Chapter Twenty-Six

Confession of a Kidnapper

Alex hopped onto the train immediately hearing her name called and saw Rose and Mandria in the doorway of one of the nearer compartments. Waving at the others Alex went over to them, nodding to Conner who was sitting in one corner as they pulled her in.

"Are you all right?" Mandria asked with open concern.

"Any word about your grandfather?" Rose asked anxiously.

"None at all," Alex sighed, sitting down by Rose. "Not going to the prefect's car?"

"Well, not unless you want us to," Mandria said. "We thought you might want someone to talk to, what with everything going on."

"It's been rough. Mum's not taking it well at all," Alex admitted. "She got very distracted, pacing all the time and making poor Dodger check the main post office for mail so much that he said his wings were beginning to cramp."

"And your father?" Mandria asked.

"Oh, he's not been home. He's been down with the company since the whole mess started," Alex said.

"Well, I see he has his priorities straight," Conner said sarcastically. Mandria hit him in the side.

"Actually, he does," Alex said, bristling. "Father thinks grandfather's disappearance is directly related to the murder of Brad, and if that's so, then the excavation company is the key."

"Why is that?" Mandria asked. Alex sighed and looked at between them, settling on Conner.

"Could you leave the room a moment? I need to talk to Mandria and Rose. Girl talk," Alex said.

"Well, anything you can tell her you can tell me. I hear about it anyway," Conner said casually, not getting up.

"Yes, so I found out," Rose said dryly. Mandria looked uncomfortable.

"So how is Prince Charming these days anyhow," Conner asked casually.

"Very well, thank you," Rose answered primly.

"Never mind. It isn't important," Alex murmured, slumping lower in her seat.

"Nonsense, of course it's important," Rose said, turning to her Alex. "I know if my grandfather ended up missing, I'd be terribly upset. He means the world to me."

"Well, everyone actually likes your grandfather, Rose, he's like a permanent stone monument in Wales," Conner said, Rose giving him a dirty look. "Alex's grandfather has earned quite a number of enemies over the years. Not that I blame him for what he did to the old Death Eaters. He has guts, and a lot of people admire him for that. But nearly everyone I know expected him to go missing at some point."

"Grandfather wouldn't leave this world without a fight," Alex said firmly. "And if this is related to the person who killed Brad, he's most likely still alive."

"And why is that?" Conner prompted her, curious in spite of himself.

"Well, because that person hasn't made any effort at all in hiding corpses," Alex reasoned. "There's no sign at all of grandfather anywhere."

"Alex, I don't want to blanket your hopes, but wasn't Brad dead for weeks before anyone found him?" Mandria said quietly.

"Only because no one was looking for him. He was in plain sight, he just didn't have anyone who cared to check up on him," Alex said.

"How terribly sad," Rose murmured.

"They say he lived for his money, I suppose that's what it gets you in the end," Alex said.

"All the same, wouldn't you rather die rich than die poor?" Conner said.

"I don't suppose I'd like to die in either case, thank you," Alex said. "There are more important things than money."

"I couldn't agree more," Rose said. "Don't worry, Alex. I'm sure something will turn up soon. No news is good news, they say."

"Yes, but whoever said that obviously never had to wait on a missing persons case," Alex said grimly, Rose putting an arm around her comfortingly.

"Anyone who can live with giants, escape a sentence of death from the Death Eaters twice… once by running and once by faking his own death… nearly kill the Dark Lord himself and then serve time in Azkaban and be little worse for the wear for it is not the sort of person who would just 'disappear' without some sort of fight," Hephaestus declared supportively. A round of hearty agreements came from all around Aurelius at the Slytherin table. "I suppose my guess is good as any, but I wouldn't be surprised if wizardly corpses began to pop up again, and I don't mean his."

"Now you sound like Thurspire. If he was in a mood to go on a rampage of any sort, I'd have noticed something wrong. Well, except perhaps Lucius Malfoy. He'd be glad to kill him no matter what mood he was in," Aurelius said. "Not that anyone would care."

