A/N Welcome to the first book in the second Jennifer Craw Series, the Sentinel Series. In this one, the focus of the story is rounded between not only Jennifer, who learns just how dangerous a "Muggle" can be in this book, but Severus, who's forced to make some sort of amends with Sirius by Dumbledore (sorta,) and Corey, still trying to get used to his new life and family while looking after his sister's best interests. You learn a bit more about Mad Ick and Thomas Craw, and there's tons of setup, of course, for the next books, but also continues some of the storylines, such as Anna, which began in the first series (which starts with the book Jennifer Craw and the Phoenix Wand.) This series, like series one, were finished before canon Book Five came out.
Welcome to series two, hope you like it! If you do, please review, for some reason this has the least of them all, despite the intro of Danyelle Nelson, whom I think really adds a bit of spice ;) Thanks for reading! JCWriter
Last revision 1-16. Reworded some sentences in investigation passages for better clarity, and repositioned a paragraph near end which was out of order. Otherwise fixed some grammar and unnecessary words issues.
Jennifer Craw and the Cloak of Icarus
Chapter One
The Witch and her Family
In the hours before dawn, in the blackness that shadowed the countryside in dim foreboding, two very unlikely figures met. The first figure, tall and wearing a hooded robe, cautiously stepped over to the other. He was carrying a small item in his hand that appeared to pulse a wan green light in the darkness. The other figure bowed to the first, his eyes glittering with the apprehensive flicker of someone not completely sane.
"It is done, m'Lord Wizard, yes done. I took extra pains to see that she suffered long and well, just as requested. A powerful witch she was, sir… yes very powerful, but no match for me. I would have the book now, m'Lord, as you promised." The Muggle said. But the wizard put up his hand.
"Of course, of course. But first, I would like to have the chest in my possession. Then and only then will you receive your payment," the hooded figure hissed.
"Chest?" The Muggle licked his lips slightly. "What chest?"
"You fool! Don't play games with me!" the wizard snapped, the item in his hand pulsing green again. It reflected off the ring of the other, and he recoiled slightly. "The chest I told you to steal! The reason I helped you escape in the first place!"
"Sir, there was no chest."
"It has to be here," the wizard hissed. "I saw it moved to France with my own eyes. I must have it! You had better not be playing games with me, Lorcan. If I find out that you have tricked me, I will hunt you until the day you die."
"Hunting is my job, oh great Wizard," the Muggle said acidly. "To protect your lily white hands. The chest is not there, but the witch is dead. I request that you pay me now."
"You do half the job, you get half payment," the wizard said, handing him a small box with a shimmering globe inside.
"I want that book!" Lorcan snarled, his eyes flashing in a frenzied fashion.
"Get me the chest and its contents, and I will give you the book. Not before," the figure said, Disapparating.
Lorcan Dougal clenched his fists and then noticed they still had blood on them. He licked his hands thoughtfully, still staring warily into the darkness. Some day, the wizard would regret trying to manipulate him. Someday they would all pay, and Lorcan would have vengeance on every high and mighty that had ever shunned him for being born a Muggle…
The wizard Apparated, tearing off his hood and glancing at the other two wizards.
"He didn't get the chest," he growled. "But never mind. Go tip the Enforcement off that the American serial killer is definitely here and give them his whereabouts. In the meantime, recover the corpse. We must honor Voldemort with a proper welcome when he returns."
"Do you think he is really going to come back?" one of the others whispered.
"His strength grows," the wizard said, looking at his arm. "And the Dark Mark's reappearance at the World Cup this summer was not an accident. I for one am taking some insurance along for when it happens. Come, we must head back. I need to have a few words with our 'dear' Minister of Magic, Fudge."
"And what about her daughter?"
"We can't touch her while she's at Beauxbatons. We'll just have to bide our time for now," the wizard said. He, of course, had not expected that 'she' would have been asked to teach at Hogwarts the next year.
