, yes, but look, the black bishop and black queen can get to the opposite corners easy enough if they need to be.”  Corey said, then suddenly stepped back.  “I know what this is!  We’re overanalyzing it!  See how there’s no other pieces down D and E and 4 and 5 except the center pawns?  It’s separating the different houses.  Each of these groups represents the different houses as they appear on the Hogwarts shield.  The corner with the white knights and the king is Gryffindor.”

  “The one with the Queen and the pawns has got to be Ravenclaw,” Doug agreed, “and it looks like the ones with the three bishops and the black knight is Slytherin.”

  “That makes sense, considering the Knight looks like it’s about to trounce both of those bishops,” Haisley said, getting a dirty look from Roger Baylor from across the board.

  “That means the one with all the castles is Hufflepuff,” Julie said.

  “Very observant interpretation, well done,” Hermione smiled.

  “I keep getting the feeling there’s more to it than that, even though I think they’re right about the Hogwarts shield,” Doug said, looking at it thoughtfully.  “I keep feeling like some of these pieces are meant to represent people as well, but I couldn’t guess who.”

  “I tell you what.  First off, I had someone set this board up for me so I could remain unbiased to your interpretations, so I’m not sure even I know all the answers yet.  But what we will do is leave the pieces as they are and you can observe them whenever you like.  Whoever finds the most symbols, and can logically explain why they think they’re symbols and not just random placement, I’ll award the house twenty points.”  A murmur of interest arose among the students.  “Once we’re done with this project, you’re going to have a chance to make your own symbolic messages, and everyone else will get to try and figure them out.  The clearer the symbols are, the better mark you’ll get for this half of the term, so begin thinking about that.  Now, let’s get back to the classroom so we can go over next chapter’s list of symbols.”

  As the class walked down the hall, Hermione couldn’t help but notice a new enthusiasm building in the class that had never been there before and smiled with an almost relieved triumphant feeling.  Perhaps now they wouldn’t fall so quickly asleep when discussing their assignments, she thought with a chuckle.

  A few moments later, Dumbledore passed through the hallway, deciding to take a look inside.  He gazed thoughtfully at the pieces for a long time before he turned around the opposite direction and started up towards the Trophy Room.

 

  If Severus was unusually restless, Jennifer didn’t seem to notice.  Piles of papers were stacked haphazardly among racks of phials on her desk as she planned out her midterms, while her husband had managed to make a spot for himself on the table as he looked over his own.  Every now and then he would glance at his watch expectantly before returning back to work, glancing out the tiny barred window at the grey, late November sky.  Just then there was a rapping sound, and several letters flew in.  Looking slightly relieved for an excuse to stop, Jennifer immediately got up and retrieved them.

  “Oh, here’s one with a Muggle post address!  I bet it’s from Doctor Linde,” Jennifer said.

  “Good, then maybe you’ll break long enough to actually eat something,” Severus said, sounding slightly scolding.  He knew quite well she would skip meals altogether if he didn’t remind her.  In fact, in some ways, she had become even more engulfed in work than he was; a fact that sometimes made him rather concerned.  Still, she hadn’t pushed her luck too far this year, and hadn’t been in the extraordinary amount of trouble she normally would have been in by now, he mused.  Muttering a soft complaint about the state of her desk, he moved some of the test phials over in order to break out the dinner tray, which quickly filled with warm soup and flatbread.  Jennifer opened the letter and sat back down, putting the rest on the desk as she munched on the bread thoughtfully. 

  “So, what sort of odd procedure is he speaking of this time?”  Severus asked, glancing at his watch one more time before straightening up his work, marking his place in one of the books with his golden snake bookmark.

  “Something called ultrasound.  They have something that bounces sound waves off things, and even inside things.  He says they can actually use it to see a picture of a baby still in its mother, and even tell if they’re a boy or girl or not.”

  “All that fuss over something that can be accomplished with a needle and a string,” Severus said, glancing over the other mail.

  “Perhaps I’ll explain about that in my next letter,” Jennifer said, looking up thoughtfully.  “Maybe I’ll actually try finding out this time.  It wouldn’t hurt knowing beforehand.  I don’t know, Severus.  What would you rather have this round, a boy or a girl?”

  “Girl,” Severus said.

  “Really?”  Jennifer said.  He looked over at her when the surprise registered in her voice, a flicker of a smile showing his amusement.

  “At least then we don’t have to worry about your father’s reaction when he finds out you’re going to call the next boy Andrew whether he likes it or not.”  Severus said. 

  “Oh, Severus, really,” Jennifer said, carefully folding the note and putting it with her other pen pal letters.  “I know you don’t like going against Dad any more than I do, but it’s our child not his, and I’m not going to let him bully us into changing our minds again.  If he doesn’t want Andrew associated as a Craw, fine.  I’ll pick another middle name, but I still have every intention of using the name if we have another boy.”

  “I have the perfect suggestion,” Severus said, and then frowned at his watch.  “But it’ll have to wait until I get back to discuss it.  I need to take care of something.”

  “What, now?  But you have an early class tomorrow,” Jennifer said, looking up at him suspiciously.  “Can’t it wait until the weekend?”

  “We have a Hogsmeade trip to chaperone this weekend,” Severus reminded her, putting on his cloak.  “I won’t be long.  Why don’t you take the rest of the test keys, bring them up to our room and we’ll finish them when I get back?  And eat something,” he commanded with a scowl.

  “My stomach is rolling,” Jennifer grumbled, immediately getting handed a phial off the shelf of her morning sickness medicine.  He turned around and hissed then, in a long melodic tone as if having a rather long conversation, and the monitor basilisk, who had been napping behind the door, suddenly came out and crawled over near the desk, glancing at Jennifer balefully.

  “I’ll know if you don’t eat,” Severus said with a warning smile.

  “I can take care of myself,” Jennifer answered irritably, but Severus Dispparated without responding.  Sighing with annoyance, Jennifer took her potion and hurriedly drank a bit of the soup before bribing Rasputin with a dish of stoned raw meat.  Satisfied that the lizard would be too sleepy to talk, Jennifer grinned to herself and headed off towards the library to meet up with Hermione.

 

  If there was one thing that Ginny Weasley could count on, it was that the Burrow never changed.  No matter how long she was gone, it was the same old place, her bedroom untouched (despite occasional threats by her Mum to turn it into a sewing room) and her brothers always popping in, usually unannounced but always expected. 

  It hadn’t taken her long to get her Mum to go along with her plans for an American style Thanksgiving that year; any reason to cook and get as many children and guests as possible together was a good enough excuse for Molly. 

  Her father was not back from work until dusk, coming in and sniffing the air experimentally with a cheerful smile as Ginny and George, who was sitting expectantly at the table, greeted him warmly.

  “Hullo!  Hullo!  Welcome home, Ginny!  My, something smells good.  Is that turkey?  Are we rehearsing for Christmas?” He asked.

  “Well, since I come home during Thanksgiving every year I was starting to feel left out, so I thought I’d bring it with me,” Ginny said.

  “Ah yes, it’s that eat yourself silly and watch American football holiday!  Ludo’s told me all about it,” Arthur said, a humorous tone in his voice.  “He’s brought it up many times trying to get us to declare a national Quidditch day.  Where’s Harry?”

  “Helping Ron put out garden gnomes in the yard,” Molly said, testing the gravy.

  “Molly!  You don’t have world renowned Aurors putting out garden gnomes!”  Arthur said, looking shocked.

  “As if I could stop him, he volunteered to help,” Molly said, smiling at Ginny.  “You know how he is, always lending a hand.  Besides, he’s practically your son-in-law, and he should be treated like one of the family.”

  “If you ask me, he volunteers too much,” Ginny said, drying her hands on a towel and sitting down for a moment.  “Especially here.  Every time we come back for a vacation, someone’s always coming over to ask him to help with something.  But I made him promise this time that he was going to take it easy and not let everyone get him involved with things.”

  “A pie crust promise if I ever heard one,” Molly said with a smile and a shake of the head.  “You can’t change who he is, you know, and as much as he’d probably like to do it to make you happy, something is bound to come up.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of,” Ginny chuckled.

  “Dad’s home, does that mean we’re about ready to eat then?”  George inquired, helping himself to a spoonful of whipped cream.

  “Just about, dear, why don’t you pull the horn so we see how many places to set?”  Molly said.

  “If Fred shows up, I’m not staying,” George said, getting up.  “I’ll eat in my room.”

  “You’ll eat with the family or not at all!  You both are getting too old for this sort of feuding,” Molly nagged him.

  “He’s the one that started it.  I can’t believe he sold our patent for Shrunken Head Biscuits to Shimpling’s Comedy Factory without consulting me.  From now on, he can come up with his own ideas.  I’m not helping him,” George said resolutely before heading up the stairs to the top floor to blow the air horn. 

  Outside, Ron stood up, wiping his dirty hands off on his pants, calling to Harry to get his attention.  Harry, who had just finished winding up the gnome, turned around to look, the dizzy gnome still in his hand.

  “Dinner time, the whistle just blew.  Chuck that last one, we’d better go in,” Ron said.

  “If you say so,” Harry grinned, pitching the gnome over the wall.  Although he hadn’t heard the air horn himself not being a Weasley, he was quite aware of it being there, for Ginny heard it often enough even from where they stayed in Pittsburgh.  No matter where they were or what they were doing, all of Arthur and Molly’s children heard it, and so there was always a chance on any given night of having any number of Weasleys over at the Burrow.  Never had Harry ever felt at home anywhere as strongly as he did there, often finding himself spending more time at the Weasley’s than his own home just up the road.   Arthur greeted them immediately as they came in, shaking Harry’s hand only to be sent along with Harry and Ron to the sink to wash them.

  “Where’s Hermione?  Is she coming tonight as well?”  Molly asked, handing George a stack of plates to set.

  “She’ll probably be late if she does,” Ron sighed.  “She’s been working late with Jennifer nearly every night.  They’re trying to find clues to where they might find Dagda’s Cauldron.”

  “Dagda’s Cauldron?” Harry repeated with interest.  Ginny gave him a dirty look.

  “Apparently, Janus Craw went to look for it when he disappeared, so Jennifer’s trying to find out where they went,” Ron nodded.  “And you know Hermione, she’s been driving me crazy talking about it, dragging me to libraries, you name it.”

  “If anyone can track it down, Jennifer and Hermione can.  That reminds me, I need to get with Dumbledore about something,” Arthur said thoughtfully, getting out a piece of notepaper.

  “What about that reminds you that you need to talk to Dumbledore?”  Harry asked curiously.

  “I’m sure it’s nothing that concerns us,” Ginny said quickly.  “Oh look, here comes Bill and Heather!  Hello Bill!”

  “Hi Bill,” George said, making sure he put out enough places.

  “Well, look at this!   What’s the occasion?” he asked with a grin, stepping into the kitchen.

  “A birthday perhaps?” Bill’s girlfriend asked.  She was a tall girl with long blonde hair, a Muggle archeologist, Ginny remembered.  They had just started going out over the summer after an expedition in India, but if he was comfortable enough to bring her home and into the magic world already she was sure he was a bit more serious about this one than some in the past.  It was also obvious that their parents adored her, especially when Arthur began fussing to sit her down next to him at the dinner table.

  “Rather looks like a rehearsal for Christmas,” Bill joked.

  “That’s what I said too,” Arthur said amused.  “It’s something Ginny wanted to do for her four day break, isn’t it wonderful?”

  “Hi Mum, Dad, Bill, Heather, Ron, Ginny, Harry,” Ginny looked up as Fred came in then did a double take, her eyes growing wide.  Molly, in fact, dropped the pot she was holding, but fortunately some speedy House Elves must have grabbed it before it hit the floor, for it appeared on the stove again.

  “Fred Weasley, what have you done to your hair?”  Molly asked, looking disapprovingly at his glossy black hair.

  “I dyed it,” Fred explained, kissing her cheek and trying to pick a seat furthest from his twin.  “Didn’t want anyone mistaking me for the enemy.”

  “Who’s whose enemy?  I didn’t sell one of your inventions!”

  “It was one of our inventions.  And it paid us off and got us out of the red!  I swear you’ve no business sense.”

  “We wouldn’t have been in the red if you hadn’t gambled with our expense accounts.”

  “It wasn’t gambling.  It was investing in a potentially lucrative product.”

  “There was no market in it!”

  “What were you investing in?”  Harry interrupted curiously.

  “Talking toilet seats,” Fred said.  “Honestly, they were hilarious.”

  “All they did was tell bathroom jokes!”  George said.

  “Well what do you expect a talking toilet seat to tell?” Fred said back.

  “Is this appropriate dinner conversation?” Arthur asked in a loud, obviously annoyed tone.  “Your sister went to an awful lot of trouble to set this up.  I suggest if the two of you can’t say anything decent to each other you can at least keep quite for her sake!”

  Just then there was a knock on the door, and Ginny sighed in relief.

  “Ah, perhaps that’s Percy?” Harry suggested hopefully, looking for a distraction.

  “Nonsense dear, a Weasley wouldn’t bother knocking,” Molly said as Arthur headed to the door.  After a moment he came back, looking over at Harry.

  “It’s for you, Harry, it’s Severus Snape.  I asked him in but well…anyhow, he wants to know if you can speak with him a moment,” Arthur said.

  “I knew it, I just knew it!”  Ginny said with exasperation.  “Harry Potter…”

  “Ginny, he just wants to speak with me.  I’ll just be a moment,” Harry said, getting up.

  “You promised!” she reminded him.

  “I’ll be right back,” Harry promised again, looking over at her sincerely.  “But I have to talk to him if he needs me, it’s Severus,” he explained, heading over to the door.  Ginny folded her arms as she watched him step out the door.

  “If it’s not Severus, it’s Sirius.  If it’s not Sirius, it’s Dumbledore or Vallid.  One of these days I’m going to find a place to take him where nobody can find us,” Ginny swore.  Arthur chuckled.

  “That I don’t see happening, Ginny.  You’re just going to have to learn to share him with the rest of the world, at least to some level.”

  “Facing a thousand dangers, dozens of dark wizards, one scrape after another when he’s already done more than his fair share,” Ginny said, shaking her head.  “While I stay back at Healer’s school and learn how to patch him up afterwards.”

  “So what you’re really saying is, you want to go along?”  Ron asked slyly.  Ginny stared at him for a while.

  “Of course I do!  But I can’t seem to get that through to him,” Ginny said.  “He just keeps going of and adventuring without me.”

  “Dear, you can’t get through to men by using words,” Molly chuckled, “rolling pins are much more effective, you know.”

  “I heard that,” Arthur said, earning a round of chuckles from everyone.  Harry returned a moment later, sitting beside Ginny.

  “Sorry about that, just needed to take care of something,” Harry said to them, turning to Ginny.  “Would you mind terribly if I went out for an hour or so after dinner tomorrow?  I need to talk to someone in London.”

  “Mum, can I have the rolling pin now?” Ginny asked.  Molly thought about it a moment.

  “Not until you’re married dear,” she said, earning another round of chuckles around the table.

Chapter Thirteen

Even the Best Laid Plans

 

  That Friday evening, Harry found himself walking up to the ivy-covered house that Severus had explored weeks before, rapping the ornate gargoyle doorknocker.  It blinked at him once as if looking to see who it was, then the door opened and Cornelius Fudge peered out.  The haggard old fellow seemed quite relieved to see him, trying to usher him quickly in.  But Harry lingered a bit at the door as if looking around before finally letting the man shut it. 

  “It is good to see you, Harry!  I am so glad you decided to call.  I’ve been meaning to speak with you,” Fudge said.

  “Really?  Is something wrong?”  Harry asked, following him into the parlor.

  “Yes, that is, I’m afraid I’ve gotten a bit over my head in something, and I don’t know where to turn,” Fudge said with a sigh, sitting down.

  “I don’t suppose this has anything to do with the Ministry of Mysteries pardoning you, does it?” Harry asked point blank.  Fudge looked at him with a frown, as if pondering how much to say.  “Look, Mr. Fudge, I am quite willing to hear you out, but if you expect me to help you, you’re going to have to be straight with me.  After the way you’ve been acting the last few years, you have everyone I know against you, and I’m not sure many of them would be too keen on my being here even now.”

  “Yes, especially your friends the Snapes, I suppose,” Fudge sighed, turning over some teacups that quickly filled with warm liquid.

  “And with good reason,” Harry nodded sternly.  From behind Fudge’s chair, a House Elf peered around the corner, looking at Harry then behind Harry and back at him again nervously.  Harry smiled reassuringly at the Elf before turning back to Fudge.  “Not that they would ever harm you at all, but they do think you should be held accountable for your crimes.”

  “Harry, if you knew half the things I knew about Severus Snape’s past you might think twice about that assessment,” Fudge said, shakily taking a sip of tea.  “But that is nothing in comparison to my real problem.  Tell me, Harry, do you know anything about the Order of Equinox?”

  “Of course,” Harry nodded.  “They’re the Order dedicated to preserving ancient magic.”

  “More than just that, actually, but yes, that’s a large part of it,” Fudge nodded.  “Also working to collect ancient magic artifacts that sometimes turn up before the Muggles have a chance to accidentally trigger them…many of the artifacts now housed in the Ministry were recovered by Equinox.  Not that they turn everything in, of that I know well.  Especially after the cursed item raids started.  That was actually Dumbledore’s idea, you know.  I think he was afraid even then that the Death Eaters were already reforming, and he thought that they might uncover a few of them.”

  “Well he was right,” Harry said with a nod, thinking back ten years ago when the diary showed up.

  “Yes of course, but then…well, you see, what he didn’t understand was that I really couldn’t use the raids themselves as a guide.  Many of the suspected Death Eaters were also members of Equinox, so had acquired quite a few questionable items over the years, items they kept as a part of their oath to keep them out of Muggle hands.  Well, being a member of the Order myself, I couldn’t exactly turn them in.  After all, I myself helped acquire some of those items,” Fudge explained.  “They were being kept safe for the right reasons, or so I thought.  Of course, some of the raids I didn’t go on, and those items that were acquired by others I had put in a special vault so they wouldn’t be disturbed.”

  “I’m beginning to see why you don’t want to go to Arthur now,” Harry said, having a hard time masking the dislike in his voice.  “You were helping some of the people you raided hide items, weren’t you?”

  “Not all of them,” Fudge insisted fervently.  “Just the ones I knew they were protecting for the Order.”

  “Why didn’t they give those items to the Ministry, like the others you mentioned?” Harry asked.

  “Oh, well, by that point, I’m afraid the Order as a whole was a bit suspicious of us…the Ministry, I mean, especially after the raids started.  They were quite convinced that the Order of Merlin had too much influence, and they had been at odds with Equinox for ages now.  Mostly over the whole Muggle issue; Equinox believes it’s better to keep things the way it is, while Merlin is always advocating trying to develop ways to increase interaction between Muggles and Wizard folk.  And then, you-know-who returned.”

  “Voldemort,” Harry said, ignoring Fudge’s slight cringe.

  “Yes, and suddenly items started ‘disappearing’ from where they were kept, as well as some of the people who owned them,” Fudge said, rubbing his forehead.  “By that time I was already being blackmailed by someone for some mislaid files, that I had then attempted to replace with reasonable copies.  I returned home one night after a particularly late evening in the Ministry I found my home ransacked and my safe broken into, and all of the items I myself had been guarding, including a particularly old tome, had been taken.  I didn’t waste another second…I knew if I stayed my life would have been forfeit so I fled the country.  Unfortunately, some of the men from the Ministry of Mysteries are quite resourceful, and after a few years one of them found me, wanting me to answer some questions they had.  Before I knew it, I found myself telling him everything, and some of the things I learned in return horrified me to the point I knew it was time to come home.”

  “So you had Merlin’s spell book before Malfoy did?”  Harry asked.  Fudge blinked at him in surprise.

  “How do you know that was what the tome was?” Fudge asked.

  “Well, what else could it have been, considering how Lorcan used it at Stonehenge?” Harry said quickly.

  “Oh yes, that.  What a regrettable mess that was!”  Fudge admitted, sipping his tea.  “Harry, you must believe me, I never meant for it to go that far.”

  “But then, I suppose it served you as a way to get the book back, didn’t it?”  Harry said.  “Strange that the Ministry never found it when they looked for it.”

  “Yes, well, suffice it to say I called in a few favors, but it has put me in a horrible position.  Many of the members of the Order want me to hand it over.  They don’t think they can trust me with it anymore, but I won’t do it.  I can’t risk it falling into the wrong hands again.”

  “Then why don’t you give it to someone more capable of guarding it?  Like Dumbledore?”

  “Because Dumbledore would probably want it destroyed!  But don’t you see?  It can’t be destroyed now!  It’s our one great link to the ancient magic, one that has never faltered over time.  We’ve lost a lot of knowledge Harry, knowledge that should never have been lost, and that book holds the key to finding it.  But now everyone knows I have it, and many would kill me to get their hands on it.  I need protection, Harry, now more than ever.  I’ve left the Order, and with that went their protection against those that would steal it.”

  “All right,” Harry said with a nod.  “Give me the book, and I will look after it for you.”

  “No, Harry, this is too big of a responsibility, even for you,” Fudge said, getting up and pacing the floor, turning to lift the curtain to peek suspiciously out the window.  “No, perhaps this is too big even for me.  I must take it away, somewhere safe…” he said, sitting back down with a sigh. “What times we live in, Harry!  They say when legends of old begin to roam the Earth again that the end of the world is near.  Is that what we are facing now?”

  “If it is, it wouldn’t be anything I haven’t faced before,” Harry said calmly.  “Look, if it’ll make you feel any better, I’ll stay in Britain for awhile and help keep an eye on things, and you can call me if you need me.  But I still think you’d be better off handing the book over to Dumbledore.”

  “Thank you, Harry!  Yes, it’ll make me feel much better if you could, that is, if it’s not too much trouble!  I’m sure they’d think twice about coming anywhere near me if you were about,” Fudge said gratefully, shaking his hand.

  “Don’t worry, Mr. Fudge.  I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you and that book both stay safe,” Harry said, getting up.  Fudge showed him to the door, a curious shiver running down his spine, causing him to pause and look over his shoulder again.  “Do you want me to come check up on you in the morning before I head to Hogsmeade?” Harry asked, leaning on the open door.

  “Oh!  The school is going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?  I wouldn’t keep you from that.  Perhaps I’ll come?  No, but then if Snape sees me…”

  “Come anyway, and let me worry about Snape.  You just try to relax for a while.  You look as if you need it,” Harry said.  “And maybe you’ll have enough sense to tell Dumbledore about all this while you’re at it,” he couldn’t help adding.

  “Perhaps,” Fudge nodded reluctantly.  “Although after the last talk I had with him, I doubt he will want to hear from me again.”

  “What have you got to lose?” Harry asked, walking out the door.   A dark look came over Fudge’s face but he simply nodded silently, shutting the door after him.

  Harry sighed, walking around the corner.

  “You know, I almost feel sorry for him.  Even as much trouble as he’s caused, and of course I know he wasn’t telling us everything, I still can’t help but feel bad about reassuring him like that, considering,” Harry said out loud.

  “You told him you would keep the book safe, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Severus’ voice said quietly from right beside him.  “With any luck, he won’t even notice it’s missing.”

 

  Corey and Doug raced to Honeydukes ahead of the crowd, getting in and out of there seconds before the rest of the students crowded inside, carrying several bags with them.  Danny and Taylor finally ran up to them, thanking Corey as he handed them their bags.

  “Last on, first off,” Corey grinned.  “See, I told you it’d pay to be late.”

  “Yes, but we nearly missed the bus altogether,” Doug pointed out.  “We might have gotten left back with the kiddies.”

  “Essie really hates getting left behind though.  I really don’t think I’d have minded, so long as someone remembered to bring us some candy,” Corey grinned.  “I promised her I’d stop by Divine Vision, though, you wanna go?  She’s really interested in that sort of stuff.  Even thinking about taking it next year.”

  “Really?”  Danny said.  “I never even considered it myself, rather beneath Hogwarts to even teach it, if you ask me.  A lot of Muggle superstition mixed up in that.”

  “I dunno, it might be fun, but I don’t think my parents care too much about Professor Trelawney,” Corey said.  “Not all that sure why.”

  The new divination shop had built where the old one had been, destroyed several years before by a pair of brawling Ettins.  A gypsy couple ran the shop, each wearing countless rings and necklaces and silky smiles that seemed to never leave their face.  Taylor had always found it unnerving how they always scanned the room, hovering over interested customers and suggesting ‘accessories’ for anything the customers glanced at.  Corey swiftly picked up the Encyclopedia of Dreams and Their Meanings, and looked thoughtfully at a boxed My First Crystal Ball set, complete with incense, a silk cloth, scarf, and how-to manual.

  “That looks like something right out of a Squib shop,” Danny said distastefully.  “You’re not seriously thinking of getting her that, are you?  It’s more of a toy than anything.”

  “It’s a little expensive,” Corey admitted, “But not a bad Christmas present, I think.  I wonder what my Aunt Rebecca would say?”

  “I wonder what your parents would say?”  Doug chuckled.

  “Well it’s my spending money, so I’m going to get it.  I think she’d get a kick out of it.”

  “It’ll never work.  It’s probably not even real crystal,” Danny said, shaking her head.  But nothing that his friends could say would talk Corey out of it, and they came out of the shop with him carrying several large bags.

  “You know, I think you spoil your sister,” Taylor said. 

  “Well she deserves to be spoiled sometimes, and I know my Aunt would never get her something like this.  What did you get for your sister, Doug?”

  “Oh, I uh.  I didn’t want to try and get that here, you know, she might notice.”

  “You got her socks and a new Hufflepuff tie last year, didn’t you?” Taylor inquired.

  “Well, after I got done buying gifts for all the girls I’d been studying with, I kind of ran short,” Doug admitted.  “But I’ll get her something good this year, now that I have one less girl on my list.”

  “I knew it, you’re still steamed about losing Gail to Perry, aren’t you?”  Corey grinned at him.  “I thought you were getting a bit hooked on her last year.”

  “I was not!”  Doug said indignantly.  “Just don’t like crossing names off my list is all.  And then Katie still won’t go out with me, even though I’m not studying with Gail anymore.  Just once I wish she’d give in and study with me.”

  “Doug, you know, maybe it’s time you tried settling down and find one girl you like,” Danny suggested.  “Most girls don’t like guys that date more than one girl at a time, you know.  How would you like it if a girl went and started collecting boys like crazy and you were just one of a dozen?”

  “I wouldn’t date a girl like that,” Doug said.

  “That’s exactly my point,” Danny said.  “Surely there’s got to be one girl you wouldn’t mind seeing exclusively.”  Doug thought about it.

  “Nope, can’t think of one,” he said, and the others rolled their eyes at him.  Just then, Danny looked up to see her Uncle Lucius, leaning on his cane in front of the Three Brooms, searching the crowd in the street.

  “I need to go, guys,” Danny said, and the others’ gazes quickly followed her own.

  “Corey, aren’t your parents in there?” Doug muttered as Danny hurried off to meet him.

  “He wouldn’t cause any trouble here, Doug, not in public and all that.  Still, maybe we ought to take a break from shopping and go in.  Somebody’s going to need to keep an eye on things,” Corey suggested, putting his bags away.

  “But why does that ‘somebody’ always end up being us?”  Taylor wanted to know, throwing up his arms in resignation.

  Inside, the bar was already filling up with students, and Corey had to wade through the crowd to finally find a tiny table near the fireplace that hadn’t been taken yet.  Somehow the three of them managed to squeeze in, only to notice that Danny and her uncle were still just standing to one side of the door.  Rosmerta, passing by the boys’ table and tossing out three butterbeers before they even had time to say a word, worked her way to the front, pausing in front of Danny and Malfoy as if she had just noticed them.

  “Oh it’s you again,” Rosmerta said.  “Don’t tell me, you’re going to request a clean table with an uncrowded view of the room and order food that isn’t too spicy, isn’t too overcooked, cold, old, soggy, greasy, or tasteless,” she said, ignoring the sudden surprised glare she was receiving.  “Well, fortunately Dumbledore warned me you’d probably be showing up, so I saved you a spot on the balcony.  I even washed the glasses twice already so you didn’t have to send them back the first time,” Rosmerta added with a charming smile.  Danny barely held back her laughter as she followed behind him, taking on a more serious expression when her uncle glanced back at her.  But Danny knew that her uncle had a way of getting precisely what he wanted no matter where he was…whether it was how he held himself or the money in his pocket, Danny was never quite sure, although she suspected it was the former more than the latter.

  Across the room where the professors were sitting Jennifer happened to glance up, looking slightly annoyed when she saw who was making their way in that direction.  Of course he would be here, she told herself.  He wasn’t allowed in Hogwarts, so it was the best time to see his niece.  That didn’t mean she liked it.  Severus, sitting to one side of her was listening to Hermione tell Anna an account of how she finally got her class to pay attention.  Distractedly he took out his wand and used it to chill his customary glass of anise wine, slipping it back in his cloak. He then glanced over to Jennifer, noticing the irritated frown on her face.  Picking up his glass and twirling it in his hand, he scanned the room in the direction of where her gaze had been fixed.  But instead of the usual look of dislike and distain that he normally reserved especially for Lucius Malfoy, Severus’ look was calculating.  He turned at once to Sirius, exchanging glances with him from across the table.

  “You see, Hermione?  We told you all you had to do was get them involved,” Anna said, breaking Severus’ chain of thought. 

  “And I hope this has taught you once and for all that some things can’t be learned from a book,” Minerva said from where she was sitting on the other side of Jennifer.  Jennifer was still eyeing Malfoy, watching Rosmerta take them up and settle them at a table above them.

  “Experience is the better teacher.  I know, I know, I already heard that line from Dumbledore,” Hermione said with a slight smile.

  “Well if it saves me from hearing you quoting out of those teachers manuals all the time, I’m all for it,” Ron said, earning a dirty look from his fiancée.  Just then there was a flashing light coming from Ron’s jacket pocket and he took out some paper and a Never-dry Quill, whose tip was flickering with light.

  “What in the world is that?”  Anna asked him.

  “It’s a Newsflash, of course.  It means a story is about to break and I’m in the right place at the right time to catch it,” Ron explained, looking around expectantly.  Anna repeated the word ‘Newsflash’ to herself as if in disbelief, but decided not to comment.

  “A Newsflash here?” Minerva said, suddenly growing concerned.  “Good heavens, I wonder what student did what now?”  Severus and Jennifer instinctively looked around the room, only relaxing after they spotted Corey and his friends sitting a few tables away.  Their eyes then trailed up to where Malfoy was sitting, too busy complaining about his drink to one of the waitresses to be the one at the cause of the problem.

  “Well whatever it is, don’t let it break without me, Ron,” Sirius said, getting up.

  “Where are you going?”  Anna asked.

  “I need to talk to Malfoy about some property he owns to see if he’s in the market to sell it, and I’d rather do it here in a safe environment,” Sirius explained, excusing himself and heading up to the balcony.  Jennifer watched him go, glancing over at Severus, knowing from Sirius’ face that he had something to do with what Sirius wanted to talk to him about.  Severus wasn’t looking at her, however.  Instead he was intently glancing around along with Ron and Minerva, trying to figure out what the pen had homed in on.  It was then that he noticed the Ministry officers who had come in the door led by Minister Brown from Law Enforcement.

  “Ron, look, it’s Rhys Brown himself,” Hermione hissed.

  “If he’s here and not Ederick it must be something really major,” Ron said, jumping up to see where he was going.  Soon he realized he need not had bothered, for Rhys had suddenly glanced over at the table they were sitting at and headed over, a very serious expression on his face.  Jennifer looked into his eyes in pure disbelief for what she was seeing, the color draining from her skin and her already churning stomach feeling even tighter as she read what was happening.

  Severus, seeing how quickly and how steadily Brown was looking at him, gazed over at him expressionlessly, nodding to him.

  “Good morning, Minister.  Care to join us?” he asked casually.

  “I’m afraid I really don’t have time for that, Severus.  In fact, you don’t really have time for that either.  I need to ask you to come down to the Ministry with me for questioning.”

  “Pardon me, Minister, but exactly on what grounds do you want to question Professor Snape about?” Minerva asked in surprise.

  “On the grounds that we believe that Severus Snape was one of the last people to see Cornelius Fudge when he was alive,” Rhys said promptly.  “He was found dead in his house this morning and the evidence would suggest that he was murdered.”

  “That’s absolutely ridiculous!  My brother wouldn’t murder anybody!”  Anna said in an outburst, gaining the attention of the rest of the inn.

  “Calm down, Anna, he only said he was going to be questioned,” Minerva said, getting up.

  “If it was only a mere questioning, what’s with the armed escort?”  Hermione asked.

  “You must have a lot of evidence on him,” Ron agreed, making a note.

  “I can’t discuss such things outside of a court,” Brown warned Ron sternly, glancing back at Severus.  “So, are you going to come along quietly?  I for one would rather not make a big deal out of this in front of the students.”

  “Definitely not,” Severus agreed, finishing off his Black Anise wine and glancing over at his wife.  She stared back at him intensely for a long moment before he got up, reading his face silently.  “Let’s get this over with shall we?”

  “Mind if I tag along?”  Ron said, intending to do so in any case.

  “I am going to get Dumbledore,” Minerva said, getting up.

  “Well, I’m going to go get Vallid,” Anna said firmly, standing up herself.

  “Severus Snape?  Being questioned for murder?” asked a delighted Lucius Malfoy who had come down the stairs behind them.  “How the mighty have fallen.”  Suddenly Jennifer scrambled to her feet but Sirius was a step quicker, grabbing Jennifer’s sleeve before she could pull a wand out and holding her back while Hermione stood in front of her, quietly reminding her where she was.

  “Mr. Malfoy, might I remind you that since you knew she was going to be here today that you’re in direct violation of your own restraining order?”  Rhys said, not bothering to hide his dislike for the man.

  “Quite alright, this place has proven to be beneath me anyhow.  Probably should have been condemned years ago,” he said, ignoring Rosmerta’s flashing eyes from where she stood off to the side.  “Come along, Danyelle.  When you graduate, perhaps I’ll buy you your own inn here, and then we can put this rat’s nest out of business,” he sneered as they headed towards the door.

  “Jennifer, if he shows up in here again you have my permission to throw him out,” Rosmerta said, making sure Brown and Malfoy both had heard as well.

  “Good, now that that’s settled, let’s get going shall we?”  Rhys said, nodding to the guards as they took out their keys and ported Severus and themselves out.  Standing in the middle of the crowded inn with her friends around her, Jennifer still couldn’t remember the last time she felt so alone.

Chapter Fourteen

The Other Bishop

 

  Monday morning found Corey swarmed with curious students, crowding around his side of the table at breakfast while he picked at his meal, barely having enough time to eat with all the questions that were being thrown at him.

  “So they’re holding him in Azkaban for a few weeks, so what?  I mean, that doesn’t mean he’s guilty,” Corey said, sounding irritated.  “Professor Snape wouldn’t kill anybody short of self defense.  They got the wrong man is all.”

  “But they must have quite a bit of evidence on him if it was enough to want to hold him in Azkaban, they don’t put just anyone in there, you know,” Perry pointed out.  “Everyone knows he has a short temper, maybe he just snapped.”

  “Craw says he didn’t do it.  If Craw says he didn’t do it, he didn’t do it,” Corey said, poking at his sausage.

  “What’s going to happen to Defense class, are we going to be excused from it for awhile?” Gail asked hopefully.

  “Of course not, Dumbledore hired a substitute, I heard,” Doug said.  “As if they’d let us get out of things that easy.”

  “Any idea who?”  She asked, looking expectantly to Corey, who shook his head.

  “All I know is they’re supposed to be following Snape’s lesson plan, so don’t expect any easy breaks,” he said.

  “Mr. Willowby?”  The students all looked up to see Professor McGonagall heading forward and shifted in their seats and away from him, looking suddenly interested in their breakfasts.  Corey looked up at her, wondering what he’d done now, while she glanced thoughtfully at the crowd around him, deciding not to comment.  “Mr. Willowby, might I see you in my office during your free period?”

  “Professor, I swear I wasn’t anywhere near the…” several students suddenly jumped on him at once including Doug who stuck a piece of toast in his mouth.

  “Here try the lime marmalade, isn’t it great?”  Doug said nervously, staring at him warningly.  McGonagall frowned at them thoughtfully for a long time.

  “I was just about to say, no you’re not in trouble for anything, but now I’m not so sure,” she said, gazing at them suspiciously.  Corey quickly managed to swallow the piece of toast.

  “I’ll be there as soon as I get out of class, Professor,” Corey promised.  Giving them all one last searching look, McGonagall walked away.

  “So much for setting up the ramps and going Snow-brooming today.  I can’t set them up by myself, and Taylor has an afternoon class.”

  “Maybe it won’t take long,” Corey suggested.  “I wonder what she wants to talk about?”

  “Probably a lecture on not to talk about your Dad’s case and whatnot,” Aelfred suggested.

  “No, we already had that talk,” Corey said, poking at his breakfast again.  “So what else did you guys want to ask me about, anyhow?”

 

  The Defense class wasn’t quite sure what to make of their substitute, and nearly all of them were instantly reminded of their grandmothers.  This dotty looking old witch with the bright mauve dress couldn’t possibly be their teacher, could it?

  “Class, my name is Madame Belle,” Audi said with a grin, “Normally my title is Auror, but I’m going to be your Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor until Professor Snape gets back.”

  “You mean if he gets back, don’t you Madame Belle?”  Greisley said.  Essie turned around long enough to glare at him.

  “No, dear charming boy.  I always say what I mean.  I have been told that last week you had just taken a test on fear based creatures and failed miserably.  Well that happens, we all have our good and bad days. So I’m going to do you all a favor.  After you pass up all the corrections, I’m going to let you take the test again.  The catch is, if you miss any, I get to pick one of them that you missed and you’re going to have to face one to pass your midterm.  Of course, if you get them all right, you won’t have to worry about it,” she said cheerfully.

  “You can’t be serious?  You really expect that anyone would let you get away with pitting students against these vicious sorts of creatures for real?”  Greisley said again.

  “Better in a controlled environment than out in the wild, and I’ll have you know I already cleared it with Snape and Dumbledore.  So if I were you, I’d take one last moment to look at those corrections he made you do and pray you remember them before the good Doctor Sagittari and I set out to round us up some creatures.”  While the class was busy looking at each other, trying to decide if she were serious or not, Audi glanced up to notice Jennifer standing by the door and smiled at her.

  True, her style wasn’t anything like Severus’, Jennifer mused, but the content and method of getting through to the students was something she knew he definitely would agree with.  Even still, there was something odd about not seeing him there…slamming down books and ‘volunteering’ students for demonstrations.  At least she could tell him with a certainty when he asked that his students were not going to fall behind.

  As she walked down the hall, she heard her name called and turned around to see Hermione hurrying towards her.

  “There you are, I thought you had a class,” Hermione said.

  “I have an early double on Monday mornings,” Jennifer grumbled, “so I have a long lunch.  Why, are you looking for me?”

  “There’s something I need to show you,” Hermione said.  Jennifer looked over at her serious face, seeing that it was important.

  “All right, lead the way,” Jennifer said.  “Something about your class?”

  “Well, sort of.  It’s about the chessboard, actually,” Hermione replied, leading her down the hallway.  “A couple of my students went in this morning to study it when they noticed that one of the pieces moved over the weekend.”

  “Did you find out which student did it?” Jennifer asked.

  “No, a student can’t have done it, it’s spell-locked to stay in that position unless a professor changes it.  But I’m thinking there’s more to it than that,” Hermione explained.  “I think the piece might have moved on its own.”  Jennifer looked at her in puzzlement, following her into the room, stepping onto the chessboard so she could get a better look at them.

  “Interesting, rather looks like the Hogwarts shield, if the Slytherin corner wasn’t quite so bare,” Jennifer mused after a moment.

  “Well one of the reasons it is, is because the pieces that’s changed was in that corner,” Hermione said, taking out a piece of checkered paper where they were marked off.  “Do you see that black bishop between the two black rooks on A2? That’s the one that was up in the Slytherin corner before.  But now it’s here, behind four towers.”

  “Four towers, four walls…are you sure it moved this weekend?”

  “I’m positive, I had students in here Friday night,” Hermione insisted.

  “A Slytherin moved behind four walls, that means, this bishop…”

  “Must be Severus,” Hermione finished with a nod.  “I wish I could get with Bedivere O’Laren about it, but he doesn’t seem to be in his painting.”

  “Have you tried asking Professor Dusthorn?”

  “She’s not in her painting either,” Hermione said, walking around near the two bishops.  “Who do you suppose the other bishop represents?  Your father, maybe?”

  “Maybe,” Jennifer said, “After all, he was a Slytherin too, and he’s in Azkaban as well.  Have you figured out who any of the other pieces are?”

  “No, not yet, but I can’t see that Severus would be on here and you wouldn’t, if I’d hazard a guess, I’d say you were the black queen in the Ravenclaw Quarter,” Hermione suggested.  “But the one thing that was always odd about this board is there’s a missing king.  Such a significant piece missing must mean something.”

  “Hermione, if you’d hazard a guess to where the King would go in the pattern, where would it be?”

  “Well, assuming it’s somewhat symmetric, I’d think it’d go on the other side of those four pawns opposite the white king, and then all you’d have to do is move the Queen up to take the other corner,” Hermione said.  Jennifer looked at it for a long time. 

  “Perhaps we’re looking at this the wrong way.  I think this symbol is actually operating on several different levels,” Jennifer said thoughtfully.  “What if the four houses themselves here represent something?  What if this isn’t about the houses so much as it’s about the four magic types?”

  “Or the four Sentinels,” Hermione said.  Jennifer looked thoughtful again.

  “Do you suppose O’Laren would have put himself on the board?”  Jennifer asked.  “After all it was his message.”

  “If he did, he’d definitely put himself on the Gryffindor side, being his apprentice and all,” Hermione said.

  “And Dusthorn the Hufflepuff side.”  Jennifer agreed.  “And, if that were true, that’d also explain who the other person in Azkaban is.”

  “Icarus Ravenclaw,” Hermione nodded.

  “And it also would mean the missing King is Janus Craw,” Jennifer said.  “And if I would hazard another guess, that even though Janus was the sentinel of Dark, I think that missing piece also represents the fact that there’s no ancient Sentinel.  And if they’re actually connected, it might be trying to tell us that the Sentinels can’t be fixed until this board is fixed and these four are all where they’re supposed to be, wherever that is.”

  “I think that part is obvious at least,” Hermione said, opening her arms out across the board.  “They’re all supposed to be at Hogwarts.”

  “Oh, no,” Jennifer said, sitting down.  “But that includes Icarus!  Please tell me we’re not going to bring that horrid spook here!”

  “Don’t panic, we’re just reading symbols, remember?  We don’t even know if what we’re guessing is right,” Hermione reminded her.  But Jennifer glanced at the chessboard silently for a moment, before sighing.

  “It’s right,” Jennifer muttered, turning around to leave the room.  “But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

 

  Icarus slipped partially through the wall and peered into the cell, watching as Severus paced the room like a caged panther.  He stopped long enough to scribble a note at the table that was there; adding it to a growing stack of letters then began to pace again.  After a moment, Icarus faded the rest of the way in and Severus paused to look at him, before beginning to pace again.

  “Oh, it’s you.  I wondered how long it’d take you to show up,” Severus said.

  “Sorry, I’ve been in a depressed mood and have been in the crypt for several days.  I came the moment I heard.  But what are you doing here exactly?”  Icarus asked, hovering beside the wizard as he paced.

  “I was wondering the same thing myself,” Severus muttered.  “Strange, there were many times I myself thought I deserved to be in here for one thing or another.  Ironic that it turned out to be for something I didn’t do.”

  “That’s quite an admission,” Icarus said, floating a few feet away and watching him.  “Although I am glad you didn’t do it,” he admitted.  Severus glanced over at the ghost with a raised eyebrow.  “With you here, I’m sure Jennifer will be over here all the time, and I am beginning to get the feeling she isn’t very fond of me.”

  “She hates you,” Severus said, picking up his pace once more.  “And I can’t say as I blame her.”

  “But you don’t hate me, do you?” Icarus prodded.

  “You’re annoying, whining self-pitying and a complete nuisance, and I’d like it if you’d keep yourself away from my wife instead of getting her worked up all the time,” Severus said with a glare.  “How many times a day does post get sent out?”

  “Once,” Icarus said calmly.

  “How am I supposed to function if post only gets out once a day?”  Severus said.

  “It also gets screened, you know,” Icarus said thoughtfully.

  “That I am well aware of,” Severus said, finally sitting down by the table and putting his head in his hand, drumming his fingers on it.  “What about in-house letters?  Could I get more than one letter to Thomas Craw in a day?”

  “You can always ask Hinge or Boltin if they would, but I’d think the Warden would suspect you’re plotting,” Icarus said.  “He’d lose his yard privileges again for sure, which wouldn’t really be a bad thing.  I rather don’t like following him up there in the light of day, it’s all rather depressing if you ask me.”  Icarus floated over a bit closer to see Severus staring almost mesmerized at his wedding ring.  “How is she?” he asked after watching a few moments.

  “You’re rather nosy, for a ghost,” Severus said, picking up a letter Dumbledore had sent him and pretended to read it.

  “Of course I am.  I have a lot of time on my hands and nothing to do with all of it.”

  “You also don’t have actual  hands,” Severus said curtly, flipping the page over.

  “True enough.  I suppose by your mannerisms you feel that I have worn out my welcome for one visit.  Very well, no one can say that I don’t know when I’m not wanted.  I will just go sulk in someone else’s cell for awhile,” Icarus said, pausing as he made a move towards the wall, looking over his shoulder as if expecting a reply that he didn’t receive.  “I will be around, and can be around, you know, if you need someone to talk to.  After all, ghosts don’t sleep,” he reminded Severus as he floated through the wall.

  “Wonderful,” Severus groaned softly to himself, putting down the note and laying down, pulling the low collar up around his neck subconsciously as he tried to get some rest.

  It seemed forever before Sunday came, and he regretted not having have had the time to take out his watch before they had taken his cloak.  He had woken early to a darkened cell but couldn’t get back to sleep, going over events in his mind, wondering if he had missed some clue that would uncover the real murderer and get him out of there sooner.  Finally the lights began to flicker on, and Severus quickly got dressed waiting impatiently by the door until just before nine when he heard a spell being cast on the other side of the door and the latch snapping open.  The head guard standing there was a burly man who didn’t really look to be the enchanter type.  But Adam Hinge, Severus knew, was quite a master at charms, and how he ended up in a job like this instead of something more promising was beyond him.  Apparently, it was beyond Hinge as well, for although he had nothing really against his job, he really didn’t like it either, suspicious of everything and everyone and distrusting any sort of magic that he didn’t cast himself.

  “You have a visitor,” Hinge said, looking him over.  “Ready to go, I see?”

  “Is there anything in this drab grey outfit with a higher collar on it?”  Severus asked.

  “This is a prison, not a fashion review,” Hinge said, rolling his eyes.  “Now, come on out, before I change my mind and request that you be in solitary today for acting up.” 

  Frowning slightly, Severus stepped out, nodding to the other guards, most of which he knew from his trips to Azkaban.  Most of them nodded politely in return until Hinge turned around from closing the door to give them all a horrified look for their actions, and they quickly faced the front.  “This is also not a four star hotel and you’re not concierges, now get your wands out and guard the prisoner!  Lawd, why do I always end up getting the raw recruits,” Hinge muttered, turning and walking down the hall.

    Jennifer was glad when Severus finally appeared; looking slightly annoyed at his choice of guards but otherwise seemed all right.  Impatiently she set her things on the table and went over to meet him, but as he approached she suddenly realized that the barrier that kept her from getting to her father was also now between her and Severus.  It was obvious from his expression that he realized it in the same moment she had, and they stood there for a long moment, gazing at each other, both afraid the words they were thinking would betray their true feelings.  Finally Jennifer slumped in the chair on her side of the field and Severus followed suit on the other, looking at her expectantly as if waiting for her to say something.

  “I brought your Sherlock Holmes and some of your other books, I know you must be going stir crazy by now, I know I would be,” Jennifer said, smiling wanly.  Severus nodded solemnly, knowing the truth in that.  “Corey sent over some black cauldron licorice.  I believe he bought it for Christmas but suspected you needed it now.  He sent a letter as well.”

  “It had better have something in it about finishing his homework,” Severus said threateningly.  Jennifer relaxed a little, hearing nothing of the strain she herself was feeling.

  “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that.  Minerva went and cleaned out one of the spare rooms in the castle and soundproofed it to give the band somewhere to practice, but that was providing they kept up with their schoolwork.  Otherwise she told them she’d confiscate the instruments until the end of the school year.  I haven’t heard a peep of complaint about homework from any of them this week, even Corey,” Jennifer grinned.

  “And Audi has already got the students eating out of the palm of her hand.  I don’t know what you wrote her, but apparently between that and her Truth-seeking she’s always got one up on them, they don’t have a chance to pull anything.”

  “And what about you, are you getting enough rest, eating well?”  Severus asked in a tone that he indicated that he already knew the answer to that.

  “It’s been a rough week,” Jennifer admitted cautiously.  “But I swear Dumbledore must have called a safety net around me, they haven’t given me much time alone, except at night,” Jennifer admitted in a low voice.  “Nights have been just horrible.”

  “Yes, I know,” Severus said in the same tone, his hand tingling as he reached to the edge of the field, unable to get passed it.  Jennifer had done the same, only too aware of the inch of space in between.  “But then, we’ve been through worse times, I’m sure we’ll get through this,” he shrugged.  There was a knock on the open door and the two looked up to see Vallid standing there.

