The Ninth Chapter
Disclaimer: Look! The lady with the blonde hair. All of this belongs to her. Okay?! Well except for Black and Gwen…
Before Peeves could continue, Sirius growled "Shut up! Now!" and immediately the begging poltergeist fell quiet, quieter than he'd ever been.
"Leave. And don't ever bother me again."
Silent and trembling Peeves quickly left a noiseless Great Hall, looking back as if he expected to be pursued.
Every single pair of eyes was focused on the scrawny black-haired professor as he too left the breakfasting students behind.
Gwen put a hand to her stomach and frowned worriedly down at the complaining organ.
"It's okay, don't worry. I'll feed you now."
It grumbled again.
"Shh. Stop that now. The food's not far away."
Gwen patted her stomach again and smiled sheepishly at the astonished students staring at her. She turned her feet towards the Great Hall and food.
"Good afternoon, Gwen," Professor Dumbledore said as the Ancient Runes Professor sat down. "How are you?"
"Famished!" Gwen replied, rubbing her hands together in delight as she surveyed the platters of quiche and garden salad in front of her.
"Did you have a good morning?" the Headmaster asked.
The fork on its way to her mouth froze and her stomach complained loudly. At this rate it would never get food.
Gwen turned horror filled eyes to Dumbledore.
"Oh no! I completely forgot! I found that reference…"
And with those words she scurried out the Great Hall.
Dumbledore stared after her for a couple of seconds, and finished his meal. He rose slowly and ambled after Gwen.
He caught up to her in the corridor just outside her office.
Or rather she ran into him.
"Oh professor I'm so sorry…I'll just help… let me give you a hand."
Anubis is the Greek namefor a jackal-headed god associated with mummification and the afterlife in Egyptian mythology.
Anubis was considered the gatekeeper and ruler of the underworld, the "Guardian of the veil" (of "death"). Consequently, he was said to protect souls as they journeyed there, and thus be the patron of lost souls (and consequently orphans). Anubis was frequently depicted in editions of the Book of Dead as performing the "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony on the mummy and statues of the deceased, as well as escorting the spirit of the deceased into the presence of Osiris in the underworld.
Anubis was sometimes associated with Sirius in heaven, and Cerberus in hell.
As Gwen finished reading from the ancient scroll, Dumbledore gave a deep sigh and sank into the nearby chair.
"Oh dear."
Gwen glanced worriedly at him.
"Only 'Oh Dear' Professor? No 'oh pity' or 'oh golly' or how about an 'oh no'?"
Dumbledore grimaced at her. "No need to be sarcastic, my dear Gwendolyn."
Gwen grimaced at the use of her full name.
"So, what do you think?" she asked.
Dumbledore sighed again and placed his fingertips together.
"I have several theories, but I do believe that yours will be far more accurate than mine could ever be."
Gwen gaped at Dumbledore.
"You are after all an expert on the mystical and mysterious, while I am merely a humble alchemist with Transfiguration as a hobby." explained Dumbledore
Gwen snorted, "I would love to hear what Professor McGonagall would say if she heard you saying that."
"Saying what my dear?"
"That Transfiguration is only a hobby."
Dumbledore smiled faintly "Yes, Minerva would protest. 'Transfiguration, Professor Dumbledore, is not a hobby. It is lifestyle.'"
His smile faded. "What have you found, my dear?"
Gwen took a deep breath. "Despite the slight confusion of some books, I believe that this Sirius Black is not the same one who fell into the veil three months ago. I think that maybe something happened beyond the veil that we will probably never understand. I think that a creature or being or something else fell out when Sirius fell in. although how it happened and how we can reverse it, if possible, I don't know."
Gwen started pacing. "There are many 'gods' and creatures in the world and who knows what else inhabits the afterlife. For those who believe in the afterlife."
She paced to the window and looked at the stars.
Dumbledore's whisper drifted from behind her "What then happened to Sirius?"
Gwen stared at the bright Dogstar.
During lunch, the Egyptian god didn't feel much like eating; instead he took time to familiarize himself with the place. He let his feet carry him in a random direction.
A staircase moved while he was still ON it, and he found himself in a very peculiar place. Moving stairs and the sort really messed up a guy's senses!
It was dark, not much light to speak of, not that he minded, but considering that the place was lit up by hundreds of candles it did strike him as odd.
"Wizards!" he snorted in contempt.
So finally, shrugging, he ventured on, since it didn't seem the stairs were keen on fetching him again.
Most of the portrait occupants fled as he shifted into his true self in this dark place. It seemed that the darkness here was a counter for the illusion of the veil he came through.