So much had changed for Jennifer Craw in the years since she had taught at Beauxbatons. She had been so young… okay, maybe she was still young… but she was far from the naive professor that had first stepped off a Pegasi-driven coach and landed on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If anyone would have tried to tell her then that in five years time she would be one of the most famous witches in Europe, if not the world, let alone being happily married with an adopted twelve-year-old Muggleborn son, she would have been surprised to say the very least. But as incredible as that might seem, that was the life of Jennifer Craw Snape.
It was the middle of summer, and Jennifer was finally starting to adjust to both the married life and the life of a parent after a month and a half of chaos. Her small two-room cottage (which they had affectionately named the Broom Closet) had been magically renovated to include a new upper story with a bedroom for Corey as well as several other spare rooms for later additions. Downstairs a cozy living room with a large fireplace welcomed guests as they entered from the front porch, its walls covered with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Just a couple paces away sat the bar that separated the kitchen area from the rest of the room. Jennifer often sat at the kitchen bar to read or to just think. Often she would open the glass door to the garden, which had been set opposite the front door, to let in the cool fresh breezes from the ocean. To the right of the kitchen was another pair of doors, one leading to the master bedroom and the other leading down to the basement, where Severus Snape spent much of his quiet time. The basement had always been the best part of the house. It was larger than the cottage itself, delved deep into the cliff where the cottage lay, making a perfect spot for a potion lab and private work area.
Jennifer knocked on the door of the basement, looking over her shopping list one last time before getting a small purse out of the cabinet. She frowned and glanced at the basement door impatiently. Wondering if she had been heard, she opened it and carefully latched it back to the wall hook, even taking the extra precaution of setting a chair in front of it to make doubly sure it wouldn't shut. Cautiously, she stepped halfway down dark the narrow staircase, just far enough so that when she sat she could clearly see the tall, dark-clothed man huddled over one of the tables.
He had just started to let his midnight black hair grow out, tied in a small tail, and his intense black eyes were focused on a set of boiling decanters in front of him. Despite his sharp features and chiseled nose that often made his students shrink away before he even spoke a word, Jennifer had always been drawn by his presence. Oh, perhaps he wasn't the easiest person in the world to live with at times; his stoic manner and gruff opinions didn't endear him to many people. But there had never been any doubt since the day she first saw him that he had been exactly what she was looking for. She couldn't possibly imagine being with anyone else. Severus Snape blinked at the sound of a sigh and looked up at her with slight surprise.
"Sorry, didn't hear you. Are you coming the rest of the way down?" Severus asked, turning down the burners. Jennifer glanced up at the open door above her and then around the dimly lit basement, shaking her head.
"No, I'd rather not," Jennifer admitted. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to go to the market and then to pick up the boys from the broom park."
"I have a better idea," Severus said, coming over to the stairs and leaning over her with an almost sinister expression on his face that Jennifer knew very well. "How about you send Mercy to the market and give the boys a bit more time to unwind and perhaps we can do some unwinding of our own?"
"One of your cauldrons is still boiling," Jennifer pointed out. "Besides, your sister and Sirius are coming over later, remember?" Severus' expression changed to one of annoyance. Jennifer could read quite plainly that he did not want Sirius Black in his house. "Oh come now, Severus, it's Corey's birthday tomorrow. Can't you give Sirius some slack? Ever since the wedding, it's like you've gotten angry at him all over again…" Severus sighed and quickly turned around, stepping down to take care of his potions. "You two were almost getting along before Christmas. Aren't you going to explain what happened to make you mad at him again? Is it because he's dating Anna?"
"I do not want to discuss it," he said, taking the decanters off the heat and setting them aside to cool.
"You never do," Jennifer said, shaking her head. "You know I'm not going to try and read your thoughts when you don't want me there, but I still wish you'd talk to me about it. Especially since I really do think they're getting serious…" Severus growled softly. "I'd better get to the market. Listen for Essie, will you?" Jennifer asked, heading back up the stairs.