  “Sorry, mind if I invade a moment?  It won’t take long,” she promised, “and I arranged for any left over time I have today to be added to your time, Jennifer.”

  “Excuse me, Counselor, it’s a nice sentiment, but you can’t do that, it’s against regulations,” Hinge stated.

  “Well, you’ll have to take that up with the Warden.  Boltin arranged it for me with him,” Vallid told him cheerfully, sitting down and putting her paperwork in front of her.

  “Well, Severus, we got our work cut out for us on this time.  Suspected theft, three counts of breaking and entering –“

  “A lie, I only broke in once,” Severus muttered.  “And another time I was let in.”

  “Yes, and got Harry into a bit of hot water there too in the process,” Vallid said.  “The House Elves were even questioned, and my guess is they’ll end up on the witness stand for sure.  And they found that the vault was broken into, and was empty when they searched the bedroom.  Know anything about that?”  Severus was quite surprised at that.

  “That wasn’t how I left it,” he said, glancing over and looking intently at Jennifer.  “I already knew the combination,” he admitted.  More than that, Jennifer saw, but he had left a fake copy of the tome in its place, hoping to buy time so that Fudge wouldn’t have been sure who had taken it.  “Were there any old tomes found there?” he asked, looking over at Vallid, who had been watching him closely as well.

  “No there wasn’t,” she said thoughtfully, sitting back.  “But there were a lot of spells cast in that room, not the least of which the Killing Curse, and, well, they were all cast with your wand.”

  “Impossible,” Severus snapped.  “I had my wand the entire time.”

  “Did you put it in your cloak?  Suppose someone got in your chest at Hogwarts,” Jennifer suggested.

  “Not with Rasputin there. I would have found out the moment I got back,” Severus protested.

  “Yes, but you never got back,” Jennifer pointed out, looking over at Vallid.  “Harry’s not in any trouble, is he?”

  “Well, he’s not allowed to leave the country for awhile in case anyone has questions, but other than that, there’s not any charges or anything,” Vallid said.  “By the way, I was able to press for an early trial, and I was able to get the Magistrate to hold it before you get back from the holidays, on the second of January.  But as much as I’m in favor for this to be over with, that doesn’t give us much time.  Anna and Harry are already trying to put clues together to find out who possibly could have been able to frame Severus, but anything you can do to help, Jennifer, might make the difference here,” she said with a sigh, looking straight at Severus.  “I’m going to be straight with you, right now it doesn’t look good.  No court in the world is going to refute wand evidence like they have on you, and by your own and Harry’s admission you have been in that house without permission before.  Chances are they’re going to dig up a lot of past skeletons to try and damage any character witnesses I might have.  So I need to know, Severus, what sort of things might they bring up?”

  Severus pulled the short collar closer around the scars on his neck as if suddenly overly conscious about them being visible.

  “Ask Dumbledore,” he said after a moment, turning once again to his wife.  Jennifer nodded to him, knowingly, exhaling loudly, a sober expression on her face.

 

Chapter Fifteen

Clues and Carol Trolls

 

  Corey watched with interest as Harry and the monitor basilisk hissed at each other, while Jennifer stood by, watching quietly.  At last Harry sighed and stood back up, shaking his head.

  “No, he didn’t see anyone at all messing with the chest, and he says he was sleeping near the fireplace all afternoon.  Nobody came in again until the next day when you sent Corey in to feed him,” Harry said.  “And he says he’s hungry.”

  “He’s always hungry,” Jennifer said, shaking her head.  “Thank you, Corey, can you take him back to my office and give him a mouse?  Just make sure you get the eye patch on all the way this time.”

  “Sure, Mom.  Come on, Rasputin, let’s get you some food,” Corey said.  Apparently, the large lizard understood that well enough, plopping to the floor and slowly following the teen out the door.

  “This doesn’t make any sense.  We know it couldn’t have been any other wand…no two wands are exactly alike,” Jennifer said.  “And the spells were all there in the wand’s memory.”

  “And yet Severus swears it never left his side,” Harry nodded.  “But it must have at some point.  We both know he didn’t do it.  We just need to find out how they got it and got it back to him without him knowing it.”

  “It reminds me an awful lot of the time that Ederick Thurspire says he didn’t kidnap my father, and yet his wand said he did.  We never did figure out how that happened,” Jennifer said thoughtfully.

  “Maybe it’s time we looked into that again,” Harry agreed.  There was a knock on the door and Jennifer let Anna in.

  “Sorry, late class.  Find out anything?”

  “No, but we’re thinking about going to talk to Ederick Thurspire about something,” Harry said.

  “Well, I need to go see Severus about the case, so I’ll head to the Ministry after I’m done there.  Jennifer, you want me to take anything?”  Anna asked.

  “Oh, yes, some more books and a couple of potions, if you don’t mind,” Jennifer said, scrounging around her unkempt desk until she found a prescription from Sagittari, attaching it to the bottles.  She also picked up a recent copy of the paper and tossed it in with his books.  “That’s the last bottle of Sleeping Slumber I have too, and he never gave me his version.  I suppose I’ll have to go by the book if he needs any more,” Jennifer sighed.  “I’m sure he’ll be glad to see you, though.”

  “It’s the first night I’ve been free.  I had to help Lunette secure a quick court date, and reschedule all her other casework around it, not that she would have it any other way,” Anna added.

  “I don’t know what I’d do without her,” Jennifer agreed.

  “Well, I’d better be going, I’ll see you in an hour or so,” Anna said, heading out the door.  Harry looked thoughtfully after her.

  “Jennifer, did Severus ever tell her about, well you know,” Harry said rubbing his neck.  Jennifer looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.

  “I’m not sure,” Jennifer admitted.  “But if he hasn’t, I suppose he’ll have to now.”

 

  Anna sighed as they went through her things for the third time, checking the prescription and potions and anything else that looked magic, flipping through each book suspiciously.  She had been to Azkaban several times before, mostly on business, but it felt completely wrong to be coming here to visit her own brother.  No matter what they had on him, he knew he didn’t do it.  Severus wasn’t capable of killing anyone any more than she was.

  “A visitor?  This isn’t Sunday,” she heard a guard say after another guard approached him.  Hinge squinted at Anna, walking over and giving her an appraising look.  “You don’t look like a court official to me.”

  “I’m one of Lunette Vallid’s assistants,” Anna said, handing him the pass to look at.  Just then, Thatcher Boltin came up behind the other guard, glancing at the paper and smiling at her.

  “It’s legit, Adam.  I’ve seen Mrs. Black before.  Come on through, Anna.  Adam, if you want, I can go get Snape for you,” Boltin offered.

  “No thanks, sir.  I can handle it myself,” Hinge said, giving her back her pass and nodding to her warily before heading down the hall.

  “He’s a real ray of sunshine, isn’t he?” Boltin winked at her.  “Come on, I’ll take you to the visiting room.”

  “Actually, he acts more what I’m used to prison guards acting like,” Anna said.  “You, on the other hand, seem out of place.”

  “Do I?”  Boltin said, glancing at her.  “Funny, I’ve always felt like I belong here, myself.”  As they walked down the hall, Anna couldn’t help but wonder.  Could Boltin be the Warden of Azkaban?  After all, when anyone needed to talk to the Warden, it was him they went to.  Was it all pretenses and he was actually covering up for himself?  But before she could think of a question that might hint to whether or not she was right, they arrived at the visitor’s room just as Severus and his guards did and Anna’s jaw dropped.  His entire neck was covered with strange red scars, and she wondered that she’d never noticed before.  Of course, he’d always kept his neck covered, she realized, and now she knew why.

  Severus flinched slightly but resisted the urge to pull his collar up again, sitting down quietly.  Boltin took the things for Severus from Anna and passed them through without a word and then nodded to the other guards they could leave, allowing the two of them some space while he leaned up against the door, polishing his wand.

  “Where did you get those?”  Anna asked stiffly.  “Those aren’t recent, are they?”

  “No, I’ve had them for years,” Severus said expressionlessly, folding his hands together.  “I could have taken a potion to be rid of them, I suppose, but I chose to keep them as a reminder to myself; darkness has its price, and will extract it anyway it wants to any who give in to it.  Once you’ve crossed the line, it’s much harder to stay away from it, you are drawn to it no matter what you do,” he said quietly, a distant look in his eyes.  “There were often times when I stored my Hogwarts life in a Pensieve and headed away to face the Death Eaters as one of them…yet the scars never left me, and reminded me of the evil they were capable of inflicting on others.  I failed to kill someone to purge myself from Muggle impurities, so they took out my impurities in other ways,” Severus said, looking over at her.  “I still think it was wrong of Fudge and the others to seal your magic, Anna.  But at least being so far away from the nightmare that was happening here protected you from all of this.”

  Anna wasn’t quite sure what to say.  He had told her from the start that he had had many dark years and followed paths she wouldn’t have dreamed of going down herself.  But hearing him speak of it and seeing a scar of it was two different things.

  “So, how did you contrive to get to see me on a weeknight, anyhow?”  Severus asked after an uneasy silence.

  “Ah, court papers from Vallid,” Anna said, handing them to Boltin who passed them over quickly before going back to his corner.  “Also she wants to conduct a Pensieve test on you for the last night to make sure you don’t have any gaps in your memory, and wants a list of people who might have been close enough to you to get to your wand.”

  “The only one I can think of who could have is Jennifer,” Severus said irritably, “And she certainly didn’t take my wand.  I’m not even sure her magic is still working.”

  “It’s still working,” Anna said, “but she has an alibi.  She and Hermione were combing the library looking for more books on Janus Craw they might have missed.”

  “When was this third break-in supposed to have happened?  I was back in Hogwarts by eleven.”

  “Around ten or eleven, I believe,” Anna said thoughtfully.  “Who was on security when you got back?”

  “Rolanda and Alvin,” Severus said, and then rolled their eyes.  “Although I’m not sure you could exactly call what they were doing security.  You know how the two of them have been lately any time the students aren’t around.”  Anna grinned.

  “Bound to happen.  The two of them have a lot in common.  They did see you come in though, didn’t they?”

  “Yes, I’m quite sure they didn’t miss that,” Severus smirked slightly.

  “That’s good, because that means if the murder happened after that point you have an alibi,” Anna said with a nod.  “Do you remember using your wand at all when you got back?”  Severus thought about it for a while.  “No, but I remember putting it away that night when I went to bed.  I would have noticed if it was gone then.”

  “And what time was that?”

  “Nearly Midnight.  Jennifer was already settled in.”

  “Nearly Midnight?” Anna asked quizzically.

  “I had gone to speak with Dumbledore immediately after getting back,” Severus nodded.  “I was in the Study the entire time.”

  “So, if it happened after ten, and you do have an alibi, then how could they have possibly gotten the wand back to you if you were in Dumbledore’s office?”  Anna asked.

  “Impossible,” Severus said.  Anna couldn’t help but nod, tending to agree.  It must have happened before that then, she decided.  Of course, that also meant it was still likely for Severus to have been the one to have done it.

 

  Ederick Thurspire was not surprised to see them, but he was rather surprised at what it was they wanted to talk about.  He had made them quite comfortable, hoping to learn more about what Severus had been up to, only to find out they wanted to talk about him personally.

  “The Azkaban incident?  Goodness, why on earth do you want to talk about that?”  He said, looking between Harry and Jennifer suspiciously.

  “We thought it might shed light on this whole thing, being that your wand was used in an attack that no one thinks you did as well,” Harry said.

  “I didn’t do it, at least, not consciously,” Ederick said.

  “Exactly, which is what makes us think that perhaps this is interrelated.  I know the evidence against Severus is surmountable, but he didn’t it,” Jennifer said fervently.  Ederick nodded calmly to her.

  “I know.  I don’t believe he did it either,” Ederick said.  Jennifer stared at him, completely taken aback.

  “You really expect us to believe that, after all you’ve done to try to pin something on him?”  Harry asked.  “We weren’t coming here for back up, nor did we expect it.”

  “I know, but you have it anyhow.  Severus is far from an innocent man,” Ederick said, glancing at Jennifer then back at Harry.  “But he’s also nearly as paranoid a perfectionist about some things as old man Craw is.  No, no, this is much, much too sloppy to have been Severus Snape.  I’m quite convinced that if he had wanted him dead, first off, he wouldn’t have bothered sneaking in twice to look around and definitely wouldn’t have told someone like Harry Potter he was doing it, and second, we certainly wouldn’t have been left any obvious clues that it was him.”

  “He’s right, you know,” Harry said, turning to Jennifer.  “This had to be a frame up, nothing else makes any logical sense.”

  “But we still don’t know how they could have gotten the wand,” Jennifer sighed.

  “Let me poke around Azkaban for a few days,” Harry said, “I want to see if I can’t turn something up on what happened with Craw when he was kidnapped.  With any luck, we can close that case and Fudge’s murder at the same time.”

 

  But several days had passed and Jennifer hadn’t heard that he had found anything yet, and reluctantly her thoughts turned to midterm reviews and tests.  Heavy snow piled onto the rooftops and the fireplaces roared with gently popping logs.  In the staff room, Jennifer flipped through her seventh year book to a note she had been working on for Severus, adding a couple of lines before Anna and Hermione came in.

  “Hello there, any news?”  Hermione asked as they sat to either side of her at the end of the table.

  “Not on my end.  Yours?” Jennifer asked tiredly.

  “Only that Ederick is actually helping Lunette for a change,” Anna said.  “She’s got him poking about and finding out as much about the prosecution’s case as possible…I guess the prosecution is digging up all sorts of old Ministry files on Severus.”

  “I was afraid of that,” Jennifer said, kneading her head.

  “Here, let me get you some tea,” Hermione said, taking out her wand and pointing at the lunch table.  One of the china cups suddenly jumped up on porcelain legs and hopped over to the professor’s table, sitting itself by Jennifer and filled up with warm liquid.  “There’s no need to worry, not with so many working to look after Severus interests.  You can trust Vallid and Dumbledore to stand behind him, you know.  And you’re on the Council now, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, starting January first, but I can’t vote in this case, of course,” Jennifer said, gratefully wrapping her cold hands around the cup.  “As for their support, we’re still in the same boat about the wand.  If we can’t find a way to prove he wasn’t the one that used it, he doesn’t stand a chance.”

  “Good afternoon everyone,” Minerva said, walking into the room with a smile.  “Might I ask if any of you are staying this year?”

  “Not I, I’m going to visit my parents,” Hermione said.

  “Going home of course,” Jennifer said with a sigh.

  “I’m not going to the States this year, I’m needed too much here,” Anna said.  “So we’ll be at the mansion if you need us.”

  “Not too many students either, another small Christmas group,” Minerva said commented.  “Dumbledore doesn’t have time for a pre-holiday meeting, as I’m sure you know he’s been in London every spare moment.  Just make sure you have your paperwork filed.  And on time,” she added, looking directly at Anna.  Just then, Hermione got a strange look on her face and rushed out of the room.  Minerva looked after her with a nod.  “Now there’s a girl with enthusiasm about her work,” she said.  Anna and Jennifer gazed up at Minerva sulkily.

  Jennifer quickly finished her tea, deciding it might be a good time to start back to her classroom, when suddenly she heard the most horrendous noise she had ever heard in her entire life.

  “I thought I told those four not to practice outside of that room,” Minerva said, but quickly realized it was too loud and too horrible a sound even to be them.  Exchanging quick glances, the three of them soon headed to the nearest window, realizing it was coming from outside.

  “I can’t see anything from here,” Anna said.

  “Professor McGonagall!”  They looked over to see Argus Filch in the doorway, looking none too happy to be there.  “A pack of Carol Trolls have come down from the mountains and have laid siege to the front gate.”

  “Good heavens!  Go get Professor Sprout and tell her to bring up all the earmuffs she can find,” Minerva said.  “Jennifer, go out there and see what you can do, I’m going to go ring the bell and get everyone inside.”

  “Oh great, that’s just what we need right now,” Jennifer said, grabbing her cloak and hurriedly putting it on.  “Come on, Anna!”

  “Wait, what’s a Carol Troll?”  Anna asked, following behind her.

  As the bells started to ring, students began to hurry down the halls as insistent Professors urged them to head to their rooms.  Jennifer would quickly stop and inform them the problem, until she finally made it to the front gate.  Digging in her cloak, she stopped long enough to bring out two pairs of earplugs, handing Anna a pair.

  “Here, we’re going to need these.  Carol Troll songs aren’t deadly like mandrakes, but they sure can do their share of damage,” Jennifer said.

  “Wait, are you going to tell me what a Carol Troll is?”  Anna asked as the earplugs were shoved at her.

  “It’s trolls that go Christmas Caroling, of course,” Jennifer explained hurriedly.  “Where did you think the phrase trolling carols came from, anyhow?”

  “I don’t believe this,” Anna said, reluctantly putting in the earplugs and following her out.  The ground rolled like an earthquake as the trolls began their own version of “Deck the Halls,” small pieces of rock loosing from the walls with every “Fa la la.”  Filius Flitwick was already standing in the courtyard in pink earmuffs along with Audi Belle, who looked positively delighted.

  “I have seventh years in there, how about I go get ‘em and we have a lesson in detrolling castles?”  Audi shouted.

  “I knew we should have went ahead and torn down that bridge across the western ridge when we found it,” Filius shouted back.

  “Has anybody bothered to get the list yet?”  Jennifer shouted to them.

  “What, and pay those buggers off?  You know what they’re demands are like!”  Audi protested.

  “If you pay them off it’ll only encourage them to come back,” Filius said.

  “Oh come on, where’s your Christmas spirit?  Besides, if they keep singing like this the wall surrounding the gate is going to crumble,” Jennifer shouted.  “I’m going to go get it.”

  “What list?” Anna demanded.

  “Their Christmas list, of course,” Jennifer explained quickly, hurrying out for the gate.  Anna stopped in her tracks and watched dubiously as Jennifer ran up and held out her hand expectantly.  A huge piece of paper over three feet wide and five feet long was quickly handed to her, and she sat it down long enough to let it roll up, dragging it across the snow and back over to the Professors.  By then, Minerva and Sprout had appeared, Sprout offering out more earmuffs just as the trolls did a booming rendition of  ‘Silent Night.’  Motioning for the others to step inside, Minerva quickly ushered the professors in and shut the door, taking off her earmuffs, and attempting to ignore the rumbling of the door.

  “So, can I take the seventh years out and dispose of them?” Audi suggested again eagerly.

  “Goodness, I don’t think the board would approve of that.  Besides, it’s not like they hit the castle often, they have over a dozen addresses they annoy, so we only get it every fifteen years or so.  Jennifer, split the list up into categories:  Food, Clothing, Toys, and General.  We’ll split up into teams and try to find what they need.”

   Jennifer cast a spell on it to translate it into something she could read then immediately grimaced.

  “Yorkshire Pudding?  Pickled Goat?  Head Cheese?  Ugh, I’m getting nauseous just looking at it, somebody else is going to have to get this one,” Jennifer said quickly, as she spelled the selections on a smaller, much more manageable piece of paper and handed it to Filius.

  “Audi and I shall get this one then,” he volunteered.

  “Oh, well, if we aren’t allowed to beat them, I suppose the food run isn’t too bad.”

  “Dingy tunics, Pattern coats, Smelly sandals?”  Anna frowned, leaning over Jennifer’s shoulder.

  “Torn linens, tapestries and broken lavatory seats.  Argus and I will handle that one,” Minerva volunteered.  “Why don’t you give me the toy list too, Jennifer, I’ll hand that to Alvin and Rolanda.  The two of you can do the general list.  And please, hurry!”  Minerva urged, turning down the hall with Argus.

  “Most of the stuff Carol Trolls request are things we don’t want or need, or things that are broken,” Jennifer explained to Anna.  “Nose rings…I wonder if those old broken towel rings from the staff bathroom would work?   Spice rack?  Trolls use spices?” Jennifer pondered as they walked down the hall.  “I bet one of my old cauldron racks would work.”

  “A dingy owl-feather pillow?”  Anna said, looking over her shoulder.  “Old student laundry bag and a trip to the Owlery?”

  “You’re catching on,” Jennifer grinned, handing her part of the list.  “I’m going down to the lab to get this, we can meet in front of the door in a few minutes and see what we got left.”

  It was the craziest scavenger hunt Anna had ever been on, and it didn’t help that all the while the robust voices of the trolls rumbled through the castle, completely distracting her by singing another round of “Deck the Halls.”  Finally she got back with what she had gathered, adding it to the very large pile of junk growing at the door.

  “Quick, before they consider singing ‘Ave Maria’ I don’t think I could handle it,” Minerva said, checking the list twice to make sure everything was there.  After a couple of last minute substitutions, and Minerva had gone through each one to make sure nothing valuable had gotten in by mistake, the professors all pitched in to run it all to the gate, putting them in the large sacks they had waiting there.  That was when the lead caroler finally stopped singing, rummaging through the sack with scrutiny.

  “Ummmm wat dat?”  The troll asked, pointing at an old broken gate off one of the Quidditch towers.

  “That’s a sled,” Rolanda said.

  “An wat dat?”  She asked, pointing at a large metal goblet with a broken handle.

  “That’s a thimble,” Anna answered quickly.

  “Oh.  All here den,” she decided.  “One fa da road?”

  “No!  Thank you,” Minerva said frantically.  “Happy Christmas!”

  “Meny Appie Retterns,” she said, slinging a club over one hand and a sack over the other.  The large group of trolls began heading back up the mountains, not being able to resist another chorus of ‘Jingle Bells’ as they left.

  “Well if that don’t put us all in the Christmas mood I don’t know what does,” Rolanda smirked, earning a dirty look from all the rest of the professors.

Chapter Sixteen

Christmas at Azkaban

 

  Jennifer finished bundling up Aurelius, glancing over at Corey as he minimized the last of the gifts and put it all in one bag, handing it to his Mom before picking up Alex.

  “Are you sure they’ll let us in with them?”  Corey asked for the tenth time.  “I mean, I know they did last year, but this is different.”

  “Don’t worry, Corey, if I have to speak to the Warden myself to get them in there, they’re going,” Jennifer said with determination.  She looked around the house, which looked unusually bleak this Christmas, with only the sparsest decorations, having literally not had time to make too much of a fuss this year.  Still, she was quite set on making the best of it for all of them.  Letting Corey go first, Jennifer followed quickly behind, distinctly saying ‘Azkaban,’ popping out not long after in the entrance room.  Wind howled outside, and the air was cool enough to see their breaths on the ride across.  Jennifer, taking only a second to wipe a smudge of ash of the baby’s face, headed up through the first checkpoint with only a nod and an inquisitive glance.  It wasn’t until the third check, far within the halls of the prison, that someone finally seemed to take notice of the children, rather like last year, Jennifer recalled, when she came to visit her father.  But unlike last year, it was Hinge minding the gates, and the sight of the four of them standing there waiting to go in was a bit of a surprise.

  “How did you get down to this level?  Children aren’t allowed to see prisoners on this level,” Hinge said.

  “That’s true, but my husband isn’t technically a prisoner. They are only in holding waiting for his trial,” Jennifer said.  “Therefore, there’s no reason he should be included in that.”

  “If he’s held in this quarter, he’s included,” Hinge said.  “The boy can go, if he’s searched, but you’ll have to take the others back home.”

  “Where’s Boltin?”

  “Boltin is busy, and even if he wasn’t, I am the head duty officer for this shift, and I say, you don’t go in, security cleared or not.”  Hinge said.

  “Very well then, I’d like to speak with the Warden, please,” Jennifer said calmly.  Hinge’s eyes went wide.

  “You can’t speak with the Warden.  No one speaks with the Warden!”

  “I’m not leaving until my children and I either see my husband or I see the Warden,” Jennifer said, promptly making herself comfortable in the guard chair.  Hinge stood there, debating what to do, knowing he really ought to throw her out.  But something about trying to throw a world famous witch and Order of Merlin didn’t seem very appealing, rules or no.

  “Whatever is all the racket up here?” A hollow voice said as Icarus suddenly floated through the wall into the checkroom.  “Oh, it’s you, of course, I should have known.”

  “Icarus, what did I tell you about bothering guards when they’re on duty?”  Hinge said with a scowl.

  “Oh, I’m not here to bother them.  I’m here to bother her, of course.  My entire goal in life is to annoy her Crawness as much as possible.  At least, according to her it is.”  Icarus said somberly.

  “If you’re trying to get me to leave, it’s not going to work this time,” Jennifer said with annoyance, trying to be careful not to wake up her sleeping son.  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “A rather dull place to spend Christmas,” Icarus mused.  “I should know.  Do you know how many Christmases I’ve spent here?”

  “I don’t know, and I really don’t care at the moment,” Jennifer answered curtly.

  “Can’t you be nice even one day a year?” Icarus asked.  “At least Hinge has an excuse to be cranky.  He has to work on Christmas and got passed over for a promotion this year,” he taunted the guard.  Hinge growled at him in annoyance.

  “And Severus has to spend his Christmas in this horrid place and I won’t have him spending it alone.  And I swear, Hinge, if you do try to throw me out of here, I’ll make sure every single wizard newspaper in the world know about it.”

  “Wouldn’t that be fun!  I can read the headline now.  Famous Witch Un-Hinged over Irate Guard,” Icarus teased.

  “That’s it.  Jeff, go get Boltin and tell him Ick is acting up again.  If anyone can get rid of him, he can.”

  “I thought it was rather clever,” Icarus said glumly.

  “I liked it,” Corey put in, getting an annoyed look from Jennifer in return.

  “Let me see if I can think up another one.  I know, how about ‘Hinges loose at Azkaban, claims Merlin Initiate Craw?’” 

  “Boltin!”  Hinge yelled.  But Jeff had apparently found him, for Thatcher Boltin walked up the hall, sighing and shaking his head when he realized what was going on.  “Would you please get rid of this ghost?”

  “I’m just entertaining her Crawness, who’s staging a family sit-out.  That’s what it’s called these days, isn’t it?”

  “Something like that,” Boltin said, looking over to Jennifer.  “Whatever happened to our promise that it was going to be just that one time?”  He asked.

  “That was with Dad,” Jennifer said, standing up.  “And Dad’s a prisoner.  Severus isn’t convicted of any crimes at the moment.”

  “She has a very valid point, you know,” Icarus said with a nod.

  “He’s still in maximum holding, so the same rules apply.  Regulations are regulations,” Hinge said insistently. 

  “He’s not technically convicted, and she has security clearance…the boy may as well have too, being a licensed Focus Caster himself,” Boltin nodded to Corey, who grinned.  “Let them in, I’ll escort them myself.  If anyone complains just lay the blame on me, lord knows I’ve been to bat enough for these folks already.”

  “Thank you Boltin,” Jennifer said with a smile.  Hinge looked rather furious, but didn’t say a word as they were led through the last point and through the halls.

  “He really is one of the best guards here,” Boltin said the moment they stepped away. 

“He just doesn’t like bending the rules.”

  “I suppose they shouldn’t be in a place like this,” Jennifer said, suddenly wondering if she just got Boltin into trouble again.  “I suppose I was out of line back there.”

  “Well if it’s any consolation, the Warden and I were both expecting you and your kids to show up, and he already approved your coming back here ahead of time.  I just forgot to mention it to Hinge,” Boltin grinned.  “And we also set something else he hasn’t been told of yet,” he added.  “Call it a Christmas present from the Warden and me to you.”  Jennifer looked up curiously, wondering what to expect as they entered the visitation room, then broke into a large smile when she saw both Severus and her father on the other end of the field, playing a game of chess as they waited for them to arrive.

  “You’re late!”  Thomas Craw declared, moving his black queen over to take the white bishop.  Severus glanced at it in annoyance, but quickly turned his attention to his family.

  “Yes, what kept you?”  Severus asked.

  “Hinge,” Jennifer and Boltin said.

  “He’s just angry because he got stuck with gate checks all day,” Boltin grinned.

  “Yes, it wouldn’t do for that tight-wound bugger to find out about this, would it?”  Craw said cheerfully, moving another piece and looking over at his son-in-law.  “I wonder what we could do to get him fired?  Could be a good project for us while you’re here.”

  “I didn’t bring you two together to scheme,” Boltin frowned at them.

  “Severus won’t be staying long enough for you to hatch any plans anyhow,” Jennifer said firmly, trying to sort through bags while still keeping a handle on Aurelius, who had woken up and was pulling her hair.

  “Where’s Carol?”  Severus asked.

  “She went home for the holidays,” Jennifer answered.

  “You’ve been handling these two and Corey alone all this time?” Severus said, frowning slightly.  Jennifer nodded and smiled.

  “Since Yule.  I don’t mind.”

  “Boltin where are you manners, can’t you see the two of them have their hands full?”  Thomas said contritely.  “Here, hand me my grandson, I want to get a better look at him anyhow.”

  “How is it that I knew that this would happen?”  Boltin said, shaking his head and holding his arm out for the baby.  Before long, Aurelius found himself in the arms of his appraising grandfather, and Alex with her father, snuggling into him contentedly while Corey and Jennifer sorted out the gifts.  They had brought their own gifts along as well, so everyone had a chance to see everything, and plenty of food for everyone, including Boltin, who was in charge of passing things through the field.  There were even several gifts for Boltin from Thomas, Severus, and Jennifer.

  “You know this is going to look like a bribe, don’t you?” he said.

  “Oh, come now, Thatcher.  You probably know more about this family than nearly anyone as many notes and parcels you’ve gone through, not to mention sitting in on our conversations,” Thomas said.  “You might as well be family.”

  “I hope this doesn’t end up on the Security and Reform report,” Boltin said, but finally accepted the gifts. 

  Toys emerged and began to walk noisily across the floor, as Alex scrambled down and back over to the visitor’s side to play with a roaring dragon toy while Aurelius got his first taste of licorice cake when his mother was looking the other way.

  “Isn’t she a bit young for that?”  Severus asked with a frown, looking at Alex trying to reach the dragon, which took flight when she neared it.

  “Oh, don’t worry, I dismantled the fire-breathing spell,” Jennifer assured him.

  “What exactly are all these books, anyhow?  I’ve never heard of any of them,” Thomas asked, looking over Severus’ stack.

  “Muggle mysteries.  I told you about them,” Severus said, glancing at one of them.

  “Ah, yes.  Odd taste in reading you have,” Thomas said, turning back to his new photo album, looking over pictures of the children.

  “Well this amulet is going to go perfect with my Merlin robes,” Jennifer said, gazing lovingly at her husband.

  “I ordered it just after your birthday.  I am glad that Anna had time to pick it up.”

  “Aunt Anna got me more music books too,” Corey grinned.  “But I love the new lab kit! It’s got everything in it!”

   “I wonder where she is at, anyhow?  I would have expected she’d be by,” Severus said, suddenly concerned.  Just then there was a knocked at the door, and Boltin got up, unlocking it and peering out.

  “Well, it’s not Anna,” he announced, opening the door wide enough for Harry to get in.

  “She’s at the Ministry, actually,” Harry said, in such an excited tone that everyone looked up.  “Sorry I can’t stay long, I just wanted to stop by.  I think we’re finally on to something,” he explained.  “Hermione, Ron and I are going over some records with Anna and Ederick.  She’ll be by later, I’m sure, but it might be late.”

  “On to something, like what?”  Jennifer asked.

  “I don’t want to get any hopes up in case our theory is wrong,” Harry explained.  “But we think we might have found out what happened to the wand, all we need to find out now is who,” he smiled.  “Hang in there, and Happy Christmas.”

  “Wait, a minute, Harry, did this have anything to do with what happened to Thurspire?”  Jennifer asked.  Harry paused a moment as he opened the door, shaking his head.

  “No, not exactly,” Harry said.  “If you really want to know what happened that night, I think you need to sit down and have a very long talk with Professor Ravenclaw.  In fact, I think you need to talk to him in any case.”

  “Professor Ravenclaw?”  Jennifer said puzzled.

  “Mad Ick, Mom,” Corey offered.

  “If you don’t believe me, just ask Dame Rachel about him.  You might learn something,” Harry added, leaving.  Jennifer turned to Severus and Thomas, who shrugged unknowingly.

  “I don’t know what that was all about, Jennifer, but if Ick knows something about why Thurspire turned me into a rock I’d like to hear it,” Thomas said.  “Where is that wet blanket, today anyhow?”

  “Don’t question it, just enjoy it,” Jennifer said, picking up the sleeping Alex from where she lay curled up with the flapping dragon on the floor.  “After all, it’s Christmas.  I’ll talk to him about it later.”

  “Excuse me, Boltin, but do I need an escort to run to the bathroom?”  Corey asked.

  “No, it’s just straight across the hall, just don’t linger in the hall, alright?” Boltin said, letting him out the door and watching him step across to the bathroom.   Making sure the door was locked, Corey cleared his throat experimentally, wondering if this would even work.

  “Ick?  Ick are you there?  Icarus?  Professor Ravenclaw?”  Corey said, pausing after each one, hoping for a response.

  He could be anywhere in the entire fort, Corey realized, hoping he wasn’t going to have to try to go after him.  If only he knew the way to the crypt.  From what his mother had said, he was sure he could get in touch with him there.  Cautiously opening to door and looking down the hall to see if it was being watched, he slipped down the far end, wondering what the penalty was for getting caught in the prison without an escort.

  Peering down side corridors, Corey began taking side corridors, which he thought might bring him further towards the center of the castle, when suddenly the white washed walls ended.  Instead, roughly hewn stone corridors lead into the darkness, filled with huge doors with rusted bars at every turn.  He wasn’t sure where he was, but he was quite sure wherever it was, it probably wasn’t a good idea to be found here, and chances are his parents were probably going to wonder what was taking so long if he explored to much further.  It was as he was turning around to head the other direction that a familiar apparition appeared drifting down from the ceiling with a surprised, almost concerned look on his face.

  “Corey Willowby,” Icarus said.  “What in the world are you doing down here?”

  “Looking for you,” Corey said.  “Mom’s still here, don’t you want to go talk to her?”

  “Why in the world would I want to talk to her, she never wants to talk to me,” Icarus said gloomily.  “And I’m quite certain it wasn’t her idea for you to wander to the fourth quarter to find me.”

  “Is that where I am?”  Corey said, looking around.  “I got lost.”

  “Yes, not many would come here on purpose,” Icarus said quietly.  “Except those doomed to stay here and those doomed to guard it.  Once the entire castle was like this.  But in this, Voldemort actually did us a favor, for the horror of the Dementor Revolt was enough to convince the wizards to reform the prison.  Just think, had that revolt never happened, Thomas and Severus would have been in cells like this too, weakened by the Dementors’ terrors.  Jennifer wouldn’t have dared to bring any of you then.”

  “What about you?”

  “Me?” Icarus said, slightly surprised by the question.  “Ghosts carry with them their own terrors.  Such creatures don’t affect us.  Only the evils we brought onto ourselves plague us.  Come along, I will take you back to the visitor’s room.”

  “By the way, how exactly did you get here, anyhow?  I mean, did you die here?”  Corey asked.

  “No, I died at Hogwarts,” Icarus said, “but it was decided by the board that my presence disturbed the students, so the Headmistress reluctantly had me removed here.  But I would do anything to go back there,” he said, wistfully.  “Not that I haven’t found my own niche in here over the years, but this is not where I belong.  If only I could convince others of that.”

  “Why don’t you just tell Dumbledore?  I’m sure he’d let you back if you asked him,” Corey said.

  “Do you really think so?” Icarus said.  “Oh, but I dare not ask.  I’m needed here, you see.”

  “Never hurts to ask,” Corey shrugged.  Suddenly he bumped into a door, realizing belatedly that his escort began to walk through it.  A moment later, Boltin opened the door and let him in.

  “Here he is,” Boltin said, shaking his head.

  “He got lost,” Icarus said, as if in defense.

  “Between here and a room across the hall?”  Severus asked with a scowl.

   “It can happen,” Icarus said evenly.

   “Well, get your things together, we need to get going soon,” Jennifer said gently, turning back to Severus.  “How I dread going home and leaving you here.”

  “With any luck, it won’t be much longer,” Severus said.  “Then again, with my luck, it could be forever.”

  “Don’t say that!”  Jennifer said emphatically.  “You don’t belong here, and the school isn’t the same without you.  I’m not the same without you,” Jennifer admitted, gently touching her hand against the field near his.  Severus said nothing, but gazed at her for a long time.

  “Well, I suppose this is goodbye for now, little grandson,” Thomas sighed, handing him over to Boltin who gingerly handed him over to his mother.  “Thank you Boltin.  Having a Christmas together is the best present any of us could have expected.”

  “Thank the Warden, not me, I just deliver his post,” Boltin protested, unlocking the door for Jennifer.

  “Well whoever he or she is, we definitely owe him one,” Jennifer said.  “Thank you both,” she added, gazing one last time at Severus before leaving with the children.

  “She’s really quite nice, when she wants to be,” Icarus commented.  “Even if she is a bit headstrong.”

  “What do you expect?  It’s in her bloodline,” Thomas said proudly.

  “Yes,” Icarus said thoughtfully, “I suppose it is.”

 

  It wasn’t until the next morning as Jennifer got up to feed Aurelius that she noticed a waylaid rectangular package under the tree.  Wondering how it could have gotten missed, Jennifer stopped to glance at it, seeing only her name but not who it was from, opening it cautiously.  It was with deep surprise that she found a yellowed journal in her hand, and realized upon opening it exactly whose it was.  But how?  How in the world did Janus Craw’s journal get here?  Quickly she settled Aurelius with a bottle and scribbled a note to Severus, waking up her dozing bat and sending it to Azkaban.  Later that day that the note was finally returned, reading:  “It wasn’t me.  Ask Sirius.”  Sirius?  Jennifer wondered.  She had known since before Severus was arrested that he had Sirius helping him with his scheme to try and find the journal.  In fact, that was exactly what had got him into those business deals with Lucius Malfoy.  Could Severus’ suspicions that Malfoy had bought it finally paid off?  Jennifer chewed on her lip slightly, before sending a note to Sirius as well.  Not long after Ratfly got back from delivering it there was a knock at the door.

  By that time Alex and Aurelius were playing on the living room floor, and Alex cheerfully greeted him by calling out “Dadda!”  A pained expression appeared on Jennifer’s face for a moment, but Sirius pretended not to notice, instead picking up the girl and tried to get her say “Uncle Sirius.”

  “Good luck with that, I still haven’t gotten her to say Momma yet,” Jennifer said glumly, “and Carol gets back tomorrow.”

  “Just as well, you shouldn’t be doing so much in your condition anyhow,” Sirius said.

  “Nonsense, this is getting to be old hat now.  I haven’t even lost my magic yet,” Jennifer said, pouring them some tea as Sirius gently lifted the kids into the playpen.  “Corey helps me out as well, of course.  He’s off with Essie right now, though.”

  “You’re still not very far along, the magic will sputter eventually,” Sirius said, almost reassuringly.  “So tell me about how you got the book.  Can I see it?”

  “I don’t know how, it was here wrapped when I got here this morning, and Severus told me to ask you,” Jennifer said.  “So I take it you didn’t get it?”

  “No, I never had the chance, and wasn’t quite sure how to bring it up without too much suspicion,” Sirius admitted.  “Made quite a bundle on Malfoy property investments though,” he couldn’t help but add cheerfully.  “But this is rather puzzling, I was almost sure he had it.  I also am fairly sure now that he doesn’t have the other book, either.”

  “You mean Merlin’s spell book?”  Jennifer asked.

  “No, I know where that is,” Sirius admitted.  “I’m now looking to find out what happened to the fake spell book that Severus made to replace it.  We suspected for a while that Malfoy might have been responsible.”

  “Well, yes, that makes sense.  After all, he had possession of the book for a long time, and it wouldn’t have been hard for him to figure out that Fudge had it.  That doesn’t explain how he could have gotten hold of Severus’ wand though,” Jennifer pointed out.  “Still, if he had gotten in and figured out it was fake, he probably destroyed it.”

  “Yes, I doubt he’d be helpful enough to try and keep it, or even sell it like the last time we tried to get him,” Sirius chuckled.  He carefully leafed through the journal that she had handed him.  “I don’t know who sent this, or how they knew you needed it, but it looks legitimate to me.”

  “I’m going to take it to Dumbledore to make doubly sure anyhow,” Jennifer said, glancing at it.  “And if it is, I think my work is cut out for me to try and find the Cauldron.”

  “Oh, why’s that?”  Sirius asked.  Jennifer turned back to the last couple of pages, muttering a translation spell before having him read it.  Sirius blinked at it a few times, before looking back over at her.  “You’re not going to try and do this on your own, are you?”

  “No,” Jennifer said, shaking her head.  “Not without help, and definitely not without Severus.  He’d never forgive me putting myself in this sort of danger without being able to be there to back me up.”

  “I suppose that means we’d better make sure we get him out of Azkaban then,” Sirius said.  “Because there shouldn’t be a Jennifer without a Severus anymore than a Sirius without an Anna.  Which reminds me, I’d better go see if I can drag her away from the Ministry.  She’s becoming even more of a workaholic these days than her brother is.”  He smiled warmly at Jennifer, a reassuring smile, and leaving her holding the journal, still not too sure where it came from.  Opening it up she read another few lines, shaking her head slightly before becoming lost in thought again.

Chapter Seventeen

Judgment Day

 

  Severus had never realized he was quite so popular.  At least, it wasn’t long before the huge Council area and smaller (but still impressive) spectator area was filled with people to watch his trial, probably ex-students delighting in watching him getting tucked away, he mused.  Lucius, Narcissa, Draco and Danny were all there, and he couldn’t help but wonder who Lucius had to bribe for front row seats.  Severus then peered behind him to see if anyone was there, fairly sure the benches showing support for his side would be fairly vacant. Dumbledore was there, and Jennifer of course, and also a great deal of others he also recognized, including Arthur Weasley, Artie Peasegood, Erik Dalance, and even Ederick Thurspire, who came in just seconds before time to start, slipping into place.  Seeing Severus’ roaming eye, he nodded over towards where Sirius was sitting, Anna slipping into place beside him.  Vallid looked at Anna for a long moment before glancing over her paperwork one last time, leaning over the table.

  “Apparently Harry is going to be late, Anna thinks they’re onto something, they just need a name now,” Vallid told Severus softly.

  “Well, I hope they hurry up,” Severus muttered back.  Vallid nodded to him.

  “You and me both.  There’s two cases I hate defending, and the first one is those with a perfect wand record is one of them.”

  “Dare I ask what the other one is?”  Severus inquired.

  “DNA tests,” Vallid said standing, leaving Severus to ponder that.  A moment later, the Magistrates filed in and everyone else stood as well, waiting for them to take their places.  Head Magistrate Muse quietly took the center chair, giving Severus a thoughtful, almost pensive look before glancing at the paperwork in front of him.

  “We now call to order the case of Severus Snape against the Ministry of Magic and the late Cornelius Fudge,” Magistrate Muse said.  “For the Prosecution we have our own Counselor Richard Ballenze and Minister Brown, and gracing the court again is America’s own Counselor Lunette Vallid.  May we hear the charges please, Counselor Ballenze?”

  “Magistrate and Council,” Ballenze said, his deep voice carrying through the large room, “I present to you the charges against Severus Snape, that he broke into Cornelius Fudge’s house on several occasions, possibly taking items from the vault of the deceased, and foremost that he willfully and premeditatively murdered Cornelius Fudge while in his own home, using the Killing Curse to do so.  The evidence, my colleagues, is quite clear in this case, so I hope to soon prove to the Magistrate and Council without a doubt that Severus Snape is the only one who could have possibly done this horrendous deed.  I ask only for swift judgment, and life imprisonment for his hideous crimes.”  Ballenze bowed and turned to step back, suddenly aware of the genuine look of amusement of Vallid’s face, and couldn’t help wondering what he had said to get that sort of reaction.  But Vallid glided by him with a smile, turning her attention quickly to the court.

  “Magistrate and Council,” Vallid said, nodding respectfully.  “It may be true that my client might have not been a friend of the deceased, but none of the actions he took was done with murder in mind.  I agree with the prosecutor in that the evidence may seem surmountable, but this is no ordinary man, wise Council.  This is a man who has risked his life many times for the preservation of this society.  He is an active member of our community, a devoted father, and a Professor of Hogwarts for twenty years, dedicated to educating our youth.  He is here not because he is guilty of any crime, but because someone was able to manipulate evidence so that we would we be convinced he was guilty of it.  A man like Professor Snape does not kill needlessly, wise Magistrate, and I intend to prove that he likewise did not kill this man.  Thank you,” she said with a slight bow, gliding back over to the table and sitting down.  Ballenze was still staring at her, wondering what to make of that entire statement.  Apparently, the young Counselor Ballenze didn’t recognize ‘BS’ing’ when he heard it, Vallid mused.  At least she knew she had that advantage at any rate.

  “At this time, I would remind all who will bear witness today, that it is against Council law to tell any falsehood in court.  Anyone caught doing so will incur strict penalties, as well as risk the possibility of having spell and or potion means used to derive the truth in certain circumstances.  Counselor Ballenze, your first witness please,” Muse said.

  “Minister Brown to the platform, please?”  Ballenze said, taking a step back to allow the wizard through.  “Full name, Profession and titles?”

  “Rhys Brown, Minister of Law Enforcement,” Brown said. 

  “And how long have you been Minister?”

  “Five years.”

  “Can you please tell us about how you discovered Cornelius Fudge and what led up to the arrest?”

  “I got a message from Ludo Bagman that Saturday morning to come over to the Fudge residence right away.  When I arrived there, I found him lying on the floor in the parlor, dead, with no outward signs of injury.  The house was torn apart, and the vault in the bedroom had been emptied.”

  “He had House Elves, correct?”

  “I found them asleep upstairs, apparently sedated with Fairynip.  They were completely unaware that anything had happened,” he explained.  “However, they had supplied information on who had been in the house the previous day, which I used to determine who to question.”

  “And was there anything unusual about anyone on the list?”

  “Yes, one of the people that had ‘visited’ yesterday was wearing an invisibility cloak.  They had been asked not to tell their master that he was there.”

  “And who was that?”

  “Severus Snape.”

  “And I assume he was one of those you questioned?”

  “That’s correct.  While we were questioning him, we had his wand sent to the lab to be tested.  Standard procedure, they go over the wand’s memory to see what spells were cast on it.”   Ballenze showed the record to Vallid, who nodded before he presented it to the Magistrate.

  “And what did that test show?”

  “That the last spell cast was indeed the Unforgivable Death Curse,” Brown said.  A low rumble erupted from the Council.  Muse flicked his eyes up towards them and it quickly silenced.

  “Your witness, counselor,” Ballenze said, walking casually back to his table.  Vallid stood up, nodding to him.

  “Mr. Brown, in your report you said that his personal vault was broken into and emptied.  Were you able to acquire any detail about what was in it?”  Vallid asked.

  “I wouldn’t necessarily say all of it, but the House Elves were able to provide a workable list of contents,” Brown nodded.

  “And did you get a permit to search for those?”

  “Yes, we searched the Snape residence, offices, rooms, and vaults.”

  “And did you find any of the items in question among his possessions?”

  “No, however…”

  “No further questions,” Vallid said curtly, heading back to her seat.

  As Brown stepped down, Ballenze called up Lakky the House Elf.  The Elf peered around the court as he headed to the stand, looking quite nervous for having to be there, barely squeaking out a reply as he was told the penalties for lying.   Several books had been placed on the chair for him to stand on and he hopped up into the seat.

  “Your name and title?”

  “Lakky sir, just a common House Elf,” Lakky said.

  “You are the Head Elf of the Household, correct?”  Ballenze asked.

  “Yes, sir.  But there are only three of us, sir.  Our master didn’t trust having too many Elves about,” Lakky said, sounding embarrassed.  “And for good reason, it seems.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because Lakky should have been more wary.  Master knew someone was going to hurt him, sir.  But I was not expecting to get sleepy upstairs.  I was working.  Folding towels.  I did not expect anything to be there, sir.”

  “And was this the first time you had fallen asleep?”

  “Oh.  No sir,” Lakky said, his ears drooping in shame.  “Once before…a few weeks before, we fell asleep in our cupboard, and later we find out there was nip there.  But nothing happened then.  Nothing was wrong when we woke up, but Master Fudge was very worried.  That was when he had the security put in so no one could get in without permission.”

  “Then how was it that Professor Snape got in?”

  “Harry Potter came to us and asked us if it was all right,” Lakky said, fervently.  “Master had a spell book, a powerful spell book in his keeping that he shouldn’t have had.  That was why some were after him.  Harry Potter promised if we let them in that they would take it somewhere safe.  He promised Severus Snape was not there to hurt our master, only to help get the book.  We trust Harry Potter, sir.  He would not tell us something that wasn’t so.”

  “Did they get this book from him then?”

  “I am not sure, sir.  But I do not think so.  Master checks his vault before he sleeps.  He did not notice anything amiss when he went to bed.”

  “Then is it possible that they might have come back later after Mr. Fudge was asleep?”

  “Perhaps sir, but why would they?”

  “What time did the three of you fall asleep?”

  “After our master went to bed, we went to fold the linens, and then fell asleep.”

  “So right after he went to bed?” he prompted again.  Lakky nodded nervously.

  “Yes, sir.”

   “Your witness, Counselor.”  Vallid stood up, smiling reassuringly at the House Elf.

  “Lakky, could anyone have gotten in the house during the night without direct permission, even if they had been in the house earlier that day?”  She asked.