"What a horrible thing to say about an alumnus," Jocelyn said. "Especially one with money. Of course people would care."

"Then they would be fools, for as many times as he has tried to manipulate this house against our purposes for his own, he's doesn't deserve it, money or not."

"Vell, you should know, Vart," Eigil said with a nasty smile. Aurelius ignored the heat in his ears, nodding at him coolly.

"You're right, I do know. And I hope nobody makes the same mistake that I did," Aurelius said.

"We did," Stock corrected softly, and Aurelius glanced over, nodding to him.

"We did," Aurelius amended. "And no matter what has happened… no matter what happens outside these walls, while we're here it's the present house and each other that's important, not what former Slytherin are doing."

"Well, they tend to give us money…"

"Money isn't everything, Heph!" Aurelius snapped.

"Prove it," Heph said, his eyes flashing.

"Very well," Aurelius said, folding his arms across the table. "Have you ever tried to bribe a Hogwarts teacher?" Heph grew quiet.

"Vun doesn't need to bribe dem if vun knows how to get dem on vun's side," Eigil said evenly.

"In which case," said Xavier, walking up behind them, "it does nothing but prove Aurelius' point. Money is just a tool that can help get you where you want to go. But it's not the only tool. You have to find the right one for the job. As for alumni affairs, I agree with Aurelius. The Craws and Malfoys have both had notable members in this house for years, but even if they decide to go head to head, our business is here. This is our time, not theirs. Aurelius, I know you cannot help your family ties or completely ignore what is happening, but I also know from what you just said I can count on you to continue your work keeping the points up. In fact, to make certain we have this year in the bag, I want you to do thirty points better this semester than last."

"Thirty points more from just my year?" Aurelius gaped.

"Consider it make up for the points you lost us last year," Xavier said seriously, getting out a rolled up parchment. Eigil sniggered. "That's an order, Aurelius. And here's your errand list. Don't leave anything out this time?" Xavier warned, and slowly Aurelius took it. Nodding to everyone sitting around him, Xavier headed back towards the rooms. Quickly excusing herself, Jocelyn followed.

Glancing over the extended list, Aurelius combed his hand through his hair, trying to figure out just how to get that many more points when they had been nearly exhausted getting what they had. It was quite easy… perhaps sometimes too easy… to rig other houses to lose points. Earning them short of Snape's class, however, was not quite so easy. Especially in Singh's class; the new teacher often forgot the points even existed unless there was a particularly naughty student he wanted to punish. The faculty had become extra stingy on volunteer work, quite convinced that the 'good nature' of the students had ulterior motives.

"Don't worry, we'll make it up with the sparring tournament," Heph said smugly. Perhaps he had a reason to be smug. Since Aurelius was no longer in sparring, he was the favorite to win for their year. "You'll help me practice again, I assume?"

"I don't know if I'll have time…" Aurelius admitted. In fact, he wasn't quite sure he was going to have time to fit in all those extra errands on top of his regular work, let alone extra credit for points. "I think I need to go work on my schedule. I'll let you know if I can, Heph."

"Don't vurry, Heph. I vill help you," Eigil said, Heph brightening instantly. "Ve'll let Xavier's little man to go about his business."

Aurelius got up without a response and started down the hall, Stock only hesitating a moment before following behind him.

"Anything on that list I can pick up for you?" Stock asked.

"Thanks Stock, but if you can just keep on rolling in those extra points from Professor Sprout that'd be more than enough help. She's not too impressed with most of our class' assignments, but yours is doing well," Aurelius said, picking up the pace.

"You don't have to do this, you know," Stock said.

"Do what?"

"You know, all this suck-up you've been doing because of what happened last year."

Aurelius stopped dead in his tracks, staring at Stock.

"All I am doing is what Xavier says is in the best interests of the house," Aurelius said slowly.

