Alex the Kritikanzer's notes: It will be my pleasure to know what you like and what you don't of what you have read up to now – if you will be so kind to share you thoughts with me. Whatever you have recognized as J.K. Rowling's or Notwolf's is very much theirs so I take neither credit nor blame for it. Have a wonderful day!

For all of you who celebrate St. Valentine's day - best wishes! Please accept this in lieu of a card with heats and cupids - well, cupids are on tomorrow's installment:)


CHAPTER 12 – Wrong Timing

Damn his unworthy son could have danced with his stupid whore a little bit more at the ball this show-off Lucius had organized. Agelastus had carefully calculated what he had laced his chocolates with; his wife should have been cold by now and he would have been able to get the ring back. She had sworn on their wedding that she would not take it as long as she lived, long or short, and it had been longer than he had expected. Who would have thought that the blasted Abraxus Malfoy would prove such a healer and pull her from almost behind the Veil when she was giving birth to their son! Agelastus had hesitated about killing her as once upon a time that weirdo Sybil had told him that the woman he would be chained to for life would kill him within the five minutes after she would take the Mulciber ring from her finger. He laughed bitterly – he had feared a stupid bumbling idiot who routinely professed death and misfortune in general. It had been an hour since the shriek of his imbecile son had proclaimed that the deed was done and Agelastus had never felt better in his life. He was free to do whatever he wanted; he just needed to wait a little bit for the half-blood filth to get away. Bloody traitor, that was what he was, not a war hero! But Eileen's bastard was good, rather good for Agelastus's liking. His wards over the old Albus tomb had proven a challenge. Not that it would be for long, there were always other ways, as Gellert liked saying. The night was almost over; it was time for a short rest instead of waiting. He signaled the tall man and they left as quiet as they had come.

Hermione had helped as much as she could at the kitchen where some of the sheep was boiled, some roasted and some left as is in anticipation of the rescue party. The burned guy was wrapped in salves and two dark-haired girls were staying watch at his bed singing quiet incantations to sooth the pain. Victor was busy with putting some dark spells that Hermione had not studied at Hogwarts but seemed common knowledge among the grim group of people occupying the castle. More people came in, some former and some present students, armed with not only wands as her Muggle background told her.

Luna came with the elder Krum and his team and joined the group sprucing the dormitories that had not been occupied since the end of May when the school year had finished. She had special relationship with the talassams that were the equivalents of the elves in Hogwarts. Xeno had flooed for her a mighty parcel with hair bands with all kind of plastic decorations hanging from them and the talassams were getting their rewards. The Ravenclaw was ecstatic – it was much easier to remember that the Pears were glazing the windows, the Apples were washing the linen and the Bananas were airing the beds while the Grapes were swiping the floors. The blond witch had mastered a lot of Bulgarian as she was not shy to ask something to be repeated to her and using any mean to convey her message – she would draw pictures, use sign language, play sketches and if nothing worked – which was rare – get a dictionary from her pocket. But most of the time a bob of her radish earrings was enough to get what she wanted. The fact that she was the official passion of Tanassov as well as a granddaughter of two of the most powerful veelas increased the understanding but she had earned the trust of the local people on her own accord long before the account about the flesh-eating horses was spread.

Hermione was surprised by something else – there were practically no women around. Apart from the two Healers and few girls in the kitchen as well as the chatelaine there were only men around. Durmstrang was a co-ed so the girls were bound to be around together with the boys. Her previous visit was also when the school was on vacation so one could not get a proper idea. She mentioned it to Victor's father and he smiled, 'War is no women's job, my dear! I would feel better if you are in a safe place, but the safe places are getting scarce. However Durmstrang is good for now and may be we will need more place later. I hope Dimitar is overreacting and Minister is right, but up to now it had never been that way. If the worse comes to the worse we at least will be able to shelter our people here for quite an extensive period. The hardest part is to get to here alive, the rest is easier. We will go home for supper but before that I think we all will go and get a nap. The night will be long and we need rest. Have you seen Luna and her fruit salad?'

The Headmaster waited for Jack and Glenna to arrive before he got the nerve to present Minerva with the Mulciber's rings. His friend was tied with arranging the funeral for the following day and the viewing for the early evening, then Glenna had freaked at the idea of leaving the kids alone and they flooed them to Malfoys before putting the wards on the house. They had flooed to the Headmaster's office and the four of them went to see the old teacher. She was dressed in her customary tartan robe and looked refreshed. However if the amount of mouse traps stacked all over her classroom was any indication, she had been transfiguring every object of suitable size into it. That gave the Headmaster an idea what may have been in the sac that Hagrid had been hauling to the stables few minutes ago.

'I am sorry about your mom Jack! She was a fine woman and dearly loved you!' the teacher surprised them again. 'Bad news travel fast. So what else you want to tell me?'

'Before she died, Mom said that I have to fight even back to back with you!' Jack blurted. Minerva had that effect on him to make him feel like a schoolboy, but she did not mean it personally, even Severus had admitted cringing from time to time. 'And she left you her wedding band and engagement ring. Mom said you would know what to do for both of you!'

Severus produced the items and put them on the desk before her. The old woman looked at the glinting bluish stone and smiled thinly.

'We are missing only the two other bands that make the set complete, but they will be coming our way, rest assured! I hope if all goes as I have planned you to have them back before the moon grows full Jack, as they belong to you. But I will need them first.'

'The other TWO bands?' politely inquired Severus coking his head. 'I was told only about a bracelet.'

'You saw the bracelet tonight Severus. But you saw the other two as well, just think a little bit!' the green eyes were full of dancing flames.

But of course! The headband on Agelastus's head in Jacintha's memory and the ring on the hand that gave him the wedding license! The same rare stones, clear water with bluish tint, the expensive Burmese version which was hard to come by. The set was probably ancient, both stones being favoured in Rome in particular, may be there was a grain of chance that Vulcan the Mulciber had made them. This was ancient and ancient amulets made him nervous. It reminded him of the blasted Hallows that had screwed Dumbledore's head and that of the love of his life, Gellert Grindelwald. He shook his head.

'There is not long to wait Severus. August 23rd is tomorrow. How is the repellent brewing?'

'It is almost ready. Do you want it in a vapor or as a liquid?'

'I would go for both as a precaution. And I hope you are brewing the antidote just in case something does not go as planned.'

'And the planned is…'

'It is too early to tell, but keep your social calendar free for the evening, will you please do that for me?'