  “Oh, no, mistress.  There’s Goblin security on the house now preventing that,” Lakky said.

  “Mr. Fudge was found dead in the parlor, correct?”

  “Yes, mistress Counselor.  I was there,” Lakky nodded.

  “And would Fudge have been inclined to let Snape in, had he come to the door?”

  “Opinion!” Ballenze objected quickly.

  “Never mind, no further questions,” Vallid said, heading back to her table.

  “Very well then, I would ask Auror Potter to the platform please?”  Ballenze said.  But after a moment of looking around, he frowned, not seeing him.  Vallid cleared her throat.

  “Excuse me, but I believe Auror Potter was called out on an emergency,” Vallid said.  “I’m not quite sure how long he’ll be, but I have no objections to you calling him whenever he appears.”

  “Auror Potter tends to be a busy man,” Muse nodded, sounding slightly amused.

  “Very well.  Is Ludo Bagman here?”

  “Present!” barked a voice from the spectators and he stood up, working his way down and excusing himself fervently as he came.  Straightening his robes as he made it to the floor, Ludo stepped onto the platform.  “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” he added.

  “State your name and titles, please?”

  “Ludo Bagman.  I’m in charge of Sports and Recreation in the Ministry of Magic.  I also hold several Quidditch records, including…”

  “That’s quite all right, Mr. Bagman.  I’m quite sure everyone knows of your previous career,” Ballenze said, nodding politely.  “You knew Mr. Fudge a long time, correct?”

  “Oh, yes!  We’ve been friends for years and years, even before I joined the Ministry,” Ludo said somberly.  “Of course, we lost contact for awhile, when he disappeared a few years ago.  We had all thought he was dead.  But then we found him…charmed, the poor chap.  He’s never been the same since.”

  “How was he not the same?”  Ballenze asked.

  “He was quite paranoid.  Quite sure that someone was out to get him.  He wouldn’t even talk to most of the people he used to depend on.  I was one of the few exceptions.  He had always felt comfortable with me.  Oh, there were a few others he’d talk to now and then…Arthur Weasley, Crouch, some others from the Ministry, but for the most part he kept to himself.”

  “So he confided in you a lot?”

  “Yes, of course.  We always had breakfast together once a week, more post Quidditch season.”

  “And did he ever speak of Professor Snape?”

  “Yes, actually.  It’s no secret that the two of them didn’t care for each other.  He seemed rather frightened of him, especially after that business with trying to use an illegal cursed item on his wife and sister.”

  “You’re referring to the case against Fudge last year that he was recently pardoned from?”

  “Yes, sir.  Fudge had confided in me on more than one occasion that he had felt safer in jail than out of it.  Poor old man sensed his doom beforehand,” he sighed, looking down at his feet.

  “You were the one that found Fudge in the morning, correct?”

  “Yes, I had come for our normal morning chat, and knew something was amiss.  The door was slightly ajar, so I risked a peek.  That was when I saw him, and sent up a flare right away.”

  “Did you notice anything amiss other than the door being ajar?”

  “Oh no, but I didn’t look too long, honestly.  I was very unnerved by the whole thing, you see,” Ludo sighed.

  “Did he ever speak of anyone else he was worried about, besides Severus Snape?” Ballenze asked.

  “Well, he was a bit afraid of Dumbledore, but not in that sort of way.  He was also worried about Lucius Malfoy,” Ludo added.  Lucius smirked slightly from where he was sitting.

  “Anyone else you can think of who did not have an alibi?”  Ballenze asked.  Ludo shook his head.

  “No,” he said.  Ballenze turned to Vallid, who waved off questioning him.

  Severus sat quietly from beside Vallid as the wand expert went into detail about the wand, tapping his hand in irritation.  Still, the next report from the alchemist’s lab was more interesting…at least in that the second batch of Fairynip had been of the store bought variety.  As if he’d ever use store concocted potions, Severus snorted indignantly.  Vallid caught the look and smiled slightly but returned intently back to the proceedings.  So they had opportunity established, and a rather shaky motive, but not enough means to offset anything else.  He sighed softly, trying to think back for the hundredth time, wondering where he might have lost his wand.  

  It wasn’t until his name was called that he finally looked up, slowly getting up and walking over to the platform.  A familiar calm hit him, one that often hit him during a crisis, keeping his mind clear and alert.  He studied Ballenze calculatingly, like an adversary rather than an enemy, as he stepped over to question him.

  “Name and titles?”

  “Severus Snape, Professor of Defense at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and third in charge of School Administration.”

  “And is this the first time you have been investigated for murder charges?”  He asked.

  “No, it is not,” Severus said calmly.  “I was brought to trial and acquitted twenty years ago for murder and other crimes as a Death Eater.”

  “There were quite a number of murders involved in that case, were there not?”

  “Yes, since many Death Eaters would participate in raids, many of the deaths were tried as a group.”

  “You were acquitted not on the grounds of not participating, but on the grounds that you were working inside the Death Eaters as an informant, correct?”

  “Yes,” Severus said curtly. 

  “And what about before that?”  Ballenze asked.  “Were you ever investigated for killing anyone prior to that trial?”  Severus was quiet for a moment, knowing he wouldn’t have asked if he hadn’t known the truth in some way.  He should have told his sister, he mused, but things kept getting in the way.  There had never been a good time to speak of it.  As he glanced around he noticed her, sitting beside Sirius, who was nodding to him solemnly.  He glanced over to Jennifer who was watching him with a pallid face, wishing he didn’t have to be in the position he was in now.

  “Well?  I’m sure if you had been investigated before you would recall it,” Ballenze pressured.

  “Yes, I have,” Severus said at last.  “But it was ruled self-defense.”

  “So in that case, you admit you killed someone, but it was ruled self-defense?”

  “Correct,” Severus said evenly.

  “How old were you when this occurred?”  He asked.

  “Twelve.”  A murmur rose up in the crowd, taking Muse several glances and a frown to silence.

  “So at twelve, you had already mastered a spell capable of killing a man?”

  “Theoretically any spell can kill, Ballenze.  However, I did not use a spell in that particular circumstance.”

  “Then how did he die?”

  “I performed a Death Wish,” Severus said quietly.  The court suddenly dropped into an almost unearthly silence.  “The man had murdered my parents before my eyes with the Acidic Eulogy Curse and was about to do the same to me and my sister.  I was a first year student, frightened, untrained…I found myself wishing with all my might that he would just die.  I felt a great deal of energy burst out of me, and then he did so.  In the process, I have often felt I cursed myself as well.”

  “The man you killed, what do you know about him?”  Ballenze asked.

  “His name was Joe Carter, a suspected Death Eater,” Severus said.  “A motive was never determined because he had no previous links to my parents, but it is now my belief that he was acting on behalf of Voldemort, who wanted them dead for several reasons.  The official report, however, lists it as an attempted robbery.”

  “Your parents, though, knew that Voldemort was a threat, didn’t they?”  Ballenze said.  “They even moved all of you to another location that was Secret-kept, isn’t that correct?”

  “Yes,” Severus said in a low voice.

  “How was it then, that this Joe Carter could have found the correct house?  Who was it, exactly, who had tipped them off?”

  “I did,” Severus said, trying to ignore the soft rumble that erupted in the Council.  “I was twelve, at the age where I trusted my friends over my family.  Without thinking, I had given my address to several of my housemates who had asked for it before the Christmas holiday.  I’ve had to live with the guilt of that mistake all of my life, but one that I didn’t know the consequences of at the time.”

  “Are you sure?”  Balenze said with a frown.  “You didn’t care much for your stepmother, did you?  She was Muggleborn coming into a proud Magic family that took your mother’s place.  Are you certain that a part of you might not have done it on purpose out of anger, even subconsciously?”

  “Objection,” Vallid said.  “The question is leading and immaterial in a matter long since closed.  Can we call off this fishing expedition please?”  She added, the irritation evident in her voice.  “I’m not going to have my client psychoanalyzed for something that happened when he was a juvenile by someone without a degree to do so.”

  “Very well, I’ll withdraw the question,” Ballenze said, but looked far from displeased. “Were the facts surrounding your parents’ deaths and your part in Carter’s death ever made public?”  He inquired.  Severus shook his head.

  “Dumbledore was one of the first to arrive, and my sister and I standing in shock over the bodies of my parents and their assailant.  He and Fudge, ironically enough, were quick to quiet my part in what had happened.”

  “And did you ever use the Death Wish method to kill or attempt to kill anyone else?”  Severus glanced up at Dumbledore, who only gazed gently back in return.

  “Yes, one other time, but it backfired, and I nearly lost my life.  After I was rescued, I was convinced by someone never to attempt it again.”

  “Who convinced you?”

  “Albus Dumbledore,” Severus said.  “I have been acting on his behalf ever since.”

  “And who was it that you had tried to kill?”

  “Sirius Black,” Severus said, earning another round of murmurs.  Anna stared at her brother in disbelief and horror then over at Sirius, who seemed solemn but strangely supportive.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” she whispered just before the Head Magistrate gazed over at their section.

  “It was not mine to tell,” Sirius whispered calmly back, his eyes never leaving Severus.  Well, maybe he was right at that, she brooded, but she had every intention of having a long talk with her brother after this was over.

  “So, just to put this in perspective, since you were twelve, you have been involved with countless killings and murder attempts, but all of them have been found justified by some means?”

  “Yes,” Severus said.

  “And do you feel that Fudge’s death was justified?”

  “I wouldn’t know,” Severus said icily.  “I didn’t kill him.”

  “Your wand would suggest otherwise,” Ballenze said calmly, looking at him steadily.

  “Can you attest to a time when you didn’t have your wand?”

  “No,” Severus said.

  “No further questions.”

  Vallid got up then, smiling at him knowingly as she stepped over.

  “Lakky testified that you were given permission, through Harry Potter, to accompany him when he went to visit Fudge.  Is that correct?”

  “Yes,” Severus agreed.

  “And they had also known beforehand that you were going there to try and get a dangerous book?”

  “Correct.”

  “So, did you steal the book?” she asked.

  “A matter of opinion,” Severus said calmly.  “The book didn’t belong to Mr. Fudge.  He acquired it from Lorcan, who stole it from someone else.  As Bagman pointed out, Mr. Fudge has been quite ‘nervous’ as of late, unstable would be the better term.  When it came to my attention that he had an artifact of significant power on him, I consulted Auror Potter on the matter.  He then spoke with the House Elves about the situation, who agreed that it was best out of the house and gave permission to remove it.”

  “And what was the book that you were concerned about?”

 “A book of ancient magic spells, written by Merlin,” Severus said, as a loud murmur of surprise went up through the courtroom.  With that Muse sighed, folding his arms and looking up as the rest of the Magistrates frowned in disapproval.

  “Good wizards and witches, I realize there are some extraordinary events in this case, but so there are in any case that also mentions the names Potter or Snape.   Now, let’s all try to keep the murmuring to ourselves, shall we, so I don’t have to silence the court?”    Everyone got very quiet after that, but Muse waited and glanced at them a moment before finally nodding to Vallid to continue.

  “When you found out about the book, why did you choose not to tell the Ministry?”

  “As much as I trust the Minister of Magic, there are some still in the Ministry that seem to be rather partial to Fudge.  After the incident last year where he managed to get hold of the Staff of Eyre, I didn’t think it wise to trust that route directly.  Instead, we thought it best to secure the book first then report it.  Unfortunately, we had not the time to do so, since I was arrested the next day.”

  “So you were able to get the book at the time that you and Harry Potter visited him?”

  “Yes, I was.”

  “And how were you able to do that without Mr. Fudge or the Elves realizing it?”

   “I knew the combination,” Severus explained calmly.  “When I got the book I made a mock copy and replaced it in the vault, hoping to buy some time before he realized it was missing.”

  “And where is the book now?”

  “I turned it over to Headmaster Dumbledore the night I acquired it.”

  “So during the time you were with Harry, you opened the vault with the combination, acquired the item you had gone for, and got out without incident?”

  “Yes, that’s correct.”

  “No further questions,” Vallid said, accompanying him back to the table.  Severus glanced up long enough to see Jennifer and Dumbledore smiling at him.  Well, Dumbledore, you told me to tell the truth, he thought as he gazed in their direction, I hope it turns out to be worth it.   But Dumbledore just smiled and nodded to him knowingly. Finally finding some peace with himself was one thing.  Finding it with his peers was quite another. 

    It was Ederick Thurspire who was the last witness for the prosecution.  Severus glowered at him menacingly as he took the stand.  But if Ederick saw it he had given no reaction, instead calmly stating to tell the truth and given his name and title as Deputy of Law Enforcement and Assistant of Investigations.

  “Investigator, can you tell us about the last time you saw Mr. Fudge?”  Ballenze asked.

  “Yes, of course.  He had asked for an investigator over at his house several weeks ago for a possible break-in.  That was the first incident where he had found the House Elves asleep from Fairynip.  I was the one who sent the first sample you spoke of to the lab,” Ederick said.

  “And what did your investigation find?”  He asked.

  “Very little, although I had noticed that in the report the powder had been altered slightly to be a bit more effective…better potency and a longer effect than normal.  So, playing a bit of a hunch, I decided to call on Severus Snape.  However, he didn’t really offer any insight into whether or not it was him,” he admitted with a sigh, “nor, might I add, did he ever mention anything about a dangerous artifact.  Of course, I never gave him much reason to trust me, so that is understandable, I suppose.”

  “So on a professional level, you’ve had some experience with Professor Snape before?”

  “If you mean to ask if I have ever investigated him, yes, on several occasions.  All of which, granted, he was later cleared on,” Ederick said, a mixture of disappointment and embarrassment in his tone.

  “Such as?”

  “Investigated him for possible murder, crimes as a Death Eater, and as an accomplice to a mass murderer,” Ederick said.

  “And did you ever attempt to follow up on any of these investigations?”

  “Well, yes, the Death Eater thing.  I attempted to arrest him…”

  “Attempted to?”

  “Well, yes, but I was stopped by Albus Dumbledore, who rather insistently had me wait in a rather disagreeable room in the castle until Arthur Weasley showed up.  It was he who informed me that Professor Snape was working undercover, and asked me to drop it.”

  “And did you?”

  “Well, no, not exactly,” Ederick admitted.  “You see I had found out from an informant from Mysteries that Professor Snape had claimed to have murdered a traitorous Death Eater as part of his effort to get back in Voldemort’s favor.  But unfortunately, I believe that rather backfired on him in more ways than one, because that man turned out to be alive.”

  “And that was?”

  “Thomas Craw,” Ederick said.  Several people in the court blinked and looked over thoughtfully between Jennifer and Severus.  Severus, however, was glancing up at where his sister had been sitting, only to notice she wasn’t there.  Frowning slightly, he looked over at Sirius, who shrugged.

  “The mass murderer now serving a life sentence as Azkaban, and Professor Craw Snape’s father?”  Ballenze asked.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And what of the last charge, accomplice to mass murder?  How was that resolved?”

  “They took me off the case just after Thomas Craw was arrested, but I was informed at that time that Professor Snape would not be charged since he was ‘performing services for the Ministry.’”

  “So even though it was evident that he had assisted Craw in some capacity and kept him from being found out by the Ministry, the Ministry chose to absolve him of any crime of it?”

  “Yes, I suppose you could put it that way,” Ederick said.

  “Mr. Thurspire, you’ve been working for the Ministry, how long?”

  “Almost ten years…two in the Animagi department and the rest in investigations.”

  “In your professional opinion, after all the time spent researching this man, do you believe that he is capable of murder?”

  “Most undoubtedly,” Ederick said evenly.

  “No further questions,” Ballenze said with a slight smirk, heading back over to the table.  But Vallid didn’t seem too concerned over the smugness in his look.  On the contrary, she seemed amazingly in control as she strode over to the stand, offering Ederick a large, warm, smile.

  “Mr. Thurspire,” she said, in a loud, carrying voice.  “In your Professional opinion as an investigator, do you believe it in character for Professor Snape to have committed this particular murder?”

  “Definitely not,” Ederick said easily.  Prosecutor Ballenze dropped his quill, staring stonily over at them in obvious surprise.  “Severus Snape is a chronic perfectionist, and yet this case seems full of incredible evidence.   Using a Fairynip powder a second time, store-bought or otherwise?  I doubt he’d use the same method twice.  Breaking in a vault when he admitted to have had access the day before?  Could he have ‘forgotten’ to take something?  As for the wand, oh come now, only a complete fool would use their own wand to kill someone, it’s too easily traced, and nearly impossible to disprove in court if no one reported it missing.  That man may be a lot of things, but he certainly isn’t a fool.  In fact, in that position, I’d see it more likely that he’d report his wand missing to cover himself, if he really felt he had to use that wand.  Is he an innocent man?  No.  But is he capable of this sort of bumbling inefficiency?  No.  And I’m sorry about the outburst but I’ve been waiting over ten minutes to say that.  Thank you.”  Ederick said curtly, looking apologetically at the Magistrates.

  “No further questions,” Vallid said contentedly, heading back to her seat.  The court then took a short break, but Vallid decided to stay with Severus, sipping out of the water cup beside her as gingerly as if it were fine wine.

  “I am beginning to see why you haven’t lost many cases,” Severus said casually.

  “Are you?”  Vallid said with a sigh, going over her defense one last time.  “I wish I had your confidence right now.  I might have been able to instill a bit of doubt about his witnesses, but I can’t rebut a wand report when there’s no evidence it ever left your side.  All I have on my sheet are character witnesses, Severus.  I just don’t think it’s enough,” she said in frustration.  “If only Audi hadn’t had her court license revoked, then she could just Truth seek testify.  And where is Harry? He should have been back hours ago!”  But her question was not answered as the break ended and she found herself heading to the platform.

  Dumbledore smiled reassuringly at Severus as he made his way up to the front, stepping on the platform as if he had been there a number of times.  In fact, Severus had little doubt that he had.  The last, in fact, was at Fudge’s own trial for theft and misuse of cursed items.  Rather ironic, Severus mused, but had little time to think of it as Dumbledore listed his titles and looked calmly over at Vallid.

  “You have known Professor Snape for quite some time, correct?”

  “All of his life,” Dumbledore agreed.  “In fact, I am his sister’s godfather.”

  “His half-sister Anna Hughes Black?”

  “Yes.  I had met his stepmother through a mutual friend when she had come to Britain, and we had been good friends up until her death.”

  “And what about your relationship with him after his parent’s death?”

  “It was decided that for her protection that Anna would be taken to live with her grandparents, and I took on the role as guardian to Severus, who was to stay at Hogwarts.”

  “Was what happened to his parents’ assailant at all a determining factor in whether or not he would stay?”

  “Yes, in part,” Dumbledore said, “But not by any means because it was thought that he would endanger his sister or anyone around her.  Rather it was more of a concern that he would endanger himself,” Dumbledore said.  “What happened that night was an instinctual reaction to save the life of himself and his sister.  Perhaps it would have never shown itself at all had they not been put in that horrible situation.  But I knew that what had happened would leave a lasting mark on him, and in spite of the fact that things were not as they should be among his peers, it was decided that it would be best if he stayed close at home and finished his schooling.”

  “So you’re saying that everyone was more concerned about his welfare if he left, and not because they felt him any personal danger to them,” Vallid reinstated.

  “Yes, quite correct,” Dumbledore nodded.

  “When was he hired as the Potion’s master?”

  “Not long after Voldemort had disappeared.  Because of his past, Severus was always more inclined to the physical arts, since he felt more in control manipulating magical forms outside of his own.  He wasn’t much for creating his own potions, but had an uncanny knack of adapting any potion recipe to suit his needs.  Between his undeniable talent and the fact that he was still helping the Ministry and myself tracking down Death Eaters, I took him on as a new Potion’s master.   Not without receiving quite a bit of criticism the first few years over his teaching style,” Dumbledore added with obvious amusement.  “But after the students’ marks dramatically improved in those classes, a lot of those complaints faded over time.”

  “And in that time, has he ever done anything that purposefully endangered a student, staff, or anyone else he’s come into direct contact with?”

  “Endangered is a relative word,” Dumbledore said thoughtfully.  “However, I can truthfully say that everything that Severus has done over the last twenty years has been in the best interest of the school.  He has sacrificed much of his life so far in undoing the evil that has plagued us all for the last fifty years.  I seriously doubt he’d be willing to sacrifice the rest of his future to Azkaban, not after he’s worked so hard to get where he is.”

  “Now, about the artifact that Severus confiscated from Fudge’s house.  You have that in your care now?”

  “I have,” Dumbledore nodded.

  “When did he hand it over to you?”

  “The last Friday in November, at about eleven o’clock that evening,” Dumbledore said.

  “In your study?”  Vallid prompted.

  “Yes.”

  “Now, Hogwarts is sealed against incoming Apparating, isn’t that correct?”

  “Of course, that’s a matter of public knowledge,” Dumbledore agreed.

  “Does Severus have a key in?”

  “No, the only ones who have keys at the moment are Sagittari, our groundskeeper, Professor McGonagall, to one location, and I, to another location.  Anyone using such a device also would directly alert the attention of all three of us if we are on the grounds,” Dumbledore said.

  “Then Severus would have had to Apparate in from the outside of the grounds, then walk across the grounds, into the courtyard, up over a dozen flights of stairs to where you were?  How long would that take, normally?”

  “Assuming the stairs are cooperating,” Dumbledore said musingly, “At least fifteen minutes.  Over a half an hour if having to wait for staircase changes.”

  “So that means he would have had to have left around ten-thirty to have gotten up to you in that time?”

  “Yes, I’d say that was a fair assumption,” Dumbledore said.

  “No further questions.” Vallid said.  Ballenze got up thoughtfully and looked at Dumbledore, who smiled warmly at him.

  “No questions, thank you,” Ballenze said quickly, sitting back down.

  “Wise move,” Vallid said softly to herself, chuckling silently and nodding to Dumbledore as he passed.  Dumbledore winked at her and stepped back into place.  Jennifer, who had been standing beside him, quickly shuffled around him as her name was called, looking a lot more confident than she felt as she headed to the platform.

  “Name and titles?”

  “Jennifer Craw Corsiva Snape, Graduate of Whitebridge Academy, the top Light Magic only school in North America, Professor of Potions at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Keeper of the Dark Magics, Former Rider of Keki, the Head Unicorn that led the charge on the Dementor Revolt, Initiate of the Order of Merlin, and first and foremost, wife of the defendant and mother of three, soon to be four in June.”

  “Are you sure you didn’t leave anything out?”  Vallid asked with amusement.

  “Probably,” Jennifer nodded solemnly.

  “And how long have you known Severus now?”

  “Over five years,” Jennifer said.

  “And how did you meet?”

  “We met at Hogwarts, when I began teaching there.”

  “So you knew him professionally for quite a while before you began seeing each other?”

  “Yes,” Jennifer said.

  “And how would you describe your professional relationship with Professor Snape?”

  “I’d say we respect each others opinion, but we don’t always agree,” Jennifer admitted, glancing over at Severus, who smirked at her.

  “How often do you agree on professional matters?”  Vallid asked.

  “Not often, actually,” Jennifer admitted.  “Style, content, student ethics and discipline, how to handle workloads down to how to organize our offices…we really don’t agree on much of anything.  So we quickly learned to divide our professional and personal lives, which oddly enough, personally we agree on practically everything.”

  “Now, as Potion’s master, you keep a ready supply of potions and powder on hand, correct?”

  “Yes, of course.  Especially since most of the potions and healing mixtures for the school’s hospital ward are made by me as well,” Jennifer nodded.

  “Did you have any Fairynip in stock that last week of November?”

  “No, we don’t use it at all at the school.  The only time I have it on hand is when I teach that particular formula to second years, but that’s not until later in the term.  The only reason we teach it at all is that it’s the most basic of the sedative potions based on coral bell extract, and the least potent, so relatively safe for in class experimentation.”

  “So it’s a fairly simple recipe then?”

  “Oh, definitely, I can whip up one of those in less than a minute if I had any reason to.  Even a novice could probably manage it in half an hour.”

  “And yet it’s very commonly gotten over the counter?”

  “Well, yes, just like any other household potion.  Lots of people have neither the time nor the inclination to make their own.”

  “Is it as effective as the home brewed?”

  “No, of course not.  It also has additives to preserve the potion, and sometimes even have filler ingredients in it that doesn’t really do anything except help fill the bottle.  Anytime you buy an over the counter potion you’re losing quality for the convenience.”

  “Can you take a look at Evidence three for me?  This, as a reminder, is the brand of Fairynip that exactly matched that of what was found the upstairs linen closet.”

  Jennifer took only a look at the bottle before getting a disgusted look, turning the bottle over and looking at the label, shaking her head.

  “I wouldn’t even give this to a garden gnome,” she said after a moment.  “It’s got a ton of fillers, some of them are actually toxic to Elves.  In fact, no respectable alchemy still sells it.”

  “In your professional opinion, even if Professor Snape had wanted to hide who had made the potion, do you believe that he would have chosen this particular mixture over all other options?”

  “Not even possible, actually,” Jennifer said, “He wouldn’t get caught dead buying a potion of any kind…especially not when it’s so easy to change out one ingredient and make it seem different.  But the main reason is that the only place I know of that still sells this is Sludgebat’s.  Sludgebat can’t stand Severus, he’d sooner kick him out than sell him anything, not that Severus would ever go in there to begin with.”

  “Now, getting back to the night in question, do you recall when Severus got back that evening?”

  “Yes, it was just a little after midnight, because I remember pointing the clock out to him and reminding him he had an early class that morning,” Jennifer said.

  “Did he seem out of sorts at all?”

  “No, not at all.”

  “Did you ask him about what he had been doing?”

  “Well, I had known a bit of that beforehand,” Jennifer said with a nod.  “But yes, I asked him about it.”

  “And there was nothing odd about his answer?”

  “Objection,” Ballenze said standing up, eyeing Vallid warily.  “The Counselor is obviously attempting to try and get around the Truth-seeker’s Gag rule since Professor Craw isn’t licensed.”

  “Counselor, usually when someone commits murder there are often signs of unusual behavior, I am merely attempting to establish that there wasn’t any,” Vallid said calmly back.

  “There was nothing odd about his behavior or his answer,” Jennifer said firmly.

  “And do you believe that he could have hidden it from you if he were nervous or otherwise distraught?”

  “Objection!”  Ballenze said, glaring at Vallid.

  “Your Wisdom, I think we should hear her answer before ruling,” Vallid said.  “Because I think Ballenze is jumping the wand a little.”  Jennifer, who was suddenly feeling a slight anger rising, bit it down, trying to calm herself.

  “No, he couldn’t have.  I wear a Dragonheart Diamond ring that is bonded to Severus.  Even if I couldn’t see his face, I could have easily noted a change of emotion in the ring.”  Jennifer said, looking rather defiantly over at the prosecutor.

  “I see nothing wrong with the wording or the answers to either of those questions, Counselor Ballenze,” Magistrate Muse said.

  “Withdrawn,” Ballenze said quickly.

  “Professor, can you explain what the title “Keeper of the Dark Magic” means?”

  “Oh, it’s a family title,” Jennifer explained.  “For generations, my family has passed down every dark spell created, adding to the list every generation as well, in effort to preserve spells over a long period of time.  In this way, we were able to preserve some spells that have disappeared in modern texts.”

  “Had any of those spells been wiped from public knowledge on purpose?  Perhaps for being too dangerous?”  She asked.

  “Yes, a number of them had,” Jennifer said.

  “Including two Death Spells, correct?”  She prompted.

  “Yes.”

  “And according to my records, I believe you said in open court once that you had little intentions of passing those on?”  Vallid asked.

  “At the time, I hadn’t,” Jennifer said, knowing full well where this was going.  “But I came to realize when Voldemort was able to acquire knowledge of the worst of them that not doing so was no longer an option.  The best way to protect ourselves against something is to know how it works, and I couldn’t risk something happening to me and leaving that knowledge completely in the wrong hands.”

  “So did you pass it on?”

  “Yes, to Severus Snape.”

  “Why him?  Why not Dumbledore, or Harry, or someone else?”  Vallid inquired.

  “Dumbledore wouldn’t have wanted it, and Harry has enough burdens without adding someone else’s,” Jennifer said.  “Severus understood why I had to pass it on, and was in a good position to learn.  In fact, I really didn’t have to teach him all that many spells; he knew the majority of them already.  But the main reason, really, was because he was the only person I felt I could trust not to use them.”

  “And why is that?”  Vallid asked.

  “He didn’t need them,” Jennifer said calmly.

  “So you think it would be very unlikely for Severus to have cast the Killing Curse?”

  “Unlikely?  He just wouldn’t have,” Jennifer said.  “I don’t know who had the wand, and who cast what they did, but it certainly wasn’t Severus.”

  “Your Wisdom, I don’t think that was a professional opinion, but a personal one,” Ballenze objected.

  “That would fall into question then whether or not Professor Craw’s decision to pass on such things was professional or not,” Magistrate Muse said thoughtfully, glancing over to the other Magistrates, who were discussing it.

   “Magistrates, as was pointed out in the beginning by Professor Craw herself, they have attempted to keep their professional and private lives as separate as possible.  Considering the magnitude of the decision, I would think it would have definitely required much professional consideration,” Vallid argued.  “The Ministry as well as the Court Magistrates have consulted her on matters in the past, surely she can be relied on to give an unbiased opinion, even on this matter.”

   “Next the Counselor will be expecting us to throw out her needing to have a license to testify with her Truth-seeking ability,” Ballenze accused, folding his arms in disbelief.

  “Enough,” Jennifer said suddenly, the tense anger in her low voice making both Counselors look at her.  “To this point, I have answered as unbiased as possible under the circumstances.  You want something to strike out as a personal answer?”  She snapped, looking at Ballenze.  “My husband is on trial for a murder he didn’t commit.  And my personal opinion is, if the court doesn’t trust his word, it doesn’t trust mine,” Jennifer said, stepping off the platform and walking back towards her seat before anyone could say another word, pausing only a moment to take Severus’ hand as she passed, the first time in over a month that she had been able to.  No one said anything for a moment as Vallid followed her back with her eyes until Dumbledore put his arm around Jennifer, before finally turning to the Magistrate.

  “No further questions, your Wisdom,” Vallid said, heading back to her seat.  Ballenze stood thoughtfully a moment, pondering on what to do before noticing Muse’s steady questioning gaze.

  “Er, no questions of this particular witness, your Wisdom,” he added, heading back.  After all, Vallid still hadn’t anything to disprove the wand. 

  Sirius was next, and as usual, he didn’t appear to be too thrilled to be in court.  The fact that he hated being here was apparent to everyone as he went up to the platform, but still remained composed as he told his name and job title.

  “Mr. Black, you’ve known Professor Snape since childhood, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “How would you describe your relationship with him?”  Vallid asked.  Sirius blinked at her.

  “Now, or then?”

  “Both,” Vallid said with a crooked smile at the question.  Sirius looked thoughtful.

  “We were rivals to say the least, rather, well I tried to get along with him, but he was rude, arrogant and completely overbearing, and didn’t respect anyone’s opinion but his own.  So my friends and I reacted to it in the most natural of ways.  We teased him relentlessly,” Sirius admitted.  “He kept to himself for the most part except for a few Slytherin friends everyone else was afraid of.”

  “Why was that?”

  “There was a lot of suspicion, especially among the students, that several of the Slytherin students were taking orders from Voldemort,” Sirius said. 

  “And was Severus one of the students suspected of that?”

  “Yes,” Sirius said.  “So my friends and I were always do things to, well, spy on them, and in turn it seemed like the Slytherins, especially him and Lucius Malfoy, who fortunately enough graduated after our first year, did everything they could to get us in so much trouble we didn’t have much time to watch them.”

  “So there was a large buildup of resentment there?”

  “That’d be putting it mildly, yes.”

  “Mr. Black, on the night that Professor Snape had tried to kill you, were you aware of the attempt?”

  “No, I only found out about it a couple of years ago.”

  “And did you ever consider pressing charges for that attempt?”  Vallid asked.  Sirius looked a little off guard.

  “No.  No, I didn’t see any reason to.”

  “So then you forgave him the attempt?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” Sirius said, looking over at Severus.  “We just came to an understanding and put it behind us.”

  “So you are saying that you understand his reasons for doing so?”

  “Yes,” Sirius said cautiously.

  “And what of your relationship now?  Are you friends?’

  “Good lord, no!” Sirius said grimacing.  “More like two parties on permanent cease fire.  I guess if I would describe the relationship at all, I’d say Severus was the brother-in-law that acts like the mother-in-law that every bachelor has nightmares about.  He’s protective of his sister, annoyingly nosy and completely overbearing, wanting to get his opinion heard on everything.  Although I’m sure if we turned it around he’d tell you I’m no walk in the park myself.”

  “Before Professor Snape went to Fudge’s house for the first time, were you aware that he was going over there?”

  “Yes, I was.  Harry sometimes keeps some things over at the manor and Severus had arranged to borrow something from him.”

  “Did he say what he was going to look for?”

  “Yes, he went to look for items missing from Professor Craw’s vault, actually.  Of course, we knew from last year that Fudge had gotten some items from the Craw vault, and Severus suspected there might be something left behind.  He didn’t find it, but when he returned to the manor, he told me about the book he had seen, and that he planned to try and go back after it, that Fudge didn’t seem very stable and it wasn’t safe there,” Sirius said.

  “Did he seem angry at Fudge, or otherwise expressed unusual hostility to him?”

  “Not really.  Not that we both didn’t hate him.  In fact, under other circumstances I think we’d both be delighted he was out of the way,” Sirius said bluntly.  “But I don’t think he did it any more than I would have.”

  “And why do you think that?”

  “Because all the other times Severus acted, he had nothing to lose.  Now, he has everything to lose,” Sirius said, glancing over at Jennifer.  “Severus doesn’t take uncalculated risks, Counselor, and I don’t think killing Fudge would have been worth it, even if he had had a reason to do it.”

  “No further questions,” Vallid said, stepping back to the table.  Ballenze quickly stepped up, nodding to Sirius as he took her place.

  “Mr. Black, was the attempt in question the only time that Professor Snape put you in life-threatening danger?”

  “No, not even close.  As I stated before, we were always in trouble as kids, and most of the time in a lot more peril than we thought we were in,” Sirius said.

  “What about as adults?”

  “I was in Azkaban for most of it,” Sirius said icily, “But yes, there was one other time that he nearly got me killed.”

  “And when was that?”

  “When he found out that I was innocent of killing Pettigrew and did not inform the authorities,” Sirius said, his eyes flashing over at Severus.  Severus looked genuinely surprised for a moment, then sighed, clamping his mouth into a long frown.

  “That was when you had escaped Azkaban?”

  “That’s right.  I nearly lost my soul because of that.”

  “And how, exactly, did you get out of that?”

  “That’s really not the court’s business,” Sirius said curtly.  “I’m not on trial here, and neither are my rescuers.”

  “The witness has a point, Counselor, please continue,” Muse said.

  “You stated you were not aware at the time of the attempt that Severus had tried to murder you.  Had you known then, do you believe your reaction to what had happened would have been different than being told so many years later?”

  “Definitely,” Sirius agreed.

  “In what way?”

  “Well, I’d have probably been put in Azkaban prison for a crime I did commit instead of one I hadn’t,” Sirius said.  “I didn’t like him, Counselor, and some of it was justified.  Not all of it,” Sirius admitted, “But hindsight shows us different perspectives than the present.  And I think we both were beginning to get tired of the war, especially once we both got married and our wives began expressing opinions on it as well.”

  “Still, he must have had a reason for wanting to kill you that you could accept to be able to come to an ‘understanding,’” Ballenze said.  “Do you recall what his reason was?”

  “Yes, but I’m not about to discuss it.”

  “Mr. Black, you are in a court of law, it is your duty to answer…”

  “Is it the court’s duty to constantly put people in prison based on circumstantial evidence?”  Sirius interrupted, “While allowing men that everyone knows is guilty walk out on a technicality?  I lived in Azkaban under the Dementor’s ‘care’ for twelve years without even an apology from those that put me there when it was finally discovered I was innocent.  And if you think I’m going to testify anything that will make you convince the counsel that an innocent man is guilty of something like this, even someone I don’t particularly care for, you’ve got another thing coming,” he said, stepping off the platform.

  “I wasn’t done yet,” Ballenze said sternly.

  “Jail me,” Sirius dared him, walking out of the courtroom.

  “Counselor Vallid, do you happen to have any witnesses that are going to actually stay on the platform until they’re released?”  Muse asked critically.

  “Your Wisdom, I’d like to take this moment to point something out here,” Ballenze interrupted.  “The good Counselor has called nothing but called witnesses with opinions on Severus’ character.  I’m sure I could bring up just as many if not more that would gladly testify against his character, but there really isn’t any point.  The hard evidence of the case, namely the wand itself, has not been disputed, and unless Counselor Vallid plans on bringing any witnesses to dispute the true evidence in this case, I fear it may only be wasting the court’s time.”

  “Counselor Vallid, any comments?”

  “Your Wisdom, I believe that question will be answered when Auror Potter returns,” Vallid said.  “Perhaps, since the prosecution wished to question him as well, we could allow a short break to see if we can track him down?”

  “Very well, I’m sure everyone could use a bite to eat, it’s been a long day,” Muse agreed.  “You have one hour, at which time if he’s not been found I’ll have to ask you to wrap things up and begin working on closing arguments.  Recess for one hour, everyone,” Muse said, standing up.  Just then a couple of bailiffs watching the door rushed up.

  “Your pardon, Magistrates, but everyone might need to take a bit of care when leaving,” one of them said.  “The entire hallway is filled with kangaroos.”

  “So noted,” Muse said.  “And someone send Mr. Black to my office as soon as he shows up?  I think we need to have a little chat.”

  Vallid sighed and slumped down in her chair, sending one of her aids for some drinks and another to try and find Harry as she brooded over the papers in front of her.  Severus watched her thoughtfully a moment and sighed, accepting the small tray offered to him but quickly nudging it to the side.

  “I keep feeling like we’re missing something obvious, some obvious solution to why the wand couldn’t possibly been used by you,” Vallid said after a moment, kneading her head.  “Something that we should have realized from the beginning and we just don’t see it.”

  “Where do you suppose Anna went?” Severus said thoughtfully.

  “I don’t know but I hope she missed that entire bit with Sirius.  He’s going to be in a lot of hot water over that performance.  Maybe I shouldn’t have called him up there,” Vallid brooded.  “Or Jennifer either.  I didn’t mean to put that much pressure on her.”

  “Don’t blame yourself for that,” Severus said irritably.  “Blame whoever set this up.”

  “You know, you actually seem like you’re taking this calmer than everyone else,” Vallid couldn’t help but note, looking at him with exasperation.

  “Perhaps because I never considered myself an innocent man,” Severus mused.  “Whether or not I did this crime is beside the point.”

  “Severus, if you can’t learn to accept and forgive yourself for your past, how can you expect anyone else to?”  Vallid asked.  “Your demons are dancing on the tables this day.  For god’s sake no matter what happens in the courtroom don’t let them win the battle in your head right now.”

  The aid arrived with her steaming coffee and Vallid took a moment to close her eyes and enjoy it, attempting to clear her thoughts a bit.  Severus looked up behind him, but Dumbledore and Jennifer weren’t there, whether they left to eat or…more likely…went off to find Sirius, he wasn’t certain.  Would his children have to grow up never knowing their father?  Spending every Christmas at Azkaban?  Would he not be at the high table when they finally became the age to become at Hogwarts and be Sorted?  As many times as he had felt robbed of his life, it had never been quite like this.  The worst part of all, however, was the fact they might never know who had actually done this.

  The doors bursting open and the sound of the chaos beyond alerted Severus’ attention as Hermione and Harry, followed closely behind by Ron who seemed to be trying to walk on the side of one of his shoes, ran into the room and over to their table.

  “We’ve got something.  We need to talk to you immediately,” Harry said, out of breath.

  “Son, that’s music to my ears right now, I’d about given up on you,” Vallid said, jumping up and following him over to a quiet corner of the room followed by Hermione.  Anna came in with Ederick a moment later with a folder in her hand, walking over to where Ron stood by the table.

  “Where’s Vallid?  What’s that awful smell?  And why are their kangaroos in the hall?”

  “Over there with Harry and Hermione, and I think I stepped in something vile in the hallway,” Ron said, taking out his wand to clean his shoes off.

  “The kangaroos came courtesy of that husband of yours,” Severus put in, “After the prosecutor managed to get his fur up.  They’re looking for him now I believe,” he added.

  “Oh good grief, I should have known he’d go ballistic, he hates the system,” Anna said, glancing out the door worriedly.

  “I’m not exactly fond of it myself at the moment,” Severus agreed.  Anna gave him a dirty look.

  “Well I think you’re going to be changing your mind in a moment,” she said.  “I need to hand these to Vallid, and get a rundown of what happened, then I’ll go look for him.”

  “You know, if you get out of this, you’re going to owe me,” Ron said matter-of-factly.  “You have no idea what I went through for you.”

  “Joy.  Just what I’ve always wanted, to be indebted to a Weasley,” Severus said sarcastically.  “What do you have to do with anything?”

  “You’ll see,” Ron grinned, and then went over to join Harry and Hermione.

Chapter Eighteen

Turn of Events

 

  The court guards were still busy rounding up the kangaroos when Anna stepped into the hall, and she couldn’t help wonder how he’d been able to get so many there so fast, shaking her head at the intended insult.  Still, she had a feeling he wasn’t far, but probably not right in the building either.  Stepping out of the Council building, she turned a corner and into a busy Muggle street that wasn’t visible before, glancing around.  Seeing the pub across the street she sighed and headed over.

  It didn’t take long to spot where Sirius sat at one end of the bar, sitting down beside him and ordering a draft.  At first Anna decided not to say anything, sitting down beside him and ordering the same.

  “I got the tests back, Vallid said she thinks it’ll be good enough to get him out,” she said at last.

  “Good,” Sirius grunted, taking a drink.

  “So what did I miss?” she inquired.

  “Not much, just me making an ass out of myself,” Sirius muttered.

  “Well that’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” Anna said, earning a dirty look from her husband.

  “I wouldn’t have even gone up there if it wasn’t your brother, you know.  I can’t stand him, and I can’t stand courts.  Every time I get up there I remember what happened at my ‘trial’ fifteen years ago.  Every word I uttered was assumed to be a lie, no one wanted to even represent me,” he said staring into his drink.  “The Magistrates were a joke, most of them were suspected of taking bribes, and you only need to look at who went free to see that’s true.”

  “Yes, but everyone’s said it’s been a lot different since Muse was appointed.”

  “On the surface, maybe, but has it really changed?  Malfoy walks free while everyone he hates seems to end up under the light.  Azkaban jails one of the few men brave enough to stand up to the Death Eaters while many of them still roam free, unpunished for their crimes.”

  “Let’s not get Thomas Craw into this, I don’t want to get into that argument again.”

  “Fine.  But I know you well enough to know that you don’t think this system is any better than I do.”

  “For different reasons,” Anna said, nodding.  “Although, I also get the feeling in a different court you’d probably be in contempt for whatever it was you did in there.”

  “He isn’t exactly in this court’s favor at the moment either,” said a voice behind them.

  “Hi Archie!  Working usual or Not-working usual?”  The bartender asked cheerfully as Muse took a seat on the other side of Sirius. 

  “Working,” Muse said.  The bartender nodded and made him a glass of tonic water and lime before heading back to the other side of the bar.  “As for you, Mr. Black, I’d like to see you in my office the moment we are done for the day.”

  “So how much trouble am I in?”  Sirius asked him.

  “That depends,” Muse said, sipping his water.  “On whether you show up or not.  If I were you, I wouldn’t even go back into the court room, rather head straight over there and wait quietly until I’m ready to see you.”  He spoke gently, almost casually, but there was also something in his voice that spoke of warning.  “Feel free to finish your beer first,” he added, picking up his glass and heading over to where he saw Dumbledore sitting in a corner, dressed again as Mr. Door.

  “You are going to go over there, aren’t you?”  Anna said the moment they were alone again.

  “Yeah,” he said after a moment, guzzling down the rest of his drink and getting up.  “You sure Severus is going to get off?”

  “Pretty sure,” Anna said, walking with him as he headed out the door.

  “Good, because either way, I’m not letting him go back to that prison,” Sirius said seriously as they headed back into the Council building.

 

 

  Counselor Vallid felt as if she’d won the lottery, and it showed as she glided up to the Magistrates as they took their places, looking as if she owned the world and everything on it.

  “Magistrates, Auror Potter is now in the courtroom.  However, because of some startling new evidence, I hope that the prosecution would indulge me if I called a witness before Auror Potter takes the stand,” she said ceremoniously nodding to the Prosecution.

  “No objections,” said Ballenze, curious in spite of himself.

  “Then I would like to call Madame Hermione Granger to the stand.”

  Hermione quickly got up and headed to the platform, quickly stating her name and position as Head Librarian and Symbology instructor at Hogwarts.

  “You have known the defendant for some time?”  Vallid inquired.

  “Nearly ten years,” Hermione nodded.  “First as a student and then from working at the school.”

  “Did you associate with him much during the time you were his colleague?”  She asked.

  “No, actually, I spend more time with his wife, Professor Craw, so often came to associate him through her rather than directly.” Hermione said.

  “You were present the day he was arrested, correct?”

  “Yes, we were all at The Three Brooms, at a table we reserved early on for professors.”

  “And many people saw you sitting together, correct?”

  “Oh, I’m sure everyone, we were near the bottom of the balcony, and of course Rosmerta was there, and there were several of us at the table.”

  “Can you remember what you were doing at the time it occurred?”

  “Definitely.  I was telling a few professors, including Professor Snape of an experiment I had in Symbology that the students were working on.  I remember it had taken me quite a while to tell them about it, because it was a complicated setup involving a chessboard.  And for a change, they all seemed mildly interested.”

  “But something happened during that meeting which you found important enough to bring to me, can you tell me what it was?”

  “Well, after I had got done telling them about the experiment, Severus, who had been listening the entire time, had noticed that he had let his drink go too long and it had warmed up a bit.  He’s a bit particular about…well everything, actually, but the point is, he paused a moment before drinking it to chill his wine…with his own wand,” Hermione said.  “Which means, the last spell cast with that wand before he got arrested was the Chill spell, and not the Killing Curse.”

  “How many people were witness to this?”

  “Everyone at the table, eight of us all told, but it was such a common spell I’m not sure if anyone really noticed or thought about it.  In fact, I hadn’t realized the significance of it until several days later, although I knew something had been bothering me about the wand, I just hadn’t been sure what.  Then when I remembered it, I kept wondering why the cold spell the last spell recorded on the wand, when all of us witnessed him casting it?”

  “And did you come up with a working theory for that question, Madam Granger?”

  “Yes,” she nodded.  “The only logical answer to that was that Cornelius Fudge must have been murdered after Professor Snape was arrested.”  The court broke out in a murmur, but Muse let it go, thinking they deserved a bit of room for that one.

  “And how do you think that was accomplished?”

  “Whoever the real murderer is had access to a Time-Turner.  The person responsible premeditatively made a decision to do it, watched the murder play out before he even committed it, then waited until the wand left Snape’s hand when it was confiscated by the Ministry and committed the crime then.”

  “No further questions,” Vallid said, smiling warmly at her, stepping a way.  Ballenze stood up thoughtfully.

  “Madame Granger, do you have any experience in investigations at all?”

  “Well, yes, but if you mean officially, no.  I do have extensive knowledge about Time-Turners, being I used to use one myself…I believe Professor McGonagall still has my permits on file if you need them,” she added.

  “So, perhaps you don’t realize how difficult it would be for someone to have gotten a hold of a wand after it had been turned over to evidence.”

  “Actually, yes, I’m quite aware of it,” Hermione said.  “I didn’t say it was easy, only that it’s the most logical answer.”

  “In fact, only a handful of top officials in the Ministry could possibly have access to it, isn’t that correct?”

  “Objection,” Vallid said standing.  “Madame Granger is not a member of the Ministry and can hardly be called an expert of their internal procedures by any standard.”

  “Exactly,” Ballenze agreed.  “I withdraw the last one, and no further questions.”

  “Did you wish to call Auror Potter to the stand for the prosecution?”  Vallid asked him.

  “Not at this time, no,” Ballenze admitted.

  “Good.  Then I’d like to call Auror Potter to the stand,” Vallid said.  “For the defense,” she added, smiling enigmatically.  Harry got up and headed to the platform as if he belonged there.  In fact, he had been there so many times to testify in Death Eater cases and others that it was beginning to be old hat to him.  He stated his name and titles as if nobody had heard of him, noting the sparkle in Vallid’s eyes as he did so.

  “Mr. Potter, you’ve only been an Auror about a year now, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “And how many arrests have you accomplished?”

  “Thirty seven,” he said.

  “That’s a very impressive number for your first year,” Vallid said with a smile.

  “Yes, well, there was, and still is, a lot of cleanup left with the Voldemort mess,” Harry said, glancing pointedly at Lucius before turning back to Vallid.   Lucius looked darkly back at him.  He then got up and slipped out the back.

  “You have then a fair amount of knowledge then of the justice and law enforcement systems then, and the government?”

  “Yes, I have working knowledge in those fields both here and in the United States, actually.  I also have licenses in both.”

  “Tell me then, were you informed at all about Madame Granger’s findings?”

  “Yes, I’d say I was one of the first she spoke to about it, as well as her fiancé and Anna Hughes Black, who sometimes works for the Ministry.”

  “And what did you think of her theory?”