"Rel, everyone knows Xavier's been nothing but a total wash-up since that Hogsmeade trip. He won't even associate with the house at all unless its through you or Jocelyn. To be honest, most of the house is starting to think Eigil's a better leader than Xavier is. You know, if you are going to try to get in everyone's good graces again, you should try to make some amends with Eigil. Everyone thinks he'll probably be going for prefect…"

"I am not doing this to get into anyone's good graces!" Aurelius snapped.

"Maybe not any person's graces," Stock nodded. "But you are doing it for house support. If you're looking for a clean slate, Rel, you're not going to get it by supporting Xavier, and it's about time you realized it."

Angrily Aurelius turned on his heel, going in the opposite direction and ignoring Stock's calling out to him as he pushed through into the secret passages towards the classrooms. Jennifer, who had just come of out of the Defense room, gazed thoughtfully at his face as he passed her and went in. The door was partially open, so Aurelius only let fall a swift knock before entering.

"Hello, Aurelius," Severus said without looking up from his work. "If this is about wanting an update, it'll have to wait until this afternoon. I still have some class material to go over for today."

"It's not, as usual I'm only concerned about my own selfish dilemmas," Aurelius said in such a bitter tone that Severus looked up and put down his quill, the door quietly shutting with a subtle movement of the hand. "When does it end? At least tell me how long it's going to take before this fight gets a little easier."

"It doesn't get easier," Severus said softly. "It merely changes. And it doesn't end. Do you know why?" Aurelius sighed, slumping near the fireplace so he could pet Rasputin who was lying sleepily across his old box.

"Probably because even if everyone else in the bloody world forgets I once sided against those I cared about, I'll never forget," Aurelius muttered. Severus nodded.

"I wondered how long it would take you to say something," Severus said. "They've been reminding you quite steadily about it lately, haven't they?"

"It's what they don't say that's worse," Aurelius sighed.

"And then there's Hauk… the outsider who's most outspoken of all because he has no ties to hold him back."

"You know about that too?" Aurelius asked slowly.

"There's very little in Slytherin house that gets by me, Aurelius, you should know that by now, and a lot of busy little mouths chattering about that brawl in Hogsmeade. What brought it to a head today?"

"Stock made a comment about my doing errands for Xavier," Aurelius admitted, slightly embarrassed. Severus blinked at him. "I just… snapped… strange but now that I'm not angry it doesn't seem as important anymore. Stung, though."

"Yes, well, a lot of little stings can quickly add up, especially when someone has made little effort to walk away from the hive," Severus agreed, then squinted. "You say you've been running Xavier's errands? For how long?"

"Since the beginning of the year," Aurelius admitted. "Apparently they think I'm sort of brownnoser, but it wasn't like that. Yes, I want to make up some of the trouble for last year, but that's not why I'm doing it. All I'm trying to do is help the house."

"Yes, well, you need not convince me or anyone else your intentions, that is for you to decide. Let me see the errands please," Severus said, snapping his fingers.

"There's nothing wrong on there," Aurelius assured him, handing it over. "I just make the runs to the Owlery, make requisitions for borrowing school equipment, Quidditch appointments…"

"I can read, thank you," Severus said. "A rather extensive list, are you certain you can keep up with this and your schoolwork?"

"No, not really," Aurelius admitted. "Are you going to talk to Xavier about it?"

"Well, that depends on whether or not your marks slip. If I see or hear of them coming down even one score…"

"Understood," Aurelius said solemnly. "It's too bad that I don't have another hour or two in the day to get this all done. I don't suppose you would have time to help?" Severus' face fell into such an admonishing look that Aurelius grimaced.

"If I had the time to spare, I believe I myself would put it to better use."

"You think I'm being taken advantage of, don't you?" Aurelius said. Severus looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.

"Since you obviously have enough sense to ask the question consciously, I would say no," Severus said, tapping his papers against the desk to straighten them and standing. "I think, considering what you just told me, that instead of worrying what anyone else thinks, you should work on what's going to make living with yourself more tolerable. In the meantime, if things get out of hand, feel free to come to me and I'll see what I can do. Now if you don't mind, it's about time for class."