Grey Quarry Park wasn't the size of Aviation Park, nor did they allow Snitches or Bludgers on the premises for fear that one would escape from the bottom of the quarry and possibly seen by someone in the Muggle residences surrounding it. Still it was close to home, and Corey Willowby often went there to play Chaserball or Aircricket with some of his friends. Above the park shelter (complete with chimneys for transportation,) Corey sat sideways on a hovering broom alongside his two friends, Doug Brim and Taylor Brittle, taking a break between games. It wasn't his broom, of course, but one rented at the small park rental office. The fact that he had no broom of his own was Corey's single preoccupation, especially with his birthday the next day. He was hoping (even though he had already been told he wasn't getting one yet) that perhaps something would give and his adopted parents would relent and give him a broom before the school year. Doug, a shaggy brown haired freckled boy and a fellow Gryffindor, was riding the brand new Cleansweep Ten he had gotten for his birthday. Taylor Brittle had his own broom too, even if it had been a hand-me-down from a cousin and Taylor could barely even ride it. Taylor was more interested in books than sports. The lanky nearsighted boy with the tiny but thick glasses and the fine, short dark hair was a Ravenclaw through and through. But there was something about his quiet and thoughtful nature that caused everyone he met to like him.
Corey had always been the undisputed ringleader, and it was the opinion of the parents of the other two boys that their sons probably wouldn't have gotten into so much trouble at school last year if it hadn't been for Corey. But the Snapes had been keeping a tight leash on the boy since he had come into their care, so other boys' parents went ahead and allowed them to attend his sleepover.
"It's not easy living with newlywed parents," Corey said. "Not to mention ones that are professors that I have to actually put up with all year round and who know every single thing I do in school. And the fact that I have no hope of hiding anything from my mother, since she can read minds just by looking at someone. Still, I haven't regretted adopting them, even if they won't let me have a broom yet. Besides, someone has to keep those two out of trouble, and I promised Dumbledore that I'd try." Doug and Taylor looked over at him wondering if he was pulling their legs again. "I am supposed to read a chapter of some book or another every single day all summer long, and when I get back to school I have to finish all my homework…even the essays… all the way up to Christmas or they said they won't get me a broom! And if I don't keep my marks up after that, Dad already told me he would have no trouble with taking it away."
"You actually call him Dad?" Doug asked, making a face.
"Well, it didn't really feel right calling him father," Corey said quietly. "Because he isn't, anymore than Craw could ever replace Mum, and yet, calling her by name didn't feel right either, being my parent now, so she suggested calling her Mom. I suppose it seems a bit silly to you."
"No, not really," Doug said, feeling a bit uncomfortable talking about it.
"What's it like, I mean, having Professor Snape as a Dad," Taylor asked before the silence got too uncomfortable. He was still petrified of the man since last year's Potions, and was truly dreading to find out what having him for Defense Against the Dark Arts was going to be like.
"Really, he's not as bad as you think. He never yells or carries on or anything like he does when he's teaching. Well, not unless I deserve it. Besides, Mom always keeps him in line if he gets out of hand," Corey explained.
"Professor Craw is definitely one of the bravest people I know," Doug said. "And one of the most popular teachers…you know, you'll probably be pretty popular yourself this year. Everyone knows they adopted you, even if you do have to act all proper to them in the school. Just think about all the girls you might get!"
"Don't you ever think about anything besides girls?" Corey snorted, punching Doug gently in the arm and almost throwing him off balance.
"There's something else besides girls?" Doug asked, trying to get back on his broom.
"Hi there, anyone want to play four person Chaserball?" a cheerful voice asked from behind them. The three boys turned around to see someone sitting on a broom tossing a Quaffle around. It was a girl.
"Hello there," Corey smiled at her. He had never seen her before, but she seemed to be about the same age as the rest of them. She had dark brown hair, tied back out of the way in braids, and clear violet eyes that seemed to be sizing the other three up. "I'm Corey Willowby, this is Doug Brim, and Taylor Brittle. We're all going to be second years at Hogwarts."