He froze, he sniffed the stale air…this was interesting, he wasn't alone, something else seemed to be in this forgotten part of the castle.
He spun around and saw… nothing. He was certain he could sense life around here…he shrugged and moved on, then once again he spun around, nothing yet again… this was getting tiresome, something was toying with him…then he heard it, a hissing sound.
Wait a minute he thought and looked down.
Staring up at him, two glowing eyes, pupils were slits the hair was on end…a cat! No wonder he couldn't hear the thing! Sneaky and pesky.
"Hello little cat," he bent down a voice dripping with honey, but venom at its core, "so, you can see me…"
The cat was frozen, fur on end as it hissed at the large K9.
He leaned close "Boo." the cat was gone in a flash; pleased laughter followed the cat until it was out of sight.
His breath wheezed through his chest…he had to get to her. His precious. His lungs burned with the need for oxygen. His legs were already aching, but she was in trouble.
Those darn kids. It's always them. It was much better when she was Headmistress. She allowed him to punish the little brats. She understood about discipline. Not like that barmy one. All he wanted to do was hand out sweets.
Sweets. Ha. That'll be the day. She would never give those brats sweets. She'd give them whips and chains. So they could learn. Manners. Respect. And obedience. AND TO CLEAN THE BLOODY FLOORS!
His chest gave another stab, and he gasped for breath.
There. The third floor. She must be here.
Black stared as the decrepit form of the caretaker limped hurriedly past him, gasping and wheezing.
He shrugged and walked in the direction of the kitchens.
Terrorizing cats had really given him an appetite.
James shifted uncomfortably as he stared at their faces.
First years. Absolutely terrified of everyone and everything.
He grimaced as he thought about the first year curriculum. If they weren't going to teach the children curses and defensive techniques, and recognition methods, then they should call these classes something else.
Like boy scouts.
Or basic survival lessons.
The 'Ministry approved curriculum' for the first years included wand care and safety, how to produce light in a dark place (which is covered in Charms), and what to do in a 'scary' situation (call an adult or professor).
When he was at Hogwarts, James mused, they were taught about unicorns, fairies and their rings, pixies and all the smaller creatures. And they were taught defensive spells. Granted, none of them could do it, but at least they knew about it.
James stared at the terrified faces again, sighed and started lecturing.
"The proper way to keep your wand safe is to…"
I'd really much rather teach Harry non-verbal spells.
James sighed in relief as the first years trooped out of the classroom.
Merlin, that was exhausting.
He sank down in the chair behind his desk and groaned. Maybe he should go back to training Aurors. They at least could HOLD their wands in the correct position.
The screams had him sprinting to the door.
The sight that met his eyes in the corridor had him transfixed…
They were frozen in place as a very lithe man smugly stared at them, apparently these kiddies didn't like to see him, and he presumed a person who escaped the place Azkaban wasn't liked very much. And that fitted him nicely, the more screams, and the less…. Uhg… hugs he got, the better. Screams didn't leave your skin all tingly, and he seriously didn't like that tingly feeling.
He wasn't go to move out of their way, and it seemed they couldn't turn back, because, he assumed, their next class was in this direction, or maybe some other reason. Still that wasn't going to make him move, so he kept walking toward them, eventually they parted for him, too bad though, he liked the way they stepped back with each of his forward steps.
"Hey there young ones" he said in a very sweet voice, as he spoke each and every one flinched as if he was spitting some kind of venom or toxic gas. He smiled "Off to class are you? Try to keep out of dark corners, who knows what foul things can lurk in this, large, unexplored, mid-Evil castle…"
He gave the girl who came up the stairs a sweet, knowing smile, as she frowned at him…
As he walked past her, he said in a soft whisper "Hope you enjoyed my little demonstration." she just huffed and walked on.
As she walked a silent voice came, the same voice of the person they see as Sirius "Don't deny your hart, you and I both know you like to see them tremble… embrace it…" she shivered, as if the whole castle's temperature dropped by a few degrees in a few seconds. She was starting to doubt what she thought was right, and it scared her even more than Sirius, why was she suddenly so uncertain of herself and what she believed was the right thing….
"What is he doing to me?!" she screamed to no one there.
A/N: info about Anubis was taken from Wikipedia. Fantastic resource. You all must go check it out. NOW!!
A/N/N:) Sorry for the short (for us) chapter. We were eager to get this one out ASAP so the plot can run away even further sigh. Anyway feedback, flames, reviews and criticism are all welcome. We just throw out the ones we don't like.
True, true.