"Thanks," Aurelius said, getting up and heading towards the door. Putting his hand on the knob, he paused a moment. "I don't suppose Dumbledore might have some spare time?"

"Perhaps he might during the week, but you'll have to take that up with him," Severus said in pure exasperation. "Remember, even one little drop in marks…" Severus warned, moving one finger swiftly across his neck.

"Yes, Professor," Aurelius said, quickly hurrying out of the room. Severus sighed and shook his head, putting his glasses back in his case before heading out to face his first class.

With Aurelius and Alex preoccupied with their own thoughts, it was Andrew who first noticed how strangely Alicia had been acting. Having had an early class, Andrew was all the more ravenous at lunch, sitting next to Halbert and Zacchius, who seemed to be glad to be back at school. He waved at her from the table, but Alicia didn't seem to notice, her nose stuck in a book with Morfinn on one side and Phoebe on the other, both making efforts to get her to talk to them.

"I wish the four of you could have spent more time with us over the holidays," Zacchius said. "Zoë hasn't been the same since she started that American school. Her 'I'm too old for that' attitude is so immature! And then she started dying her hair! She didn't think she was blonde enough for California. I think that dye has gone to her head."

"Well, with father gone so much, Mum didn't want to spend much time away from the house," Andrew explained. "I say, Halbert, that was some excellent collection of candy you came up with for presents! It rivaled Honeydukes to say the least."

"It is a little shop that caters to Beauxbatons. They make their own sugar candies and import the chocolates. Ma m`ere prefers the rum figs and brandied cherries, while Dad likes the chocolate covered beetles the best. A lot of the animals like them too," Halbert put in when Andrew and Zack both grimaced.

"So what's with Alicia these days, Andrew? Is she going through that 'too grown up' thing as well?" Zack asked.

"Oh, so you've noticed it too?" Andrew said.

"Well, she seemed unusually intent with her Transfiguration lesson today. But short of that section we did on color transformation, she's always disliked that class. And she didn't even try to stick anything up my nose when I came behind her after class and tossed her books in the hall," Zack said.

"Truly, that doesn't sound like your sister," Halbert agreed. "Perhaps we should ask one of her housemates?"

"You just want an excuse to talk to Ginger, don't you?" Zack challenged him.

"At least I do not harass the girls I like by playing vicious pranks on them," Halbert said back.

"Neither do I! What in the world makes you think for one moment that I like Juliet, anyhow?"

"What makes you think I was speaking of Juliet?" Halbert said with amusement. Zack pulled apart his tuna sandwich, slapping it on Halbert's face. Before Stewart or Rose sitting on the other end of the table had even noticed what had just occurred, food began to fly from the entire section, and even as they jumped up to intervene, the first sandwiches started to fly at the other tables.

Jocelyn and Aurelius jumped up as well, ordering everyone at Slytherin to not lift one finger as the event escalated to the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. But when a scoop of gelatin hit the back of Eigil's neck he made a movement for his plate and Aurelius immediately reacted, pulling his wand out and making it fold up the ends of the tablecloth over the food.

"I said, no one move," Jocelyn snapped when Eigil began to rise and face Aurelius. "Back in your seats, everyone! No matter what happens! You too, Juliet!" she added, when she saw her sister had some pink coconut bird cake stuck in her hair.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" Snape's voice boomed. Everyone in the Great Hall froze to see Snape, Sprout, Ravenclaw and Scribe standing in the back doorway, none of them looking very happy to be there. Quickly Jocelyn whispered for them to uncover the tablecloth, the Slytherins each folding their hands below their plates as if nothing had happened and Aurelius quickly took his seat at her command. "Unless you are a prefect, take your seat immediately!" Snape continued. "Who started all of this?"

Immediately a round of hands went up, and despite a handful of Gryffindors that had refused to do so, it was altogether obvious whom the majority were pointing at.