  “I thought it made a lot of sense, but asked her not to say anything until we had more evidence to back it up,” Harry said.

  “So were you able to gather enough evidence, then?”

  “I guess we’re going to find out,” Harry said.  Vallid grinned at him.

  “Tell us about your investigations then.”

  “Well first we had to find out who possibly could have had access to the wand before it was spell tested, and found that there were only three people with enough authority to do that; Minister Weasley, Minister Brown, and the current Minister of Mysteries.  We also checked the Ministry’s Time-Turner to see if anyone had possession of it during the same window.”

  “And was that knowledge something you had normal access to?”

  “Well, no,” Harry admitted.  “I had to call in a favor of a friend who had to call in another favor with someone,” he said, glancing out to the spectators.  Ron grinned back at him.  “But in the end we were able to get the information we were looking for.”

  “And did any of them match the period of time?”

  “Yes, one.  The Minister of Mysteries seemed to be the only one who had access to both the wand and the Time-turner.”

  “And did you know who that was?”

  “Not at the time,” Harry admitted, “Mysteries tends to keep all that information to themselves when possible.  However, since that was only circumstantial evidence, we got permission from a Ministry Investigator to run a parallel investigation on the Fudge residence.”

  “And who was it that gave you that permission?”

  “Deputy Thurspire,” Harry said.

  “Was there anything in particular that you were looking for that you didn’t think the Ministry investigation handled?”

  “Well, yes, quite a bit,” Harry said.  “Thanks in great part to Anna Hughes Black, who works as a correspondent for the Ministry with Muggles, and she had connections to several Muggle investigators who knew about the magic world.  She suggested that by using Muggle means to go over the house as well, that they might uncover some clues that the Ministry might not have thought of.  In the process, it also revealed another part of information that we missed initially.”

  “Which was what?”

  “The person who killed Mr. Fudge must have been let in by someone in the house.  No one can get in the house except by invitation, and we know all the House Elves were asleep.  Therefore, whoever it was, Fudge trusted them enough to let him in.  Considering his paranoia, which I’m sure many can testify to, it’d almost have to have been a friend.”

  “And did the Muggle evidence you found correlate with that?”

  “Most definitely.  The Muggle team had taken some DNA samples around where the corpse had been, as well as upstairs inside the vault itself, as well as some fiber tests of the surrounding area.”

  “Objection, DNA tests?”  Ballenze said, “Really, can we trust such methods in a magic case?”

  “Counselor Ballenze, I’ll have you know that in some ways Muggle investigations far surpass our own at this point,” snapped Vallid, glancing up to the Magistrate.  “Magistrates, the British government acknowledges that DNA tests are admissible in court and as investigation tools. Since we’re under their jurisdiction, it legally is admissible here as well.  In fact, this method can identify with 99% accuracy whether or not a person’s chemical makeup, if you will, was left in a particular area.  Considering that that this DNA test sample taken did not match the defendant at all, and yet was found in the vault itself, it poses the question what it was doing there,” Vallid said, getting out the folder and handing the lab test over to the Magistrate while Ballenze hovered over it, trying to make sense of it.

  “Auror Potter,” Vallid continued the moment the evidence was accepted.  “Were you able to get test samples of a subject’s DNA to compare to prove beyond reasonable doubt who was in the vault?”

  “Yes,” Harry said.  “It was the Minister of Mysteries himself.  Ludo Bagman.”  The courtroom suddenly broke into a loud rumble of surprise, looking over towards where Bagman was sitting at the beginning of the trial, finding it vacated.  Suddenly there was a call from the back of the chamber and everyone looked over to see Arthur Weasley coming forward with one hand having a firm grasp of Ludo’s arm while the other held a wand tucked pointedly at his neck.

  “Look who I found trying to sneak out with the kangaroos,” Arthur said as the courtroom roar slowly subsided.  “By the way, Bagman, you’re under arrest.  And trust me, I have every intention of a full investigation of the Mysteries department since you’ve been head of it as well.  Perhaps we’ll finally get to the bottom of that nasty corruption problem that seems to crop up now and again.”

  “Counselor Ballenze, Minister Brown, in light of this new evidence, do you still want to pursue the current prosecution before the court?”  Magistrate Muse inquired as soon as he got the court settled again.

  “No, sir, not at this time,” Ballenze said after Brown whispered in his ear and headed over to join Arthur.

  “Case dismissed then,” Muse said with a thin smile as he and the other Magistrates stood, starting to talk among themselves of the consequences of some of the things that had happened that day.

  As the Ministry guards came over to help the Minister the chamber broke into excited chatter and discussion, for most of them had not even known that Bagman was the Minister to begin with.  Jennifer hadn’t known either, but at that moment in time, she could really care less as she pushed her way through the crowd and over to where Severus was standing and into his arm, laughing with relief.  Hermione, Ron and Harry soon followed along with Vallid, who shook each of their hands in thanks, and then that of a quiet but grateful Severus.  He took a deep breath but didn’t say anything for a while, patiently waiting for Jennifer to release her hold a bit before finally acknowledging the rest. 

  “I can’t believe Bagman was Minister of Mysteries all of this time,” Hermione said, shaking her head.  “But it does explain a few things, doesn’t it?”

  “Like that whole business with Miles Jasper.  He was pumping the Death Eaters with potions for information, I think, and since everyone thought he was a fool, nobody suspected he was actually gathering intelligence.”

  “I had almost forgot about that,” Ron said.

  “And just how did you three find out he was the Minister?”  Vallid asked, “That knowledge was only privy to the Minister of Magic and his direct staff.”

  “One of which happened to be Percy,” Ron answered.  “When this started to come out, Harry and I were able to convince him that someone in the Ministry was responsible, then he helped us get into the lab and later the office of Mysteries for a DNA sample.  That’s when he broke down and told us who he was.”

  “Everyone thought Ludo was a complete clown, nobody ever took him seriously, being a Quidditch ‘jock’ as it were.  Who better to head up the department then someone who actually isn’t as stupid as everyone believed?”  Hermione said.

  “He was also a member of the Order of Equinox.  In fact, he was one of the senior members,” Harry said.  “After Malfoy had lost the book, there was a panic to get it back, and when Fudge got a hold of it, they began pressuring him for it, but Fudge was afraid of them by then, and also afraid, after what happened with Lorcan, what the book was capable of.  The trouble was, he didn’t know who to trust with it.  But he didn’t think that Bagman would be the one to finally turn around and try to take it, they’d been friends for a long time.

  “In fact, he might not have done so, actually, had Thurspire not went and questioned Snape for breaking into Fudge’s house.  Bagman decided that Thurspire might have been onto something, and that Dumbledore might have sent him specifically to try and get the book, so he devised this plan so that he could get hold of the book and make whoever got arrested for it take the fall.  I don’t think he necessarily was after Severus to frame, but was waiting for whoever the Ministry happened to arrest, taking the wand and going back to finish the chain of events, knowing that he would succeed before he ever did it,” Harry finished.  “But we wouldn’t have gotten anywhere had Hermione not figured out the Time-Turner part.”

  “It was odd, we were sitting in the staff room mulling over it, and then the moment I heard the word ‘time’ it finally dawned on me,” Hermione said.  “Thank goodness it all worked out.  It wouldn’t have been the same walking down the main corridor on the second floor without hearing Severus’ voice down the halls, bellowing at his students.”

  “I think I missed the color in Jennifer’s cheeks as much as anything,” Vallid agreed, “But there, it seems to be back again, doesn’t it?  Well done, you three. And well done Anna!  I wonder where she is?”  Vallid asked.  “She deserves a lot of the credit here.” 
  “I’ll go find her,” Harry offered, and headed out the chamber door, stopping to shake some of the Magistrates’ hands on his way out.  Dumbledore stepped up in his place, beaming warmly at them.

  “So, Severus, now that you’re a free man again, is there anything I can do for you before you start back to work?  You’ve had quite an ordeal, I imagine.”

  “A week,” Severus said, still holding Jennifer as she turned around to look over at Dumbledore.  “With Jennifer,” he added.

  “Classes are supposed to start back on Monday,” Hermione pointed out.

  “Oh, well, I’m sure I can convince Minerva to keep Audi on another week.  Although she does keep things quite riled up you know,” Dumbledore said, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.  “And I doubt Professor Craw’s classes would suffer too much from a week delay on Potions.”

  “Sir, I can help fill in, if Minerva doesn’t mind,” Hermione offered.

  “Excellent idea,” Dumbledore smiled.  “I’m sure we can manage, but I for one will be quite glad to have you back on the job, Severus.”

  “No more than I,” Severus agreed with a nod, glancing over to see Harry coming back over to them.

  “Anna’s outside, talking to Lucius Malfoy believe it or not,” Harry said in a low voice.  “Should I step in?” he asked, looking straight over towards Severus.  “There’s no sign of Sirius.”

  “Sirius is speaking with Magistrate Muse, I believe,” Dumbledore said thoughtfully.

  “I’ll take care of this,” Severus said with an annoyed frown, turning towards the door.

  “Not without me you’re not,” Jennifer said, hurriedly catching up with him.

  “Do you think she’s all right?” Hermione asked Harry concernedly.

  “Anna can take care of herself,” Harry said reassuringly, “Besides, Malfoy’s not likely to do anything out of line when all of his worst enemies are in the next room,” he said, walking towards the door with Hermione not far behind.  Ron, who had been interviewing Ballenze, suddenly broke off to meet up with them.

  Dumbledore and Vallid watched them go before Dumbledore finally turned back to Vallid with a smile.

  “You know, you were doing quite well, even without Harry’s help,” Dumbledore said as she let out a sigh of relief.  “I’m not sure it would have turned out as bad as you think it would have, even if he hadn’t found out about the wand.  Quite a few of the counsel weren’t convinced that he had done it.  You might have won.”

  “Maybe,” Vallid said doubtfully, “but thank God I don’t have to find out,” she added.  “Want to go to Flannigan’s?  The drinks are on me.”

  “Nonsense, Lunette, the drinks are on me,” Dumbledore smiled at her, “After all, you did save me from having to replace one of my most dependable professors.  I’m not sure the school would be ready to have Auror Belle teaching full time.”

  “I’m not sure the world would be ready for that either,” Vallid chuckled as the two of them headed out. 

 

    Lucius Malfoy was far from happy when he had stepped into the hall during Harry’s testimony, watching with disgust as the last of the signs of the kangaroos was swept away, leaving the dull white hallway spotless again.  So young Harry still had his eye on him, did he?  Well let him pry, Malfoy thought to himself.  There was little he could do to him at this point, for Lucius had already been tried as a Death Eater and thrown out.  Even Potter, the justice ‘expert’ that he was, should realize he couldn’t be tried for it again.  In any case, this particular trial was quickly losing its appeal now that it was obvious Severus was going to get off on this wild explanation of theirs.  So Lucius decided to save his stomach and utter revulsion and wait outside for Narcissa and Draco. 

  A few minutes later there was a sudden burst of activity from the backdoor of the courtroom, and Lucius peered around the corner to see Bagman getting ready to scurry around it, only to be stopped by Arthur Weasley, who had come out the front door and barreling past Malfoy with his wand out, cutting him off, and walking him back into the courtroom.  Lucius squinted at that thoughtfully, when he realized that someone was standing nearby also watching.  The difference was that the woman beside him had a grim look of satisfaction on her face.

  He recognized Anna at once, of course, although he had only seen her in passing or with her brother or Vallid.  And he also had heard quite a number of stories about her mutant abilities, although he wasn’t quite sure if he believed any of them.  He looked at her calculatingly, not quite sure how close she was to her brother…after all, and it was obvious her husband hated him.  Still, he knew she too worked at Hogwarts, so it was always better to be cautious about such things.

  “Good afternoon, Mrs. Black.  Did you get weary of the trial as well?” Lucius asked, earning a calculating look back from Anna.

  “No, I walked Sirius over to Muse’s office and he wanted to tell me about what happened, actually.”

  “Not in too much trouble, I hope?” Lucius said, getting another wary look from Anna.  “He’s been a very profitable investment partner.  I’d hate to lose him over a little outburst in court.”  But Anna didn’t say anything, pondering the fact that she wasn’t quite sure that Sirius actually could be jailed again.  Somehow, she had a feeling he would find his way out of it no matter where they put him or what restrictions are on him, and probably end up a fugitive for the rest of his life.  Anna sighed.  “And, it would appear that your brother is getting out as well,” he said with an obvious lack of enthusiasm.

  “He wasn’t guilty,” Anna said.

  “He wasn’t guilty of murdering Fudge, perhaps,” Lucius said, “But he admitted stealing the copy of Merlin’s spell book, which should have rightfully gone to me, as its true owner.”

  “If you are the book’s true owner, why don’t you ask Dumbledore to give it back?”  Anna asked, almost tauntingly.

  “Do you really think for a moment he would?  Now then we both know better than that.”

  “And just where, exactly, did you get it in the first place?”  Anna asked.

  “I’m a man of means, Mrs. Black, and a man of means can acquire anything with a bit of ingenuity.”

  “Acquire anything, or dispose of anyone?” Anna challenged him.  Lucius squinted at her.  “My brother mentioned to me once that you were a seventh year student when he started and you used to run errands for him.  I don’t suppose that you were one of the friends he happened to give an address too that year?”

  “I think you underestimate your brother, either that or he’s got you as much fooled as most of the rest of this court,” Lucius said, his eyes turning cold.  “Did it ever occur to you that perhaps he might have told Voldemort himself where they were?  He hated his father with a passion for marrying a Muggleborn, and even more than that he hated your mudblood mother for daring to be there.  He told us all that, many, many times, and I’m sure if you don’t believe me there are several others that would happily confirm that fact.  Tell me, Mrs. Black, if he felt so terrible about his parents getting killed why ever would he have spent the rest of his youth serving the man responsible for it?”

  “Severus only made one mistake, and that was trusting the wrong people,” Anna snapped back.  “And in the process ruined his trust in the entire human race, not that I blame him for that part of it.  He has never maliciously or intentionally gone after someone out of spite, which is more than I can say for someone else in this hallway.”

  “Oh really?  And what about his murder attempt on your husband?” Lucius was quick to point out.

  “Sirius forgave him, that’s all that matters.”

  “But can you forgive him?” Lucius said with a serious expression.  “Or do you even know what really happened?  How much has Severus actually told you about his past, and how much did he just conveniently smooth away?”  Anna suddenly broke out laughing, making Lucius blink with surprise.

  “You know, you’re a manipulative bastard, but I’ve played this game too long not to know when someone’s playing.  I don’t know if you’re actually foolish enough to try and attempt to turn me against him or if you’re just trying to see where I stand, but nothing you say could possibly change my opinion about anything.”

  “Trouble, Anna?”  Severus’ calm voice rang out from behind Malfoy, who quickly took a step to the side so that his back wasn’t turned to him.  He met Severus’ steady gaze, who was watching him carefully but expressionlessly.  Beside him stood Jennifer, her face expressionless as well but her eyes were flashing dangerously.

  “Not really,” Anna said, going over and hugging her brother with such warmth it even surprised him.  “It’s good to see you out again!”

  “Thanks in large part to you, it would appear,” Severus said, stiffly giving her a brief hug back.

  “The least I can do for my brother,” Anna said with a smile.  “But you owe me a long talk.”

  “Nice to see some justice served in here…for a change,” Jennifer said, looking pointedly over at Malfoy who glanced back at her with open dislike.

  “We do what we can,” Magistrate Muse said as he, Arthur Weasley and Sirius stepped up behind them.  Sirius seemed unusually solemn as he nodded to everyone, avoiding Severus’ direct gaze.

  “Ah, Lucius, do you have a moment?”  Arthur said with a thin smile.  “The Ministry would like to ask you a few questions about how you acquired that spell book that Lorcan stole from you?  The Artifacts department is quite interested in knowing exactly why it was never registered.  I’m sure Draco would be happy to see your wife home while we talk.”

  “I’ll go inform them then,” Lucius said stiffly.

  “Allow me to walk with you,” Arthur offered, smiling again.  Lucius smiled back at him very unpleasantly, nodding to Sirius, Muse, and lastly Anna before finally heading back towards the courtroom.

  “You see, Sirius, the system does work sometimes,” Muse said, “When we have people willing to do everything to make it work,” he added, smiling approvingly at Anna.

  “The day Malfoy goes in jail and stays in jail, I’ll agree with you,” Sirius said.

  Severus was inclined to agree but was stayed silent, distracted by Jennifer’s arm on his.  Then again, perhaps it wasn’t such a bad system after all.  Of course, he could do with some changes in the investigations department he noted to himself as they turned to walk down the hallway, attempting to avoid the string of reporters in the main corridor.  He was not surprised to see Ron waiting around the side passage waiting for him for a statement.

  “Well?  Would you rather have me, or them?”  Ron said, tapping down the main corridor.  “I can always call them, you know, if you don’t want me to do it,” he said slyly.

  “This is your fault, you know,” Severus accused Jennifer, “For starting that school newspaper.”

  “I know, don’t you love it?”  Jennifer grinned.  Severus decided not to comment.  Instead, he nodded to Ron, who walked them the rest of the way out.

Chapter Nineteen

Unanswered Questions

 

  It was nearly the end of their extra week when Jennifer finally broke out Thomas Craw’s journal, sitting near the top of the stairs while Severus brewed potions in the lab below.

  “I still want to know who sent you that book.  First anonymously bought, now anonymously sent,” Severus brooded as he carefully added powdered Grimlin toenails to the writhing cauldron in front of him.

  “Dumbledore believes it’s the genuine article, and, oh I don’t know, it feels right to me, somehow.  The style of writing is Craw all over, filled with plenty of ‘I’m right and everyone else is wrong’ statements.”

  “Yes, that definitely sounds like your side of the family,” Severus said almost tauntingly.  “Still, whoever owned the book before us has already gleaned all the information they can out of there before passing it on.  Which means it’s also a possibility that not only is someone is already ahead of us in the search, but they may attempt to sabotage our own attempts to find it.  For all we know, someone already has the Cauldron.”

  “Well, it’s not as if they could use it for any ill use.  I mean, how can anyone possibly cause trouble with a pot of endless food?”

  “Any item can be abused, Jennifer, you of all people should have realized that by now,” Severus said calmly, putting the phial in a clamp over an open flame. “Even though that’s the reported use of the Cauldron by legend, we don’t know for certain that that was its only use.  Especially considering it came to be the symbol of Dark Magic, there must be a reason for it.  And there must have been a reason also that it had been taken away and hidden.  Have you found that passage yet?”

  “I’m looking, I’m sure it’s here near the back,” Jennifer said, gingerly turning the paper of the old journal.  “Here it is,” she said, muttering a soft translation spell to put it in the modern tongue.  “‘It is time that I finished what we started those many years ago, although I can only hope that Caprica can keep things together while I’m gone.  Now that O’Laren is ailing, I fear that she’ll soon lose her only other prudent advisor.  However, I have little intention of dishonoring my vow and will continue on to find that which was wrongfully taken from the school.  If I am right in my assumption, there could only have been one place it could have been taken.  I am then off to Connacht to charter a seacraft to cross into the waters to the Westernmost Isle.  With any luck, I will be able to retrieve it and find my way back before the Guardians of the Isle are even aware that I came.  Still, I do not fear them, for those who protected the accursed surely also protect me.’”

  “The Westernmost Isle…” Severus repeated in an ominous tone, nearly forgetting to turn off the mixture he had started.  “Where Callum’s seal was made.  Where priestesses watch over the remains of kings that failed to cross into Tir Na Nog.  The way there has been lost for hundreds of years…” Severus said thoughtfully, stirring up the crystallizing mixture so it wouldn’t clump together.  “And off of Connacht Province in Ireland…Connaught, rather, now.  I don’t suppose there are any maps or other nautical references?”

  “No, and the rest of the pages have to do with personal experimentation with manipulation of basic elements with animated dark magic…golems and the like, nothing at all about the trip,” Jennifer said, flipping through them.

  “He must have then realized there was a possibility that he wouldn’t have returned,” Severus nodded gravely. “He wanted to make sure his work was passed on.  Anything else?  A set of numbers that might be navigational directions, or even a due heading or a town name?  There are a lot of islands off that coast,” Severus frowned.

  “Nothing at all like that, at least not from what I’ve read so far,” Jennifer sighed.

  “Well, keep looking…if he actually did know the location of that island it wouldn’t be something he’d write about openly.”

  “But that’s good then, isn’t it?  Perhaps the previous owner never found it if it is hidden somehow,” Jennifer suggested.

  “Perhaps, but we can’t count on that,” Severus said.  “And there is something else that they may know that we do not yet.”

  “What’s that?”

  “What might have caused Gryffindor and Slytherin to have fought over the Cauldron to begin with,” Severus said, walking over to the stairs thoughtfully.  “One thing is certain, and that is I’m sure they were not simply fighting over a never-ending food supply.  If the Cauldron was taken away from the school by whichever founder, there must have been some sort of real threat involved else it wouldn’t have left at all.”  Jennifer contemplated that and looked over the journal again.  Well, there was little doubt at least where they would be able to find the answers to that, and it was with that in mind that Jennifer packed her bags the next day and checked over her paperwork as the two of them headed back to Hogwarts.

 

  Corey floated his quill in the air under his hand out of boredom, glancing over to where Danny and Taylor were leaning over a Wizard’s Chessboard, a half-finished essay on dispelling mass curses sitting in front of him covered in tiny ink blots from floating his pen.

  “What is taking Doug so long?  His silly study dates are starting to cut into our practice time now,” Corey complained.

  “Oh, come on, Corey, we do practice nearly every day,” Danny said.

  “Yeah, and I have the scabs to prove it,” Taylor said, showing his bandaged fingertips.  “Let’s face it, Corey.  Danny and Doug sound all right I guess, but there’s no way we’re going to possibly be ready for the spring dance.  It’s just too soon.”

  “Well, we have to be ready,” Corey said, taking the pen back out of the air.  “Because I already signed us up for it.”  Taylor and Danny turned and stared at him.

  “Well, that’s that!  I’ll never be able to face my housemates again,” Taylor said.

  “The only way I’ll be able to is if I pay them off,” Danny agreed.

  “Hey, we’re not that bad!”  Corey protested, “And we still have nearly three months!”

  “It’s going to take a miracle to get us ready by then,” Taylor grumbled.

  “Or,” said Doug from behind them, pushing his way between Taylor and Corey and putting a book down, “One good potion,” he grinned smugly.

  “A potion?” Danny repeated, tilting her head to see the book from her side of the table.

  “I happened to glance at one of the advance potion books Carla pulled out when Madame Granger came around the corner…. almost caught me kissing her too,” Doug said.

  “I don’t suppose it’d never occur to you to actually study on a study date?” Danny said sternly.  Doug smirked at her.

  “What, and you two do?”  He challenged them.

  “Yes, actually,” Taylor said defensively.

  “Never mind that,” Corey said getting excited.  “Look at what he found!”  The four of them hovered over the book while Corey read out of it.  “Liquid Inspiration:  to be used sparingly by aspiring artisans of all sorts.  One dose of this draught will leave its imbiber with unerring mastery in a field of the potion maker’s desire, be it painting, acting, dancing, music, or other artistic expressions!  Music…this might be just what we’ve been looking for!”

  “Wait a minute, doesn’t that make it a mind enhancing potion?  We’re not allowed to use those in Hogwarts,” Taylor hissed.

  “We’re not allowed to use them for schoolwork, I doubt this would count,” Doug said.

  “I distinctly remember McGonagall saying no mind enhancing potions are allowed to be used on school property period,” Taylor insisted.

  “That’s to because people are banned from using them in Quidditch, but we’re not using it for a sport,” Danny said.

  “We have nearly four months,” Corey pointed out, looking over the formula.  “This is pretty complicated, but I think I might be able to get all the ingredients if need be.  Let’s make a deal.  If we’ve not improved enough to suit us by then, we’ll vote on whether or not we’ll use it…if we all agree, we’ll do it.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Doug nodded, and then Danny.  Taylor sighed and nodded as well.  Just then Gail and Katie walked over and Corey quickly closed the book, waving at them.

  “Is that all you’ve gotten done of your essay?”  Katie said, looking over Corey’s shoulder, shaking her head.

  “So what, I got until tomorrow,” Corey said, cleaning off one of the smudges.

  “Perry said he saw your parents come in an hour ago,” Gail put in, “so you’d better be prepared.”

  “They’re back?  Uh oh, maybe I’d better straighten up my potion kit before my next class and Professor Craw sees it,” Taylor said getting up.

  “Hang on, what about practice?” Corey protested as Danny got up as well.

  “Why don’t you two practice together?  We’ll all practice tomorrow night for sure, but I need to get back to Slytherin house if Snape’s back, I’m sure he’ll be wanting to see us,” Danny said, heading back over to her own table.

  “If I knew that was going to happen, I would have stayed on my date,” Doug complained.  “I really like Carla…those Hufflepuff girls may be a bit shy at first, but overall I seem to have more luck with them.”

  “Doug,” Corey said with an exasperated sigh, getting up.  “Come on.”   The two of them went down the back hall and down the stairs to see if Corey’s Mom was in her office, but McGonagall was there with her, and after only the briefest of greetings was shooed away with a stern suggestion that he should be finishing his homework.  Instead, the two boys decided to then head up to the abandoned classroom where Caprica Dusthorn was already waiting for them.

  Danny on the other hand had returned to find Professor Snape in the Slytherin Common Room, speaking to Amadeus and several other students, but looking up long enough to nod to Danny when she came in, walking over to where she sat a few moments later when he finished up his conversation.

  “Miss Nelson, are you quite sure you don’t want to rejoin the Sparring Club?” Professor Snape said with a slight frown when he walked up, Amadeus not far behind.  “The tournament will be starting soon, and Mr. Longbottom informs me that Gryffindor seems to have picked up a leading edge since I’ve been…detained.”

  “It was favoritism, pure and simple,” Amadeus insisted, “I swear, every time a Gryffindor had a smart alec remark, Madame Belle would give them points for it.”

  “Well she did give Corey a lot of points for asking questions, if that’s what you mean,” Danny admitted.  “And she did deduct points from Amadeus for refusing to help her with a demonstration.”

  “I’m not stupid enough to try and take on a jabberwocky on my own, especially when she just goes and tells us to have at it without teaching us the proper procedures first.”

  “She was trying to get you to use your brain for a change, nitwit,” Danny said.

  “Miss Nelson, please.”

  “Sorry, Professor, but he is one,” Danny said, ignoring the glare from Amadeus.

  “Professor, we really don’t need her to win the sparring tournament.  I am more than capable of making sure we get a victory.  I’ll even help train the younger years if you want,” Amadeus said.

  “That’s one way to insure Gryffindor this years victory,” Danny smirked.  Amadeus glared at her again.

  “Well at this point I don’t exactly have much of a choice, do I?”  Snape said, his lip twitching slightly.  Danny sighed.

  “All right, I’ll do it, just to spare myself the humiliation of watching us get smeared if Amadeus tries to take over,” Danny said. 

  “Perhaps that’ll give you a chance to get caught up on your Transfiguration Studies now that you are free to do so,” Snape suggested to Amadeus.  Danny smirked slightly, knowing it was his worst subject, and nobody was willing to do his homework in that topic.  The last time someone had tried, McGonagall had caught it in an instant, and no one was willing to risk her wrath again.  “I should be preparing for class now, and so should you, although I’m quite sure there will be no further sudden point gains…at least, not for the other houses,” he added with a thin sinister smile before turning away.   

  Danny looked after him thoughtfully, wondering if she should tell him something that had been on her mind since Christmas, but then decided against it.  After all, he might not approve of how she had done it, she mused.  Glancing over to see Amadeus still watching her she frowned at him.

  “You know, I’ve half a mind to tell Draco you’re being a pain again,” Danny threatened.

  “I’m not the one who’s spending more and more time with a band of mixed losers who couldn’t put two notes together that didn’t shatter glass.  I can’t wait until the dance so I can laugh at you making a fool out of yourself and your cousin can see what a total washout you’ve become,” Amadeus smiled at her mockingly before heading off to his room.  Danny sighed in annoyance, realizing her mind had already been made up on whether to use the potion or not.

 

  It wasn’t until early the next morning that Severus and Jennifer finally had time to get to see Anna.  She had just gotten in and was having coffee with Sirius in her office when they arrived, and she greeted them warmly.

  “Welcome back!  Did you have a good week?”  Anna asked, offering them something to drink.

  “Splendid, we actually spent part of it abroad, in Villahexa in the Alps,” Jennifer said cheerfully.  “It was quite lovely there!”

  “I’ve been to Villahexa before, fantastic little village, best Wizard skiing in Europe,” Sirius grinned.  “But it looks like you brought him back all in one piece.  Oh well, better luck next time,” he taunted, earning a dark look from Severus.

  “They had skiing?” Jennifer asked sounding quite surprised.  “I knew we should have left the room for a bit and done a bit of touring.”  Sirius suddenly blanched and shuddered, earning a dirty look from his wife.

  “I thought perhaps you might want to have lunch with me later to talk over some things,” Severus suggested to Anna.

  “Love to, if you feel you’re caught up,” Anna agreed.

  “Audi may not have been much of a disciplinarian, but she did follow my schedule fairly closely.”

  “Careful, Severus, that almost sounded like a complement for a moment, you might spoil your sour reputation if you keep that up,” Sirius taunted again.

  “Well that’s enough dogged jibes from Sirius for one day I think I’ll go get ready for my first class.  And so should you, Jennifer, yours starts before mine.” Severus said, getting up.

  “Don’t remind me,” Jennifer grinned, accepting Severus hand to get back on her feet.  “I still have to get suited up in my gloves and fume mask for today’s lab.  Makes me feel like I’m performing a major operation every time I go in there,” she chuckled, waving as they left.

  “Do you believe they spent three days in a resort and didn’t leave the room?  That’s the scariest thing I’ve ever heard in my life,” Sirius said.

  “Like you have room to talk!  You sound like a ten year old who just found out what his parents had to do to get him there.  Good grief, Sirius, grow up!”  Anna said, obviously annoyed with him.

  “Well, I knew they were married and all but I didn’t think she actually liked it.”

  “Oh, good grief,” Anna said, rolling her eyes and tossing their cups back on the tray which instantly disappeared, reappearing a moment later clean and back in its place.  “I swear sometimes you are just as bad as my brother is when it comes to missing the obvious.  Severus and Jennifer are one of those rare couples where the honeymoon just doesn’t end.  You should be happy for them, I know I am.”

  “What would you know about honeymoons ending?”  Sirius challenged her.

  “Quite a bit actually, I’ve a degree in psychology, remember?”  Anna said evenly, looking over the notes for her next class.

  “And what about us, do you think our honeymoon has ended?” Sirius asked, leaning over her desk.

  “What do you think?” She asked him expressionlessly.  He blinked at her, but before he could react any further she had gotten up and kissed him quickly, heading out to her classroom.

  “What do I think?” Sirius repeated, staring at the open door with a blank expression on his face.

 

Chapter Twenty

Stirrings in a Restless Night

 

  As the week wore on and Jennifer and Severus settled into their normal routine, thoughts of urgency turned to the homework of the day, upcoming tests and making sure students actually paid attention in class…unaware as much as the rest of the school that something deep within the school itself was not quite so calm.  Dumbledore had had to leave on an errand, or perhaps he would have noticed the soft echo of whispers that seemed to drift from the walls, only silencing when one of the living inhabitants appeared, passing by and chatting amongst themselves, oblivious to the events around them.

  Jennifer had stayed up late, perhaps later than normal, sipping on a gentle herb tea in hopes to soothe her heartburn, tiredly sifting through the journal in hopes of discovering something new.  Finally the pain let up and she quietly slipped into her slippers and headed off to bed, pausing only long enough to let her bat back inside before shutting the window and heading into the other room.

  Had she but turned around, perhaps she would have noticed the journal flipping pages on its own where she had left it on her table.  Even as she closed the door behind her, a candle flickered to life for a moment beside the book before it flickered out again.

 

  It was Corey Willowby who had found he couldn’t sleep that night, but for what reason he wasn’t quite sure.  Tossing and turning did no good and he had completely lost track of the time, aware of Doug softly snoring in the bed across from his.  Finally he sat up and found himself strangely alert, feeling as if someone were calling him.  Unsure of where to go, Corey put on some shoes and his robe and headed out to the common room.  It was then that he was aware of eyes on him, and realized it was coming from the paintings around him.  Well of course they were looking at him, Corey thought to himself, he was the only student up at an unusually late time of night.  Why wouldn’t they be curious?  But somehow, Corey thought it was more than that.  Then on a whim he decided to look around at the painting between the windows at the painting of a wizard wearing a familiar, floppy hat and leaning on a sword.  The painting, which to Corey’s knowledge was the most inactive of those in the Gryffindor rooms, seemed very much aware of him at that moment, smiling gently at him with a keen glint in his eyes.

  “Well, don’t just stand there, do something,” a voice inside him said, and he wasn’t entirely sure it was his own.  Taking a step back, Corey rushed up the stairs and grabbed a hold of Doug’s foot, quickly running over to cover his mouth when Doug sat straight up and acted like he was going to scream.

  “Shhh, something’s going on, I may need your help,” Corey hissed at him, throwing Doug’s robe over his head.

  “Have you gone mad?”  Doug said, getting hushed again.  “It’s the middle of the night!”

  “I know, but we have to get up,” Corey insisted.  “The paintings are acting all weird.”

  “When don’t the paintings around here act all weird?”  Doug wanted to know.

  “Not like this,” Corey said, and before Doug knew it he found himself following Corey down the stairs into the common room, glancing up at the painting again.  The painting was still looking at him, slightly amused now, and nodding to them both.

  “Corey?”  Doug whispered, staring at the painting.

  “Yeah?”

  “The painting of Godric Gryffindor, did you see it just nod to us?”

  “Yeah,” Corey said, turning to Doug.  “He wants us to do something.”

  “Like what?”

  “I dunno,” Corey shrugged.  That was when the door opened with a soft creak.  Corey and Doug looked at the open door and the almost imperceptible smile on the Fat Lady’s face, before glancing at each other.

  “If we’re caught out there this time at night, it’ll be detention for sure.  Maybe even for the rest of the year.  Good bye spring dance, good bye Hogsmeade…” Doug said as he continued to follow Corey towards the door.  “My family will disown me.  And your Dad will hang you up by your toes.”

  “Nah, he hasn’t done that in over a year,” Corey said as they headed out into the hall.

  “Oh now that makes me feel a lot better,” Doug said sarcastically.  “Where are we going, anyhow?”  Corey paused and looked at the paintings, but they all seemed to be too busy reading to notice them.

  “I guess we’re going to the library,” Corey said.

 “Wonderful,” Doug said.  “We can pick up a copy of that Muggle book we’ve been studying in class.  Crime and Punishment.”

  “Would you calm down?” Corey said.  “You could have stayed.”

  “And let you travel around down here by yourself at night?  You’re bound to get in some sort of trouble, and either way I’m sure they’d think I was in on it.  So, I might as well be here instead of getting blamed for something I didn’t do,” Doug reasoned.  Corey grinned at him as they headed down the back stairs, barely able to see in the dimmed corridors as they made their way in to the library.  Shivering from the creepiness of the long shadows cast by the bookshelves and eerie light from the windows just as much as from the chill air, the two boys stepped further in, looking around almost expectantly.

  “Okay, so we’re here, now what do we do?” Corey said in a low voice, gazing around suspiciously.

  “How am I supposed to know?  This was your idea,” Doug said.  Suddenly something caught his eye and he squinted in the darkness.  Moonlit shone across the worktables that ran down the center of the room, creating a lacquered shine to creep down the center of each.  But one of them was oddly broken, and Doug had quickly realized that something was on the table.  As he stepped cautiously over to it, he finally recognized the tiny figure, which had cut such a looming shadow from where it sat in the center of the table, in the center of the library.

  “What is it, Doug?”  Corey asked, looking around each shelf as he stepped over to him.

  “It’s a chess piece,” Doug said, holding it out to him, “But more than that, it’s a black king.  You don’t think that’s a coincidence, do you?”

  “No, I think someone is trying to tell us something.” Corey said.

  “Well it’s obvious, isn’t it?  The information needed to get to the king must be in this library,” Doug said.  “But why in the world did we have to wait into the middle of the night to find this out?”

  Suddenly there was a clanging sound and the two of them froze and looked around, not seeing anything.  Grabbing Corey’s shoulder, Doug dragged him behind a bookshelf, the two of them stood quietly there for a moment. 

  “It has to be here somewhere,” a soft voice whispered.  It was a strain to hear it, and Corey found himself holding his breath, waiting for more.

  “I’m sure the spell he used is down here somewhere.  Ah, here’s a likely volume to try,” said another voice with a slightly louder whisper.

  “Don’t forget to silence it first,” the other voice said.

  “It’s all right, I know what I’m doing,” said the second.  Doug tapped Corey and began to creep towards the back, and as Corey followed behind he realized with certainty that the voices were sounding louder the closer they got to the restricted section.

  “Even if you do find the spell, I don’t think we’ll have enough power to break it,” the first said.  “And who says that Snape didn’t booby trap it?”  Corey suddenly held his breath again.  Someone was trying to break one of his Dad’s spells?

  “I didn’t see any traps, and it’s a chance we’re going to have to take,” the second said.  “Here, I think I’ve found it.”

  “Hurry up, before we get caught, I’d hate to have to explain this,” the first said.  But Corey was suddenly determined to be the one they’d have to explain it to.  Anybody trying to dispel one of Snape’s spells couldn’t be up to any good, and Corey wasn’t about to let it happen without a fight.   As he drew up his hands defensively he was also aware that Doug had pulled out his own wand, and the two of them crept closer, finally spotting the wavering light of a dim lantern around the corner on the far side of the restricted section, and then with a nod as a signal the two boys dove around the corner ready for anything, only to meet with a pair of screams and the sound of a lantern crashing to the floor, snuffing out the light within.  Silence followed for an uneasy moment, until at last a cautious voice sounded out in the darkness.

  “Danny?”  Corey asked.

  “Yeah?”  Danny whispered back.

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Getting a book.  What are you doing here?”

  The sound of a cat meowing in the distance paralyzed them into silence again.

   “We have got to get out of here, someone’s likely to have heard that scream,” Taylor whispered.

  “I have to copy that spell first,” Danny said insistently.  “I don’t want to have to do this again.”

  “Wait a minute, what are you doing that you have to dispel one of Snape’s spells?” Corey demanded, getting hushed by Doug.

  “Not now, I’ll explain in a second,” Danny hissed, relighting the lamp long enough to get out a parchment and muttering a phrase made an exact copy of the spell in her hand.  “Okay, got it.  Let’s get out of here.”

  “Where to?” Doug asked, resigned to being led around.

  “Let’s go to our practice room,” Taylor suggested.  “It’s soundproofed so nobody should hear us talking, and it’s far out of the main corridors.”

  On the way, Corey explained what had happened to them, and Doug handed the piece over to Danny to look at just as they stepped in.  Closing the door, the sconces flickered to life on their own, and Danny nodded as if in confirmation.

  “This piece may be small, but it’s the same exact design as one of those on the larger chess board,” she said.

  “So it definitely is a clue, the king can be found in the library, or at least information to find him,” Taylor said.

  “But Craw and Granger have been over that library looking for clues to find Craw before,” Corey pointed out.

  “But that was before she got the journal,” Danny reminded him.

  “Craw found the journal?”  Doug said in surprise.

  “Wait a minute, how do you know she has the journal?” Corey said, squinting at her.  “I hadn’t told anyone about that.”

  “Well if you must know, it’s because I’m the one that gave it to her,” Danny said.  “You see, I happened to read a note on Snape’s desk one afternoon before Christmas that he was looking for it, and when I saw it was an anonymous bidder I couldn’t help wonder if Uncle Lucius hadn’t bought it.  It took me awhile, but I found it tossed into a box of random books in one of the drawers below the bookshelves in the mansion library.  It didn’t appear as if it was something he would miss so I, well, borrowed it permanently.”  The three boys stared at her.  “Don’t look at me like that, it isn’t as if that journal didn’t really belong to Professor Craw.  Besides, I kinda felt like I owed the Snapes one,” she said with a shrug.

  “You know, you’re pretty sneaky when you wanna be,” Doug commented.

  “Doug, I’m a Slytherin, we’re born that way,” Danny said dryly.  “Now come on, back to business.  I suppose you’re wondering by now what we were doing down there.”

  “That had crossed our minds, yes,” Corey agreed.

  “Well, before I sent the book, I read through it once to see if I could find out where Craw was going when he left the school,” Danny said.  “And it appears that Janus Craw thought it was taken to the Westernmost Isle.”

  “The Westernmost Isle?  But that’s just another name for Tir Na Nog, isn’t it, really?  Sorta like a symbolic reference?”  Doug asked.

  “Rather, it’s supposed to be one of the main gates to Tir Na Nog, where Callum’s seal was first brought,” Taylor said.  “The island itself has been called a lot of other names, like the Isle of Dead Kings, and the Island of Apples.”

  “Wait, isn’t ‘Island of Apples’ just another name for Avalon?” Corey asked, awed spite of himself.  “I thought that was supposed to be in Glastonbury.”

  “Only if you’re from Glastonbury,” Doug quipped.  Taylor nudged him.

  “I think I had better sit down,” Corey decided.

  “No, we can’t, we don’t have enough time.  Not if, well, at least Taylor and I were planning to get something else done tonight, and if we don’t hurry, we’re going to be missed in the morning, Saturday or not,” Danny said.  “Come to think of it, maybe you had better stay here, that way you won’t get into trouble if we do get caught.”

  “Wait a minute, what are you planning on doing?” Corey demanded looking very serious.

  “Do you remember what Caprica told us when she first talked about the Cauldron?  She told us that Salazar was the last person to have known for certain where the Cauldron was before it was taken.  Which means, if he himself had hidden it, he might have left a clue to where it is, maybe even give us a clue to where the island itself is.  That would also explain how Craw might have found out, if he’d left some clue after his death,” Danny said.

  “Wait a minute, I hope you’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking,” Corey said, sitting up straight.  “You can’t go down there!  It’s insane!  Besides, even if you did get past Dad’s blocks, you can’t get to the Chamber without being a parselmouth.”

  “Already thought of that.  I spent all of last week using my extra time in potion’s class making up animal speaking potions.  Madame Granger didn’t seem to notice, or if she did she didn’t say anything,” Danny said, showing them her bag full of potions.  “They only last for a minute or two, but I should have enough here to get us through what we need to.”

  “Do those things even work on snakes?”  Doug asked.

  “I’ve seen Sagittari use them with the coatls,” Corey mused.  “It might work.”

  “So, what do you think, do we go down?”  Danny asked impatiently.

  “If you’re going I’m going,” Taylor told her in a tone that seemed to indicate he’d repeated that often in the last few days.

  “You’re not going to get past that seal without help, and even then I somehow doubt it,” Corey said, shaking his head.  “But I’ll give it a go.”

  “All for one and one for all,” Doug shrugged, nodding.  “Let’s just hope nobody has to try and figure out where are corpses are in a few days.”

  “Actually, I think I got an idea of something else that might help us down there,” Corey said, getting up.  “Come on, let’s get moving.  I need to step by Dad’s office before we go.  Hope he hasn’t changed the password since he got back,” Corey muttered to himself as the four of them headed down the stairs.

Chapter Twenty-One

Corey Willowby and the Chamber of Secrets

 

  Rasputin wasn’t too happy about leaving his nice warm box by the fire only to end up being carried off by Corey into a cold girl’s lavatory.  At least he wasn’t the only one; it appeared that Corey’s cat Cheshire, Danny’s owl Redwing and Taylor’s owl Rigel were also there, the owls looking around with interest while Cheshire rolled over on his back, ready for another catnap.

  “Do you think anyone will notice the door being unlocked?”  Taylor said nervously, “I’d hate to be trapped in here, especially since it’s supposed to be off limits and all.”

  “You don’t like to be trapped in here?  How do you think I feel?” A voice suddenly whined from around them.  A phantom breeze passed by them, causing them to look around, and Cheshire suddenly stood up, arching his back.

  “Calm down, boy, I think that’s just Moaning Myrtle,” Corey said.

  “Yes, just Moaning Myrtle, just poor pathetic nobody cares Myrtle,” the ghost said, sounding miserable.

  “Harry told me all about you,” Corey nodded.

  “Harry Potter?”  Myrtle said, brightening in a way only a ghost could or should.  She brushed back wisps of her incorporeal hair, smiling at them.  “So he did notice me?  What did he say about me?” 

  “He said you were very helpful, finding the Chamber of Secrets,” Corey said quickly.  “You know, he couldn’t have found it without you, you’re very clever.”

  “Why, thank you,” she said giggling, sniffling only slightly now.  “Who are you?”

  “I’m Corey Willowby, and these are my friends, Danny, Doug and Taylor,” he said.  “Do you mind if we walk through your bathroom?  That is, you see, we need to get down to the Chamber,” Corey explained.

  “Oh, but you can’t,” Myrtle said with surprise.  “They sealed it you know, and then, they closed my bathroom, and now no one ever visits me anymore,” Myrtle said, threatening to break into another whimpering sob.  “It’s personal, I know it now.  I didn’t even get to go to the party.  I probably wouldn’t have found anyone to dance with, even if I had gone!”  She wailed.

  “Nonsense!  Why, I’m sure any student ghost type boy would gladly go out with you!  You just need to come out of your stall every now and then, that’s all,” Corey assured her emphatically.

  “Oh really?”  Myrtle said, sounding interested but suspicious.  “Like who?”  It was at that point that Corey realized he didn’t remember seeing any male student ghosts around, and wondered if there were any.  Still, the school had been around quite a long time.

  “Oh, anyone,” Corey said quickly.  “You just need more self confidence, really.  I mean, I know being a ghost is miserable and all that, but maybe if you didn’t wallow in it so much, maybe you could find someone cute to hang around with.”

  “You’re just trying to be nice to me so I’ll show you where the Chamber is, aren’t you?”  Myrtle said.

  “Well, maybe that’s what I was thinking when I first came in here,” Corey admitted.  “But seeing as how you’re such a nice ghost and all, I think you really should take some initiative.  Next time there’s a dance ghosts are allowed to go to, I think you should go.”

  “Would you go with me?”  Myrtle asked, floating closer, batting her eyes at him.  Corey blinked back.  “I mean, well, perhaps you could introduce me to some people and maybe stay with me until I feel more…confident.”

  “Sure, Myrtle,” Corey said slowly, “but right now, we’ve got to get down to the Chamber, it’s really important.”

  “Oh of course, of course!”  Myrtle said, giggling.  “I wonder what Olive Hornby would say if she knew a mortal was going to take me dancing!”  She said gleefully, heading over to the sinks.

  “You do realize what you’ve done, don’t you?’ Doug whispered to Corey as they walked behind her.  “Ghosts are allowed to go to the spring dance, you know.”  Corey glanced back at Doug with an expression that showed quite clearly that he hadn’t realized that at all.  Groaning softly, he quickly caught back up to where the others were standing.

  “This is the one, I’ve seen all sorts of people go through it over the last few years,” said Moaning Myrtle.  “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?  Corey, do you mind my hair this way?”

  “It’s fine, Myrtle really,” Corey assured her, looking at the sink with the Snake on it.  Danny already had her wand out, looking over the spell she’d copied, shaking her head.

  “This is a really complicated spell, I’m not going to be able to break this alone, especially considering who put it here,” Danny said.

  “We’ll use the synchronous spell and do it together,” Corey agreed.  “Four magics are better than one they say.”  One by one the four looked over the spell, Doug pausing to work out the wording in his head several times before passing it on.  It was an eight-verse chant, and it all had to be said backwards to break the seal.  In fact, none of them had even attempted to do anything like this in class above five words.  Corey waited impatiently for each one to pass it along, each one muttering slightly to themselves as he got it.  Reading through it once, he passed it back to Danny.

  “All right, I’m ready,” he said, getting glares from the others.

  “You lead then,” Danny said, trying not to sound annoyed for the bit of showing off.  “Since you’re the only one who has it down pat.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve been listening and I’m sure you have it,” Corey said, taking Danny’s hand.  The others joined hands as well as Corey cast the spell to put them all in harmony, his hand raised just as the others raised their wands, all pointing towards the sink and the invisible seal they knew was protecting it.  With a steady voice Corey began, hearing the others chanting the rhythmic verse in time, feeling the his own building power begin to mingle with Danny’s then Taylor’s then Doug’s, the long verse giving time for the four swells of magic to create one solid force.  As the last word was spoken the power suddenly dissipated and a sound much like shattering glass could be heard from in front of them as a spray of tiny sparkled lights scattered through the air.

  “I don’t believe it, we did it!”  Danny said, but sounded quite tired indeed.

  “Yeah, but that’s just the beginning,” Taylor reminded her wearily.  “You still have the potions right?”

  “I’m on it,” Danny said, taking out one of the vials from the pouch and drinking it down.  “What am I supposed to say, anyhow?”

  “I dunno, we didn’t talk about it in that much detail,” Corey said, trying to think back.  “Open sesame?”

  “Open what?”  Doug asked, looking at him oddly.

  “Never mind, just try something,” Corey urged her.  Shrugging at the others, Danny turning around and tried to concentrate on the snake.

  “Open sesame,” Danny hissed.  But as soon as she said the word ‘open’, the sink began to tremble, and the four students took a giant step back as it slid away, revealing a dark, sinister pipe.

  “Open what?” hissed Rasputin.  “I’m hungry.  Where are we going?”

  “Brilliant, Corey, it worked,” Danny said approvingly, eyeing the basilisk.

