2. Searching
My name is Ciara Wallace and I am a witch. I graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry two years ago and am now a member of the Order of the Phoenix. And I was currently standing outside the grounds of the aforementioned school in the middle of the night in the pouring rain. My dark clothing blended in perfectly with the surrounding bushes and trees, which was just as well since I didn't want to have to explain my presence to anyone.
I looked up to the tower where Dumbledore had been killed and then let my gaze drift over the grounds. So this was where it all happened. I could detect the least bit indication that Severus had been here last night, but I could not find any hint as to where he might have gone to. I sighed. So it would have to be the hard way.
I had now been walking through the cold and wet wilderness for the whole night, and yet I had found out nothing.
At midday I called it a quit and apparated back to my room. I drew out a map of the British Isles and an ancient crystal pendulum.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," I muttered to myself as I began to prepare everything I needed for this special magic I was about to perform. I didn't even know if it would work. I read about this charm in an old and tattered book that belonged to my grandmother, on my mother's side, that is, for my father was a Muggle. But back to the task at hand.
It was an ancient, complicated spell. It was supposed to show you the whereabouts of the person you where looking for. Of course you needed three hairs of the person you were searching, in addition to your own blood and tears. And it was not very specific and not very likely to work. But it was all I could think of. At least it would be worth a try.
Now I had everything arranged. After starting the magical fire, I dropped the plants and other things into the flames, and then I added three hairs of Severus (I had picked them off my clothes three years ago, after the Yule ball when I had danced with Severus. I didn't know why I had kept them, but now they really came in handy.).
Hopefully it would be enough. While speaking the required Celtic words I added three drops of my blood and three tears of mine to the small pyre. They hissed softly as they dropped into the bowl containing the fire. If I had done everything right, then the flames should turn liquid any moment now. There! It worked! The bowl now contained a thick, blazing red liquid. Into that I placed the crystal pendulum for thirteen minutes, chanting an ancient verse. Then I drew it out and suspended the pendulum over the map (I had a globe next to it, just in case).
"TaisbeƔnaimis mi Severus Snape!" I commanded.
Nothing happened. Then, just as I was about to give up, the crystal slowly started to move. After some indecision it circled the area of the West Highlands between Crianlarich and Glen Nevis.
"Yes!"
It was a large area, but now I at least had a starting point.
I sighed and spelled my clothes dry after I had slipped in the mud for the umpteenth time. It simply was no use searching any further tonight. I hadn't slept for nearly three days and nights and I needed a rest. Badly.
I gathered my last strength and apparated back to my room where I lay down to sleep. After a refreshening slumber I woke and ate four bowls of hot strew. Now I felt up to chasing shadows again. I knew it was probably useless, but I had to try nevertheless. So I apparated back to the place where I had stopped searching. The sun was already disappearing behind the mountains.
This soon became my new routine. Searching for as long as I was able, sleeping a day or so and then searching again. A routine I only broke with for Dumbledore's funeral.
I was wearing black as usual as I sat at the back. I didn't want to draw any attention. The other members of the Order, who were present, only nodded at me, sensing that I wanted to be left alone. They probably assumed that I was working on some task Dumbledore had given me before his death, since I had contacted them only briefly, to tell them I was all right, after the incident. That was fine by me. I didn't want them prying or following me.
And back to my routine. I refused to give up and searched day and night. Sometime, somewhere I would be lucky. I knew I was good enough to detect Severus, even if he hid behind wards. But I was not good enough to break them and I knew it. He would have to let me in and I was confident that he would.