"Zacchius Black. I should have known," Snape growled, the other three professors shaking their heads. As he walked up to where they sat only the sound of his feet could be heard, sometimes muffled as he stepped on an occasional sometimes-identifiable piece of food. He gazed not only at Zacchius, who defiantly stared back, but also at Halbert and Andrew, who were quite covered and doing their best to avoid his scrutiny.

"Detention, twenty-five points," Snape said, pointing at Halbert. "Detention, twenty-five points," he continued pointing at Andrew. "Detention, fifty points, and a trip to Weasley's office. Now," he added with a flash in his eyes as Zacchius slowly got up. He moved to wipe off his face and then found that he couldn't, his hand suspended in air. "Oh, no, I want you to report to her exactly as you are. And since she happens to be having tea with Headmaster Dumbledore, I'm sure it will prove to be interesting. Wait for me at the door, I am dying to see her expression when you walk in," Snape said with a thin smile. Zacchius, who at that moment rather enjoyed the idea of him doing just that, turned and walked out of the Great Hall. He was well aware of how many sets of eyes were on them, the glares from his own table enough to make the hair on the back of his neck bristle. Snape then took another look around, eyeing the prefects at the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables before turning to Stewart and Rose.

"I see that you have once again utterly failed to control your housemates and keep what I'm sure began as a small incident from escalating to insane proportions. Your irresponsibility and lack of discipline in such matters should most decidedly be taken into account. On top of the hundred your classmates lost you, another fifty will come out for your inability to stifle it. As for the other two houses who participated," he continued, raising his voice slightly. "A hundred points from each house for getting involved in something that shouldn't have even been any of your business to begin with!" Dozens of forlorn eyes glanced up at the point glasses, watching helplessly as three of them began to quickly empty out. "As an addition, since you have so little respect for the value of the food offered to you and summarily take it for granted, no more will be offered to you for the rest of the night in the Hall or in your room. And don't be surprised if the pitchers in your dorms only dispense water. One word of complaint from anyone will result in detention and another point deduction. Any comments?" he added lightly, but the room was very quiet as he stepped over to the Slytherin table.

"I see you managed to keep discipline in check over here as usual, Jocelyn," Severus said, glancing at the students who had gotten hit with flying food. "I can't precisely reward you for doing what you do normally, although perhaps a small token of twenty points for keeping discipline within the house during a trying situation is in order."

"I'm afraid I can't take full credit, Professor. Aurelius jumped in and helped me when things began getting rather tense," Jocelyn admitted. Aurelius looked at her in surprise.

"Oh, very well, ten points for coming to the assistance of a prefect," Severus sighed with a look of boredom. "And I'll throw in a pass or two for those who seriously need a shower before class but that is the limit of my generosity. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to eat sometime as well?" he said, tossing out a few passes before striding back out of the room, ignoring the glares coming at him from the other three tables.

It was Saturday before the four of them found any time together, planning to meet at one of the study tables in the library. Andrew was the last to arrive, each one murmuring a greeting as he put is book down and tiredly took a seat.

"Those are some nasty marks on your hand, Andrew, what happened?" Alicia asked from where she sat next to him. She had set her homework aside and had opened up her paint case, blotting water mixed paints onto some test paper at seemingly random places.

"Oh, detention last night," Andrew muttered. "Professor Singh had us all scrubbing the boat docks and every boat from top to bottom because he's planning to take his second years out on the lake to talk about the limitations of liquid transfiguration. Since he needed to have the weekend free, he had us working on it until well after curfew. And am I exhausted," he declared, putting his head down on his books.

"Wow, that's harsh," Alex said, grimacing. "When I get in trouble for talking in class, all he does is make me copy pages."

"There's a big difference between talking out of turn and causing the Great Hall to erupt in nearly complete mayhem," Aurelius said.

"Oh, don't accentuate 'nearly' like that, we don't want to hear all about the glories of Slytherin and their perfect discipline when we all know they held back for their own interests," Alex said. "We have a lot more important things to talk about than house points. Like finding our grandfather," she said, putting a familiar leather book on the table."