  “I noticed that,” Corey agreed.

  “And Rasputin says he’s hungry.”

  “So what else is new?”  Corey grinned.  “I’ll feed him when we get back, that way I can bribe him into not telling Dad about it.  But Rasputin might be able to get into places we can’t down there, and since he speaks a snake language it should protect him from any sort of traps there might be.  In fact, maybe we should let him down first,” he decided.

  “If anything happens to him, your Dad is gonna kill you,” Taylor said as Corey heaved Rasputin up and slid him down the hole.  “In fact, he’ll probably kill all of us.”

  “Hush! Let me listen!”  Danny snapped as the four of them huddled near the open pipe.  After a moment there was a hissing noise.  “He’s down, and I think he’s okay.  And he wants to know what’s for breakfast.”

  “Guess the only bottomless pit down here is the one in that lizard’s stomach,” Doug smirked, moving out of the way as Corey climbed in the pipe.

  With one last shove Corey slid down the slimy hole, quickly covered in gunk as it twisted down in the darkness, reminding him of the toboggan slide at the Christmas carnival his first year.  As he hit the ground he rolled slightly to the side to get out of the way, feeling around to try and find Rasputin.  Instead, he heard a meowing wail as a very unhappy Cheshire landed nearly, walking gingerly on its mucked up paws and trying to shake it off of them one by one.  Moments later Doug appeared, complaining loudly about the smell, then Danny and at last Taylor, followed by the two owls, swooping in somehow managing to have come through slime free.  Corey in the meantime was busy trying to clean some of the slime off Cheshire with a spell, while Rasputin took it upon himself to scout ahead, having realized that the sooner they got this over with, the sooner he’d get fed.

  “So far so good, I think,” Corey said, trying to wipe off his own robes.  “Does anyone have a clue what we’re looking for down here?”

  “Information about the Cauldron,” Danny said impatiently, taking out a lantern from her pocket and restoring it to normal size.

  “Well we knew that much,” Corey said.  “Watch out for traps, Mom once told me there was a ton of them down here.  Don’t touch anything,” he added as they came to a partially caved in area.  “Well, except rocks, when we have to,” he amended.

  “I’d rather not even touch those,” Taylor grimaced, working his way through the tight tunnel.  Danny, can you see Rasputin?”

  “No, I can’t hear him either, I think the potion wore off.  Hang on while I grab another,” Danny said from in front of them, trying to get a hold of her pouch.

  “I hope you brought enough,” Corey said, pushing ahead until he was right beside Taylor.

  “I brought enough just in case we needed to get passed parseltongue seals, I wasn’t expecting having something down here I’d actually have to converse with,” Danny admitted.

  “Use it sparingly then, let Rasputin know that you might not always understand him.  He’s pretty smart for a lizard, I’m sure he’ll figure out a way to warn us if there’s danger or something,” Corey said.

  “I dunno, he doesn’t seem to be all that smart to me,” Doug said.  “All he ever does is eat, sleep, and look menacing.”

  “He says there’s a door up ahead,” Danny informed them, heading up to join Rasputin.  But before she got all the way to it, Rasputin suddenly hissed and the snakes in the door seemed to come alive, slowly opening to reveal the chamber within.  Danny inhaled in complete awe as she stepped in, a strange feeling beginning to creep through her.  What power he must have had to accomplish this!  Not to mention the unbending will that had forced him to build it in the first place.  It had always been that unwavering will that she had always admired, in him as well as her uncle, and something that she wished she herself could have…torches flickered to life, illuminating countless statues of serpents and a large statue of Slytherin himself, a token perhaps, to leave as a reminder of the lasting impact he had here, and on the school.

  “Danny, are you all right?”  Taylor asked her as they stepped in, she nodded slightly, putting away her thoughts and looking over at the others as Doug grimaced at the statues.

  “Snakes, I’m sick of snakes.  Why does it always have to be snakes?”  Doug asked.  Corey snorted.

  “It was built by Slytherin, dimwit, what were you expecting, puppies?”  He grinned.  “Come on, Indy,” he added, following behind Rasputin.

  “What did you call me?” Doug demanded, but was distracted by the basilisk suddenly stopping in the center of the chamber, testing the air with his tongue.  “Something wrong?”

  “He wants to know which direction to take.  He says he smells water most of the ways, and two ways where there isn’t any,” Danny translated.

  “Water?”  Corey repeated thoughtfully.

  “Down the pipes I’d think, away from the chamber,” Taylor said.  “We should check the other ones first.”

  “Water is good, that means there might be another way out if we get into trouble,” Danny said.

  “I doubt any of us brought any Gill Potions though,” Corey said.

  “Look here, I think there’s another room over here behind the Slytherin statue,” Doug pointed out.

  “Don’t go near it,” Corey warned, “especially without running curse tests on it.”

  “I’m not a first year, you know,” Doug protested.  “I already ran some tests.  It’s got another seal on it, rather like the one upstairs, only bigger.”

  “Bigger?” Danny asked, looking at it thoughtfully.  “It’s going to be harder to break.”

  “You know, if that one is sealed by Snape too, I bet it goes to that room the Apprentice’s built.  Might be worth looking into,” Corey said.  “Let’s head there first.” 

  The four of them joined hands again and in perfect synchrony canted the words again, following Corey’s lead as before.  But as the energy from their magic blended and burst towards the seal it suddenly pushed aside before it finally dissipated them, leaving them all drained and discouraged when their spell finally broke, causing them to sink to their knees.

  “It’s no use, Corey, we didn’t even make a dent in it,” Danny said.

  “Maybe the first one tired us out too much,” Taylor suggested.

  “No, I think Mom might have helped him with this one.  We might be able to get passed one of them but there’s no way we’re going to get passed it when they team up like that,” Corey said, slowly standing up.  “We still have that other route to try.”

  “Where’s the other way, Rasputin?”  Danny said, realizing belatedly that she said it in English.  But the monitor basilisk must have understood at least in part of what was going on, because it suddenly turned and walked slowly up the center of the chamber and into the open jaw of one of the snake statues.  Suddenly there was a trembling sound as the jaw of the snake suddenly dropped all the way to the floor, leaving a gaping passage behind it.  No one said anything for a long moment.

  “I don’t remember Harry or Mom saying anything about that happening,” Corey finally said.

  “I’m sure they didn’t mention everything,” Danny said, standing up beside him and helping Taylor up as well.

  “I don’t think we should go in there,” Doug decided, getting up.  “Maybe we should go back up.”

  “Then everything we’ve done so far would be totally pointless,” Corey said.  “I didn’t come this far to turn back right when it’s starting to get interesting.”

  “Me either,” Danny agreed, rummaging out another bottle and drinking it.  “Stay behind if you like, but I’m going on at least.  I have to,” she added, a strange sensation going through her, knowing it was true.  The other three gave her an odd look.  How could they understand, she thought to herself.  How could she explain that she was meant to come here?

  “If you go, I’m going,” Taylor said.  Doug finally got up.

  “Well, I’m not staying out here by myself.  Lead on then,” he said, gripping his wand tightly.  Danny hissed softly then, pausing to listen before she nodded to the rest.  Taking a deep breath, Corey led them in, quite unprepared for what he was about to see.  Torches burst into flames, lighting up the chamber around him, and Corey knew with certainty what he was looking at.  The pomp and circumstance of the outside chamber was without doubt only window dressing…like an ancient tomb filled with traps an false rooms.  This one, it seemed, was also built with a false chamber, just in case anyone ever got that far.  And that was when, of course, the guardian of the chamber came to dispose of them; the ancient basilisk that Harry had rid the school of ten years ago.  But Corey knew that he had not passed through the door that they had just entered, a door which could only be open…by a basilisk.  He had little doubt of that now, and as he heard his heart pounding in his chest, he tried to let it sink in that the chamber in which he now stood was the true Chamber of Secrets.

  A large stone desk took up one side of the back wall with instruments both easily recognizable and not, alongside a wooden corner bookcase paned in glass long caked by dust.  A dark symbol had been painted on the floor in red, although none of them wished to imagine what from, although they could perhaps guess from the startling skeletal figure shackled against the far right wall, dead for over a thousand years.  Inscribed upon the wall in small letters beside the crumpled form were the words, “Death awaits all who defy the will of Slytherin and his heirs!”

  “I don’t think that was written by Salazar,” Danny whispered.

  “Voldemort was here, or rather, Tom was,” Corey agreed.  “Don’t touch anything,” he said, enunciating each word for emphasis.

  “Who do you think he was?  Or she?” Doug asked, carefully stepping around the symbol to get a better look.

  “He,” Taylor said with certainty after looking at the skeleton a moment.  “I say, I knew Salazar wasn’t a likable chap, but I didn’t think he’d stoop to this and in the school no less.”

  “Does anyone recognize the symbol?”  Danny asked.

  “No, but look, the outside edge has an item protection on it.  It’s meant to contain a powerful item of some sort,” Corey pointed out.

  “Like the cauldron?” Doug asked.

  “Perhaps, hard to say,” Taylor shrugged.  “You don’t suppose this man could be Janus Craw and he’s been dead here all along?”

  “No, Janus didn’t leave until after Salazar was buried, remember?  It was Janus that helped build his tomb,” Corey reminded them.  “Doug, be careful.”

  “Don’t worry, I have every intention of being careful,” Doug assured him as he looked over the items on the desk.  “There’s a book laying out.”

  “Don’t read it,” Danny warned.  “Here, let me do that.  You can cover me.”

  “Why you?” Doug challenged her.

  “Because I’m a Slytherin,” Danny retorted, “Now get out of the way.”  Muttering her identify spells she cautiously sat down, chanting spells to reveal to her any hidden powers the book might have.  The book began to glow as the spell started to work, but suddenly the pages started flipping on its own.  As Doug tried to contain the book, Corey dove towards Danny to knock her away, inadvertently hitting the desk and knocking off one of the instruments into the symbol.  There was a sudden flash, and Danny found herself alone, surrounded by mist.

  Awakened again…how long has it been?  And he is gone now, isn’t he? I should have known, in fact I did know, that although my blood ran through his veins it had been too muddied to be of any true use.  And what of you?  No, no.  Your blood is pure but you are too weak to serve.  Pity.

  It hadn’t taken Danny long to figure out what the voice was.  It was an imprint of memory attached to the Chamber of Secrets itself, left behind to record the events that had taken place there over the course over the centuries.  Which meant, Danny realized, that it also must have within it all the knowledge that had been discovered or kept here, and all the Secrets within it.  Still, such things could be dangerous and manipulative, even to those it wished to help.  Often had Lucius spoken of the Diary he had consulted, reduced to an ink soaked relic, and Danny had heard tell enough in Hogwarts about what had happened to Harry.  Had this room’s imprint then given Voldemort the idea to create the Diary, so that his work too could be preserved?

  “Do you remember Dagda’s Cauldron?” Danny asked carefully.  The mist suddenly began to lift, and Danny found herself standing in the Chamber again, but this time, it was different, for in the center of the room was a large Cauldron, bubbling with a thick porridge like substance even though there was no heat beneath it.  The tall man who stood before it she recognized at once as he sifted a powder through his fingers and into the Cauldron, the mixture turning an unhealthy shade of green as he picked up a book, making a notation within it before ladling out a sample of it to test.

  Just then, a thin, dark haired man wearing a robe with a Ravenclaw insignia entered, followed by a rather large serpent basilisk perhaps six feet in length.  The bedraggled man seemed calm, but not completely pleased to be there.

  “What is it now, father?” The man asked with a stoic expression.

  “Tell me what you see,” Salazar said.  Salazar’s son sighed.

  “Concerning what?”

  “The Cauldron, boy, the Cauldron,” Salazar said impatiently to the other wizard, looking back at the mixture.  The man turned to it with a frown, looking back at Salazar.

  “I see many of innocent people dying from the famine,” his son said quietly, “Because you chose not to follow Gryffindor’s advice on how to use it.”

  “Please, I hear enough of that dribble upstairs, I won’t hear it in here.  If the Muggles want to ruin their farmland with war it’s not our concern.  Feeding our protégés are one thing, but I did not risk life and limb to bring this Cauldron here to feed undeserving mud eaters.”

  “If they eat mud it’s because they can’t find anything else,” his son said.

  “I asked you here to See, not to preach,” Salazar snarled at him.  “Do you not realize that the Cauldron is more than just an endless food source?  It is substance without matter…an endless supply of a workable, versatile material without costing one ounce of outside resource.  With minimal effort and ingredients, it can be temporarily altered to make the entire array of potions needed for the school.  Consider, within seconds with just a small amount of sleep sand, I am able to create enough Sleeping Potion to put the entire school to sleep.”

  “And with another ingredient you could make enough poison to kill them,” he said.

  “So is that what you believe me capable of?” Salazar asked, frowning disappointedly at him.  “I think the only poisoning here is the kind done by that adopted mother of yours.  The students are our future, Icarus, and our blood must carry on.  It is pointless to gain control of the present if it can’t continue into the future, and I very much intend to make sure it does continue.  With your help, we can be certain of it.”

  “Well, I’m afraid you won’t hear like I have to say, because moving the Cauldron isn’t going to protect it.  It’ll still be gone within a week, to somewhere beyond my ability to see,” Icarus said.

  “Impossible,” Salazar said.  “No one can get in here without my help, no one.  Not even my most faithful of apprentices can get in without Sssagawrath’s assistance.”

  “If you wish to believe that, I cannot stop you,” Icarus said evenly.  “You asked me what I saw and I told you.”

  “Do you still see my influence extending on this school for generations?” Salazar squinted at him.

  “Yes, I still see that,” Icarus said quietly.

  “Good, then there is still hope,” Salazar said.  But what exactly he meant by that he did not say, for suddenly the basilisk, attracted by a wandering scent, suddenly slithered back out the door, coming back a moment later with a auburn-haired man with a thin mustache wearing a Slytherin robe.  He nodded respectfully to Icarus before turning his attention to Salazar.

  “Here are the test results on the potions we made last week, m’Lord.  I’m happy to say you won’t be disappointed.  In all cases they retained the properties and strength of whatever ingredient we added to them,” the man said.

  “Well done.  I think I’ll take this to Gryffindor himself,” Salazar said, his look betraying a deep satisfaction at being able to rebut another of his arguments.

  “He’ll probably ask you where it is again,” the auburn haired man smirked.

  “Let him ask, he’ll never find it,” Salazar said evenly.  “And even if he did, with his mixed blood he would never get out of this room alive.  The best part is, I wouldn’t even have to lift a finger,” he said, reassured by the thought.

 

  Danny was suddenly surprised as the mist started to return and envelop her again, and she was left wondering about what she just saw, wondering if she should ask more.  But then she began to get the feeling that perhaps she might have been gone a lot longer than she might have thought, and began to worry about the others.  The more she thought of her own time, the more she noticed the mist begin to fade, and suddenly she began to see them, huddled over something worriedly.  That was when she realized it was her own fallen form.

  She blinked then, and rubbed her eyes, feeling a strange tongue flick against her face and heard the hoot of an owl.  Realizing the basilisk just kissed her she made a disgusted noise and sat up to the exclamations of the three boys around her.

  “Oh thank god you’re all right!  You are all right, aren’t you?”  Taylor asked in a panic.

  “What happened?” Corey asked.

  “The room, it spoke to me,” Danny said, trying to clear her head.  The other three stared at her.  “This room, it’s charmed with a memory of Salazar’s, and everything that happens in here gets added to the memory,” Danny explained, feeling more alert.  “I think I might have found out some of what we need.  Anything in the books?”

  “We haven’t dared looking too far, we’ve been more concerned about you,” Doug said.  “The book on the table seems to be a formula book of some sort, but it’s cursed.”

  “I think I figured that part out,” Danny said dryly, standing up.  “It’s going to take us forever to try and countercurse this room to go through it, and this room’s memories is probably chalked full of all sorts of useful things.  We’re just going to have to come back some other time, it’ll probably be morning soon now, if it isn’t already?”

  “Come back?”  Taylor echoed, not too thrilled with the idea.

  “If we have to we have to,” Corey said, helping Taylor get Danny back on her feet.  “But first I want to make sure nothing else got attached to you during that memory transfer, Danny.  Those things have lingering effects sometimes, you know.”

  “All right, but let’s not do that here,” Danny said.  “If you don’t mind, I’d really like to get out of here, I think I’ve had enough secrets for one night.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.  Besides, I feel like I’m going to drop of exhaustion,” Doug said, stepping out of the chamber, followed by Danny and Taylor.  But just as Corey began to step out, something suddenly shook with in the room, and as the others turned around to look, the jaw quickly began to shut.

  Only one of impure blood has ever tried to leave this room and lived, a hissing voice boomed in Corey’s head.  And you are not He.  Suddenly out of two small dragon statues came a foul green mist, and Corey’s blood ran cold as he realized the trap he had fallen into.  He quickly muttered a spell to clear the air but it was too much, and coming from everywhere, and before he could try again, his head was spinning wildly, only barely aware of his screaming friends on the other side of the statue, trying desperately to get to him.  He fell to the floor, breathing in what little air was still free of the gas, and found himself thinking of his brother and real parents, wondering if he was about to meet them again.  I hope not, Corey thought to himself in a coughing fit, feeling his skin tighten, I’d hate to have to explain how I died to them.  As he began to lose consciousness he suddenly heard a snap and felt a tremble as the door reopened, but just as he was beginning to think there was a glimmer of hope, a baleful red eye stared into his.

  Grabbing a hold of his stiffened limbs, Corey’s three friends managed to pull him out of the gas filled chamber, not daring to stop as the trembling that had been going on as the door opened continued to get stronger and stronger.

  “Hurry!  We’ve got to get him out of here!”  Danny said in a panic, picking up his shoulders as Doug grabbed his legs.

  “Wait, where’s Rasputin?  And Cheshire?”

  “Don’t look, you idiot, the basilisk has its eye patch off!” Danny snapped over the roar of the shaking cavern.  “RUN!” She ordered as they awkwardly tried to get Corey to the door.  Taylor didn’t waste another instant, taking off after them towards the door just as the larger two snake statues by the door began to wobble.  As they scurried through, the two statues suddenly came crashing down followed by a heavy cloud of rubble, covering them all in a thick layer of dust.  Danny, Taylor and Doug, all huddled over Corey’s paralyzed form, slowly sat up as the dust finally settled and the trembling came to a stop, all of them turning their attention to Corey’s grey face.

  “He’s dead, isn’t he,” Doug said.  “This is all my fault.  I never should have let him in there alone.”

  “No, it’s my fault, I forgot something that I heard the room say about no one of pure blood getting out alive,” Danny said.  “How could I have been so stupid?”

  “Come on, stop this.  He’s not dead yet, okay?  We need to get him back upstairs.”

  “How?  You know what those pipes are like,” Doug asked.

  “Well, one thing’s for sure, it doesn’t look like we’re going back in there,” Danny said, gazing up at doorway, entirely blocked with rubble.

  “No, Danny Nelson, you are most decidedly not going back in there,” said a gentle but stern voice behind them.

  The three of them looked up to see Dumbledore, Snape and Craw heading towards them.  Danny couldn’t make up her mind whether to feel relieved or frightened of that fact.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Of Crime and Punishment

 

  To say that Severus Snape was positively furious would have been an understatement.  Jennifer herself had only seen him quite that mad once before.  Fortunately it wasn’t aimed at her this time, rather at their adopted son, who was too busy being secluded in the hospital ward to yet appreciate what he had been missing.  Dumbledore knew better than to let the matter run rampant; instead, Danny, Doug and Taylor quickly found themselves in his office along with Professor Flitwick, McGonagall, and Jennifer; who kept nervously looking at her watch, waiting for Severus.  Finally he stormed up the stairs as the three students shrank a bit where they stood still covered in dust as he burst in the door.

  “Now, Severus, would you close the doors behind yourself please?” Dumbledore said in a firm voice.  Severus knew full well that the Headmaster knew how to close the doors from where he sat at his desk but also knew better than to argue, turning around to close them forcefully but without slamming them.  “Were you able to find Rasputin?”

  “Yes, although hardly in one piece,” he snapped.  “I dug him out of the rubble as well as Corey’s petrified cat, Sagittari’s working on them now.  I suppose it didn’t occur to any of you that I might object to my familiar being commandeered by students while going to an area that is strictly forbidden on pain of expulsion?”

  “It was Corey’s idea…”

  “I’m well aware of whose idea it must have been, Mr. Brim,” Severus snapped, “That doesn’t mean the three of you have to blindly follow him when he gets these idiotic notions into his head to go looking for trouble.”

  “Actually, sir, although it was Corey’s idea to bring Rasputin, I was the one who wanted to go down into the Chamber of Secrets,” Danny spoke up.  “In fact, Taylor and I hadn’t even planned on telling them until we got back, but they caught us in the library last night looking for a spell.”

  “What in the world then were the two of you doing in the library?”  Severus snapped at Doug.

  “Severus,” Dumbledore said calmly, “I understand why you believe you should be interrogating these students on this matter, but in light of what we’re hearing, I am beginning to think it’s a bit more complicated than four adventurous students seeing how many rules they can break.  May I?”

  Checking himself, Severus bit his tongue, jaw slightly forward, nodding respectfully to Dumbledore before heading over to stand beside Jennifer’s chair.  Jennifer gazed up at him almost sympathetically, but was aware that he hadn’t missed the tension she was feeling from his anger either.  Exhaling sharply to center himself, Severus tried to calm down, suddenly grateful that Dumbledore had taken over.

  “Now, Danny, what was it that was so important that you felt you had to risk getting expelled for?”  Dumbledore asked.  Danny didn’t like the way that was worded at all.

  “Well, you see, I guess it all started a few months ago when Professor Dusthorn was telling us about the disappearance of Janus Craw while he was looking for Dagda’s Cauldron,” Danny admitted.  Jennifer blinked, having had forgotten all about that, suddenly kicking herself.  Why didn’t she think of that?

  “And how, exactly, have you been speaking with Professor Dusthorn?”  Dumbledore asked.

  “Oh, not in the Trophy Room, Professor,” Danny said quickly.  “Professor Dusthorn wanted a way to talk to us, so she set up another room that we could meet in if we wanted to talk.”

  “I see,” Dumbledore said, nodding.  “Go on.”

  “Well, she mentioned that it was the fight over the Cauldron that was sort of the last straw, as it were, when Salazar Slytherin began to build the Chamber and work on his own,” Danny said.

  “So you thought the Cauldron was in the Chamber of Secrets?”  Filius asked, started to get quite interested in where this was going.

  “Actually, no sir.  I knew it wasn’t there, I was just hoping to find out if Salazar had been the one to have hidden it, and if he had, perhaps he would have hidden the coordinates or some directions on how to get to the place it’s hidden at…the Westernmost Isle.”

  “Wait a minute, how could you possibly know that?”  Severus snapped in surprise.

  “I guess we know where the journal came from now,” Jennifer said, watching Danny’s face carefully and nodding in confirmation.

  “Surely you can’t possibly consider that a serious location for this,” Minerva suddenly put in, looking between them and then to Dumbledore.  “That island has been searched for by countless wizards since after the fall of Arthur to no avail, and very famous witches and wizards with expertise in fairylore at that.  Surely if it existed it would have been found by now.  That island is truly just a legend.”

  “Perhaps, Professor McGonagall, it wasn’t so much how they were looking for it, but whether or not it was the proper time and the right people to do so,” Dumbledore said thoughtfully.  “The Westernmost Isle may be one of the known gates into the Otherworld, but the magic that surrounds it has always been bound in the ancient magics rather than the wild magics.  Ancient magic can sometimes work outside normal obstacles such as time and space to some extent.  But whether or not Salazar Slytherin had that knowledge is another matter.”

  “Sir, from what I found out, I do not think so,” Danny said.  “We found a second chamber attached to the first…actually, it was Rasputin who found it... I think the door had to be opened by specific types of creatures that only a parselmouth can control, like snakes and basilisks.  It had some of his old things in it, and as I found out by mistake, the room was memory bound.”  Danny suddenly fell silent at the sudden intensity of Dumbledore’s gaze, who looked at her quite some time before his look grew gentle and he nodded to her.

  “No need to get into any more detail, Danny.  I think I may go down and have a look myself sometime soon.  Doug, might I ask why exactly you and Corey were in the library?”

  “Because the painting of Godric Gryffindor sent us there, Professor,” Doug said, as another round of surprised looks went around the room.  “At least, I think he did.  Corey woke me up, and said the painting was acting funny, and I went down, and it was.  Then the door opened, so we went out, and all the paintings were reading, so we went to the library and found this,” Doug said, taking out the chess piece and setting it on his desk.  Dumbledore picked it up gingerly then looked over at Doug again.  “It was sitting on one of the tables.  It looks like the same one that was missing from the large chessboard we’ve been using in Symbology.”

  “Minerva, is this one of yours?” Dumbledore asked, handing it over to the Deputy Headmaster, who looked at it oddly.

  “Yes, I believe it is,” she agreed, giving Doug a curious look.

  “So that means, the key to finding the king is in the library,” Doug concluded with a nod.  “And Corey told me that the King has to be Janus Craw.”

  “Be that as it may, it is not any of your jobs to go traipsing in around over or under the castle to try to find out such things,” Severus said, feeling his anger starting to build again.  “These ideas of yours should have just been brought to our attention and then you should have returned to your work.”

  “Well, it wasn’t like it was our idea to get out of bed, at least it wasn’t Corey’s and mine,” Doug said, then caught the sheepish looks on Taylor and Danny.  “Not that we wouldn’t have gone down there anyhow had we known beforehand too.  But we went down there just to find out what the paintings wanted, and apparently, they wanted us to go with Danny and Taylor too.  And we wouldn’t have found that hidden room and everything had Corey not thought to bring Rasputin.  He thought that if we got in trouble Rasputin could get help in case of emergency.  In fact, Corey probably would have died if it hadn’t been for that old lizard.  So I hope you’re not too mad about that, because I think he was just anticipating problems and finding solutions ahead of time, sort of like you teach us in Defense, Professor,” he added, looking over at Severus, who wore an expression that could curdle milk.  Dumbledore’s own expression turned to one of amusement, for the first time since the conversation started.  He then looked at each of the three Housemasters in turn.

  “I believe I am going to stay out of the punishment for this matter, but will give my complete support any decision the three of you can agree on as punishment for all the students involved in this.  I trust the three of you can work something out that you will all mutually agree on?” He added.  Filius solemnly and readily agreed, while Minerva and Severus exchanged wary gazes at each other, nodding a bit more reluctantly.  “Good.  And if you can’t agree, I will then pass it down myself, but I certainly hope it doesn’t come down to that,” Dumbledore said sadly, turning serious again.  “The idea of having to expel such brilliant students capable of finding out some of the things they did tonight rather depresses me.”

  “In any case, I think the three of you should be confined to your rooms for today, and I suggest you use it to get some sleep,” Minerva suggested, “I trust considering what’s at stake that you can escort yourselves to your house areas without any further coercion?”

  The three of them filed out then and quietly down the stairs, passing glances between themselves quietly before they got to the main hall where they would have to part their ways.

  “You don’t think he’d really expel us, do you?” Doug asked quietly, wondering what his sister would say.

  “I really think he doesn’t want to, at any rate, but I think we’re in over our heads this time,” Danny answered soberly.

  “One thing’s for sure, I bet we’ll be on a tight leash the rest of the year if we do stay,” Taylor said.  “I say, but I hope Corey gets better soon.  He looked so pale when we left him.”

  “At least he didn’t have to see the look in Dumbledore’s eyes when we left,” Danny said, knowing how much Corey looked up to him.  With that, however, the tired students headed to their rooms with one last good night/good morning, dreading what the day would bring.

 

  Jennifer shifted a bit in the chair again, unusually unaware of just how uncomfortable the chairs in the hospital ward were.  She had glanced up from her book to look out the window a moment when she noticed movement and heard a soft groan, and turned in time to see Corey’s eyes flicker open, waving at Poppy to come over.  Poppy was quickly there, holding Corey’s wrist as he tried to focus on the room around him, sighing with sudden realization and relief.  Jennifer sighed and shook her head at him knowingly.

  “His pulse has returned to normal.  I think it’s safe to say he’ll be all right now,” Poppy said, “But hopefully a bit wiser,” she couldn’t help but add.

  “Thank you, Madam Pomfrey.  But somehow I doubt it,” Jennifer said, frowning at Corey disapprovingly.

  “Aye, I doubt it too,” Poppy agreed, getting up.  “I’ll see about getting you something to eat, Mr. Willowby.  Don’t be moving too quickly, now, you’ll regret it if you do.

  “I feel numb,” Corey said.

  “Not surprising, even a one-eyed basilisk can do a bit of damage when he looks you straight on,” Jennifer said.  “From what I understand, however, Rasputin ended up saving your life.”

  “Taylor and the others?  Are they alright?”  Corey asked, and Jennifer could tell from his face that everything was coming back to him now.

  “They’re healthy, if that’s what you mean, as for all right, I wouldn’t put it that way,” Jennifer said sternly.  “You four are in deep trouble this time, and no mistake.  You’re lucky you’re not getting expelled, although I’ve a feeling you’ll not find the alternatives much better.  Actually, I think you four are going to get off way too easy if you ask me.

 That is, I would if I didn’t know for a fact that your Dad has already won rights to the four of yours first detentions.”

  “He’s really mad isn’t he?”

  “On a scale of one to ten I’d give it a 9.8,” Jennifer said.  Corey cringed.  “And I assure you, I might be calm at Poppy’s insistence now, but I’m not that all far off myself.  How could you go off and go down there, when you knew even more than most how dangerous it was down there?  Oh, I know Dusthorn might have egged you on a bit, but you have enough sense than to do something daft like this because of something you heard from a painting.  Janus Craw is for me and your Dad to worry about, and in any case it’s certainly not a matter worth risking the lives of you, your friends and your familiars.  Cheshire, by the way, is still paralyzed and has a broken leg from what I understand, and we would have lost him too if it hadn’t been for Rasputin.”

  “Good thing I brought him then, isn’t it?” Corey quipped.

  “I dare you to say that to your Dad’s face.  I’m sure you are in for an earful on that issue specifically,” Jennifer frowned at him.

  “Where is he, anyhow?”  Corey asked.

  “He’s down in that blasted Chamber with Dumbledore, if you must know,” Jennifer said.  The two of them are going to go through every inch of it to glean what information they can then Dumbledore himself is going to seal it off.  There will be no more student expeditions down there from now on.  No one is going to get passed his seal,” Jennifer said with satisfaction.  “And they have to make sure the foundation of the castle around that area is still stable after that mess you four caused.”

  “We were only trying to help,” Corey said.  “And it wasn’t like it was our idea, exactly.  That is to say…”

  “Corey, you have your own mind, you certainly don’t need to be following the guidance of slathers of oil paint on moldy canvas,” Jennifer frowned at him.

  “Even when the painting happens to be Gryffindor?”  Corey challenged.

  “From what I understand from Doug, that was about going to the library and finding a chess piece and not about anything having to do with where you ended up,” Jennifer said sternly.

  “Have you found anything out about the chess piece yet?”  Corey asked with interest. 

  He quickly shrunk back into his pillow at the icy look she gave him.  Before she could properly phrase the appropriate threat, Jennifer was distracted by Poppy returning with the tray.  Alongside her was Minerva McGonagall, who looked at Corey with even a sterner face than usual.  Jennifer quickly got up, folding her arms in a similar way to which the Deputy Headmaster was, while Corey smiled meekly at them.

  “Good Evening, Professor.  My, that’s a nice dress you’re wearing…”

  “Don’t even bother to try, Mr. Willowby,” the housemaster cut him off, shaking her head.  “No words are going to lighten any due punishments, and wouldn’t even if they were just my own to give out.  But as it is, you’re quite lucky that you four are not suspended from Quidditch and Dueling Club, since one of the four of you isn’t in either, it was decided it wouldn’t be fair to punish the rest of you in that respect and not all.  However, you are hereby suspended from all other outside activities on school nights and weekends both and instead will be performing detention during those times, until further notice.  Your Hogsmeade privileges are revoked, nor can you attend that trip that Madame Black has been arranging to a Muggle Cinema for her advanced class.  And we have instructed your prefects and the entrances to your common rooms that your curfew has been lowered to fifteen minutes after dinner and you will NOT be allowed to leave your room until a prefect or professor escorts you to breakfast every morning.  Is that quite clear?”

  “But Professor, what about band practice?  Are we still going to be allowed to play for the dance?”  Corey asked.  Minerva sighed, looking over him with scrutiny.  Jennifer, who had been watching her carefully, suddenly realized that for whatever reason that very matter hadn’t come up, nor had any of the other three even mentioned it.  But Minerva knew better than to allow Corey to know that, making a split second decision.

  “Yes, Corey, our deal with your keeping up with the four of your homework assignments for the practice area still stands, lord knows you need the practice.  But as soon as you are out of bed I expect you to get with me about precise scheduling about when you’ll be allowed to do so.  Don’t expect you or your friends to be out of a professor’s sight for a while.  Oh, and seventy five points each, by the way, which, regrettably, puts Gryffindor back in second place and behind Slytherin, since there were two of you.  I expect you’ll remember that when you look at the points board, no doubt your fellow housemates will remind you of it often enough if you forget,” she said sternly.  “Hope you feel better,” she added with a thin almost imperceptible smile, the serious gaze never leaving her eyes as she turned around.  Nodding to Corey, Jennifer stepped over to join Minerva as she headed out the door, resisting the urge to look back to see what he was thinking.

  “Going to let them go to the Spring Dance, huh?” Jennifer asked in a low voice when they were well out of range.

  “Well, I couldn’t let Corey get out of the first date Myrtle has had in half a century, could I?” Minerva answered, an amused look creeping into her smile.  “And where are you off to, now?”

  “To have a little chat with our favorite painting,” Jennifer said, “I have a word or two I’ve been saving for her today.”

  “Splendid idea, I think I’ll join you,” Minerva said companionably, turning with her towards the main stair.  “Although I do believe she has some company at the moment, I doubt he’ll mind the interruption.”

  “Oh?”  Jennifer asked thoughtfully as went up one flight of stairs and around the corner to the Trophy Room.  Minerva nodded and gestured inside the room, and Jennifer peered in to see a man standing on a haphazardly tossed canvas sheet, carefully working to position one of the room’s oldest paintings securely on his easel.

  Jennifer grinned with delight to see her old friend as the painter looked up with an almost startled expression before flashing his charming, fang-filled smile.  Who else could it have been but Francis Pyther.

 

 

Chapter Twenty-Three

Pawns and Kings

 

  “Francis!  How are you?”  Jennifer beamed at him, giving the overwhelmed vampire a very warm hug while he almost frantically looked behind her to make sure that no one else was with them.

  “My dear, you must let me paint you while you’re with child, I dare say you are positively the loveliest mother-to-be I have ever seen,” Francis told her with a sincere smile.

  “Charming as always, I see,” Jennifer grinned.  “What are you working on?”

  “I am restoring some of the Quidditch pictures in here…Dumbledore thought they needed a cleaning and a touch up.”

  “I’m sure they’re positively thrilled,” Jennifer smiled.

  “Don’t listen to him, Jennifer,” called a voice from above the door.  Jennifer looked over to see Dusthorn watching the three of them calmly, but Jennifer didn’t miss the wary glint in her eyes.  “He’s actually here to see if he can get me back to sleep.”

  “Now, Caprica, not once in the entire conversation did Professor Dumbledore say anything about putting you back to sleep,” Francis said, waving his paintbrush at the painting as he went back to his easel.  “All he wants is for you to talk with us about what you want done and to stop bothering students about it.”

  “Francis, Professors, you have to believe me when I say I never intended for those children to go all the way down to the Chamber.  Had they spoken to me about it beforehand, I assure you, I would have told someone before they’d gotten that far,” Caprica said to them emphatically.  “The reason I mentioned Salazar at all to them was actually for Jennifer’s benefit instead of theirs.  I was hoping that perhaps she would take up the search to find out what happened.”

  “Just a moment…Jennifer?  You knew that Caprica was speaking with the students before this?” Minerva asked.

  “Well, I didn’t exactly see how it could be stopped,” Jennifer said, glancing at Caprica and back down.  “She does get around.”

  “Yes, but perhaps you could have mentioned it,” Minerva said, her lip twitching thoughtfully.

  “Things got a little…bizarre for me after that, and it slipped my mind,” Jennifer said.  “Have a heart, Minerva, you know what I’ve been through the last few months!”

  “Yes, Professor, do be understanding, the poor girl has been through quite a bit and more and in her condition too…Jennifer wouldn’t you care for a seat?  I’m sure you’d much rather be off your feet,” Pyther said, putting his paintbrush down and making such a fuss about it that Minerva sighed and waited until Jennifer was quite comfortable, duly noting that that argument wasn’t bound to get anywhere.

  “Jennifer can take care of herself, dear chap,” Caprica said lightly, voicing Minerva’s thoughts quite nicely, “I think she’s proven that often enough already.  The point I was trying to make was, it was her I was trying to entice.  But sometimes when major pieces on a chessboard do not move from their comfortable positions, pawns must take up colors.  So, it seems, that is what happened in this case…the students, sensing, I think, just how important it truly is to find the Cauldron before it comes to harm, decided to take action when they felt no one else was.  I’ve always said that the pawn is the strongest piece on the board, because they have the potential to become even better than they are, when all the other pieces are stuck being who and what they are.”

  “And in the process we almost lost a pawn,” Jennifer said, trying to bite back her anger.  Minerva let out a short sigh, looking over at her.

  “Corey’s been in trouble in this school since day one, Jennifer.  I’m sure you wouldn’t blame a painting for his pure eagerness to jump into constant danger.  It was only a matter of time before he would have got it into his head to go down there.  As a matter of fact, I’m surprised it took him this long,” she said in such a tone that Jennifer couldn’t help but smile a bit.

  “All right.  You have a point.  I guess I’m more disappointed in myself for thinking that perhaps Severus and I finally got him over that reckless streak of his,” Jennifer admitted, to herself as well as the others.  Minerva chuckled softly at her.

  “Jennifer, you can’t make him ‘get over’ being a Gryffindor,” Minerva said with a lopsided smile.

  “I bet you weren’t this much trouble when you were in school,” Jennifer challenged.

  “Caprica,” Minerva said, refusing to take the bait and turning her attention back to the matters at hand, “What about the chess piece in the library?  Were you responsible for that?”

  “No,” Caprica said innocently.  “But I may know who might have been.”

  “The painting of Bedivere O’Laren,” Jennifer said with certainty.  “He was the one who helped Hermione set up the chessboard for Symbology class.  I have a feeling that finding the missing piece was probably just a conclusion to the lesson.”

  “Yes, but in the middle of the night?” Minerva asked.

  “Not everyone is awake during the day,” Francis put in as he carefully brushed away the dust on his work.

  “So something about the time it was found must have been significant too,” Jennifer concluded.

  “Yes, it’s significant in that students aren’t allowed out of their rooms that time of night,” Minerva said sternly.  “It seems we have another rogue painting in our mist.”

  “Rogue paintings?  Well, I like that,” Caprica said.

  “Now Caprica, you were one of the most renowned Headmasters this school has ever known,” Francis said, gazing up at the painting.  “Surely if the paintings of the school back in your day began to try and interfere you would be concerned.”

  “We had a lot more troubling matters to tend to back then than what our paintings were doing,” chided him.

  “Yes,” Francis said gently, “and so do they.”  Caprica frowned deeply, muttered something about having to speak with someone and quickly walked out of the frame.  “It’s going to take me several days to get all of these paintings back to shape again,” he said in a much more cheerful, uplifting tone of voice.  “I daresay I’ll be around, so if you ladies need anything at all, I’ll be here every night.  Don’t worry, I’ll not be staying here during the day,” he added quickly, looking over at Jennifer pointedly.  “There are just some battles that aren’t worth fighting, and some chances not worth taking.”

  Jennifer knew quite well he was speaking of Severus, wondering if Dumbledore had even yet warned Severus that the vampire would be visiting.  Severus had often made his feelings known about the idea of any vampire on the premises, Francis being no exception.  And Francis, in turn, would do anything he could avoid the most disagreeable confrontations that he always seemed to face around the tall, imposing Defense professor.

  “Perhaps if I can arrange a night class for my items course, if you’d do a painting class?” Jennifer suggested, looking over at Minerva hopefully.

  “Now, that does sound like a lot of fun,” Francis brightened, looking between them.

  “I suppose it’s all right, so long as it doesn’t conflict with Professor Sinistra’s classes,” Minerva agreed.

  “It’ll be wonderful having you around again, Francis,” Jennifer said, warmly, waving to him as the two women left so he could get back to work.

  “Ah, if only everyone could be always so glad to see me as Professor Craw,” Francis chuckled, talking to the Bludger player leaning on his broom in the painting.

  “Well, we’re all glad to see you,” the teen assured him, his enthusiasm quickly echoed by all of the other paintings around the Trophy Room.

 

  Jennifer was reading on her couch when she heard the sound of a door, and stepped through into Severus’ sitting room to see him putting down Rasputin next to the fire.  The basilisk immediately climbed into his box, feeling quite as tired as Severus himself looked.  He glanced up as she came in, looking at her thoughtfully.

  “You didn’t need to wait up,” he said quietly.

  “Nonsense, I haven’t seen you all day,” Jennifer said, leaning on the door.  “Besides, I know how fast one can get into trouble down there when you least expect it.  Remember when Ginny crossed the seal dropping down into that pipe?”

  “Yes, I remember,” he said, taking off his cloak.  “You dangling from my neck, covered in slime.  Rather heavy too.”

  “Hurrumph, and there I was completely awed by your having saved us and all you could think about was how heavy I was!” Jennifer said, folding her arms.

  “I didn’t say that was what I was thinking about,” Severus said, gazing at her slyly.  “Anyway, aren’t you in the least bit interested what we were doing down there?”

  “Of course I am.  Did you uncover anything interesting?”

  “Not about the Cauldron itself,” Severus said, sitting down thoughtfully.  “But we did learn that Voldemort spent many hours there when he was still a student here…many, many hours.  He’s left his lasting impression on the memories of that room, so much that it was decided rather early that I would stand guard outside and help evaluate the spells and curses on items as Dumbledore uncovered them while he attempted to make some sense out of the memories.  How much he learned after I went outside I am not quite sure.  He was in there for a long time, and didn’t say much when he came out.  I’m sure that’ll change soon enough once he’s had time to absorb what all he learned in there.  But for now, you have an early class tomorrow, and I daresay we should get some rest.”

  “Yes, and then I am afterwards I think I’ll spend my early lunch in the library with Hermione,” Jennifer said.

  “Now, why is it that I knew you were going to say that?”  Severus said wearily, opening the door for her and giving her a glaring scowl.  Jennifer only smiled at him.

 

  Books towered around the back desk in the library like battlements around a fort, stacked several high all around the outside of the central surface.  Jennifer put down the book she had been looking at in discouragement, blowing her hair out of her face, and leaning back to look over at Hermione, who seemed absorbed in the book in front of her.  Jennifer glanced at her watch.

  “I’m going to have to head to my next class soon, and all I’ve found is far fetched Arthurian legends and vague references to Fomorian takeovers, and all of it is marked speculation,” Jennifer said.  “We’ve pulled every book in the library.  I don’t see how the clue we’re looking for could possibly be in here.”

  “All legends are based on some level of truth, Jennifer,” Alvin Archibald pointed out, bringing over another stack of books, setting them up on the desk and leaning against them.  “You can’t expect information which has passed down through so many generations to be entirely accurate.  At least our records are better than the Muggle ones, some of their stories of that time period have even written it out altogether.”

  “Yours aren’t much better,” Anna told them, quite ready to throw in the towel herself.

  “But this passage here is rather interesting… ‘Arthur became the last of king to be taken to Tir Na Nog via the Island of Kings, for it was after returning from his death that Merlin reputedly covered the island in mist and hid its whereabouts from any who might have sought it.  It was at that time that the Seal of Callum was once again broken into the four treasures and scattered across the lands, making it impossible for anyone to travel any of the known roads to the Otherworld.’”

  “And the four treasures refer to the same artifacts that the Sentinels were set to guard?”  Anna asked.

  “Right.  Which makes perfect sense, since the Sentinels were the ones that were supposed to look after the four magics, as well as decide when the world was ready to reopen that gate.”

  “And yet someone must have known its location, and how to get there, to have gotten the Cauldron there…assuming, that is, that Janus Craw was right and he was looking in the right place,” Archibald said.

  “My ancestor doesn’t seem the type of person to have chanced a journey like this unless he was convinced that it was there,” Jennifer put in.

  “But if this place was hidden by Merlin, I’m not sure anyone else could have gotten past it,” Hermione said.

  “I bet I could,” Anna said.  The other three stared at her, but she just shrugged.  “I don’t know, I just think I could.”

  “You know, Anna might be onto something,” Hermione said, tapping the book, not taking her eyes off of Anna.  “None of us might not be able to do it, we’re too wrapped in modern magic.  But you’re outside of it, and maybe whoever did it was too.”

  “You mean whoever hid it might have been an Aethermage?”  Jennifer asked.

  “Well, if that’s true, it should be relatively easy to figure out who did it, there can’t have been too many even in those days,” Archibald said.

  “Assuming they weren’t hidden,” Hermione nodded thoughtfully.

  “Yes, but finding out who did it isn’t going to get us any closer to finding out where we need to go,” Jennifer said impatiently.

  “Yes, but it does mean that when you do know where to go, Anna will have to go too,” Hermione said.

  “I knew I was going to get sucked into this sooner or later,” Anna shrugged.  The other three grinned at her.

  It was at that time that they had to break back up for their classes, and it wasn’t until after dinner that they again took up the search.  But Jennifer, discouraged by the hours sifting through books and her aching back was quite done up barely minutes after Hermione shooed the last of the students away so they could work in peace.  She got up from her chair, deciding that her feet were the least of her aches and took a walk around the library, telling them she needed to stretch her legs.  The breeze floating in was decidedly warmer than it had been, and freezing rain pelted down outside, tormenting the snow and the ground underneath it for daring to hope for a mild spring.

  As she reluctantly turned to head back to the tables, glancing at her watch to see that Severus was on the way, she saw a wispy, graceful figure pass her and realized at once it was Dame Rachel.  The ghost turned as if startled, then smiled at Jennifer warmly, joining her on her walk back.

  “Any luck?”

  “Nothing very specific,” Jennifer sighed.  “I’m not quite sure what the paintings were trying to tell us, but I am really beginning to get the feeling what we’re looking for isn’t in a book.  If it was, wouldn’t more people have found the island a long time ago?”

  “Especially as many times as our dear Hermione has gone through this library,” Alvin teased.  “Good evening, milady.”

  “Well, hello, Rachel, I didn’t expect to see you down here this late,” Hermione said with surprise.

  “Sometimes I come down here at night and think, especially cold nights like tonight,” she said quietly.  “It reminds me a lot of the night I died.”

  “Just how did you die, Dame Rachel?”  Anna asked.

  “I died giving birth to a child that wasn’t my own,” she said in a low voice.  “But perhaps should have been.”

 “I’m not quite sure I understand,” Anna said.  Rachel paused a moment and looked at each of them as the silence grew, all of their eyes off their books and tomes and on the wispy grey ghost in front of them.  Finally she turned and looked at Anna.

  “Once I was a lady in waiting, a very long time ago, to a very wise and powerful witch.  Long before the school was built,” Rachel explained carefully.  “I happened to catch the attention of a wizard, and although in many ways his attractiveness was hidden, I found myself drawn to him in the way that I hadn’t ever before.

  “Our relationship at first was of the private sort that was barely spoken of, especially around those surrounding the planning of the school, nor was it one perhaps that should ever have been anything more than that.  Not even his young son was aware of my presence, and for several months we shared each other’s company.  But then unbeknownst to me, the wizard had also his eye on another, but his reasons were more political in nature.  I believe he had hoped that if he could gain her favor he could gain her support, but my lady was a wise woman who had been but widowed a year before, and parried his advances for some time, and for what I knew, had successfully done so.  Our relationship, in fact, grew more evident soon after that, for he had come to realize that all his attempts were coming to naught.  Or so I believed.

  “One night quite late my lady came to me very troubled, and asked to speak with me.  She then confessed a tale that I won’t mention in detail, of an encounter she had had with the wizard, charmed by more than perhaps words.   It was then that she had told me the devastating truth, that she in fact was carrying his child.

  “It was an unexpected occurrence on her part, but she was not so convinced it was so unintentional on the part of the wizard.  She knew that if she bore the child, he would forever have a presence in her decisions and the decisions of their child, and that was something she could not afford. The plans of the school had begun, and she wanted to truly be free to do what she thought was best, and not what any other might persuade her was best.  And that was when I decided, for the sake of the child and the mother, to take on the role of the child’s mother myself, for none would question my pregnancy as quickly as they would have questioned hers. 

  “Using an ancient spell that my lady knew, the baby was placed within me, and I carried it for her, no one was the wiser.  But my body was not prepared to take on such a burden as this, and not long after I bore him, I fell asleep and never awoke.

  “I learned after that I had bled to death, but that the baby was well.  The wizard was angered by my death, and his anger became focused on the child, blaming him for something he had no control over.  So, he turned his back on him,” Rachel’s voice wavered, anger and shame riddled in her quivering voice.  “But my lady, furious of his actions, took up the babe for herself and adopted him, and did so without anyone else knowing that in fact she was adopting her own son.”

  “Wait a minute,” Hermione said, growing pale.  “I always thought you were Rowena Ravenclaw’s lady in waiting.”