"Really? So am I," the girl smiled. "We've just got back from abroad, my father and I. My name is Danyelle Nelson, but everyone just calls me Danny. So, do you want to play or not?"
"Sure, I'm game," Doug said, and the other two nodded.
"Good, I'll take you on my team then since you're the one with the good broom," Danny said to Doug. Corey and Taylor blushed noticeably. "Shall we play?"
Taylor quickly opted for the net-keeper position as did Doug, leaving Danny and Corey as Chasers. Corey soon learned that Danny was a formidable opponent in the air as she quickly snatched up the Quaffle after the throw-in, making spins that Corey wasn't sure he'd want to try even on a good broom. Taylor, who had never been any good at this game was failing to make any stops, and it wasn't long before Danny and Doug had reached the game point at 160. It was then that Danny suggested a change, offering to take Taylor as a partner. Corey then took the net position, and Doug the Chaser. She stopped the game often to give Taylor a few pointers, and although it became increasingly more annoying as often as they paused, Corey couldn't help but admit that Taylor's game had dramatically improved by the end.
Jennifer Apparated beside the shelter and walked over to the field to track them down. Spotting her, Doug waved at the others and four brooms alighted right beside her. Jennifer looked at the girl with curiosity, smiling at her. There was an air of confidence in her face that Jennifer thought was quite uncommon for a girl her age.
"Professor Craw, this is Danyelle Nelson. She's going to Hogwarts this year in our class. Danny, this is Professor Craw, she's the Potions Master," Corey introduced.
"You're Jennifer Craw, the professor who led the Unicorns during the Azkaban Revolt and helped Harry Potter defeat Voldemort last year? It is an honor to meet you! I say, though, I was expecting someone older as accomplished as you are!" The girl said with amazement.
"Yes, well, we all have our faults, I suppose," Jennifer chuckled lightly. "Well! It's nice to meet you. Looking forward to seeing you at Hogwarts," she waved hastily. "We'd better be going, boys, I think the ice cream is beginning to melt," she said, coaxing them over to the booth so Corey could turn in his broom.
"Professor," Doug asked when they turned to head to the shelter, "how come you never want to talk anytime anyone brings up any of the things you've done?"
"Is it that obvious?" Jennifer chuckled, glancing at him. "To be perfectly honest. Doug, it all seems rather silly to me. One moment they treat me like I'm the worst person on the planet, and the next they act as if I could do no wrong. I don't know about you, but I'd rather people judge me by who I am not by what they've heard I've done, one way or the other," she sighed, handing them pinches of floo powder.
"You know, Mom, I think that's exactly why you and Harry are so famous," Corey said, holding his hand out for his powder.
"Why's that Corey?" Jennifer sighed, pausing to look at him.
"Because you don't want to be," Corey chuckled.
"An expert at social psychology and he won't even turn twelve until tomorrow," Jennifer shook her head with a chuckle, nudging him into the fireplace.
Corey's sister Essie was there when they arrived, looking at photos from the album she found in the living room. She was a quiet, very intelligent girl with copper hair that curled around her head like a cap and large grey eyes. There was a cherubic look to her, so much so that she often used it to her advantage to explain away her trips to the cottage to her aunt. Their aunt had unjustly turned upon Corey when his parents had been killed by Dark Wizards; blaming all magic folk for their deaths, including her nephew. So Jennifer had adopted him, and their Aunt Rebecca Hunt had forbade Essie to see him. Fortunately, their aunt had not come to realize that Corey was living right next door, and Jennifer and Severus had passively allowed for the two to meet and had even the Ministry's sanction to do it.
It wasn't long after the four of them began to talk that Jennifer heard a loud noise as a two-wheeled Muggle contraption pulled up on the road outside the cottage. Severus poked his head out of the doorway of the basement, frowning in irritation as Jennifer let in Sirius Black, followed closely by Severus' half-sister, Anna Hughes, who was carrying several flat boxes and some soda.