"Alex! How did you get the photo album?" Andrew frowned.

"I got it out of Mum's office. Dodger borrowed it for me. Don't worry, I'll have him return it later. Alicia, I want you to pick out a photo of grandfather and do your stuff," Alex said.

"Alex, you heard Father. He said no more painting traveling and that he'd take care of it," Alicia said. "If he wanted me to use a painting to help him, I'm sure he would have said by now."

"Look, we all know that paintings are the fastest way to find people," Alex said.

"It didn't help find Mum when she was missing," Alicia murmured.

"I seriously doubt anyone would mess with his memory," Alex said.

"He could be dead," Alicia said.

"We would have heard something by now," Alex insisted.

"Look, if Father wanted me to try this method of finding him, he'd have already asked." Alicia argued.

"He might not have thought of it," Alex said.

"He thinks of everything," Alicia retorted.

"Wait, wait, wait, hold up. You're both starting to get awfully loud," Aurelius hissed.

"Yes and unusually argumentative. Alicia, it isn't like you to refuse something like this, not like you at all. In fact, it's the only time I can think of that you have," Andrew said. Aurelius squinted at her.

"Well, then maybe it's about time!" Alicia stammered, folding her arms and looking stubborn. The other three looked at each other.

"Alicia, if you're afraid what's going to happen to Mum is going to happen again, I can understand that, but something has to be done," Alex said quietly, putting a hand on her arm. "He has to be found."

"But what if he doesn't want to be found?" Alicia blurted out, and the other three stared at her wide-eyed. "Look, if I told you he was safe, would you drop it and not worry?"

"Well, it seems we just found ourselves a kidnapper," Aurelius mused thoughtfully. Alex and Andrew looked between them, their jaws agape in shock at their sister.

It was fairly simple then to see what had occurred after that.

Ever since the imposter had attempted to find the house, Thomas knew he was putting the family in risk by staying, but under the circumstances of his parole conditions, he could not do anything to help matters either. Letters about the failure of finding the correct dig and another team in the same area disturbed him to no end, until at last he knew he couldn't bear to be idle anymore. He also couldn't risk going by Muggle transport again now that everyone was suspicious of him having been down there already.

It had been easy during the holidays to get Alicia alone to speak with her about it, but it had taken quite a while to convince her they were doing the right thing despite the inevitably that it would most likely end with him back in Azkaban. But on that morning, they walked to the park together; and that was where he had truly 'disappeared.'

"All he cares about now is seeing this thing through and making sure that the murderer is found," Alicia had told them when they had found a quieter place to talk. "Look, we all know how it feels to be told we can't do anything about what's going on around us. What was I to say? He's gone down to find out some things for himself. And I think we ought to respect his wishes and let him."

"All the same we should tell Father and Mum so they won't worry," Andrew said.

"No! You heard what they said the last time we used it. I'll lose my lessons for sure!" Alicia pleaded.

"We don't have to tell them you were involved," Andrew said. "But you know they've been going through the same thing that we have… reduced to sitting and waiting for the mail to arrive or worse have Revere himself show up, or even a member of the Ministry. Not that I think that he's out of danger by any means, but I think anything to alleviate the misery we've been going through is something. You can't possibly expect them to go on worrying like that, Alicia." Reluctantly, she nodded.

"All right, then it's settled," Aurelius said. "Snape said he was going to be unavailable this weekend, so we'll talk to him about it first thing on Monday. In the meanwhile, I say we take the time to catch our breaths and do our best not to get any farther into this mess than we already are." Andrew and Alicia nodded fervently before Aurelius turned to Alexandria who looked thoughtful. "Well?" Aurelius said impatiently.

"Fine, but I reserve the right to change my mind," Alexandria said.

"And I reserve the right to tie you up if you try," Aurelius said coolly. Recognizing that the face off that followed was likely going to continue forever, Andrew and Alicia decided to change the subject.