  “Yes,” Rachel said quietly.

  “She only had one adopted son…Icarus Ravenclaw.  And his father was…his father was…”

  “Salazar Slytherin.”  Rachel said quietly.

 “I wouldn’t have ever suspected it…I mean, I always had the impression Rowena was much older than the others,” Anna said.  “Wise old Ravenclaw, and all that.”

  “Yes, but records also say there was a sort of timelessness about her.  I always thought that meant she was a bit like Vallid or Rosmerta, who don’t seem to really fit into any age.  She lived a lot longer than any the others as well,” Hermione added.  “There’s lots of mentions of her coming back to the school now and again over a hundred years after the others were gone to check on things, of course there’s little hard evidence of that.”

  “I say, Jennifer, are you all right?  You’re so quiet, and you’re as white as a sheet,” Alvin said, looking over at her with alarm.  “Perhaps you ought to eat something?”

  “I think I need some time to think,” Jennifer said, getting up.  The other three looked after her as she wandered out.

  “Maybe someone should follow her,” Hermione suggested thoughtfully.  Anna glanced at her watch.

  “No need, Severus should be getting out of his meeting with Dumbledore by now, I’m sure he’ll catch up with her.”

  “Perhaps I shouldn’t have said anything,” Rachel said suddenly.  “It seems that even after all these years some things run deep.”

  “I think you did was very noble, Rachel,” Hermione said reassuringly.  “And I’m sure Jennifer does too.  It’s her relationship with Icarus, I think, that’s bothering her more than anything.”

  “Dear Icarus.  If there were only some way that he could find some peace,” Rachel said, her eyes betraying her grief over his fate.  “Perhaps then I could find my own.”

 Chapter Twenty-Four

The Warden of Azkaban

 

  The last of the students were just leaving the sparring gym as Jennifer arrived, nodding to them and reminding them of a change in their class schedule for the next day as they headed off.  Ice rain still pelted the windows outside, echoing strangely in the empty room.  She ran through a set of sparring forms to clear her mind, attempting to concentrate on each movement, trying to find her ever-changing center.  The baby was awake, she realized, and the kicking wasn’t helping her concentration any.  She grinned at that, knowing she had lost her place in the exercise, and glanced into the mirror to check her positioning on the floor.  Her eyes met her own, and she found herself reading her own face and the troubled thoughts behind them.  She stood there for a long time, silently talking to herself, when she noticed movement and saw a figure standing in the doorway.

  “Need a shadow?”  Severus asked expressionlessly.

  “Always,” Jennifer said, taking a step back from the mirror to look over at him.  Smiling slightly at her, he tossed his cloak to the side and came over in front of her.  Jennifer picked a much more complex sparring form, so much so that Severus raised his eyebrow slightly as they began.

  “A bit ambitious isn’t it?  Considering?”  He asked.

  “Well, if you don’t think you can keep up,” Jennifer said challengingly.  Severus grew quiet as they went into a series of wand ripostes and twist blocks, each moving in perfect time with each other.  But Severus was watching her quite carefully as they headed into the double side block, and broke off the moment he saw her falter, able to steady her before she fell, sighing loudly.  “Sorry.  Got a little dizzy.”

  “You have nothing to prove, you know,” Severus said for the hundredth time, shaking his head and giving her a stern look.  “Now why don’t you tell me what’s got you worked up this time?”

  “It’s Icarus,” Jennifer sighed as she walked over to sit on the bench near the window.  “It wasn’t like everyone thought…I mean, about him being adopted.  Well, not exactly.  Icarus really was Rowena’s son.”

  “Yes,” Severus said thoughtfully.  Jennifer looked up at him, realizing he had already known.  “Icarus and I spoke quite a bit while I was in Azkaban,” Severus admitted.  “But why does this concern you?”

  “Because, now he’s family,” Jennifer said.  “Oh, I know, we’re talking generations removed and only a brother of my mother’s family line, but ever since I was small I was taught to respect all that came before me, no matter what they’ve done.  But how can I bring myself to respect him after what he did?”

  “Why don’t you ask him?” Severus suggested quietly.

 

  By Sunday the ice and sleet had turned to rain, and fog descended around the dreary island of Azkaban.  Thomas, however, was in a somewhat cheerful mood, and anxious, it seemed to talk to Severus.  He had, in fact, finally given in and decided to read the ‘dratted’ Muggle mysteries that Severus had been reading, but had a slew of questions about what some of their ‘contraptions’ were.  Jennifer in the meantime handed Boltin over her father’s post and other parcels and looked around expectantly, wondering when Mad Ick would make it was appearance.  It was nearly then end of the hour when she finally grew impatient enough to ask Boltin where he was.

  “Oh, Icarus has been in one of his famous depressions lately.  He’s been hiding in the crypt for a week.  Haven’t had much luck bringing him out of it either,” Boltin shrugged.

  “Why do you think I finally gave up and decided to read these,” Thomas grunted.  “Icarus may be a nuisance at times, but at least he’s someone to talk to, or at least throw things at.”

  “Mind if I go try and talk to him?” Jennifer asked.

  “Go right ahead, you know the way,” Boltin nodded to her.

  “Are you going to be all right heading down by yourself?” Severus asked with a frown.

  “I can handle it,” Jennifer assured him. “See you next time, Dad.”  Jennifer turned and walked out of the room towards the back of fortress, skirting around the Fourth Quarter to find the stairs leading down into the crypt.  Why was it that it felt like she was spending so much time underground lately, Jennifer muttered to herself in annoyance as she worked her way down the narrow stairs.  It seemed like every time she wanted to find the dratted ghost he was moping, instead of following her around and annoying her.  The lower levels of Azkaban were cool, damp, and poorly lit, and Jennifer had to grab one of the lanterns on the wall to make it the rest of the way down.  A hollow sobbing sound was coming from before her in the darkness, and it didn’t take her long to find Icarus, sitting in one of the crypts and exhaling a mournful sigh.

  “Don’t you have anything better to do than stay down here and feel sorry for yourself?” Jennifer asked.  He looked up then as if noticing her for the first time, then waved her off.

  “What are you doing down here?  Go away, before the room closes in and leaves us both buried in Azkaban,” Icarus said gloomily.  Jennifer looked up at the ceiling nervously, then caught herself.

  “Ick, this room is in no danger of caving in, and you’re not going to be able to get rid of me that easily.  Stars know I’ve tried to get rid of you unsuccessfully often enough,” Jennifer said in annoyance.

  “Well, now’s your chance, just go back the way you came in,” Icarus said somberly.

  “I can’t, not until I’ve talked to you,” Jennifer sighed, rubbing her arms slightly to warm them.  “I want to talk to you about your mother.”

  “Which one?” Icarus said, glancing at her with mild interest.  “My adopted mother or the one who gave birth to me?”

  “You mean your real mother or the one who gave birth to you, don’t you?” Jennifer said.  Icarus slowly got up and floated over to her, looking at her carefully.  “We had a talk with Rachel.  Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Like you would have listened?  Like you would have cared?”  Icarus said sternly.  “You who do not care about anything but your own little world and circle of friends…”

  “How can you say that?  After all I’ve done?  Oh, how would you know, you’ve been moping about this prison, all of these years, you can’t possibly have any idea…”

  “Hm,” Icarus said, floating a bit away.

  “Look, I didn’t come here to be criticized,” Jennifer said, feeling her temper rise.  “I only came here to ask you, well, why you did what you did.  Back when you died.”

  “And why should I tell you?”  Icarus asked back coldly.  “I was under the impression you had made up your mind about that from the start.”

  “I still think what you did was wrong,” Jennifer said fervently.  “But, well, I’m willing to listen.  After all, you’re family, and I’d really like to understand…”

  “Ah, so that’s it?” Icarus said, turning back around a moment.  “Now that I’m family you’re going to be generous and give me a ‘fair’ shot at redeeming myself in your eyes?  Well, this may be a surprise to you, dear, but I don’t need redemption from you, nor do I care to ease your guilty conscience just because I’m Rowena’s son.  Why don’t you try coming back in a hundred years when you’ve had a chance to grow up, then maybe we can chat.”

  “Good morning, Icarus, Professor Craw.” Jennifer looked up in surprise to see Dumbledore standing in the doorway.  “I hope you don’t mind my dropping in, but you see I had an appointment with the Warden, only he seems to have been detained,” he said calmly.  “And how are you doing, Icarus?  Boltin has told me you’ve not been yourself.”

  “Rather, I’ve been more myself than usual,” Icarus said, glaring at Jennifer.

  “Now, Icarus, I know you a bit better than that,” Dumbledore said, making a slight gesture over at Jennifer.  She felt a warm wind brush passed her and smiled as the chill went away.

  “Thank you, sir, it was a bit cold down here,” Jennifer admitted.

  “Would it be all right if we continued this conversation upstairs, Icarus?  I’m quite sure Professor Craw needs to get out of this damp air, and I myself could do with a more comfortable setting, and I really must speak with the Warden.”

  “Very well, we can drop her off near the visitor’s room then, I’m sure she’ll be safe there,” Icarus said, floating passed them and out the door.

  “Actually, some of what I have to say to the Warden directly concerns her,” Dumbledore said.  “I’d like to have her along if you don’t mind.  Severus as well.”

  “Him too?” Icarus said with a frown, heading up the stairs.  “Why don’t you invite the entire bloody school while you’re at it?”

  “No need for that, at least not yet,” Dumbledore said calmly, and then turned to smile at Jennifer.  What was going on, she wondered?  Were they really going to see the Warden?  Perhaps Dumbledore had heard enough that perhaps he felt it was time for Icarus to go and have him expelled from the island.  No, Jennifer mused, she would never get that lucky, and it wasn’t Dumbledore’s way to expel anyone if he could help it.

  A few minutes later they were at the maximum-security gate, and Jennifer looked over to see that Severus was already waiting for them, smiling wickedly across at the guard on duty there.  It was then that Jennifer realized the guard was Adam Hinge, who was scowling at Severus angrily.  But as they came closer Severus became aware of them, stepping aside and returning back to his calm, expressionless gaze, nodding respectfully to Dumbledore while quite aware that his wife was studying him carefully trying to figure out what they had walked into.

  “Good morning, Mr. Hinge.  I trust everything is well,” Dumbledore said.

  “Everything is secure, sir.  Now, at any rate,” he added, glaring at Severus.  “Is that ghost bothering you, sir?  I can have Boltin remove him if you like.”

  “No, but I’d like to see Boltin anyhow for an escort.  I have an appointment with the Warden,” Dumbledore said calmly.

  “The Warden?  Sir, you’re not thinking of taking him…er, I mean them up there, are you?  The Warden doesn’t see anyone…”

  “I’m quite aware of the rules, Mr. Hinge, I was at the Council meeting that put them into place years ago,” Dumbledore said calmly.

  “Of course sir,” Hinge said uncomfortably, muttering slightly as he went to get the Head Guard.  But much to Hinge’s surprise, Boltin only nodded to him when he told him about the request, and quickly led them up into the front tower, hardly even saying a word as he took out a large ring of keys, unlocking the first of several doors randomly spaced up the stairs that lead to the top.  It was quite a long process, for each door took quite a number of keys to open, so much so that Icarus himself finally got bored and let them know he would join them at the top, floating through the ceiling.

  “Is it just me, or does this tower have more security than even the high security area?”  Severus asked after the fifth door.

  “It’s a last resort failsafe in case there’s a revolt,” Boltin explained.  “It’s a safety point for guards, and the top room is made so it can be Disapparated out of but not in.  In fact, we prefer guests leave that way…it’s easier than getting out the other way,” he grinned, “not to mention less chance of anyone seeing who’s coming out of here.”

  “So this is how the Warden escaped,” Jennifer said thoughtfully, getting a quizzical look from Dumbledore.  “During the Azkaban revolt.  I had thought that everyone not with Voldemort inside had died, and yet I know the Warden survived.”

  “Ah, that,” Dumbledore said, a sad, distant look in his face.  “No, you are right, I’m afraid no one did survive.  No one had keys to this tower while the Dementors were in charge, nor did they ever enter this tower.”  Jennifer looked at him in confusion, but before she ask another question, Boltin unlatched the last lock with a triumphant look on his face, opening the large, steel reinforced door that lay at the top of the tower.

  Eagerly Jennifer went into the large circular room, a tad disappointed with how sparsely decorated it was.  A large ornate rug lay across the bare stone floor, but other than that, there wasn’t much to look at.  Slit windows circled the room spaced a foot apart so that any part of the island could be seen without.  A long narrow desk lay on the far side across from the steps, but few papers were on them, and only the humblest of inkwells.  Beyond it was a simple bookshelf, hardly impressive, and filled only with codebooks, and several plain chairs sat in front of the desk for the privileged visitors who were allowed in.  A small wood stove heated the room from its spot to the right of the stairs, and a light aroma of hickory drifted through air. 

  No one else was in the room besides the three of them and the ghost, and Jennifer couldn’t help wonder, if not for the first time, if Thatcher Boltin himself wasn’t the warden.  But after showing them in, Boltin stood by the door as if to leave, pausing a moment and looking over at Icarus.

  “Will there be anything else, Sir?”  Boltin asked, looking straight at the ghost.

  “No thank you, Thatcher, I’m sure I can it from here, and you have duties to get back to, I’m sure,” Icarus smiled at him.  And as Thatcher turned, he paused only long enough to give Jennifer a mischievous smile, seeing from her face that she was finally realizing who the Warden was.  His subtle response was enough to confirm it, and Jennifer turned back to see Icarus floating through the desk until he was on the other side, hovering above the chair behind it.  There could be no doubt now that Icarus Ravenclaw was, in fact, the Warden of Azkaban.

  “Would you care to sit down?” he asked.

  “Yes, I think I’d better,” Jennifer said, still in shock.

  “Yes, I quite agree with you,” Severus said, sounding no less shocked than Jennifer.

  “I hope you don’t mind my bringing them, Icarus, but I believe they needed to know the truth,” Dumbledore said.

  “Yes, I suppose sooner or later they would have found out anyhow,” Icarus said.

  “I have only one question,” Severus said, before the two of them could get any farther in their conversation.  “Why you?”

  “I would think that would actually be rather obvious,” Icarus said, folding his hands together until they appeared like one single unit.  “When the Dementors were brought into the prison, security was, in many ways, triple what it had been in the past.  The Dementors were quite effective guards in many ways, but they couldn’t be trusted to run the prison without supervision.  Unfortunately, no living wizard seemed to last very long in the job,” Icarus said, sounding slightly amused.  “So, it was decided that someone not affected by Dementors should take on the role, and the only one capable of that, and willing to do so, was myself.  I have been Warden ever since.”

  “And has done a commendable job under very trying circumstances,” Dumbledore said.

  “Oh, I don’t know.  I remember a particular inmate escaping without anyone realizing he was gone for awhile,” Severus put in.  Jennifer gave him a dirty look.

  “Yes, well…” Icarus hesitated, glancing at Dumbledore who only looked back at him steadily with a slight smile.

  “Not to mention missing the fact that my father nearly got killed by someone, when you were standing right there and could have stopped it,” Jennifer put in.

  “Yes, well…” Icarus said, looking uncomfortable.

  “And there was an incident I have heard of happening last Christmas where a pair of inmates actually were ‘accidentally’ escorted to the same visitors room at the same time, and even reputedly had access to some underage children who shouldn’t have even been in there in the first place.  Now how do you suppose that might have happened?” Dumbledore put in with a smile.  Jennifer and Severus suddenly looked over at the Headmaster in surprise and then at the ghost, a range of emotion crossing both of their faces.

  “You are all right, you know,” Icarus said, glancing back at Dumbledore, who only smiled at him.  “I am guilty of all these things.  It’s true I looked the other way when Sirius escaped and gave him a fair start.  How could I not?  I’d talked to the boy on occasion, and enough to know he didn’t do it.  But I also must confess I was completely blind when Crouch left, for he rather wasn’t the sort I spoke to.  And, I am also guilty for the incident with Jennifer’s father.  I only hope that he can forgive me when he realizes it.”

  “You were what?”  Jennifer said.  Only Dumbledore’s firm hand kept her in her seat.

  “My dear, some of us ghosts acquire a certain ‘gift’ when we pass on,” he said dryly.  “It’s called possession.  Your father was never in any true harm.  You see, when he woke, he didn’t wake in his cell at all; he was already in the crypt when ‘Thurspire’ cast that spell.”

  “Only that was actually you as well, which is why he didn’t remember it,” Jennifer said, angrily.  “Why in the world did you do it, Ick?  Do you know what that put me through?”

  “Yes, one night of worry, but I don’t think you realize what you got in return,” Icarus said.  “You see, there’s this nice little clause in prison policy that states the Warden can give investigation rights and guard privileges to capable citizens in an emergency.  I knew if you had that security, it would serve to not only help you, Jennifer, but also I would gain an ally if anything went wrong within the prison and I needed immediate action.  I knew you would come, to rescue your father if not the others.  And that way, the prisoners would not be sitting ducks like they were…” Icarus’ voice suddenly grew faint.  “The night the Dementors left.”

  “Icarus, if you had lingering concerns over that, why didn’t you bring it up to Arthur, Rhys or I before this?” Dumbledore asked.

  “Oh, I was quite sure I was being irrational.  After all, Boltin certainly wouldn’t ever harm a prisoner, nor would any of the other enchanters here, even if some of them get a tad overenthusiastic about the rules now and again,” he added when Severus grunted.  “But after Pettigrew escaped, I began to truly worry, and I thought, perhaps, a little insurance from someone whom I could trust would be worth the chance.  I already have a fountain of blood on my soul, I really don’t need any more.”

  “You have no reason to trust me, especially since I can’t stand you,” Jennifer snapped.

  “Yes, well, believe it or not that’s one of the reasons I trust you,” Icarus said.  “You wouldn’t abandon your father if you had the power to stop something that threatened him, so, I made sure you had that power.”

  “Icarus, there was no need for all of that,” Dumbledore said gently, “You had but to ask, and I’m sure the justice board would have agreed with you and given her the clearance.”

  “I disagree, Dumbledore.  I think they would have never given it to her because of her father’s residence here,” Icarus said simply.  “Of course if you want to report my actions to them, I’ll understand.  Perhaps I’ll get lucky and they’ll find me unfit for the position.  As for the last offense, I admit that willingly as well.  I knew that Severus hadn’t committed the crime, and although I had to do my job I wasn’t about to sit and let him be completely cut off from everyone he cared about during Christmas.  Perhaps it was a little lax on the rules, and frankly I couldn’t have done it at all if it hadn’t been for my previous offense setting Jennifer up with certain prison rights.  But that too, I do not regret.  I suppose that’s been the trouble all along, hasn’t it, Professor?  I’ve so many terrible things in life and death, and yet I don’t regret any of them.”

  “Oh, I’m not so sure you really mean that,” Dumbledore said gently. “But you and I can talk about that later.  Right now, there is something quite important we need to discuss.”

  “Yes?”

  “What exactly happened to the Cauldron after you removed it from the Chamber of Secrets?”  Dumbledore asked.  Jennifer blinked at Dumbledore, then nodded, looking back at Icarus.  Of course, that made sense, really.   Only Salazar, his apprentices and Icarus even knew the Chamber existed or how to get into it.  Who else would have had the motive to move it?

  “I gave it to my mother,” Icarus said evenly.  “My father and Godric Gryffindor fought quite a while over that Cauldron, so much so that everyone rather got tired of it, and Hufflepuff and mother with both quite concerned.  I had confided in her that I knew where it was, and she asked me to get it, promising to hide it where no one could find it.  But things went…steadily downhill from there.  I never saw the Cauldron again.”

  “How is it that you were allowed in the Chamber at all?  I mean, from what Rachel said, your father spurned you at birth, which is why Rowena took you in,” Jennifer said. 

  “That was, of course, before anyone knew the truth about my innate talent, or as I always thought of it as, my curse,” Icarus said bitterly.  “I was born with no sense of time, or rather, a sense of all times at once.  Because of this, I had nearly perfect visions of the future.  It’s a rare aberration of magic blood, in fact the only other I’ve ever heard of that had it was Merlin himself,” Icarus said, glancing at Dumbledore who nodded.  “My father heard I had it, of course, and decided to make amends, and at the time I was truly too young to know he was manipulating me.  Not that I still didn’t care for him, but that’s another story, I suppose.  He often had me look ahead to try and make plans…centuries ahead, in fact.  But a change of choices by one man is not always significant when all others in that time have decisions to make as well, and I think my father learned the hard way as did I that every decision made by every individual determines the future…we can only determine our own.  But, father wanted to leave a lasting impression, so that even if his ideas were not realized in his own lifetime that they would be passed on to others.  That is when I looked so far ahead to find he who would do so.  That was when I first laid eyes upon Voldemort.”

  “But upon doing so, I saw quite quickly that he, although adamant about the placement of Muggles and those wizards born of them, had no moral at all, not even the cold and calculating restraint that my father employed.  He had only hatred, obsession, and I knew if he ever came about that many innocent people would die, and those left would be changed forever.  My father was oblivious to my warnings, determined only to have his way at any cost, even at the cost of so many lives.  I kept seeing a war of good and evil, and the school hung upon the balance, and I knew my actions helping him only served to further strengthen the events that would lead up to its passing.”

  “I had decided then to confide in some of my fellow professors, three great friends who all started out as apprentices themselves…Caprica Dusthorn, Bedivere O’Laren, and Janus Craw.  They knew of my talents and were as concerned as I was, and so, we secretly began working against the plans of my father.  But quickly we were finding the ground collapsing under our feet, for the politics of the school and its operation became a constant concern.  Father often quarreled with the other three, and the rifts were beginning to hurt the school itself.  One of the professors came up missing not long after the Cauldron was hidden, and there was accusations passed between all the founders over who was responsible.  If it wasn’t for Godrich Gryffindor at that moment, I truly don’t think the school would have survived.

  “For it was he who saw that the four who created the school were now beginning to destroy it, so he knew it was time to pass the responsibility on to others, for he didn’t believe he could save it.  So, it was at that time that he convinced the four to get together and somehow managed to agree to set up a board of governors, led by my mother who became the first chairman, appointing Caprica as Headmaster, while the other founders took up less authoritative positions in the school, or not at all.  Hufflepuff moved on first, and then, my father…passed on, leaving but Gryffindor, who stayed only as an advisor to Caprica until he was quite certain the school would survive.  Of course, I was long dead by the time he finally left, so I never got to see the beginning of the school’s most golden years, nor did Janus Craw, it seems, but at least he had passed on the knowledge of his magic before he died.  I envy Caprica and Bedivere, knowing that they came to a peaceful end while I live in constant misery.”

  “A misery you brought upon yourself,” Jennifer pointed out.

  “Yes, a misery I brought about in hopes of saving your entire generation from it,” Icarus said icily.  “What a terrible crime!  Why don’t you just exorcise me now and get it over with!”

  “Icarus, Professor Craw, there’s no need for that,” Dumbledore said gently.  “We are all on the same side here, and despite our pasts, we all have the same goal, to secure the four artifacts of the seal and restore the ancient Sentinel.”

  “Yes, of course, you’re quite right,” Icarus said, nodding solemnly.  “And I will do everything in my power to help, what little power I have, being a ghost.”

  “Thank you, Icarus,” Dumbledore smiled, glancing at Jennifer.  “You know you could probably learn a lot from him, if you weren’t always at each other’s throat all the time.  Look at yourself in the mirror, Jennifer, and tell me do you really think he’s all that terrible?” He asked, drawing out a mirror.  It was then that she recognized he was holding out the Mirror taken from the box that Icarus and his friends had left them to find…the Mirror that had once saved her life.

  “I, for one, will not forget all that you have done for Thomas while he’s been here, and all that you did for me,” Severus nodded.  “Not to mention the Potion, although I admit it took me a while at first to work out that immunity was a price and not a gift.”

  “Yes, makes sense now when you think of what happened to me, though, doesn’t it?”  Icarus said with a thin wispy smile.

  “All right, all right, you win,” Jennifer said, sighing loudly, looking between Severus and Dumbledore.  “If the two men I respect most in the world support you, I shan’t argue with them.  I still think what you did to your family is wrong,” Jennifer added stubbornly.  “But then, we all have things in our past to regret.  So I’m willing to start over and try to get along from what we know of each other now and not what either of us have done before.”

  Icarus eyed her carefully for a long moment.

  “Deal,” Icarus agreed, and Jennifer suddenly found her hand out in front of her and being shaken rigorously even though the spook hadn’t moved.

  “Thank goodness that’s finally settled,” Dumbledore smiled.

  “We can only hope,” Severus said doubtfully, earning an annoyed look from his wife.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Hidden Talent

 

  Corey Willowby had took to avoiding people in the halls on his way down to breakfast, knowing what was going to come of it.  Instead he slipped hastily down to the Gryffindor table, but even a lot of them were grinning at him as he opened a textbook and began to be interested in it.

  “So Corey,” Gail said from across the table, pulling his book down.  “Have you heard from your girlfriend lately?  Or have you just been holding it all this time?”  Several of his classmates burst into laughter as Corey blushed bright red, when finally Doug stood up, yelling out above it.

  “All right, all right, that’s more than enough, don’t you think?  You’ve all been riding him about it for weeks now, and I’ve never heard of you going out of your way for any ghosts, he was just trying to be nice,” Doug defended.

  “Yes, really, can’t this be dropped?  I for one am definitely tired of hearing about it.  In fact, I’ve half a mind to start deducting points if anyone else brings it up,” Dave Spelling said from where the prefect sat near the seventh year section of the table.

  “That’s the last thing we need right now, we’re seventy points behind Slytherin again as it is, no thanks to you,” Perry Dalance said from the other side of Gail.  “I hope that wailer you picked up doesn’t just make the dance any more of a headache than it already is going to be.  You are sure you’ll be able to pull this thing off, won’t you?”

  “Oh, quite sure,” Corey nodded.

  “Well, you had better do something.  Your friend Danny is going to skunk us again in sparring as well, and we need to pick up points fast.”

  “You forget, Slytherin took a Quidditch loss, and we haven’t,” Doug said.

  “A lot of good that’ll do us if you both go traipsing off again to who knows what restricted area,” Perry said, shaking his head.

  “Perry, I promise, we’ll not be getting into any more trouble this year.  How can we considering we have to check in with a professor and get an escort to wherever we go anyhow?”  Corey glowered.

  “If there’s a way, you’ll find it,” Perry said dryly.  As many of the students got up for early classes, several of the other students shifted positions, and it wasn’t long before several from other houses joined them, including Taylor and Danny, and further down Essie and Aelfred, sitting with some of the younger students.

  “How are you holding up, Corey?  They still putting on you about the Myrtle thing?” Taylor asked.

  “A bit, but it sounds like it’s going to be lessening soon if we can take Spelling seriously,” Corey said, propping his head up in his hand.

  “Man what are we going to do?  I mean, no offense, Taylor, but your playing hasn’t gotten any better.”

  “Neither has your singing, Willowby,” Danny pointed out.  “At least now Doug’s voice is staying in the same octave.”

  “Hey, that was only for a few weeks, man people in this school have trouble letting things go, don’t they?” Doug said, looking annoyed.

  “Guys, this is serious, we only have two weeks until the dance.  And I’m going to have enough jibes having to take with the Myrtle thing without us sucking eggs in front of the entire school,” Corey said.

  “This band thing was your idea,” Taylor told him.  “I told you we didn’t have enough time.”

  “Maybe we should just pull out,” Doug suggested.

  “No way, not after McGonagall went to all that trouble to set us up with practice time and all that we’d never hear the end of it,” Corey protested.  “Besides, we’d look a lot worse bailing out than if we got up there and stunk.”

  “Speak for yourself, that may work for a Gryffindor but in my house they’ll tear me apart,” Danny said.  “I say it’s time we consider plan B.  Because I know from glancing at the you-know-what in the book it’s going to take a few days to make it.”

  “You realize what’s going to happen if we get caught, don’t you?” Taylor said.  “Especially after that Secrets thing?”

  “We won’t.  I have a full potion kit with every extra there is in my room, it’s the one thing both my parents seem to encourage me about,” Corey said.  “So? Are we in?”

  “I am in, definitely,” Danny said.  “I have no intention of being humiliated in front of the school, friends or no friends.  No offense,” she added.

  “Well, I’m in, what about you two?” Corey asked.

  “Better than having to hear my sister laugh at me and say I told you so,” Doug agreed.

  “Might as well, but if I get in trouble again, I fear the Owl post is going to have to charge my father bulk rate for Howlers,” Taylor said glumly.  The other three grinned at him.

  “All right, it’s a deal,” Corey said.  “I’m going to study with Essie tonight.  I’ll get started on it right after that.”

 

  Jennifer slipped her feet out of the hot water and into her slippers, hurrying to the door to answer it.  Dumbledore smiled warmly at her as she let him in and gratefully accepted a seat.

  “I heard you had the afternoon off and since I actually had a spare moment I thought I would stop by,” he explained.

  “Yes, I got to reschedule some classes today because Pyther’s teaching my items class painting tonight.  It should be quite an experience,” Jennifer chuckled.

  “Of that I am sure,” Dumbledore chuckled.

  “I do have to hand it to Pyther.  The paintings, and even Caprica, have been so much quieter than last year,” Jennifer added, taking her seat.

  “Well, yes, I suppose,” Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully.  “Although I do still hear quite a bit from Caprica myself about certain things.  Actually, I wanted to tell you about an interesting letter I received from the Hagrids today,” he admitted.

  “Oh!  I haven’t heard from Hagrid in ages, not since Christmas cards, actually,” Jennifer said in surprise.  “How are they?”

  “Quite well indeed.  In fact, they happen to be expecting as well.”

  “Wow, really?  And at their age?  But then that’s marvelous, really!  I’ll have to write to them,” Jennifer said excitedly.  “But I’m sure you didn’t come down here to tell me just that.”

  “No, there was an interesting note at the bottom, asking me if I knew anything about Dagda’s Cauldron and why someone might be looking for it,” Dumbledore added, getting Jennifer’s full attention.  “The last visit they took up north, the giants had told them that several wizards had come asking them about it.”

  “The giants?  Why the giants?” Jennifer asked in confusion.

  “Apparently, from what Hagrid came to understand, he thought they were members of the Order of Equinox,” Dumbledore finished.

  “If they went to all that trouble to go up there and speak with the giants, they had to have a reason,” Jennifer said.

  “Yes, I tend to agree, although I believe, if I’m correct, they’re going about it in the opposite direction than we are,” Dumbledore mused.  “I believe that perhaps they’re beginning at the first events they believed what happened, trying to trace them to the present, instead of going from present to past, as we are.”

  “Dagda lived during the first invasions of the Fomorians,” Jennifer mused.  “And the giants were once the slaves of the Fomorians, right?”

  “Well, yes, and at the same time, they were Fomorians,” Dumbledore said, smiling at her slightly confused face.  “The Fomorians were a race of giants originally from islands in the Mediterranean, who took to the sea after the eruption of a volcano forced them to leave their homelands.  They were a civilized culture, very advanced in ancient magics and the ways of the sea, and are said to have built a vast city somewhere within the Atlantic, hidden by their powerful magic to never be found by outsiders.  But within their society, there was a small group of giants that didn’t seem to possess the magic that the others did.  They were ostracized from the others, and forced to work as servants, taking on menial jobs and living under terrible conditions.”

  “And they were the same ones that Merlin released from bondage, the ones who built Stonehenge?”  Jennifer asked.

  “Yes.  In fact, it was often thought their turning against their captors during the second Fomorian invasion of Ireland helped drive the others away.  That was when they were given a province of their own, and many of them stayed, blending in with the locals until they all but seemed to disappear, although their bloodline still runs deep there.  Others, too drawn to the call of the sea to stay bound by land, headed north to what were then Viking lands, and have been living there ever since.”

  “I don’t suppose that province happened to be Connacht, was it?” Jennifer said.

  “Of course, quite correct,” Dumbledore said with a slight smile.  “And I thought you always said you didn’t know your ancient history.”

  “No, but I know a good honest hunch,” Jennifer said.  “Maybe the Order of Equinox is on the right track after all, because the last place Craw wrote about in his journal was Connacht.”

  “Well, then I suppose we have some catch-up to do,” Dumbledore mused.  “Our next order meeting will be the Saturday after next, I’m sure they’ll be interested to hear all of this as well.”

  “Wait, isn’t the dance that Saturday?”

  “Well, the meeting starts a deal later in the evening, and I doubt they will miss us if we leave a bit early,” Dumbledore winked.  “Besides, I do intend to stay long enough to see how your son is coming along with his new pastime.”

  “I think his new pastime is already passed its prime,” Jennifer said dryly, but Dumbledore only shook his head and chuckled softly at her.

 

  The rest of the class had already each been assigned to easels and paint when Corey came in, trying to dodge his Mom’s sour expression when he came in he quickly slipped over to the only empty easel, getting a grin from Danny who was right beside him.

  “Now of course, if we were doing these for real, we would have specific ghost paint for each subject, but the all-purpose base I have given you will suffice,” Pyther was saying, “The important thing, is to really know your subject.  The more you know, the more animated your painting will be.  Now, don’t be surprised if the painting you’re working on moves around a bit, that’s quite normal.  Just work with the picture and not against it, and you will do fine,” he smiled, showing his fangs slightly.  “For your first subject, I suggest you paint your familiar if you have one, or a friend in class.  And if you don’t have either, bless you.  You can take a stab at painting Professor Craw or me.  Now, is everyone set?  Anxious to get started?  Good, begin whenever you’re ready,” Francis said cheerfully, turning back to his own painting for a moment while the other students worked at getting their familiars to cooperate.

  Many of the owls perched themselves on the top of the easels, making for easy reference, while many of the toads did not seem to want to stay on the pedestals that Pyther had provided.  Cheshire however leapt up on his own and proceeded to take a bath.

  “I guess he wants to be clean for his picture,” Danny grinned at him, trying to get the right tint of red in her brown for her own owl familiar.

  “Stop moving, Cheshire, how can I paint you when you won’t sit still?” Corey asked the cat, mixing up the orange paint.  But Cheshire ignored him, lifting his leg and cleaning his tail.  “Well, I’m definitely not going to paint you like that,” Corey said in annoyance.

  Jennifer for her part, couldn’t get the colors quite right in her mind, but finally gave up and added the colors to the canvas while Ratfly snoozed upside down from the rafter.  Francis Pyther finally stepped away from his own painting a moment to peek at everyone else’s, smiling when he saw the picture of the yawning bat.

  “Why, that’s not bad at all, Professor, I dare say with a bit of training you could have made a very impressive painter,” Pyther said, smiling with pleasant surprise.  “You know, I bet it’s your Truth-seeking abilities coming out.”

  “That and I have an easy subject,” Jennifer said with a chuckle.  “I can’t say the same for some of the students,” she added, nodding to one of the Slytherin students who had put his irritated looking black cat on the pedestal for the fifth time.

  “Can’t we just petrify them?  It’d make it a lot easier,” Baylor suggested in annoyance.

  “My dear boy, you’re trying to capture the essence of their soul,” Pyther said, drawing his hand up with obvious feeling.  “You can’t do that if they’re as stiff as a board.”

  Corey had already finished with his painting, watching Danny for a while as she tried to detail each and every feather on her picture, and listening to Pyther on his way around class.  Most of the time he seemed to complement the student with either ‘What an interesting painting!’ or ‘A very noble attempt,’ but every now and then he would stop and give someone an ‘Oh very well done,” and on those he lingered longer, talking to them at more length.  Finally he got back to where they were, and Danny’s painting, it seemed, rated a ‘Very well done indeed,’ getting Corey’s attention again.

  “You definitely have your familiar’s eyes perfect, it will be a very nice painting once you have finished it.  It already wants to turn its head around and look at me,” Pyther chuckled.  “You must know your familiar very well.”

  “In some ways, better than myself,” Danny admitted, earning another fanged smile from Pyther, who then turned to Corey’s painting, blinking with surprise.  Sitting on the white page made of five lines and a circle for the head was an orange cat.  But the stick cat was anything but unanimated.  Rather, he was licking its paw, the same time that Cheshire licked his, and then when Cheshire stopped and looked around so did the cat figure, curling up in a ball the same time the as the real one.

  “My boy, you have a lot of talent,” Pyther declared.  “I’m not sure in what, exactly, but you definitely have talent,” he said chuckling and patting his shoulder.  Jennifer looked up curiously, wondering what in the world he had done this time.

  “What about your painting, Mr. Pyther?” Gail Sisna asked, finishing her own cat’s portrait.

  “Ah, yes, I suppose you want to see what I was doing?  It’s really not much, a bit hastily done, perhaps.  But if you really want to see, I’ll show you,” he said, smiling enigmatically as he turned the painting around.  It was a painting of the entire class, painting.  Each student was in it and each familiar, working hard on their paintings, and one of them…Amadeus Longbottom, Corey realized with a grin, had his tongue sticking out slightly as he tried to paint his owl.  But the most impressive perhaps was Professor Craw, off in her own corner of the painting, her facial expressions very lifelike indeed as she paused to glance over the class every now and then in between brush strokes.  Complements rose up right away along with ahh’s of amazement, and Pyther smiled at them and over at Jennifer.

  “A memoir of our little demonstration, perhaps, if you can find a home for it?” He offered.

  “That would be lovely, I’m sure, perhaps we should hang it up here in the workroom?” Jennifer suggested, getting a loud agreement from the rest of the class.

  “Wonderful, just what we need, a picture of Willowby at Hogwarts,” Severus said from where he stood in the doorway scowling while several of the Slytherin students snickered. 

  “Er, I believe I’ll let you handle the painting, Professor Craw,” Pyther said quickly, nodding nervously to Severus. 

  “That’s very generous of you, Mr. Pyther. We all appreciate everything you’ve done both for our class tonight, and for our school restoring the paintings,” Jennifer said, smiling in obvious support.  Whatever Severus was thinking, he didn’t say, only frowning slightly and slipping out of the doorway.  Pyther to exhaled loudly before instructing them all how to dry their paintings and roll them up.  As the class let out, Danny and Corey headed to the front of the class, dutifully awaiting their escort to the dorm rooms.

  “I say, now that you’ve painted Professor Dumbledore, and Mom twice, and even us, how about you do one of Professor Snape?” Corey asked in an almost daring voice.

  “My dear boy, some people just aren’t meant for canvas,” Pyther said fervently.  Jennifer chuckled softly to herself.

 

  It was only the night before the dance when Corey finished testing the potion and corking the four carefully measured phials.  Rasputin flicked his tongue at it almost curiously as Corey divided up the four special potions with the ones he had made for his Dabbler’s class assignment, quickly cleaning up the lab, turning his attention to Rasputin’s box with unusual speed and enthusiasm just as he heard soft footsteps at the office door.

  “Haven’t you finished cleaning up after Rasputin yet?” Severus snapped at him in annoyance.  “I swear every day you take longer and longer at it.”

  “I had to finish my Dabbler’s assignment,” Corey explained quickly.  “Besides, I swear Rasputin is making it harder on me on purpose, and he never seems to have enough to eat.  I think he’s taking advantage of me.”

  “Good, after how you took advantage of him, it’s only reasonable he’d do the same,” Severus said with a frown, going over to his shelves to make sure not a powder was out or order or a bottle’s label not precisely turned towards the front.  “Now finish feeding him and get out of here, I have work to do.”

  “Yes, sir.  Thank you for letting me use your lab, too,” Corey said, quickly giving Rasputin a bowl of stoned kibble.  Rasputin hissed loudly.  “You had a mouse yesterday,” he told the lizard knowingly.  Severus hissed at the lizard.

  “Well I couldn’t have you fuming up Jennifer’s office, but I’d appreciate it next time that you want to do caustic potions to try and do finish them during class.  Now get out, I’ll take care of the mouse.”  Severus said, pulling out some drawers in his desk.

  “Do I have to take care of him tomorrow?  I mean, with the dance and all, we need to set up band stuff and get warmed up right after dinner…”

  “The deal was you would take care of him every evening without fail until the end of the school year,” Severus said sternly.  “And if that band of yours isn’t warm now it never will be.  I’ll be glad when this is over with and your done making a fool out of yourself so you can get your head out of the clouds and get back to what you’re truly good at.”

  “Causing trouble?” Corey inquired, succeeding in getting Severus’ lip to twitch slightly.       

  “The Physical Arts?  The potions you keep insisting that the school equipment isn’t good enough for you?  Now go report to McGonagall before I tell her you were dallying in the halls and she takes off ten more points.”  Corey knew better than to think he wouldn’t do it.  Quickly he headed out, sighing in relief that he hadn’t asked him any questions about the potions.

Chapter Twenty-Six

The Songs of Spring

 

  Corey ran out of Snape’s office the next night and pelted up the stairs to throw on his dress robes, tossing his hair a bit in the mirror before running back down passed people still coming up from dinner, wishing him good luck as he headed back down, dropping by the practice room where the rest of the band was waiting.

  “Here they are, don’t take them until just before you go in if you can help it,” Corey said, passing out the phials.  “They only last ninety minutes.”

  “Ninety minutes?”  Doug repeated with alarm.  “But the dance lasts two hours!”

  “Flitwick is bringing his enchanted instrument bands during our breaks, I’m going to just ask him to play the last half hour to spend more time with Myrtle or something.  Don’t worry, we’ll get through it somehow.  I’ll see you in the Great Hall, I need to go get Myrtle.”

  “I need to go get Carla.  I will have to take it before then, or she’ll ask questions,” Doug pointed out.

  “Let’s just hope it holds then,” Corey said, nodding to each of them as he headed out.

  Finally he got to the door of the girl’s bathroom, straightening his robes a bit before rapping on the door.  He tapped his foot impatiently for a moment when she didn’t come out right away. Where else would she be at, anyhow, he wondered.  But finally Myrtle came out, looking as she always looked, but straightening her gown as if she had taken great pains to get that way.

  “So sorry to keep you waiting,” she said politely, adjusting her glasses.

  “Not at all.  Shall we go, then?” Corey explained.  “I hope you don’t mind, I’m not sure how much time I’ll get to actually show you around and all, what with the band, but I’m sure we can do that between sets, and I mean to ask Professor Flitwick if he can have his band play for the last half hour.”

  “You must be so excited to be able to play for the school, I’m sure you’re quite talented,” she said.  Corey felt a slight chill as she wrapped her arm around his.  “I bet you’re the most popular boy in the school right now, what with the band and everything.”

  “Everyone knows who I am, if that’s what you mean,” Corey said, taking out the phial and downing it.

  “What’s that?” Myrtle asked curiously.  “Are you not feeling well?”

  “Just something to steady my nerves,” Corey said, putting the phial away.

  “Don’t worry, Corey, you have nothing to be nervous about.  I’ll applaud you no matter what, even if you do mess up.”

  “Er, gee, thanks, Myrtle.  You’re not a bad person for a ghost,” Corey said. 

  They arrived just as the Great Hall was opened again.  All the tables pushed back and chairs around the side, and the enchanted band already getting warmed up.  Several of the students had already arrived and Corey couldn’t help but notice all eyes were on them as they entered.  After excusing himself to talk with the Professor for a moment he went back over to the dais where is guitar case awaited, waving to Danny who was already setting up her keyboard and Taylor, who was too busy biting his nails to do anything else.

  “Where is Doug?”

  “Still getting Carla, and he better hurry, I am not setting up his drums for him,” Danny said fervently.

  “I’m not sure I could even if I wanted to,” Taylor admitted.  Corey pulled over the stool just to the side of where they were setting up.

  “Here you are, Myrtle, now you have a place to sit when we play, unless you find some interesting ghost to talk to,” Corey added.

  “You will go over with me if we do see someone, won’t you?” Myrtle said in a meek voice.

  “Sure, Myrtle, anything you like, it’s your night tonight,” Corey assured her.  Doug and Carla had finally made it and was stepping up to the dais as Corey got the ghost settled and headed back over to the others.

  “You had better hope she meets someone tonight, Corey,” Doug said in a low voice as he opened a box and the drum stand leapt out, working to get in position while their drum counterparts rolled up beside them.  “I’ve seen that look in a girl’s eyes before and it’s bad news.  You’re never going to get rid of her, she’ll be plaguing you until graduation.”

  “I’m sure she knows there isn’t any real hope for a relationship with a living person,” Corey said.  “Don’t worry, she just needs some confidence.  This castle is full of ghosts, I’m sure there’s someone here she can take to.”

  “She hasn’t for nearly sixty years,” Doug pointed out.

  “Yes, but she’s been in the bathroom most of that time,” Corey reminded him.

  “Yes, but still.  There aren’t many student ghosts here at all.  In fact, except for that girl Danny saw on the field, most of them are adults that got moved here.  What if there aren’t any boy ghosts around?”  Doug asked.

  “Finish setting up your drums, the potion is wearing on you know,” Corey said.  He couldn’t tell Doug that the thought hadn’t occurred to him as well.

  Jennifer and Severus arrived a few minutes later to greet some of the incoming guests, as there were quite a few visiting, nearly as many as last year. Vallid had even dropped by, wearing her Order of Merlin robes, stopping to chat a moment with them before heading over to where Belle and Moody were sitting.  Percy and Penelope came in along with Molly Weasley, and even Bill and Heather showed up, Heather in complete awe of everything in the castle, nearly bumping into several people as she stared at the night sky ceiling and the candles floating above them. 

  Finally Jennifer noticed McGonagall talking to Corey and his band up front, a smirk suddenly appearing on her face for a moment before changing into a forced smile as she stepped over to introduce them.

  “Ladies and wizards, may I present from our own fourth year class our entertainment for this evening,” she said, looking even more amused.  “The Four Winds.”  The students clapped as the four stepped up grinning nervously at them, and Corey bowed and then looked over at Taylor, who strummed the first chord.  Lightning speed suddenly erupted from Taylor’s fingertips as he hit a number of cascading chords, blinking slightly in surprise of himself, as Corey joined in, his deep base guitar adding volume to Taylor’s melody.  When the others joined in with such perfect timing and harmony the rest of the Great Hall fell quiet in shock, the students looking at each other in amazement as the Four began singing ‘Love is like Poisoned Brew.’  The students quickly recovered and enthusiastically got into the music, while the professors still stared at them, wondering if this could possibly be the same four squealing up in the Owlery six months before.

  But Severus immediately grew suspicious, his eyes flashing dangerously as those suspicions intensified, folding his arms and squinting at them.  Beside him, Jennifer couldn’t help but agree with the look on his face.  Not in all the time she had known Corey had he ever been able to sing like that.

  “Listen to that!  They’re absolutely fantastic!” Sirius said with delight as he and Anna came up beside them.  “They almost sound professional even.  Aren’t you glad I gave him that guitar now?”  He asked.  But the look on Severus’ face was murderous, and he decided perhaps not to say any more.

  “I can’t believe they got this good in so little time,” Anna said, shaking her head.  “Most non-magic folk I know take years and years to get this good.”

  “Yes, it does most of ours too, unless they’ve had a little help,” Jennifer said, obviously irritated.

  “What do you think, Jennifer, Liquid Inspiration?”

  “Undoubtedly, it’s the only one they could possibly have pulled off, and even then only one of them could have done it,” Jennifer sighed, looking at Corey.  But Severus also had a suspicion as to how he was able to make it without anyone knowing it.

  “Well I’m going to go up there and drag that little ‘superstar’ off that stage this instant.  I’m not going to let him benefit from a restricted potion,” Severus told them, taking a step forward.  But just as he did so Minerva and Dumbledore stepped in front of him, Dumbledore smiling at him knowingly.

  “Going somewhere, Severus?”

  “Sir, Jennifer and I believe those… ‘band’ members are playing under the influence, and something must be done about it,” Severus said in a low voice, trying not to attract too many student eyes.

  “Yes, actually, Minerva and I have been wondering the same thing, but thank you for bringing it to our attention.  Minerva, I would handle this myself, but I do have to go to the meeting soon, would you please take care of this matter for me?” Dumbledore asked calmly.

  “Of course, Professor Dumbledore, you just go to your meeting, I’m sure we can keep things well in hand here,” Minerva assured him.  Severus frowned in annoyance, knowing he wasn’t going to get a say so at how this was handled.  Still, he did know something he was fairly sure she didn’t…

  “Come along, Professor Craw, I’m sure they can manage without us.  And it looks like everyone is having a good time,” Dumbledore said, smiling at her and waving slightly to Vallid, who moved to join them.

  “For now, at least,” Jennifer agreed as they left the hall.

  Corey grinned as they finished the first set, taking some time to take Myrtle around to introduce to some of his friends.  Essie, in fact, proved a tad afraid of her after passing by the bathroom and hearing tales from the Slytherin about the basilisk that killed Muggleborns, but Aelfred, who professed to know all about ghosts, bowed to her in gentile fashion, and even Katie stopped by and politely complemented her on how well she looked.

  Then Corey took her over to talk to Sir Nicholas, who seemed quite pleased to see her out and about.

  “We had wondered if you were ever going to come out of there my dear.  After all, there’s all of Hogwarts to explore, you don’t have to stay in there by yourself all the time.”

  “But I was afraid everyone would make fun of my glasses again,” Myrtle admitted, looking quite miserable again.

  “What is that all?  You want me to show you what they make fun of me about?”  Nicholas offered.  Corey quickly decided to excuse himself to head back up to the stage, reassuring her that she would meet her later as he headed back.

  But as he stepped onto the dais, Corey was suddenly aware of eyes on him and looked up to see Severus glaring at him with his arms folded, leaning on the wall near the back door.  Danny had noticed it well as she stepped over to the keyboard, looking at Corey worriedly.