Anna Hughes had been only five when her mother and father had been murdered. She had been sent to the States to live with her Muggle grandparents, and she had been thought to be Muggleborn. Suddenly about five years ago the thirty-year-old woman had begun to show signs of magic ability. At first, the events had been so subtle that they had been discounted. But as it became clear that Anna's abilities were not only strengthening but also displaying unusual qualities, Dumbledore had her moved to be near to the school so that she could learn to adapt to her newfound talents. She was an Aethermage; one of those rare humans born not with magic, but of magic. It was not all that surprising that it had been discounted for so long, being so different from the mainstream witch. Already well established in her life outside of the magic world, it had been hard for Anna to adjust to this twist of fate. But soon she found a way to combine her talents by working with the Ministry as one of their Muggle correspondents for criminal cases that crossed into both worlds.
Sirius looked around the cottage curiously, for it was his first time inside. He was a tall man, nearly as tall as Severus, in his late thirties with hair nearly as dark. It was there all similarities ended. His steel grey eyes, long haunted by his years in Azkaban, had begun to calm over the last year, gaining back a mischievous twinkle that many who had known him before had thought lost forever. Now that Voldemort was gone and Harry out of school, he had begun to get back into his former job of finding suitable neighborhoods and buying real estate for wizard families.
"Hello, Sirius! Hello Aunt Anna! Yay, pizza!" Corey said as the other three filed out behind him.
"Of course, what's a sleepover without pizza?" Anna grinned.
"One that doesn't need heartburn antidote?" Severus offered. Jennifer chuckled at him.
"Don't worry, Mercy made some sandwiches," she assured her husband.
"Good, I'll be in the lab," Severus said, taking out a plate and heading into the basement.
"I see some things haven't changed," Sirius said dryly. "So how's life with the old dragon? He retreat to his lair often?" Anna gave him a freezing look.
"I have never been happier, thank you for asking," Jennifer said with a beaming smile, stealing several bottles of Coke from the coffee table. "And I'd recommend married life to anyone who wants to try it." Anna's freezing look was suddenly turned on Jennifer. "Thank you for bringing these! I was almost out, and nobody will touch my attempts at making it."
"The stuff will make you burp for hours," Corey quipped from the front room. "But it doesn't taste anything like Coca-cola, let alone Fizzle drinks."
"I'll get it eventually," Jennifer said with determination, then glanced over at Anna's face. "What?"
"Jennifer, you're just going to have to give up and accept that there are some things Muggles can do that you can't," Anna said, shaking her head out her.
"Like build motorcycles," Corey chimed in. "Can you take me for a ride sometime?"
"No," Jennifer said firmly. "Severus would hang us both up by our toes for that one."
"Yeah, but it's kind of fun when he does that," Corey grinned. Sirius snickered.
"Corey, why don't you take one of those up to your room and eat," Jennifer suggested.
"Mind if I come up and see your room?" Sirius asked. "I know you've added onto the place and I'm curious to see what you've done with it so far."
"Sure, Sirius, come on. You can see my card collection. I have the entire Hogwarts series now," Corey said excitedly. Sirius winked at Anna as the boys headed up the stairs, following behind.
"I'm still trying to get the hang of this parenting thing," Jennifer said to Anna with exasperation. Anna grabbed a couple of pieces of pizza and went over to sit at the bar with Jennifer. "So what was it you wanted to talk to me about? I know Sirius didn't clear out just to check out our renovations."
"I take it you didn't see today's Daily Prophet?" Anna asked.
"Anna, you know how I feel about that paper after what happened last year," Jennifer shook her head at Anna, sitting down at the bar.
"Well, you'd better look at this one… Ron Weasley wrote it," Anna added, showing her the paper. Jennifer inhaled sharply as she read the headline: Recently Revived Former Minister Fudge Claims Macnair Responsible: Raises Evidence Questions on Malfoy Trial.
Color began to seep out of Jennifer's face as she looked at Anna's serious expression. So much for the hope of it being a quiet year.