  “Do you think he suspects anything?” Danny asked.

  “I dunno, he always looks like that,” Corey said.  “If he’s letting us play though, I doubt it.  I’d think he’d have made us quit by now.”

  “Maybe,” Danny said, but didn’t sound so sure.  Taylor finally dragged Doug up on the stage, shaking his head.

  “But I was just having fun!”  Doug protested.  “Do we have to play already?”

  “Do you believe it?  Doug’s already attracting groupies!  I think nearly every girl he ever studied with was out there talking to him, even Gail!”

  “Yeah, and was Perry mad,” Doug grinned.  Danny rolled her eyes.

  “Come on, let’s get this last set over with before our luck runs out,” Corey insisted.

  “Before something runs out, at any rate,” Taylor agreed.  But as they started the second set, Severus was quite content to bide his time and wait out the inevitable, and at just a quarter past the hour he suddenly was alerted by the sound of a sour note on the stage.  Immediately he started to head closer to the dais as Corey shook his hand slightly and started playing with a grin, noticing for himself that his voice was starting to give.  Danny and Taylor, seeing was going on quickly wrapped up the song, cutting off an entire chorus early.  But the students didn’t seem to notice, clapping lightly as they began talking among themselves.

  “Well, I that’s it from us, thanks, you’ve all been great!” Corey said hastily, looking around to see Flitwick’s band looking rather excited at the prospect of taking over early.  The students were clapping so loudly that Corey hadn’t been aware of anyone making their way to the stage until he suddenly noticed Snape standing over him.

  “Well, it seems that you have been a big success after all,” Snape said.  “I think they deserve an encore, don’t you?”

  “Er, actually, I’m not sure I can,” Corey stammered, stretching his fingers, “Hand cramps.”

  “I’m sure I have something here that will help that,” Snape said expressionlessly, taking out a phial and reading the label.

  “And besides, Flitwick’s band really wants to play, and I’m getting tired, and I really ought to spend some time with Myrtle tonight,” Corey said quickly.

  “Yes, but maybe one more song to appease the audience, or even more important, to appease me,” Snape said with a sinister smile.

  “But I thought you didn’t like this sort of music,” Corey pointed out.

  “Either way, you had better be getting up there and singing one more song for everyone, now, before I start getting testy.  Or is there some other reason that you don’t want to?”

  “Trouble, Professor Snape?”  McGonagall said, eyes flashing with irritation as she stepped over to them.

  “Not at all, I only thought that these four should probably honor the school with an encore,” Snape said.  McGonagall’s lip twitched slightly, looking over at the four.

  “You do have a lot of people hoping to hear you play again, are you quite sure you don’t want to play one more song?”  She asked.

  “No thank you, just the same,” Corey said.

  “Well, I’ll give you a choice, Mr. Willowby.  One more song, or you meet me in my office in ten minutes,” she said calmly.  Corey looked at the others, each one pointing upstairs, and he nodded.

  “We’ll take the office,” Corey said.  Snape frowned in obvious disappointment.  Minerva nodded solemnly and was about to say something, when Aelfred Finch-Fletchley ran up.

  “Corey, you’d better come quick!  Myrtle was over there talking to some of us students when Longbottom popped his mouth off and told her she was pathetic and you only did it because you felt sorry for her and wanted her to show you the door.  She’s gone off wailing again, and just when everyone was starting to get used to her!” Aelfred sighed.

  “Professor, would it be all right if I dealt with that first?” Corey asked.  McGonagall gave him a stern look before finally sighing in resignation.

  “All right, perhaps you’d better.  But then straight upstairs, you don’t want me to have to come looking for you.”

  “Don’t worry, Professor, I’ll keep an eye on him for you,” Snape offered, pointedly getting out his watch and looking at it.

  “Well then, I guess that means the show is officially over,” McGonagall said 

  “Pity,” Snape said, heading back over to Sirius and Anna, but not putting his watch away.

  Corey heard Myrtle moaning and sobbing all the way down the hall, and shook his head, growling softly to himself.  Trust Amadeus to take advantage of Myrtle’s sensitivity and get her all worked up again.  He firmly knocked on the door.

  “Go away! I don’t want to see anyone ever again!  Leave me alone!”  Myrtle said.

  “There’s a lot of people in this castle, I doubt you can avoid them all forever,” Corey said.  “Can I come in so we can talk without shouting?”

  “You?  What do you want?  Came to use me again?  Or just to laugh at me?  You living are all alike!”  She shouted.  Corey decided he had yet another reason not to get mixed up with girls.

  “You’re not the sort to take the word of a Slytherin over me, would you?  Whatever he said, you know, it’s not true.  I really did mean to help you and get you out of that bathroom. Lord knows I got teased enough for taking a ghost out but you don’t see me locked in a bathroom crying about it, do you?”  Corey asked.  “Now are you going to talk to me or not?”

  “Your friends laughed at you because of me?” Myrtle asked.  She had stopped crying, but Corey couldn’t tell if that was a good sign or not.

  “No, not my friends, really.  They all liked you…Essie and Doug and everyone.  It’s just, well, some people just aim to be mean no matter who you are.  You shouldn’t let them get to you,” Corey said.

  “Well, I don’t care, as long as there’s people like that out there, I’m not coming out,” Myrtle said in a final sounding tone.  Corey sighed.

  “All this trouble, and all I did was make things worse,” Corey muttered.  But just then he felt a chill and turned to see Francis Pyther and Nicholas, and behind them was a young, blue-faced boy ghost of no more than twelve, looking around nervously.  His robes, oddly enough, had only the Hogwarts symbol on it, and not a sign of any house colors.

   “If you’ll be so kind to stand aside, dear boy, we can take it from here,” Nicolas said.  Francis knocked on the door for Nicolas that stood aside, smiling at Corey reassuringly.

  “Milady?  It is I, Nicolas.  I have someone who I’d like to introduce you to,” he said.

 “Go away!  I am not meeting anyone ever again!” She wailed.

  “You know, we could just float through the wall,” Nicolas said, “But you see the chap I’m with has a phobia of water and would rather not go in.  Now be a good girl and come out a moment, we went to an awful lot of trouble to bring him here.”

  “I’m not coming out!” she wailed.  Pyther and Nicolas looked over at the boy.

  “I’m not going in there,” he said firmly.  Pyther sighed.

  “Myrtle, this is Francis Pyther,” Pyther said, sounding quite a bit more firm than Corey had ever heard him before.  “You will come out now, or I’m fully prepared to go over your head on this one.  Do you really want that?”  Go over a ghost’s head?  Corey puzzled over that one, wondering exactly what it was that Pyther did when he wasn’t painting.

  “You wouldn’t dare!”  She snapped.

  “I believe I’d be taking him seriously right now if I were you.”

  “And I am running very late, so you had best not keep me waiting any longer,” Pyther added.

  “It’s all right, I don’t want her to get into trouble…”

  “Oh, no, I’m not going to spend an hour getting you out of that wretched boat shack only to have her do this,” Nicolas said,  “I swear, I shall go in after her.”  But slowly they noticed that Myrtle wasn’t moaning anymore, and a moment later she floated through the door, pointedly turning her back on Corey the moment she saw him.

  “What is he still doing here?  I’m not speaking to him.”

  “I want to make sure you’re all right,” Corey said, folding his arms.

  “Myrtle, I want you to meet a friend of mine, Noah Tupman.  Noah died over a hundred years ago,  He drowned in the lake on his way over as a first year.”

  “They almost cancelled the tradition over it, as I recall,” Francis mused.

  “But I stopped them...” Noah put in, almost nervously.  “I mean, I couldn’t have that all ruined just because I was an idiot who couldn’t swim.  They tried to save me, but it was too late.”

  “If you’ve been here that long, why haven’t I ever heard of you?”  Myrtle said with surprise.  Noah looked down at his feet.

  “As I was trying to tell you before, the poor chap is terribly afraid of water.  Even rain water terrifies him, any water at all, so he doesn’t leave the blasted shack,” Nicolas said.

  “Well, that’s rather silly of you,” Myrtle said, “Especially since you’re dead.”

  “Well, I hear you keep going on about your glasses, and that’s really silly considering your dead,” Noah said back quietly.  “Are you sure all the faucets are off in there?”

  “I can turn them on if you like,” Myrtle teased.

  “Now, Myrtle, that’s not very nice considering what you’ve been through tonight,” Nicholas pointed out.  “Don’t you think he gets teased enough as it is by those who know him?”

  “If I hear one more joke about a flood I think I am going to roll over and die again,” Noah said miserably.

  “Well at least they don’t call you ‘Moaning’ anything, but I suppose it’s better than four eyes,” Myrtle sniffed.

  “Well if you don’t tease me, I promise I won’t tease you,” Noah said cautiously.

  “All right.  You know, you’re sort of cute, for a first year,” Myrtle giggled.

  “I’m still over fifty years older than you,” he retorted.

  “All right, you’ve met him, so you can go back and sulk in the bathroom if you want now, I have a meeting to rush off to,” Pyther said, waving to them all before abruptly turning to a bat and flying out a open window.

  “No, I think I’ll stay out a bit…well, since you don’t get out much and all,” Myrtle said to Noah.  “You want a take a walk?”

  “Well, as long as it’s not raining,” Noah said nervously.  “And not by the lake…or any puddles for that matter.”

  “Don’t worry, I know where all the bathrooms are in the school too, so we can avoid those,” Myrtle said, as the two of them floated down the hall together.

  “Nicholas, you are positively brilliant,” Corey decided, and he bowed modestly.

  “I try to do my best, sir.  But I admit I’d never gotten him out of that shack if Pyther wasn’t here to help me.  I daresay I’ll have to get someone to write a note to Hagrid about getting that bloke out of there too, he complained about him for years,” Nicholas chuckled.  “I say, splendid music tonight.  Are we going to hear from you again?”

  “Great stars, I almost forgot!  I’m supposed to be in McGonagall’s office!”  Corey said, waving a ‘thanks’ to Nicholas as he dove up the stairs.  Well, at least she had spared him the humility of playing again, Corey thought as he took the stairs two at a time, perhaps that was a good sign.  No, they were in for at least some detentions for sure, Corey sighed.  And Perry wasn’t going to be happy to find out whatever sort of points they were going to lose over this one.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Wake Up Calls

 

  With a cloud of soot Jennifer landed back at the Broom Closet, straining a moment to listen and make sure she didn’t wake anyone up before trying to get to her feet, grateful for the hand up from Severus.

  “About time you got back, I’ve been here nearly an hour,” Severus grunted.

  “Come on in and rest a moment, I’ve made everyone some warm tea before bed,” Carol insisted, smiling warmly at her.

  “Thank you for taking tomorrow morning off instead of today, Carol, it’s been so frightfully hectic,” Jennifer said.

  “Not at all, ma’am, Mr. Snape has been telling me all about it,” Carol winked at her, pouring her a cup.

  “And the fact that Willowby and his gang got off easy again,” Severus grunted.

  “Well it’s not like there’s much left to take away, is it?” Jennifer sighed, shaking her head.

  “She did seize the instruments,” Severus said, sounding quite pleased with that part of it.  “But it seems Corey found a ‘loophole’ that showed there was no reference for using those sorts of potions for non-sports or non-academic pursuits.”

  “So they didn’t lose points for it?”  Jennifer asked.  Severus grumbled.

  “She did say she would change the wording on it in the morning, but that is entirely beside the point.”

  “Well, I agree with you, even if I do know you’re biased because since there were two Gryffindors on the band you’d have still gotten another edge on them,” Jennifer said, sitting down.

  “Can we ‘accidentally’ lose his guitar when she returns it before he goes home this summer?”

  “I don’t think he’d buy it, but we’ll discuss that later,” Jennifer said, pulling over the sugar bowl.  “I think I’d better tell you what happened tonight.”  Severus looked up with suspicious interest.

  “Now why is it that I have the feeling you’ve volunteered us for something again?” Severus asked.

  “Now, don’t get ahead of her, let the woman talk,” Carol chided him, as curious to what went on at those meetings as the rest of the outside world was.

  “Well, first thing’s first, I suppose.  The Stone of Destiny is definitely a fake,” Jennifer said.  “Dumbledore took Arthur over to where it was returned to and did some sort of test, and declared it totally non-magical.  So it’s official, we only have two of the parts and not three.”  Severus rolled his eyes in disbelief.  “On the bright side, Harry’s looking into it, so hopefully we won’t have to find that part,” Jennifer grinned at him.

  “I suppose the Cauldron came up as well?” He asked.

 “In a big way,” Jennifer nodded.  “Because, you see, we just found out from Witolf and Dalance that two of the members of Equinox have disappeared.  They left together a month ago and haven’t come back.  None of the other members of the Order will say where they were going, but see, one of them happened to be Norman Balmweed…”

  “From our board of governors?” Severus said with surprise.  Jennifer nodded.

  “His wife told Dalance that he had gone on a fishing trip near Galway but should have been back by now.”

  “Galway?  Really?” Carol said, suddenly even more interested.  “Me da’s company has some fishing boats out that way.”

  “Connaught seems to be very connected with the Westernmost Isle, at least, Janus Craw thought so, and apparently so do Equinox.  I think they must have been onto something.”

  “But they still had something we don’t, a starting point and a direction,” Severus pointed out.

  “West?” Jennifer quipped, earning an exasperated look from her husband.

  “Do you think they would have tried flying or by boat?” Carol asked, and both pairs of eyes turned to her.

  “Flying would probably be the most efficient way, at least with anyone with no boat sense whatsoever,” Severus said.

  “That’d be a mistake, I think,” Carol said, looking at Severus thoughtfully.  “There are many small islands hardly big enough to be anything but a nuisance that aren’t listed on the normal maps.  A fisherman would know each one by heart if not by name.  If ye want tae find an island, first you must find the right fisherman,” Carol said.

  “What does that matter, I mean, if the island is hidden, I doubt it’d make any difference,” Jennifer sighed.

  “I beg your pardon, Mrs. Snape, but even if the island was hidden from human folk, somehow I doubt the island is hidden from the fish,” Carol said.  Jennifer stared at her for a long time, realizing she was right.  “Let me send me Da an owl.  If he can’t do it, sure that I am that he’ll know who can.”

 

  It was several days later while Jennifer and Severus were in the staff room pouring their attention into that year’s Gauntlet that a response came back, the owl tapping insistently on the door until Severus got up to answer it, knowing full well that Jennifer had no intentions of getting up.

  “You know, Severus, I think the cursed mummy trap followed by the two-headed pit-fanged serpent hiding in a pool of mud laced with sleeping potion is a bit much,” Jennifer said shaking her head at him.

  “Well, Dumbledore wouldn’t let me use any real poison in the mud,” Severus said expressionlessly.  Jennifer had to look up and study him for a moment to tell that he was joking.  “It’s from Carol.  She says her father is willing to take us…me, out there, and that he may actually have some idea where to look.”

  “Wait a minute, you do mean ‘us’ right?” Jennifer said, frowning at him.

  “No, I meant me as in I as in you will wait here until I return.”  The two of them took to staring challengingly at each other, and Jennifer wasn’t about to give in now any more than she had when they first met.  Perhaps she would have won too, had Anna not come in a few minutes later, looking between them curiously as she headed towards the table.

  “Am I interrupting something?”  Anna said at last, putting her note-stuffed book down and sitting cautiously between Jennifer and where Severus stood at the other end of the table.

  “Severus somehow had it in his head that now that we have a starting point that he’s going to try and go find the Cauldron alone instead of taking us along,” Jennifer said.  Anna looked at him quizzically.

  “Actually, I had forgotten you had gotten tied to this little goose chase as well, Anna.  You can go, of course.  I intend to head out directly after finals, if possible, so once you get your schedule for those, let me know,” Severus said calmly.

  “What about me?”  Jennifer said.

  “Jennifer, need I remind you that are due at the second week of June?  That’ll be only two weeks from then.  You’re staying here.”

  “Now just a minute, Severus…”

  “You should be thinking about what’s best for your child and not your own personal wishes right now.  You’re not going, and that is that.”

  “Severus, the Cauldron is my responsibility, you can’t change that just because I’m pregnant.”

  “No, as I recall it’s Vallid’s responsibility.  If she wants to go on this fishing expedition she’s more than welcome but you’re staying home.  You wanted children, your first responsibility is with them.”

  “I’m not the only parent here!  Just because I carry them doesn’t make you any less responsible, if I have to stay home, so do you!”  Jennifer said hotly.  Anna rubbed her head.

  “Jennifer it’s time you woke up and faced the fact that trying to act in a normal fashion while in this condition is madness.  You’re going to make yourself and the baby sick, and I’m not about to worsen that fact by letting you go.”

  “I am perfectly fine and perfectly able to manage acting ‘normally’ in my ‘condition.’  I know my limits and I know what I can and can’t do, and I still feel up to it at that point, I’m going.  With or without you.”

  “You’re speaking utter nonsense.  You won’t possibly be capable of doing anything by then without my help and I won’t let you become a burden to the expedition.”

  “That’s it,” Anna said, and the two of them looked over in surprise, suddenly remembering she was there.  She looked at them with a determined expression on her face, and then quickly crossed her arms and back again.  Jennifer suddenly felt extremely dizzy and felt quite glad she was sitting down, closing her eyes for a moment to steady herself.  “If you can’t learn to listen to each other you could stand to learn how the other half lives!”  She snapped.  “Work it out!  I’m going to go finish writing up my finals.”  With that Anna walked out, and Jennifer looked up, feeling quite odd indeed.

 That was when she realized she was standing, and not only that, she was on the other side of the room.  That was also when she realized that sitting across the room was an image of herself, holding her head in apparent pain.

  “Severus?” Jennifer said quietly, then stopped, hearing the strange low voice coming out of her mouth.  She looked down then, and saw the drab black robes and finally realized where she was.  “Anna?”  Jennifer shouted, running over to the closet and opening the door, ignoring Humphrey who seemed quite surprised and decided to find somewhere else to lurk.  She stared at the mirror and at the reflection of Severus looking back and screamed loud enough to wake the dead.

  “Good lord, Jennifer, don’t do that!  What am I wearing?  What are you wearing I mean?” Severus said from Jennifer’s form, looking slightly disoriented.  “My…your…something hurts.  And I swear this chair is getting harder by the minute.  Would you stop that screaming?  You’re making me look terrible, I don’t go into hysterics!”  He snapped at her.  “Ow?  What in the hell was that?”  He said startled, holding his stomach with a curious expression.  “I’m not sure I feel too well.”

  “Please tell me this is going to wear off!”  Jennifer said, making all sorts of expressions appear on Severus’ face that hadn’t before.  “I am going to kill your sister.”

  “Not if I get there first,” Severus said, standing up to quickly and having to lean on the table at the dizzy spell that hit.  “Then again, you go ahead.  No, never mind that, get Dumbledore.”

  But as Jennifer spun around she paused, then strode over to Severus and pulled him away from the table.

  “Fine, but you’re coming too.”

  “I’m not going anywhere looking like this,” Severus said.  “Bad enough how you’re acting in my form.  If any student sees you acting like that it’ll take years for anyone to forget it.”

  “I don’t care, this is our problem and if you think I’m going to let you take the easy road and stay here, forget it.  Just because your… I’m… we’re pregnant doesn’t mean there aren’t things that need to be taken care of.  And this, definitely, needs to be taken care of.  So let’s go,” Jennifer said firmly.  Severus glared at her.  “You know I’m bigger than you and I can do magic right now and you can’t.  I wouldn’t argue if I were you.”

  “I also know for a fact I have a complete arsenal of potions on me and am just as capable of using them as you are,” Severus snapped.  Just then they heard the door and looked up to see Rolanda Hooch come in, waving at them.

  “Are you two fighting again?  Is that what all that screaming was about?”  Rolanda said, rolling her eyes.  “You know I think nearly every student at breakfast jumped out of their socks a moment ago, Severus, don’t you have any restraint?

  “I’ll show you restraint…”

  “Jennifer,” Jennifer said quickly, putting an arm on Severus’ shoulder.  “May I remind you we need to meet with Dumbledore?  Now?” she said.

  “Fine.  Let’s go,” Severus snapped, finally moving away from the table and towards the door.  Rolanda’s eyes followed them in complete bewilderment, knowing something was wrong, but not being able to figure out what.  Just as well, Jennifer thought.  She knew that Rolanda would never let them live this one down.

 

  Corey and Doug were walking out from breakfast, and Doug was quite irritated indeed.  Corey sighed loudly, shaking his head.

  “You know, you’re really taking this a bit more personally than you need to.  So Perry’s the man of the moment with the girls.  He deserves to be.  It’s the first time any non-Slytherin Snake year student has won anything, and it was the only sparring match Gryffindor won this year.  He earned a bit of attention,” Corey said.

  “Yes, but we won every Quidditch game this year, thanks in large part to us.”

  “And Perry is the captain.”

  “Even Carla is hanging on him these days,” Doug glowered.

  “Give it time, as boring as Perry is, it’ll wear off and they’ll forget he existed again,” Corey said with amusement.  “I’m more worried about what sparring did to our points, especially with Danny winning again.”

  “We’re sunk, Corey, let’s face it.  We had the lead, and we blew it with that Chambers thing.  Look, Corey, next year, no adventures, okay?  Just ONE year in our Hogwarts history, I would really like to not be known as ‘the duo that sank Gryffindor’s chance at the cup,’” Doug said.  The two boys’ paused as the door to the staff room burst open and Professor Craw walked out, scowling something fiercely.

  “Are you okay, Mom?”  Corey asked in alarm, and she turned to look at them.

  “What are you two doing here?  Shouldn’t you be getting ready for class or something?”  She snarled.  Corey and Doug blinked at her, wondering what they’d done this time.  Snape walked out then, shutting the door quietly behind himself while taking in the situation outside.

  “We don’t have class for an hour,” Doug explained.

  “Then go study or something, Brim.” Jennifer snapped.

  “Excuse us, boys, we need to go speak with Dumbledore about something,” Severus said, smiling apologetically.  “We’ll see you later,” he added, heading down the hall.

  “Stop being so damn nice all the time,” Jennifer grumbled at him as they turned down the corridor.

  “Corey…I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as scary as that in my life,” Doug said, his face quite pale.

  “I think we’ve been studying too hard,” Corey agreed.  “Come on, let’s go get some air on the Quidditch Pitch before class.”

  “I just hope our brooms don’t decide to turn on us,” Doug said, “It seems like it’s going to be one of those days.”

 

  It didn’t take long for Dumbledore to figure out what happened, but quite a few minutes longer before he was finally able to get them back to where they belonged.  Jennifer was reminded of her other time in Severus, but it was different then, sharing his consciousness with him like they had.  This straight switch was definitely not any fun, especially after Severus realized he needed to go to the bathroom.

  But at last everything was back to normal and Jennifer refreshed and sitting in her favorite chair in the office with a nice cup of tea to relax her.  Severus, however, took to pacing, still slightly irritated that the whole thing occurred.

  “Now, Severus, settle down.  Anna’s in class at the moment but I will have Minerva show her up here for lunch and we’ll have a talk about it.  In the meantime, however, I am rather curious as to what might have caused her to do it in the first place,” Dumbledore said.

  “We were having a slight disagreement, is all,” Severus grunted, “And I guess that was Anna’s way of ‘improving matters.’”

  “A slight disagreement?” Jennifer echoed in disbelief.  “He was telling me I can’t go find the Cauldron, when we have a lead now.  We were planning to go the moment finals were over,” Jennifer explained.

  “I was planning to go.  You weren’t invited,” Severus snapped. 

  “Severus, this is not your quest,” Dumbledore said calmly, shaking his head at him.  “You cannot expect Jennifer to accept staying home when so much of who and what she is, is tied into this.”

  “Every one who has tried to look for the Cauldron in years has disappeared,” Severus pointed out.

   “We don’t know that for sure,” Dumbledore said.  “And besides, Professor Craw knows her limits.  I’m sure if we get to time to go and she doesn’t think she’s capable of it, she’ll let us know.  However, this is her expedition, and you’re not to overtake it.  Professor, you feel free to invite or not invite whomever you wish.  And, if you think your schedules can handle it, I can always have Professor McGonagall move some of the finals up a week, so that perhaps you can leave a bit early.”

  “Thank you, Sir,” Jennifer said, exchanging a warm smile.

  “Just make sure you get with Minerva about any other staff that might be going so that you all might plan for their tests as well.  And Severus, I expect you better be a bit more supportive in the near future, I’d hate to have to hear that she left you behind,” Dumbledore said mischievously.  Severus stared at Dumbledore for a moment before looking over at his wife, quietly sipping her tea, wondering if she’d even consider it or not.  But Jennifer only smiled at Dumbledore, not saying a word.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The Fury of the Isle

 

  Jennifer was just finishing up the last of her test postings when there was a knock on her office door and she looked over to see Sirius and Anna peering in.

  “Almost done?” Anna asked.

  “Yep, this is the last of them.  Severus already has us packed.  Could you put these on the classroom door for me?” Jennifer asked Anna, who instantly took them and ran them out.  Jennifer heard Anna speaking to someone and then a clopping sound before Sagittari stuck his head in the door.

  “I’m ready, Jennifer.  Do you have those polyjuice potions ready for me?”  He asked.

  “Actually, Sirius came up with something even better,” Jennifer said, looking over at Sirius who grinned, taking out a scarf from his pocket.  It was not exactly mild in color, a water-splashed pink, but it was fairly long and Sirius tied it around the centaur’s neck.

  “Is something supposed to happen?”  He inquired.

  “He doesn’t look any different to me,” said Anna from the other side of the door.

  “Well of course not, to us,” Sirius said cheerfully.  “It has a disinterest spell on it, the same sort that we use on housing developments to disguise them.  Any Muggle that looks at him will see him only as a very uninteresting human chap that’s not much to look at.  Only we see what he really looks like.”

  “Ah!  And it saves me from having to imbibe that potion all the time,” Sagittari said approvingly.  “How are you getting to Galway, Jennifer?”

  “Severus and I are taking the Pegusi coach, so we’ll meet you there first thing in the morning,” Jennifer explained.  “We need to find the fishing boat called the Mermaid’s Blessing, and ask for Captain Finn, just tell them you’re with the Snapes if we’re not there yet.”  There were more voices coming in from the classroom, and Sagittari made way for Severus and Minerva, Anna following close behind.

  “Jennifer?  Where’s the rest of your paperwork?” Minerva asked with a frown.

  “Right here, Minerva, don’t panic, I was going to take it up on our way out,” Jennifer assured her handing a folder out to her.

  “Don’t forget to let Corey into my office to feed Rasputin, but don’t let him use my lab,” Severus told Minerva.

  “Don’t worry, Severus.  I have no intention of letting the boy out of my sight.”

  “And if we’re not back within the week, send him to his Aunt’s instead of our house, Carol has enough to handle,” he added.  “Sagittari, are you sure you have everything you need?”

  “Yes, yes, for the hundredth time, Severus,” Sagittari chuckled at him.  “I may only be a veterinarian, but I am one that knows his patients well, and the baby seems quite content to stay where he or she is at the moment.”

  “And I feel fine, so let’s just close that discussion already.  If anything goes wrong we’ll have both the fishing boat standing by and our Pegusi at the Mystic Mounts Livery in Galway,” Jennifer said.

  “Just be careful, all of you.  And whether you find anything or not, just come back in one piece.  I dare say I wouldn’t want to have to replace all of you for next year,” Minerva said, to lighten her own worry as much as anything.  “Good luck.”

  Jennifer lifted her bat off its perch and they all left the office, Jennifer locking it behind them.

  “So long, Hogwarts, we’ll see you next year,” Jennifer said quietly as they headed up the stairs.  As if in reply, many of the paintings waved as they headed down the hall, the last one having been taking over my Caprica and Bedivere, looking unusually solemn.

  “Take care, Professors,” Caprica told them as they passed.  “If anyone can find out what happened, you can.”

  “Don’t throw too many wild parties without us,” Anna advised, waving to them on their way out.

  “No, we’ll save that until you get back,” Caprica said.

  “Lord help us all,” Minerva muttered as they headed out the main doors.

 

  Dorset Finn was a cheerful man with dark curly hair and rosy cheeks, perhaps not much like Jennifer imagined a weathered fisherman to look like.  But of course, he was also a wizard, a fact that Jennifer didn’t doubt for an instant after climbing onto the vessel.  A lot of the ship’s complement, in fact, seemed to be made up of greenish tinted House Elves, but they didn’t hide themselves like normal elves would, all wearing bright red hats, so securely placed on their heads that even the ones climbing up and down the sides of the boat didn’t seem to lose them.

  “What a large complement of Merrow elves you have!” Sagittari exclaimed.  “I always thought they were considered bad luck among sailors.”

  “Merrows often come up from the deep right before a storm, that is true,” Finn nodded.  “But for fisherman a storm can be a good thing, as long as you’re not the one in the middle of it when it blows in,” he added with a wink.  “I suppose you land folk haven’t seen many Merrows, eh?  But then I haven’t seen many Centaurs either,” he added, nodding courteously to Sagittari. 

  “It is an honor to be here, Captain,” Sagittari nodded courteously.  “I’ll be happy to help you with any navigational services as needed at night.”

  “Well, usually we use radar these days,” Finn winked.  “But on an expedition like this, chance are that won’t help us, nor compasses either, so I’m sure your knowledge of the stars will come in right handy.  Here, let me show you to the common room, and we’ll see about setting out before the tide turns.”

  “What’s radar?” Jennifer asked curiously.

  “It’s like invisible beams of light that you read to tell if something’s there or not,” he explains.  “It bounces off things and you can read it on a screen.”

  “Like an ultrasound?”  Jennifer asked.

  “No, that’s how we find fish,” Finn explained.  Jennifer paused a moment, even more puzzled before.

  “I think I need to write Doctor Linde another letter,” she told her husband.

  “Well, it’ll have to wait.  Here, let me go first,” Severus said, heading down the stairs as Jennifer slowly followed, not quite sure she was ever going to get used to the rocking movement.  Sirius and Anna came down next, and Anna especially couldn’t help but be amazed.  She was expecting a somewhat cramped area with fold-back tables and dual purpose seating areas, but instead the common room was very spacious, and definitely looked larger than the outside of the boat.  A long, splash-free window provided a perfect view out, curving to meet the wood-paneled floor so that there was even a good portion under water, giving them a good view of the local sea life as well.

  “Why, this is perfectly splendid!” Jennifer exclaimed, looking around to the others.  But Sirius didn’t look so well, staring at the window for a while rocking on his feet.

  “I think I’m going to be sick,” he announced.  “Where’s the lavatory?”

  “The hall opposite the stairs, lad, first door on the right,” the Captain said gently, Sirius hurrying down the hall, nearly tripping over his own feet.  “Well, I’d best get the last weather report and get us sailing.  As soon as we’re out to sea, we’ll go over the maps and I’ll show you the possible locations to what you’re looking for,” he said, putting on a faded blue skipper cap and heading up top.

  “Severus, didn’t you say you packed some of that seasickness potion I made for emergencies?” Jennifer whispered to him.

  “Yes,” Severus said, “But I’ll let him have his first taste of sea travel first.”  Jennifer’s steady frown finally began to get to him, and Severus sighed and began searching his cloak for the draught.

  It wasn’t long after taking the potion that Sirius began to feel a lot better, accepting a drink from the tray a Merrow brought down to them a few minutes later.  Another one with a long albatross feather in its cap came down a moment afterwards, saluting them.

  “The captain will see you now,” the Merrow said, skipping up the stairs.  Sagittari, who had been on deck talking to some of the Merrow, moved to join them, shrinking himself slightly to get passed the door to the pilot’s cabin.  Inside, a strange mix of both Muggle and magical instruments lined the walls.  A small table in the back was covered with maps with all sorts of notes and notes like “dogfish” “ray” and “eel” marked around the bay, while others warned of nasty underwater sand drifts and rocky shoals. 

  “We’re just out north of the Aran islands now, heading west north west.  Once we’re past the normal fishing routes out by Clare we’ll head due west.   Out there I think is where we’ll find it, over in this area,” the captain said, pointing at a ring of circles on the map.  “Oh, it looks like nothing’s there, but something’s there all right.  Just no one’s ever been sure what.”

  “Why, what’s out there?” Sirius asked.

  “Well, if you ask a normal blood, pretty much nothing.  They don’t like the currents there though, so they pretty much swing around that area.  But if one of us gets near it, then it’s a different story,” he said with a sigh, sitting down.  “Clouds seem to form out of nowhere, and before you know it you’re in the middle of a squall, with fog all about and gale winds so fierce your only course is back.  That is why when me daughter said what you were aiming to find, I knew where to look.  In fact, I’ve spent a lot of time up near there,” he winked.  “Between the squalls and them Muggles just avoiding the place, the fishing is pretty decent, if you know what you’re doing and stay on the outskirts of the storm.  Although, the fishing seems poor on the south side, and that’s where the worst of the storm hits, so I don’t go in that area at all.  A fisherman already tempts fate every time he goes out in the ocean, and I always figured, I’d better not press me luck.  Oh, and another thing, I’ve heard a tale or two from some of the other locals about seeing a serpent along the shipping routes that away.  But whether it is or not I’ve never seen it, it could be just Muggles seeing floating wreckage and assuming it’s something else.”

  Severus and Jennifer looked at each other, growing slightly concerned.

  “If a serpent is in those waters, can this boat withstand the brunt of an attack if it got hostile?” Severus acted.

  “On its own, I doubt it, but with all of us…” the Captain shrugged.  “Still, I’ve never seen one and I doubt I ever will.  They don’t care for Merrows much.  My crew is me lucky charms you know,” he smiled.

  “Don’t even say it,” Sirius said to Anna.  Anna suddenly smirked, but Jennifer, looking at her face for a moment, still didn’t get the reference and shrugged it off.

  “It’ll take some time to get there even in a magic enhanced boat.  It’ll be late before we hit the storm,” Captain Finn said.  “Then we’ll come about on the north side, since that seems to be the weaker side, then we’ll be fighting that magic storm to get in there and see what lies within.  So I suggest you rest up until then, and if you need anything just yell for Kelpie or Stew and I’m sure one of ‘em will show up.”

  As they headed back downstairs, (Sagittari following slowly behind, wishing not for the last time that the boat’s stairs and doorways weren’t quite so narrow) Jennifer plopped down on one of the white couches near the window, looking thoughtful as Severus began to pull out some tomes out of his cloak.

  “Doctor, you don’t happen to have the abridged Creatures Encyclopedia with you, would you?” Severus asked, looking something up in one of his Tomes.

  “Yes, I have it in my bag…somewhere,” Sagittari mused, taking the bag off his shoulder to dig inside it.

  “What are you doing?  Can’t you put a book down even on something like this?” Sirius asked, shaking his head at him.

  “I happen to be looking up some of the possible spells that could be controlling what we’re about to run into so we can plan ahead and not run blindly into this thing,” Severus snapped.

  “Good plan,” Anna said quickly.  “I think I’m going to go up on deck and get some sun.”

  “I wonder what there is to eat around here?” Sirius said.

  “Rather good question.  I think I’ll see if the Merrows will let me explore the kitchen,” Sagittari said, heading down the small hallway.

  “Great!  I guess I’ll go up and see if I can’t help the crew somehow,” Sirius said, heading up the stairs.  Severus rolled his eyes.

  “I liked him better when he was seasick,” Severus grunted.  “Why is everyone acting like this is a pleasure cruise?

  “Now, Severus,” Jennifer chuckled.  “You can’t expect everyone to have their nose in a book,” she said, taking a couple of the tomes out of the stack.  “Do you think this place he knows about is the right one?”

  “Hard to say.  Although, I’m not sure what else it would be,” he said.  “It’d be our luck it’d only cover some other ancient fool’s mystery that you decide to try to uncover all of next year.”

  “That’s not funny, Severus,” Jennifer said, chuckling in spite of herself.  “You know it isn’t like we’ve had any real close calls this year…well, unless you want to count your almost getting put away for something you didn’t do, or Corey’s little Chamber adventure.  Overall, it’s been a quiet year.”

  “As far as I’m concerned it’s not over yet,” Severus said, turning back to his book.  “Hm.  None of the storm spells in here have half the range needed to enclose a space as big as what he’s referring, and all of them draw from actual weather.  There’s no way any of these can be permanently maintained without a continual effect on the rest of the world.”

  “Well, maybe it has and it’s been so long nobody realizes it?” Jennifer asked.

  “No, I don’t think so, I have a feeling Ireland would be a desert by now if it were.  Any dark storm spells that can harness the kind of power needed for this?”

  “That can be powerful and destructive, yes, self maintaining, no,” Jennifer said.  “A permanent spell needs to be self maintained or it’ll sooner or later give in to time.”

  “Maybe it’s just using the water beneath it to refuel itself,” Severus mused, “And it could only trigger when someone comes too near, if so that means it has plenty of time to build up strength.”

  “I can’t imagine the sort of complex spell that could put something like that together.”

  “Try not to think of it in modern terms,” Severus said.  “The Fomorians were magi skilled in ancient elemental magic.  Water to vapor to water… it’s still water…and therefore the spell itself is nothing more than a single guardian spell.  Which may or may not be sentient, but the fact that it gets stronger in certain areas may indicate it has some sort of mock intelligence.”

  “Fascinating,” Jennifer said in slight awe, trying to figure out exactly how she could attain the same thing, then finally shook her head.  “Well, at least it’s another indication we have the right island.  We know the Fomorians are involved somehow.  But how to get past it?” 

  “That’s what I plan to try and figure out before we get there,” Severus said, carefully picking up different tome out of the pile.

 

  Jennifer awoke to the sound of thunder and the tossing of the boat, sitting up from where she fell asleep on the couch. Lanterns swayed slightly above, and no one else seemed to be around, making her feel a tad claustrophobic.  Carefully working her way up the stairs, she opened the door only to get a spray of rain in her face, and she went back down long enough to gather up her cloak before braving the storm again.  Everything outside of the range of tossing lanterns was pitch black, except for a curious glow in the very front of the ship.  It was there that Jennifer stumbled cautiously towards, only to realize that the glow was Anna, standing at the prow.   It reminded her, in fact, of stories of ghost ships that they had studied in school, and Jennifer got an eerie chill, wondering if it wasn’t a bad omen.  But then, she felt a hand around her elbow and looked up to see Severus, pointing his wand at her feet.  The soles of her shoes suddenly turned into a liquid rubber that stuck firmly to the deck.

  “You shouldn’t be out here, you’d be better off below,” Severus shouted over the storm.

  “How long have we been in this?” Jennifer said, ignoring the comment.

  “Not long but it’s already getting worse…I think the storm knows we’re here,” Severus answered.  “You have your broom on you if something goes wrong, right?”

  “Severus, I am not flying over water.  Especially at night,” Jennifer said firmly.

  “You may not have a choice,” Severus said before heading further towards the front.  Jennifer slowly followed, trying to get used to the effort it took to get her shoe off the ground as she trudged behind him, shivering in the cold rain.

  The Merrows had several searchlights pointed in the water, and although not quite as bright as the glow coming off of Anna they still helped widen the Captain’s sight range from where he stood in the pilot’s room.  Sirius stood beside her, looking at her with slight concern but not saying a word, his knuckles white on the banister as spray from the angry seas reached up in attempt to knock them off their feet.  The boat turned slowly, trying to keep the storm from beating directly against it, but every time the Captain turned it, the wind would change direction, trying to push it farther away.

  “We’re not makin’ much leeway,” Finn shouted from the open window.  “We can’t fight this, we’ve slowed to a crawl and soon going to be backpeddlin’ for sure,” he said just as a horrible sound came from the ship itself.  “Christ save us all from a death like this!”

  “This is no time for Longfellow!” Severus snapped.  “And I for one have no intention of going down with the ship.”  Jennifer watched as he pushed his way forward, taking out his wand.  “Finn!  Anchor this tub!  Sirius, make sure this ship doesn’t go anywhere no matter what happens.”

  “What are you going to do?” Sirius demanded, but Severus didn’t answer, only took out his wand, standing on the other side of Anna.  Sirius quickly followed suit, ready for anything.  A strange dark look came over Severus’ face as he suddenly begun intoning a spell that Jennifer had never heard before, in a language she had never heard before either.  A chill went down her back not caused by the rain, and although she knew the spell being cast was not a dark one, there was something of significant power building.  Suddenly right before the boat a darkness began to appear just on the edge of the light’s range, the swirling blackness getting larger and larger as Sirius cried out in surprise, realizing what it was, quickly casting every spell he could think of to steady the ship’s position.

  “Alarm!  Alarm!  Whirlpool, whirlpool!”  The Merrows started shouting to each other.  “Hang on to your hats!”

  “NO abandoning ship before I says so!”  The captain barked, his senses completely consumed with feeling the ship’s movement in the tossing water, ready to give the word at any moment.  As the dark whirlpool grew larger and larger as Severus’ voice grew louder, Sagittari joined his spell power with Sirius as Jennifer stepped up beside Anna.  The storm was slowly weakening, its power partially disrupted, and Jennifer found herself looking down into the large spout-like hole being created in the water just in front of them.  As she peered down in the water, she suddenly saw something at the bottom of the widening whirlpool, she suddenly saw something quite unexpected…a dark spire, that didn’t look like wreckage at all.  It wasn’t wood or plastic or metal, but of stone.

  Suddenly the storm ceased altogether, and the sudden loss of the wind upon them made them lean suddenly forward, nearly knocking Sirius off the edge.  Severus had also stopped what he was doing and was slumped on the rail when Anna reached over and took his hand for a moment, the glow leaving her.  Jennifer slipped off her shoes and rushed over to him as well, noticing how grey his face was.

  “Severus!  Are you all right?” Jennifer asked.

  “Just…rather tired,” he admitted, gratefully accepting Jennifer’s support.

  “Anna?”  Sirius asked, going over to her.

  “He overdid it,” she explained.  “I’m tired too.”

  “We’d better get them downstairs so I can take a look at them,” Sagittari said.

  “Look sharp!  We’ve got company!”  Finn suddenly hollered out the window, making them all look up.  “And whatever it is, it’s big.”

  “How big?” Sirius asked.  As if in answer, the boat suddenly lurched to the side as something bumped into it.  A moment later a huge serpent’s head suddenly appeared over the side of the ship, as large as the pilot cabin, letting out a horrendous cry.  “Oh boy.”

  “Jennifer, get him downstairs!” Sagittari barked.

  “Wait, let me try to talk to it,” Severus said weakly.

  “I don’t think he’s in the mood for talking,” Jennifer said, leading him downstairs.

  “Odd, rather far north for his species,” Sagittari said calmly.  But just then a monstrous tail came slashing over the side and across the top of the boat snapping off the antennas and dish off.  “Don’t worry, they don’t eat meat, usually.”

  “I don’t think he cares!” Sirius yelled at the centaur, taking out the wand and casting a ball of fire at the serpent, hitting it on the nose.  It cried out in pain, lurching its head back and closing its eyes shaking it fiercely as the boat lurched again, this time nearly forcing it onto its side.

  “You’re only making him madder,” Anna said.

  “Then someone else do something!” Sirius yelled.

  Sagittari got in his bag and got out a large tuning fork, tapping it on the side of one of the poles of the trap rigging.  A low, barely audible tone emanated from the folk, and with the help of a resonance spell began to increase.  Although the others standing on the deck couldn’t tell much of a difference other than feeling an odd trembling, all the Merrows were holding their ears, pulling their hats down further on their heads.  The serpent suddenly cried out again, snapping at the Centaur who stepped out of the way as the serpent dove over the deck of the boat and splashing into the water on the other side, its massive body visible overhead for what seemed to be several seconds before its tail finally appeared, splashing down into the ocean with such force that the boat suddenly lurched in the other direction.  Water poured onto the deck as it nearly capsized again, and perhaps would have had the Merrows not all suddenly rushed to the higher side of the deck.  Taking their cue the others did the same and the boat finally righted itself.

  “I think I’m beginning to really hate boats,” Sirius said.

  “I hope this doesn’t mean you plan to cancel our cruise next year,” Anna quipped, earning a dirty look from her husband.  “What did you do, anyhow?  I thought serpents can’t hear?”

  “Common misconception,” Sagittari said calmly.  “They have very sensitive hearing, especially to low tones, and sea serpents have even more acute hearing than most so they can hear at great distances underwater.  Glad I thought to bring this along.”

  “If I’d known that…I had some equipment on board all the time that probably would have scared it away,” Finn said, wringing out his cap then mopping off his head.  “Of course that was before the thing took off my radial, but it explains why I never seen one before.”

  “Yes, they hear folks looking for them,” Sagittari agreed.  “But I believe he’s gone now.”

  “Then we’d better try to figure out where we are,” the captain said, his head disappearing back inside.

  “I’ll be over to assist you in a moment,” Sagittari assured him, heading down the stairs, Anna and Sirius quickly following.  The floor was wet from spray, but otherwise everything looked in tact, and a lone Merrow was busy trying to clean it.  Jennifer sat on one of the long couches, while Severus was snoring on the couch.

  “Looks like we got a sea serpent in here too,” Sirius smirked.

  “He just sort of collapsed,” Jennifer said as Sagittari came and took his wrist.  “I’ve never seen him so tired.  What happened to the sea serpent?”

  “Sagittari gave him an earache,” Anna explained, plopping down on the opposite couch.  “I am tired too.”

  “And what exactly happened to you out there, Anna?  Why were you glowing?” Jennifer asked.

  “I felt something in the storm, a presence almost,” Anna said.

  “Something evil?” Sirius asked with a frown.

  “No, not like that…not like how I felt with the wraith or anything.  This was sort of, familiar, but suspicious,” Anna said, looking slightly puzzled.  “Honestly, I’m not sure what I felt.  But whatever it is it’s definitely in front of us.”

  “It also doesn’t seem too hospitable of strangers,” Sirius said.

  “I think he’ll be alright,” Sagittari said at last.  “Anna was right.  The spell that he had cast overextended him past his normal limits.  His magic will probably be weak for a few days, but I’m sure he’ll recuperate quickly enough.”

  “It does us leave another person short though if whatever we’re up against decides to try and throw something else at us.  Watch, something else will happen now,” Sirius said.  Suddenly there was a jolt and a loud noise, and the Merrow rushed out of the room and up the stairs.

  “Would you stop saying stuff like that?” Anna said, hurrying up the stairs.

  “What did I do?” Sirius asked following her up.  The captain was standing to the port side of the ship along with several Merrows, looking down.

  “We’ve run into something…rock, wreckage, something.  There’s a lot of strange formations underwater here and it’s fairly shallow…but finding out what we’re looking at is impossible in this darkness.  We’re going to have to wait until morning,” Finn explained.  “I put a wee spell on it so it’ll not flood us out while we’re sleeping, and the Merrows will watch it, best just get sleep while you can.”

  “Sir, perhaps considering what we’ve been through we should put up a regular wizard watch as well,” Sagittari suggested.  “I can take the first shift.  I would like to see if this sky will clear enough long enough for me to get a reading.”

  “All right then, if you all feel you’re up to it,” Finn nodded.  “I’d better get a few winks then before dawn.  There’s some rollout beds under the couches if you need them.”

  Sirius and Anna headed back downstairs, but found Jennifer had already fallen asleep where she had been sitting.

  “Guess she hadn’t been too worried,” Sirius chuckled.

  “I don’t blame her for being worn out, I know I am,” Anna said, leaning into Sirius as the two of them sat down.  Just then, Severus snored again, and Sirius frowned, taking out his wand and casting “Quietus mute” on him.

  “There, now maybe we can sleep,” Sirius grunted.  “I have a feeling we’re going to need all the rest we can get.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The Secret of the Isle

 

  Jennifer awoke fairly early, too uncomfortable to sleep for too long, sitting up and stretching.  Dark canvas curtains had been pulled over the windows making it comfortably dark, and Sirius, curled up in his dog form, was sleeping on one couch, while Severus was still sleeping on the other end of her own couch, unusually quiet.  Even Sagittari had managed to find a suitable resting spot on a comfortable rug, piling up the day table with pillows to rest his head.  She rolled to her feet and headed upstairs, smelling the aroma of strong coffee coming from the pilot’s cabin.  Inside, Captain Finn greeted her cheerfully, offering her a cup, which she took gratefully.

  “The damage isn’t as bad as it looked,” Finn told her as she gingerly scooted some maps to the side to get to the sugar bowl.  “We should be ready to head out whenever need be.”

  “Have you seen Anna this morning?” Jennifer said suddenly.

  “Aye, she went out with some of the Merrows to take a swim and look at the ruins near the shore,” Finn said.

  “Really?  Are you sure that’s wise?”  Jennifer said, frowning.

  “I haven’t seen much sign of life out there beside birds and plenty of fish,” Finn said.  “Of course, all my Muggle equipment is down, with no thanks paid to the sea serpent for that one, so I can’t see much.  But the Merrows know the sea like hardly any other, I’m sure they’ll keep an eye on her.”  But after she finished her cup of coffee and the boys had still not awaken, Jennifer decided to do some exploring along the beach and hopefully meet up with Anna on shore.

 

  Severus woke up with a start as someone shook him, whipping out his wand and positioning it at Sirius’ nose before realizing who it was.  He yelled something, and then faltered when nothing came out of his mouth.

  “Oh yeah,” Sirius said, taking out his own wand quickly as a small flash of light hit Severus.

  “Why was I silenced?” Severus demanded.

  “Never mind that, the girls are missing,” Sirius said in an overly loud voice.

  “What do you mean they’re missing?” Severus said, quickly sitting up, grabbing his watch and then glancing at his ring.

  “Anna got it into her head to go swimming of all things, and I guess Jennifer went after her.  I woke up to find Jennifer had been gone for an hour, and Anna nearly two.”

   “Jennifer seems to be all right at the moment, although she may not be when I’m done with her,” Severus muttered.

  “What about Anna?”

  “How should I know?   Haven’t you had the sense to get a watch?” Severus snapped.

  “We’ve never needed the watch.  Normally I just…well, find her,” Sirius said, not knowing how to explain.  “But this time I can’t.  Something must be really wrong.  The captain says none of the Merrows that went with her have returned either.”

  “The stars hold great danger for Anna today,” Sagittari said as he got onto his feet.  “And danger for us all, if we’re not careful.  I saw within the sky the unraveling of a great mystery, and we must face that as an obstacle on the way to finding what we seek.”

  “The Cauldron, or Anna?” Severus asked, frowning at the vague prediction.

  “Whatever it is that we seek,” Sagittari shrugged.  “Both, I’d imagine.”

  “Come on, let’s get moving, the sooner we find her the happier I’ll be,” Sirius said.

  “One moment, let me write a note in case Jennifer comes back here,” Severus said, taking out a piece of paper and a Never-dry quill from his cloak.

  “You mean Jennifer or Anna, don’t you?” Sirius said, frowning.

  “No, I’m not sure Anna can come back, if she hasn’t already,” Severus admitted.  “I believe you’re right.  Something within me keeps telling me she’s in trouble.  I think it’d be only prudent to assume that she is until we know otherwise.”  Finishing the note he quickly sealed it, putting on his cloak.  “Let’s go,” Severus said, and the three of them headed up the stairs.

 

  The trail up to the ruins was steep and narrow with finished stone stairs interspersed with rugged inclined trails.  But after hours of sprinting up the stairs at Hogwarts, Jennifer wasn’t about to let that stop her, and not only could she get a good look at the ruins but also get a fair view of the island.  She had decided to try the climb after she had heard a braying sound, and finally noticed halfway to the top some shaggy, but otherwise healthy looking goats straggling along the rocks, never getting too close to her.  There was no goat herder at all that she could see; perhaps they were castaways of a forgotten time, left generations ago by whoever first built the ruins.

  But the ruins didn’t appear to her to be as old as she had originally assumed they were.  In fact, although crumbled and worn with age, they looked barely older than the school itself.  As she finally got to the top, a sweet smell reached her nose, and after working her way through a brush-filled doorway, she found herself standing in what once must have been a courtyard.  Apple trees crowded together inside the tiny area, like students on benches, pushing and shoving to try and get the best view of the sky.  Small apples, still mostly green, were dangling off the branches, but Jennifer quickly noticed that some were already beginning to ripen.  Carefully working her way through to one of the trees near the center of the courtyard, Jennifer plucked one of the apples and smelled it cautiously.  But just before she could take a bite, a strange force hit her hand and the apple shot out of it and to the ground, and she heard someone’s harsh voice behind her speaking in a language that was familiar, but she didn’t quite understand.

  “Pu don willan na aeppel!  Pu don weorph lif?”

  “What?” Jennifer asked in confusion, turning around.  A shadow from behind her suddenly moved to the side and faded into view; a tall ghost with flashing eyes that reminded her of her father, wearing tattered robes.  And even though he was not quite what she remembered from the memory and had a rough, shaggy auburn beard, there could be no doubt at all who the man was.  “Janus Craw!”

  The ghost was quite started then, and asked her a question that she didn’t quite understand, but she was facing him now and could see his eyes.

  “Who am I?  I’m from Hogwarts, I’m Jennifer Craw,” she said, but apparently he was having trouble understanding her as well, although he did seem to understand Hogwarts well enough.  Why didn’t she think of this before?  He hadn’t had any exposure at all to the modern tongues, and just assumed she’d be able to talk to him as easily as she would a normal Hogwarts ghost.  She was pondering whether or not it was safe to take the translation potion she had on her when he suddenly switched to Latin.

  “Are you a witch from Hogwarts?” He asked.  Jennifer suddenly smiled.

  “Yes, of course, I’m Jennifer Craw, your descendant.  I’m a Professor there,” she answered.  He lit up.

  “You can understand me!  I should have known Latin would be the common language by now,” he said.

  “Actually, it’s not,” Jennifer grinned.

  “Your accent is rather strange.”

  “It’s rather strange to everyone, anyhow.  I grew up in America,” Jennifer chuckled.

  “America?  What is that?”  He asked.

  “Oh.  Well, it’s the land west of here,” Jennifer explained.  Janus frowned at her.

  “There’s no land west of here,” he said.

  “I guess you have a lot of catching up to do,” Jennifer realized.

  “What are you doing here?  And who is the Keeper now?  Or do you know who that is?” Janus asked.

  “I’m the Keeper,” Jennifer said.

  “You?  But, you’re a woman,” he said horrified.  “It wasn’t supposed to go to you,” Jennifer glared at him.

  “I’m also the last of the Craw line,” Jennifer said sternly.  “And I’m married, well, maybe that’s rather obvious,” Jennifer said sheepishly. “To Severus Snape.  I still go by Craw though because he’s a Professor as well.”  Janus looked crestfallen.

  “The last of my line.  What a depressing thought,” he said.  “But never mind that, you’re in danger here.  The Fomorians know you’re here, and it won’t be long before they move in to try and exterminate you and whoever you came with before you alert the outside world of their presence.”

  “The Fomorians are here now?” Jennifer said.  “But, I haven’t seen anything on this island but goats all the while I’ve been on it.”

  “You’re looking in the wrong direction,” Janus said, turning and floating through the trees.  “Follow me.”   Working her way around the orchard, Jennifer met up with Janus on the other side, climbing up a short set of steps onto the top of a small square tower.  From there the cliff was nearly sheer, looking down at a narrow beach before the open ocean.  Jagged shadows pierced the water as it reached low tide, making a treacherous area to traverse indeed.  “What do you see?”  He asked.  Jennifer shook her head in confusion, looking back over to the ghost, who gazed out solemnly over the ocean.  “I see the top of a great city.  A city long sought, a city hidden by legend and time as much as spell and ocean.  A civilization of giant magicians long thought dead, but they are there, still there, hoping for a day when the world will finally accept them as but a dream and forget.”

  Jennifer stared out at the water for a long time, a chill going down her spine as realization finally set in, barely daring to say the words that made that realization come to life.

  “Great stars…this isn’t Avalon.  It’s Atlantis!”

  “Yes, came to me as a bit of a surprise too,” Janus said, watching her steadily with a slight smile.  “I once thought as you did that this, as the old legends said, was the way to Avalon.  And it was once, up here, in that orchard.  Avalon is not in this world…never was.  It is but another name for Tir Na Nog, and those trees in the orchard are the same that grow there, marking the doorway that once led there.  But Merlin knew so long as that door was open, war between the Fomorians and those beyond it would be eminent, so it was shut forever, and the Callum seal was once again broken by Merlin’s own hand, giving it to the Sentinels to protect.   Something which I failed miserably at,” Janus grunted.

  “The Cauldron?”

  “Is in the hands of the Fomorians.  There is no getting it back now.  Many forms of magic do not work on their city, and they can smell the blood of their enemies from miles away.  If that is what you’re here for, you should turn around now.”

  “I’m not going back without the Cauldron,” Jennifer said firmly.  “I’d better warn the others…oh no.  Anna!  She went swimming this morning!  Good heavens!”

  “Where are you going?  It’s suicide to go down there,” he warned her.

  “Anna is my sister in law.  She’s family, and I was always taught not to abandon family,” Jennifer snapped at him, her eyes flashing as she headed down the stairs.

  “I suppose she is a Craw after all,” Janus mused, following behind her.

  At the shore Janus waited while Jennifer hopped on the skiff heading back to the ship, watching the water carefully on her way.  Several Merrows were there to help her up, yelling to the captain who looked at her thoughtfully.

  “They’re gone, Jennifer.  They went to look for Anna, for she hasn’t come back yet,” the captain said.  “Your husband left you a message, and bade me to tie you to the cabin if you went anywhere,” he admitted.  But Jennifer headed down into the cabin to glance at the note and she sighed when she read it.

  We have gone to retrieve Anna, I trust if you got this note that you have successfully retrieved yourself.  STAY THERE until we return.  ~Severus.

  But as she put it down, wondering what to do, she happened to glance down at her ring, and then frowned at it, pulling out her watch.  Her face paled as her fears were realized, for the needle was definitely pointing at “Mortal Peril.”  Gnawing on her lip a moment, it didn’t take her long to come to a decision.  Quickly she opened Sirius and Anna’s trunk, grabbing a cloak.  Taking out the tome that she had seen him reading the night before, she put it in her own cloak pocket and headed back to the shore.

 

  Deep below the surface of the ocean in a marble cell with but cold stone slabs to rest on, Severus paced, trying to clear his head, thinking over what they had been through already that day.  They had walked along the shore for a while when Sagittari spied some unusually large footprints in the sand, and since it had rained the night before there could be little doubt they were fresh.  Cautiously they had followed, fairly surprised when the footsteps disappeared into the sea.  But Severus had noticed an unusually flat rock just below the surface, and bending down had realized not only that it was marble, but another lie just below it, and another.  That was when he brought out the Gill Potions.

  Never had any of them guessed what lay beyond when they all submerged to look down the large stairs.  For just beyond, bathed in the greenish blue light of the sea, was a fantastic city.  Tall statues of giants in togas stood with crossed spears at the bottom, an entrance and a warning.  Perhaps they should have been more cautious, Severus mused, but even he couldn’t help but be in awe of their discovery, wanting a closer look and quite certain if Anna had seen it she would have gone there.  Sirius as well must have come to the same conclusion for he struck out a bit ahead.

  Sirius swam through the arch only to find himself standing in a hallway in open air, completely dry.  Slightly disoriented, he took out his wand, just as Severus and Sagittari appeared beside him.

  “We need some sort of cover, wait a moment,” Severus said, quickly getting out his chameleon potion.

  “I should have brought the cloak with me,” Sirius muttered.

  “Well, too late now.  Here, put this on,” Severus snapped, and the three of them dusted themselves with the powder, slowly fading to blend in with their surroundings.  “All right, try to be relatively quiet, we don’t know how well these Fomorians can hear, but I would gather quite a bit.”

  “She’s here, Severus,” Sirius’ voice said a moment after he’d blended in.  “I know she is.”

  “I thought I told you to be quiet,” Severus snapped.  “Keep a hand on Sagittari so we don’t lose each other.  I’ll lead.”

  “No, you don’t know where she is, I’ll lead,” Sirius insisted.

 “If you both insist on using me as a group guide, I’ll lead,” Sagittari said sounding testy.  “And whoever that is had better get their hand off my rump.  Thank you.”

  As they headed up the walkway, Sagittari suddenly noticed four figures sitting near the arch on the other side of the hall.  The two standing were wearing long robes and made of marble, their hands meeting to form crossing lightning bolts.  But the two underneath, sitting in roughly hewn chairs of driftwood, were two very bored looking Fomorian guards, holding crossbows as tall as Sagittari loosely in their laps.  They were talking, about what only Sagittari could guess, for it had taken him some time after listening to it to realize it was a form of old Cretan dialect.  Suddenly something was put in his hand and Sagittari realized it was a potion, taking a drink and passing it to Sirius before they continued.  Within moments the words became clear.

  “It’s not like they even need the minotaurs to guard her in her condition.  She isn’t going anywhere so long as the Harp’s on her.”

  “Waste of resources if you ask me.  I want to know why we haven’t gone and taken out that floater yet.”

   “I don’t know, but I have better things to do than pulling guard duty,” the guard said, sniffing the air.  “Odd.  It’s that smell again.”  The other guard sniffed too, standing up and unlatching his crossbow.

  “Merlin blood.  And I don’t think it’s coming from the prisoners this time.”  Sagittari froze, not daring to go any further as they stood up.  “I think there’s more than one of them too,” the guard added.

  “Maybe we should go tell the guard captain,” the other said nervously.

  “What, and leave our post?” the guard said.  “Besides, most of them stories about Wizards and all that are rubbish.  Did you see the size of the others?  If they’re any example they should be easy enough to squash.”

  “I don’t like it, Jason.  All these Merlin bloods showing up at once, I think it’s a sign.”

  “Yeah, it’s a sign we need a new Governor,” Jason agreed.  Just then he took a few steps forward, and Sagittari quickly moved to one side, the other two following suit, while someone, Sirius perhaps, tried to coast them closer to the arch.  “It’s stronger over here, Thero.  I think they might be at the entrance.”

  “Well, no Merlin blood is going to get passed us,” Thero snorted. 

  For a moment, Sagittari thought they were quite wrong, finally managing to come up behind them and lead the others through the arch.  But the moment they crossed into it a loud noise like the blowing of a giant conch shell echoed through the halls.  The guards spun around with crossbows ready, diving for the door as the three raced to get out of the way.  It didn’t take the two guards long to figure out which direction they headed, turning down the right passage and barreling past the urn that the three of them had dove behind.

  “Do you have anything to cover up scents?” Sagittari whispered to Severus.

  “And if you do why haven’t you been using them all these years?” Sirius added.

  “Disguise yes, cover up completely, no.  And Sirius if you don’t have anything useful to add to the conversation, keep your trap shut.”  But their short conversation had been more than enough, they realized, as a shadow fell over them and a large net suddenly swooped down around them.

  And then, there they were, stuck behind bars, Severus brooded, when Anna was apparently being held somewhere else and under and influence of a harp, whatever that meant.  He glanced at his ring, sighing slightly.  Well, she was worried, but at least she was safe.  Sirius was hardly helpful.  He had turned into a dog immediately upon entering the cell.  Sagittari had gratefully accepted the role of keeping track of the guard’s movements in the cell at Severus’ suggestion, while Severus tried to formulate a way out of there.  He stood be the bars, tapping his fingers on them with irritation.  It was all up to him now, he was sure.

  Just then he felt a warm, caressing hand touch his, rubbing his ring slightly.  He grasped it, glancing around, but the guards were nowhere to be seen, having been called down the hallway.

  “I thought I told you to stay on the boat,” Severus said stern low voice.

  “The watch told me you were in trouble.  Let me try and figure out how to get you out of here,” Jennifer said.

  “No, you need to get out of here.  The giants have a keen sense of smell.  It’s a wonder that you got in this far,” Severus murmured.  “Don’t try to throw any potions at them, I tried that and they seem to be immune.  I only succeeded in getting my cloak confiscated.”

  “I’ve passed by a number of them already and they haven’t sensed me at all,” Jennifer said.  “Let me try and figure out this lock.”

  “No, wait, find Anna first.  If you release us and they notice they’ll be watching her like a hawk,” Severus hissed.

  “I don’t think I can get to Anna.  I heard them say she’s –” Severus hissed again, cutting her off as Sagittari signaled that the guards were coming back.  The hand slipped away, and Severus quickly walked over to where Sagittari and Sirius were, looking at him curiously.

  “Jennifer’s here,” Severus explained to them.  Sirius turned back to human form, looking at him.

  “Did you tell her what happened with the potion?” Sirius asked.

  “Briefly.”

  “Maybe she can help us get our wands back at least,” Sagittari suggested.

  “Sagittari, you forget, I tried to Stupefy them and nothing happened.  Flash didn’t even work,” Sirius said.

  “Yes, and neither did my enchantment spell, they do seem to have an immunity to light and wild magics,” Sagittari agreed.  “At least you were able to get off your choking spell, Severus.”

  “Yes, and they nearly killed us right then because of it,” Sirius pointed out.  “Even if we do get out of here, it’s going to be nearly impossible to get Anna and escape without help.”

  “Quiet down!  Stop with the foreign talk!” One of the guards growled as they came in, clanging the bars with a long metal rod.  “Bad enough these two don’t seem to speak anything else!”  Severus looked over curiously to notice that the two guards were dragging two haggard looking wizards with them in heavy chains, opening a cell across from them and throwing the tow of them in.  “Don’t worry, it’ll be your turn soon enough,” the guard sneered at them, heading back out.

  Severus squinted across at the other two men, instantly recognizing one of them.  He glanced back at Sagittari until he finally nodded, then headed to the corner closest to the other cell.

  “Balmweed?  What the devil are you doing here?”  Severus asked.

  “Professor Snape!  Doctor Sagittari!  And Mr. Black?” The board vice chairman looked across with surprise and relief.  “Thank goodness, Dumbledore has sent someone to save us!”

  “Actually, we had our own reasons for coming. Who is with you?”

  “Brogan Tubbins, sir.  From Wizardday Publishing,” the other wizard spoke.  “We went on a fishing expedition and were waylaid by Fomorians.  And what exactly are you doing here?”

  “My wife took us on a fishing expedition and we were waylaid by Fomorians,” Severus answered dryly back.  Severus suddenly smelled smoke and looked over to the door where the lock was sizzling and hurried over.

  “It doesn’t seem to be doing anything,” Jennifer whispered when he got there.  “Whatever these bars are made of they’re not very corrosive.”

  “Can you manage to get our wands?”  Sirius asked as he stepped over.

  “Or at least mine,” Severus said.  “They seem to be immune to all but dark and ancient magic.”  Severus heard a sigh.

  “I wish I could use magic right now, it would certainly make things a lot simpler,” Jennifer said.

  “Wait a minute,” Sirius said, glancing at Severus.  “Why don’t you wish Jennifer could use magic right now?”

  “That wouldn’t be very wise,” Sagittari suddenly interjected.  “Severus hasn’t recovered from that last ancient spell he cast, and wishes pull directly from the strength of the person making it.  It would likely drain him completely.”

  “Sirius, the only sort of the W magic I have been able to do was to harm people, not help them.  No W I’ve made of good intent has ever came true.”

  “What about last year, when you wished to you had more time to discuss certain things with me, down in the cave?” Jennifer pointed out.

  “That came true because of you, not me,” Severus said.  “All the good things that have happened to me have come about because of you.”

  “But I couldn’t have done any of that without you,” Jennifer said softly.  “Certainly none of it could have happened, none of all the trials we’ve been though would have worked out if you hadn’t wanted it as well.”  Severus grew quiet, wanting to see her eyes right now, even knowing how they must be looking at him.

  “All right.  Let’s try it,” Severus said, closing his eyes.

  “Just be careful,” Sagittari said.

  But Severus’ thoughts had already turned to Jennifer, pulling out strong memories and emotions of her to help build the want…the need for his wish to come true.  Nothing else mattered at that moment…not where he was, not the Cauldron or school or friends, not even his own life, all that mattered was the giving of this single gift…no matter what the price.  Take from me what you will, he thought to himself, but grant her that which will at least give her and their offspring a way to escape.

  “I wish for Jennifer to have her magic while pregnant and that no harm will come to her children because of it.”  The wish was spoken softly, distinctly, and at first only seemed to me mere words.  But Severus heard the echo of them building in the back of his mind, and the sudden familiar rush of the emotions that he had called bursting out of him, so very like the first time.  But this time, as he collapsed to the ground, there was none of the dark horror and shock that he had always felt before.  This time there was only exhausted triumph and a sudden sense of peace of mind.

  Jennifer felt a wave hit her, washing over her like a passionate embrace, the emotion permeating through her, causing a wave of powerful memories to surface and leaving her tingling with energy.

  Sirius tried to catch Severus as he suddenly lurched backward from the backlash of his wish, lowering his unconscious form to the ground.

  “Jennifer?  Are you all right?” Sagittari asked, kneeling beside Severus with concern.

  “Yes, just a little dizzy.  Severus?”

   “Still with us, as least,” Sagittari said somberly.  “He’s going to need undisturbed rest for a few days.”

  “Look sharp, guards coming, and others,” Sirius warned.  Sagittari got to his hooves just as an older Fomorian in robes walked into the prison, glancing at Balmweed’s cell a moment before turning to the other one, squinting.

  “What happened here?”

  “Happened, Sir?” Sirius asked.

  “The correct term is Magus,” the magus said.  “There was a burst of magical energy here.  What caused it?” he was eyeing Severus closely, noting his pallid color with a suspicious frown.

  “Wasn’t me,” Sirius shrugged.

  “Magus, my friend is ill, might we be able to have some water?” Sagittari asked.

  “Oh you’ll get water,” he said coldly, “Or a drink at any rate.  Guards, bring them to the Governor.  Drag them if they won’t walk.  And once they’re delivered prepare the other two for their execution and then get ready for another storm.  There will be no sign of the visitors left when we’re through.”

  As they left, Jennifer hurried over to the other cell, taking out her wand, praying quietly that this was going to work.  Cautiously she counted to three before casting a complicated unlocking spell and a wan white light burst out of the wand and the door clicked, opening slightly.  The two men inside looked at it in obvious surprise, and then jumped back in alarm as Jennifer’s head appeared in front of them.

  “Hurry, we don’t have much time,” she said, handing a pair of phials out to them.  “One’s Owl polyjuice and the other is a speed potion.  Make two rights out of the block then a left then straight down the hall to get to the water.  If you make it head northeast along the beach to the fishing boat, Dorset Finn is the captain.”

  “But our wands, our books…”

  “Never mind that now, just save yourselves, they’re going to execute you,” Jennifer said impatiently, pulling her hood back on.  She quickly turned to try and catch up with the others, barely stopping to look up as the two owls raced down the hallway, hugging the tall ceiling.  She turned the other direction down the main corridor, passing several guards with bullheads, staring intently into the hallway.  But the minotaurs seemed no more aware of her than the others and she passed between them and towards another marble stairway leading up to an arch made of tall white pillars.  Just as she was about to go up, she noticed side corridors to either side of the stairs.  The left was but an open corridor, but the right was heavily guarded. Minotaurs stood outside the corridor itself, and down by an open door at the end of it.  Gnawing on her lip, she continued on up the stairs and into a huge Hall, twice the size of the Great Hall, filled with long marble pillars that rose to support the high stone ceilings.

  But the only thing that truly left Jennifer in awe was the item placed upon a stone pillar on the dais at the front of the Hall.  It was none other than the Cauldron itself.

Chapter Thirty

The Cauldron and the Harp

 

  The guard finally stopped before the Cauldron itself, dropping Severus hard upon the ground as they stepped back, while Sirius and Sagittari somehow managed to get him to his feet.  A warm hearty aroma wafted out of the bubbling cauldron, enough to make even Jennifer slightly hungry.  It was not all as large as she thought it would be; rather more of the size of any of the cauldrons she herself used when making up healing potions or other potions she preferred to make in bulk, just three feet tall and half that again in diameter.  But her thoughts on it were disturbed by the presence of a giant even taller than the others in great, heavy white robes with draping sleeves, looking down at the three with hatred.

  “So, these are the other three Merlin bloods, one quite strong and the others not so,” the Governor said, looking pointedly at Severus.  “What were you attempting to do in the cell?”

  “Wishing you would all go to Hades,” Severus muttered.  The Governor laughed at that, but there was nor warmth behind it, only hatred.

  “Your attempts at using the True magics is commendable, Wizard,” he said, saying the last word with contempt, “Both here and with the whirlpool, but none of your sort is truly strong enough to handle real magic.  Merlin has betrayed you all with your trinkets and wands and words of power.  They do not aid you.  They are designed to hold you back,” he smiled, shaking his head at them.

  “If our magic is so inferior, how is it that you lost to the Fae?” Sagittari inquired.  The giant’s face grew dark, staring at Sagittari furiously.

  “They had certain advantages we did not, and outside ‘help’ from their gates.  We fought a valiant war that they could only win by trickery!  And Dagda, curse his name, enchanted us with a Harp.  Later we returned, but we were tricked by those of our own blood and the Tuatha gave pursuit as we fled to our islands and hidden cities.  Only this one was unfound, to all but Merlin, may his death be as interminable as his life, and he too was not above trickery.  He was a meddler and a half-breed, a Wizard who delighted in poking his nose into affairs that did not concern his sort.  He took our servants, he took our treasures, and he cut our link to the Otherworld and from our daring brethren who had chosen to go within it, leaving behind only an orchard of trees that do not burn or fall to axe with poison fruit that curses us to never leave this island again.  But in time, others came here and by the grace of our gods they brought us the treasures of our enemies; monks who harbored the Harp that nearly destroyed us, whom we disposed of for their treacherous ways, and later the Wizard who unearthed the Cauldron that sustained our enemies in battle.  He too fell at our might. Now Dagda’s power serves only us.”

  “You have entered our prison, Merlin bloods, and by my oath to Balor, it is a prison you also will never leave.  And you, foul caster, who tried to defy our storm, will be the first to die,” the Governor said, pointing at Severus.

  “Governor!” A woman appeared in the door wearing similar garb as the Governor, looking quite frantic.  “Governor, the other two Wizards have escaped.  Flown from our city in the shapes of birds!”

  “Impossible,” the Governor roared.  “How could they have escaped?  Don’t just stand there!  Call the storms!  Magus, prepare the hemlock, see that the Merlin blood dies before I get back!”

  “Which one, Sir?” the Magus asked, with a raised eyebrow.

  “Which one do you think?  The one that stinks the most!” he snapped, walking out of the room.  The Magus shrugged then and had the guards strap Severus to a chair, taking out several leaves while adding it to the Cauldron.  But Jennifer was far from worried, knowing quite well that that route wasn’t going to work.  Instead, she was busy trying to figure out how to use the current diversion to her advantage.

 

  The two guards watched with mild interest as the Cauldron’s brew turned colors and the Magus poured it into a chalice, keeping a halfhearted eye on the other two prisoners.  Just then they heard the beating of wings, and as they looked around they saw two owls, swooping through the hall and down the stairs.

  “Magus!  The birds!” One of the guards called out.  “The Wizards are heading for the Harp room!”

  “They must be after the Morrigan woman.  Don’t just stand there go get them!” He ordered and the two of them turned and ran down the hall.  “As if I can’t handle a couple of wizards on my own,” the Magus muttered, forcing the cup to Severus’ lips.

  “Yes, but can you handle one irate witch?” Jennifer’s voice rang out behind him.  The Fomorian turned around in surprise as Jennifer threw back the cloak.  “Mortify!”  She boomed, pointing her wand at him. The blast enveloped him and he fell to his knees, holding his head.  She waved at Sirius and Sagittari who worked on loosening the straps that held Severus. “So this is the great Fomorian magic?  You can hold up water but you can’t stand up to your enemies?  You fear us, don’t you, that’s why you want us dead.  But if your magic is so superior, then why would you fear us at all?”  Jennifer glanced up to see Severus was leaning on Sagittari’s back, and Sirius nodded.

  “All right.  If you value your life, you will go down to the Harp room and dismiss the minotaurs and guards, and tell them that you saw the birds heading towards the lower levels,” Jennifer said, putting all her will into it.  “Imperio.”  The Magus got up, quivering, but slowly began walking down the hallway.  “Great stars, I hate doing that,” she muttered.  “I hope this thing minimizes all right or we’re going to have a big problem.”

  “Only one?” Sirius said sounding sarcastic.  “How are we going to get out of here?  They can still smell us.”

  “Yes, but for some reason, they can’t smell her,” Sagittari said thoughtfully.

  “I think you just gave me an idea,” Jennifer said, grinning triumphantly when she successfully minimized the cauldron small enough to shove into her cloak.  “I hope my books aren’t covered with hemlock-laced porridge when we get home,” she said, yanking some hair from her head and taking out some more phials.

  So it was that a few minutes later, when the guards had finally cleared the area that Jennifer, Jennifer, Jennifer, and pregnant Jennifer walked into the room at the end of the corridor.  There in the center of the room lay Anna, next to a large golden harp that was playing softly.

  “Magus, how do you dispel the harp?” Sirius asked.

  “I don’t know, no one knows but Governor Astron,” he sobbed. “But then, I don’t know anything,” he whimpered.

  “Never mind, I’ll do it the hard way.  Back up.  We might have to fight our way out after this,” Jennifer warned, taking her wand back out and putting a sonorous shield on Anna.  With perfect precision, Jennifer pointed at the harp and let loose the Shrieking Death, the waves of sound making the Harp tremble and the strings vibrate uncontrollably, disrupting the music.  But just as Jennifer was about to break off, one of the strings suddenly snapped and the rest followed in suit. Sensing what was about to happen, Sirius grabbed Anna as the Harp suddenly began to grow brighter and brighter, and with a loud *Crack * split into two, falling to the ground, never to play again. 

  Sirius lowered Anna gently back to the floor as she began to awaken, brushing her hair out of her face as she opened her eyes and stared at him.

  “Jennifer, why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.  Sirius blinked.

  “It’s me!  Sirius!  I just look like this so I don’t smell!”  He said as Anna looked at the Jennifers around her in confusion.  “But Severus smells more.  The Magus said so.”

  “THERE YOU ARE!”

  The real Jennifer turned around in surprise only to discover they were surrounded by Merrows, filling the room, acting delighted to see them.

  “We came to save you!” They announced.

  “Better late than never,” Sirius muttered.

   “We found your stuff near where they were keeping Kelpie and Angelfish prisoner,” another Merrow, Stew, perhaps.

  “Thank goodness, I was feeling pretty useless without my wand,” Sirius said, grabbing his cloak and wand out of the pile, the others soon following.

  “Don’t get too confident, we still have a storm to deal with,” Jennifer pointed out.  “And I’m certainly not leaving until we exhume Janus Craw so we can get him back to Hogwarts where he belongs.”

  “Merrows live for storms,” Kelpie assured them.  “Let’s go!  There’s an exit to water nearby!”  But Jennifer didn’t leave without turning back to the Magus, saying something quietly to him before hitting him with one last spell.

  “All right, I’m ready, let’s go,” Jennifer said, as the Merrows ran like a small army out front to alert of any danger.

  “What did you do?” Severus asked, as Jennifer got to his side to help support him.

  “Tried to lessen some of the damage I did,” Jennifer explained.  “I hope he’s going to be alright.”  Severus didn’t say anything.  After all, the giant had just tried to kill him.  But he also knew that sometimes Jennifer regretted her own talent nearly as much as he regretted his.  But why regret having to use one Fomorian to save them all?

  The Merrows led them up a spiral stone staircase to what looked like a window, stepping out of it as if there were nothing there.  The rest of them followed, taking a deep breath and rushing for the light above.  One by one they reached the surface, back to their normal appearances.  But the weather above had already worsened considerably and they were tossing about a bit on the waves.  It was pointless trying to find each other, it was too much of a struggle just to keep one’s head up.  But the Merrows were around Jennifer, coaxing her on, and Jennifer realized that the Merrows weren’t about to let any of them drown.  With the waves helping to push her in the right direction, she paddled onto shore, feeling quite exhausted and ill when she finally arrived.  Sagittari was already there, and wrapped a dry blanket around her, taking a look at her.

  “Is she alright?” asked a familiar voice from beside her.

  “She needs to get out of this, she can’t afford to get a chill right now,” Sagittari told the ghost.

  “Here comes another!”  A Merrow shouted over the waves, diving right back underneath them again.  The shadow of a black dog suddenly appeared above the foam, and finally ran up to them, turning back into Sirius, still on his hands and knees.

  “Anna?  Where’s Anna?”

  “Where’s Severus?” Jennifer asked.

  “I believe I see them,” Janus said, pointing out at something white in the waves.  Jennifer and Sirius stood, and Jennifer’s jaw dropped in complete surprise.  For Severus appeared to be clinging to the back of a white dolphin.  She knew at once who the dolphin must be, but how could it?  Anna’s form was a Unicorn.  Everyone knew that.  She was even registered now.  How could she possibly have more than one form?  But then, Anna always did seem to do things that nobody else could, but this truly came to be quite a surprise.

  Sirius, who seemed to figure out who it was about the same time as Jennifer but wasn’t in the least bit surprised, braved the waves again to meet them, helping them get onshore as well, followed by several of the Merrows who joined them.  The moment they beached, Anna was herself again, softly glowing, as was Severus.  That’s when Jennifer realized that she and the others were glowing as well.

  “An Aethermage,” Janus said in awe.  “This is your sister-in-law?”

  “Yes, my husband’s half sister, Anna.  Anna, this is Janus Craw,” Jennifer said, switching to English.  But Anna was busy getting a blanket wrapped around her.

  “That’s Latin, isn’t it?” Anna asked.

  “I couldn’t understand his English,” Jennifer chuckled.

  “We need to get Severus to the boat as well,” Sagittari said, sounding even more serious than ever.

  “You had best be going, there won’t be anything left of any of you to introduce if you stay here,” Janus said sternly.

  “We’re not going to leave you here,” Jennifer said firmly.  “And it won’t be easy to come back.”

  “You all go on,” Sirius said.  “Anna, you Apparate ahead and let the Captain know what’s coming while Sagittari gets these two to the skiff.  And ask Janus to show me were his remains are, my Latin is hardly worth insulting him over.”

  “But what about the Fomorians?” Jennifer said, but gave Janus the message.

  “If they come too close, I’ll bite ‘em.” Sirius shrugged.

  “They won’t bother coming to the island,” Janus said, realizing what she must have asked.  “They know how you have to leave.  They’ll be destroying you at sea.”

  “I’m the only one who can do it.  You both need a doctor, and I don’t think Anna knows how to do this,” Sirius insisted.  “Go on!  The captain will need your help.”

  “All right, Sirius.  But if you take too long, I’m coming back after you,” Anna threatened, Disapparating. 

  “Good luck, Sirius,” Jennifer said, leaving Sirius and Janus to wave after them as they headed towards the skiff.

  

  It had taken them quite a while to get back to the boat on the tossing sea.  Enchanted buckets kept baling out the water as they pushed along, but Sagittari had spent many hours on boats and skiffs while abroad as an outcast, and even in those cursed conditions managed to get them back in one piece.  Captain Finn himself gave them a hand up, very glad to see them.

  “Did you enjoy your shore leave?  Lovely weather for it, wasn’t it?” he joked cheerfully.  “Anna and the Merrows told me all about it, not to mention the two sops down below.  I bet the rest of me fellows back home won’t believe it when I tell them.”

  “Assuming that we make it that far,” Severus said ominously.

  “Not to worry, lad, these Merrows have never let me down in a pinch.  I also got full nets and I don’t intend to let a full stock go to waste,” he added.  “Head down below, I’m going to get further North while we wait for our strays.”

  “Where’s Anna?”

  “In the pilot’s cabin, helpin’ the Merrows turn the tub around,” Finn said, shooing them down the stairs.

  “Now why doesn’t that make me feel any better,” Severus muttered, heading down the stairs behind Jennifer.

   The storm had begun to increase the moment they were settled on the ship, as if somehow the Fomorians had known they had gotten back.  But Jennifer suspected it was more that they had discovered the prizes that were missing, and they were not about to let the Cauldron go without a fight.  Had she been up on the deck perhaps she would have been even more concerned, for Anna had quickly realized that the storm was worse than the night before.  Only now instead of trying to keep them away they were trying to pull them into certain death, smashed to pieces on the rocky shores. For nearly an hour the boat fought against the current but made little leeway to get to the north.  At last Sirius appeared, carrying large stone box in and down the stairs, coming back up a moment later.

  “Mission accomplished.  I think.  At least, Janus was satisfied I got it all, so hopefully I did,” he said.

  “What if you didn’t?” Anna asked.

  “It’s all or nothing.  If I didn’t get everything, he’ll be stuck in limbo forever,” Sirius said.  “Or until someone can get back and find it.”

  “Right now I’m just concerned with gettin’ us out of here the first time,” Finn said, pulling the wheel to the right against the storm.  A crack of lightning seemed to echo his sentiment, coming up quite close in the water.  “We’re sitting ducks here for their sea magic, no mistake about it.”

  “Then maybe we ought to get out of the sea,” Anna said.  Sirius looked at her strangely.  “I was in a train that flew once.”  His eyes went wide.

  “Now just a minute, there’s no way we can get this thing off the ground…”

  “We have to try something,” the captain said, and for the first time Sirius noticed the strain in his voice.  “It’s either fly out with the boat or without it.  If you have keys on you, feel free to save yourselves.  I don’t think the Mermaid’s going to make it out this time,” Finn admitted.

  “I’m not about to abandon you or your boat without trying everything first,” Anna said.  “Not after all the risks you’ve taken for us.”

  “Not at all, lass, a man needs a bit of adventure in his life every now and then to teach him a bit of humility,” Finn chuckled.  But Sirius knew very well his wife was right.  Quickly he dove out in the rain long enough to head down the stairs, looking around.  Sagittari and Jennifer looked up from there were sitting, attempting to warm themselves over a mug, while a snoring lump inhabited the other couch.

  “Sagittari, we’re going to need you upstairs, we’re going to try something to get out of here,” Sirius said.  Jennifer read his face with surprise, standing up herself.

  “Count me in.  What about Severus?”

  “These two can watch him easy enough,” Sirius said, and Balmweed nodded to him, bringing out some blankets.  “I think he’s fine where he is, let’s go,” he insisted.

  “I think the Synchronizing spell is in order here, don’t you?” Jennifer put in when she got in the pilot’s cabin.

  “Definitely,” Sirius agreed, offering his hand to Jennifer and Anna.  “Finn, you’re in charge of keeping us moving, the rest of us will keep us up.”

  “Righto.  STEW!  Have the crew all report onboard and below deck!  We’re going to have an upliftin’ experience, and hopefully not the sort to meet our maker.”

  “Aye-aye, Cap’n,” the steward said, running out of the pilot’s cabin.  Taking out her wand and taking a deep breath, Jennifer cast the sync spell, feeling the familiar web envelop her.  A strange tingle she never noticed before also joined in, and she realized belatedly it was Anna’s magic, working its way in to the mix of the others.  Then as one, the four of them held out their wands concentrating on the ship, and with perfectly matching pitch and timing intoned, “Wingardium Leviosa!”

  With a sudden lurch the ship rose quickly, straight into the thundering clouds as lighting crackled around them.

  “I don’t think this is an improvement,” Sirius muttered as one came dangerously close to striking the ship.

  “Hang on, mates, I’m bringin’ er around!” The captain said, taking out his own wand, enchanting the wheel.  Chucking his wand recklessly he grabbed the wheel, determined to make the effort to save what was left of his ship, and finally brought it about, and the ship slowly began to move forward.  Lightning struck what was left of the antennae, fizzling dangerously around the outside of the ship, the sound of thunder deafening as it did so.  Finn leapt back from the console as smoke rippled over his electronic equipment, fanning the smoke out as he grabbed hold of the wheel again.

  Jennifer heard something hit the ground then, vaguely aware that Anna had taken off her ring and necklace, casting them to the side.  As she did, a bright glow came over them all and the ship lurched forward again, pushing so fast that Jennifer had to grab onto the wall, realizing belatedly she was losing her concentration.  But just as she felt her spell slip completely away, she saw the sky lighten before her, and as the boat slowly began to descend, it cleared up completely, turning into a cloudless late afternoon sky. 

  Hugs and tears of relief swelled through the pilot’s cabin as they settled roughly back into the water, and none more grateful than the captain himself, shaking hands all around.

  “The engines are dead, the equipment is shot, and I’ve no idea where we are, but I can’t say I can be more grateful than I am right now,” Finn said.

  “Let’s get a position then,” Sagittari said, taking an ancient sextant from its place of honor on the wall.

  “Then I’ll run ahead to get us a tow,” Sirius suggested quickly, very interested in getting off the boat as soon as possible.

  “Yes, why don’t you two both run ahead, we’ll stay here with the captain and watch Severus,” Jennifer said.

  “Thank you lass,” Finn said again gratefully to Anna.  “We wouldn’t have got out of that without you.”

  “There, you hear that?  You’re a hero,” Sirius said.  “But you and I are still going to have a LONG talk about your taking off on your own this morning.”  Anna bent down to grab her bits of Fomorian jewelry, frowning at them, putting them in her pocket instead of back on her hand.  “And I’m going to have to learn that heritage can be dangerous,” Anna said to herself before following Sirius out.

 

 

 

Chapter Thirty-One

A Reunion of Old Friends

 

  “I can’t believe I’m doing this.  Why did you want me along again?” Jennifer asked Dumbledore for the fifth time as they walked down the halls of Azkaban.

  “I could ask him, you know, but he wouldn’t ever do it without your blessing,” Dumbledore said calmly.

  “My feet hurt, my back aches, I’ve only been back two days, and this is where I end up,” Jennifer complained.  But Dumbledore only smiled tolerantly at her, opening the door for her. 

  “You will feel so much better when this is done,” he assured her.

  “Somehow I doubt that,” Jennifer said, waving at Boltin, who escorted them up the Warden’s tower.

    Icarus was quite surprised to see them, anxious to seat them and make them as comfortable as possible before floating behind the desk.

  “Could Thatcher stay this time, Icarus?” Dumbledore asked.  “I believe what we have to say concerns him as well.”

  “Of course,” Icarus said, and Boltin smiled and closed the door, stepping up beside the desk.  “Now, what is it that I can do for you?”

  “Rather, the question is, what can we do for you, Icarus?” Dumbledore asked.

  “Pardon, sir?” Icarus said, looking confused.

  “You have said often enough that you’ve served a long time as Warden, through the worst of times, and have, I think, added great measure to its reform.  You’ve served, in fact, a normal man’s lifetime and more here.  Have you ever thought of retiring?”

  “Retiring?  To what?  To wallow in the crypt for the rest of eternity?” Icarus said with alarm.

  “If that is what you prefer,” Dumbledore said.  “But Caprica, Professor Craw and I have had a long chat, and Professor Craw would like to offer you another option.”  Jennifer gave Dumbledore a dirty look for putting her on the spot.  Icarus turned intently to her, an almost fearful hope in his eyes.  Could it be, after all these years?  He dare not hope, he dare not consider it.  But if Jennifer was a bit reluctant to say it, something in his eyes suddenly made her want to put him at ease.   She sighed.

  “You’re invited to come back to spend your internment at Hogwarts, if you’d like.  Of course, if you’d like to stay here, we quite understand…” she added quickly.

  “Me?  At Hogwarts?  Come back?  After all this time?” Icarus said.  “You, Jennifer?  You want me to come back?”

  “Well, Janus wants you back,” Jennifer explained.  “And, I suppose in a way, I’d really like to see you all together again, well, all your memories at least.”

  “Then you succeeded?  Janus Craw is back at Hogwarts?”

  “Yes, Icarus,” Dumbledore assured him.  “He woke after his trip yesterday and is even now haunting the halls and getting acquainted with all the other ghosts.”

  “And the Cauldron?”

  “The Artifacts department have it at the moment,” Jennifer said.  “But, since Janus Craw was the last one to technically own it, Vallid is fighting to have it registered in my name so we can bring it back to the school.”

  “For the right reasons, I hope,” Icarus said with a frown.

  “Why don’t you come and find out for yourself?” Dumbledore asked.  Jennifer gave him another dirty look.  It was quite obvious to her now that Dumbledore was determined to get Icarus back to the school, one way or the other.

  “I think I shall,” Icarus said, trying not to sound overly excited.  “Yes, I do believe I shall.  But there are things I must do here, things I must take care of first, important things.  Like making a recommendation for a new warden,” he added, glancing at Thatcher, who blinked at him.

  “When you’ve written it up, I would like to sign it,” Dumbledore said with a smile.

  “Oh, yes, me as well,” Jennifer added, glancing at Thatcher, who smiled nervously back.

  “Then we shall see you in a week,” Dumbledore smiled, “and that’ll give you a couple of months to settle in before the new school year.”

  “New school year,” Icarus repeated.  “Me!  At Hogwarts!”

  “Hogwarts will never be the same again,” Jennifer said dryly.

  “And I’ll get to haunt the place where I actually died at!” Icarus said excitedly.

  “And where was that, exactly?” Jennifer asked.

  “Why, the office of the Potion’s lab, of course,” Icarus said.

  A bloodcurdling scream rang out through the Prison of Azkaban.

 

  One week later, just as dawn was beginning to break over the Forest, there was a knock on the door of Dumbledore’s Study.  The door opened and Dumbledore looked up to see Minerva with the Book in her hand, and enigmatic smile on her face.  Dumbledore closed the tome he was reading looking at her with interest.

  “I thought you’d like to see our newest list edition, Albus, since you’re still up,” she offered.

  “I would be delighted.  In fact, that is rather what I’ve been waiting on,” he admitted as he gently put the tome aside in favor of looking at the open Book in front of them.  He glanced at the name, and then decided to clean his glasses, looking at it again with a smile.

  “Well, now, what do you think of that?” Dumbledore said as a read the name Andrew Albus Snape over one more time.

  “I only hope he doesn’t end up being a Slytherin,” she said mischievously.

  “Well, now I suppose I’ll have to stay long enough to find out,” he chuckled at himself, getting up.  “Are those four still at it downstairs?”

  “I believe so, Albus,” Minerva nodded.

  “I think then I shall go speak with them before I turn in.  Good night, Minerva, and thank you.”

  “And Good morning,” Minerva said with a smile.  “I think I’ll run up and finish up the baby robes I was making now that I know they need to be blue.”

  “Let them know I will be by later this evening to pay my respects,” Dumbledore smiled, then headed down the stairs.  Only one set of stairs did he take before he reached the main floor, and only a few footsteps more and he was at the back door of the Great Hall.

  Most of Caprica’s party guests had gone home with only a pair of odd friends here and there, still dawdling at the outskirts of the room.  But the four apprentices themselves were still there, Caprica and Bedivere on the wall above the high table, drinks in hand and a chessboard between them, and Icarus and Janus standing before them, still talking amongst themselves.

  “So there you are, after all,” Dumbledore said, repeating it in Latin.

  “We really need to get poor Janus up to speed.  He’s been isolated much too long,” Caprica chuckled.

  “And what brings you down here so early in the morning, Dumbledore?  Any news of the Cauldron?”  Icarus asked.

  “Yes, that and more.  I suppose you’ll be pleased to know that the Cauldron is, officially, coming back to Hogwarts,” Dumbledore said, getting cheers around.  “The Artifacts department has licensed the Cauldron to Professor Craw…’provided that the Cauldron remains on school property.’”

  “Sounds quite fair indeed,” Janus Craw grunted.  “Perhaps some lessons have been learned over time.”

  “I’m still of the opinion that history always repeats itself,” Bedivere said, moving a chess piece.

  “No,” Icarus said thoughtfully, “I do not see it like that.  Rather, it is more like an artist, practicing the same subject over and over, trying to do better than the last.  With every repetition, something is learned, and something is gained.”

  “But sometimes, detail gets lost in the process, dear boy,” O’Laren said, musing over Caprica’s move.

  “And that is when we need remind ourselves of what the subject of the painting is, so we don’t lose sight of the true goal,” Icarus said with a smile.

  “Now, then, I can see the four of you can discuss philosophy without stop for years on end,” Dumbledore said mischievously

  “And we intend to on occasion, when I’m awake,” Caprica said with a grin.  “But we’ve forgotten you said you have other news for us.”

  “Yes.  Two of you, it seems, have a new descendent.”

  “Which two?” Joked Caprica.

  “His name is Andrew Albus Snape,” Dumbledore smiled.  Janus groaned.

  “That’s no Slytherin name,” Janus scowled.

  “I got dibs,” Caprica put in.

  “Nonsense, he’s not your descendant, and he’s the son of scholars.  A Ravenclaw for sure,” Icarus said.

  “With that middle name, how can he be any but a Gryffindor?” O’Laren put in.

  “I really must remember not to come to you four with news when I am tired,” Dumbledore chuckled.  “But I must get a few hours a sleep at least.  After all, I have a meeting with the justice board to go to on your behalf, Icarus.”

  “Do you think they’ll accept my final recommendation?  To downgrade Thomas to Level Two?” Icarus said, suddenly serious.  “I know the parole clause might persuade them from it, since that means he’ll now get a hearing every decade, but it isn’t as if he’ll ever pass it.”

  “Perhaps not,” Dumbledore said quietly.  “But I think to be able to hold his daughter’s hand now and then and to see his grandchildren more than once a year will be a very appreciated gift indeed.  Family has become more important to him than ever, you know.”

  “He’s a Craw,” Janus said, as if that explained everything.

  “Yes,” Dumbledore smiled.  “And he’s become a good friend once more.  But I really must be off to bed.”

  “One other thing, before you go?” Caprica put in, glancing at the others, waiting for Icarus to nod.

  “Yes Professor?”

  “Three of the items of the Seal are now here, only one is remaining, although I daresay it won’t be as hard to find,” Caprica said, glancing at Icarus.  “When the last piece is found, what do you intend to do?”

  “That depends,” Dumbledore said thoughtfully.  “What do you four intend to do?”

  “Wait and see what happens, I suppose,” Caprica said, moving up the Queen.

  “And that is what I intended to do as well,” Dumbledore smiled.  “Goodnight,” he added, turning.  He knew, of course, what they wanted.  And he knew very well that it might still happen…perhaps.  What if the Fourth Sentinel is not found?  What if there’s no other way?  What if that which they had been avoiding is now imminent?  Open the gate?  Could it be done?  Would it be done? Should it be done?  And would He be there, waiting as he said he would, to see how the world had progressed since he last left?  Dumbledore had a curious vision then, of standing before a man who resembled himself in many ways, who greeted him by name…but then the vision disappeared, and Dumbledore wondered if he wasn’t just a tired old wizard in need of sleep.

  “Bedivere!  You’re cheating again!” Caprica accused him.  “How can I capture a king when it isn’t even on the board?”

  “Ah yes,” Bedivere smiled, putting the king on the board.  “There, all the pieces are in place.  Now the real game begins.”