"What are we going to do with this?" Thomas pulled the ribbon he took from his ring storage, placing it on the table. Getting them back to why they were here— Pipa.
"Yes," Bernard folded his arms across his chest, he sounded a bit uptight, but his hands had regained their colour. "What are we going to do with that?"
"I don't want this to spread, you understand." Lars started and Thomas nodded, already knowing what he was going to say.
"Like Thomas ability to tell truths. I'll keep it to myself." Bernard said his face so hard, and cold. Thomas swore he heard his teeth grit together.
"I believe you." Lars said with a hand on Bernard's shoulder. "I'm a seer, Bernard." Lars didn't beat around the bush, and said it outright. Thomas watched Bernard eyes pop open, along with his mouth. He shut it a few times, and he uncrossed and recrossed his arms.
"Are you..." Bernard started to say but trailed off with a shake of his head.
"Am I what?" Lars dragged out his Irish brogue. Making Bernard give him a faint smile.
"Good?" Bernard asked grimacing as he said it. Thomas winced, that sounded bad even to him.
"Asking if I'm a fraud?" Lars asked with a lifted brow. Bernard hide his face in his robe sleeve with a robe of his nose.
"Yes – sorry. People do fake it Thomas." Bernard looked at him like he was going to get angry. Thomas only shrugged.
"People lie, I get it Bernard." Thomas really did. A seer's ability isn't something everyone possessed, people who wanted it, but didn't have it. Would lie. In that fact, Thomas had no doubt.
"I'm good Bernard. More than I like to be." Lars said with a sad smile of his own.
"This is not going to make you sick, is it?" Thomas asked in a slow and quiet voice, not wanting to upset Lars further.
"I'll only be reading cards. It's not like my visions, that appear on their own." Lars pulled a deck out of his colourful robes. "I'll be okay, Thomas."
"Sick? Do visions make you ill?" Bernard's brows pinched together in worry. "I've never heard of that."
"No." Lars said.
"Yes." Thomas said at the same time. Making the two battle it off with stubborn looks.
"You got sick in the summer." Thomas pointed out, breaking off to his first line of defence — the truth. Lars shook his head.
"That is a rare event." Lars said, and Thomas chest tingled. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the full truth. Thomas gave Lars his best glare. "It won't with these — I swear." Lars crossed his heart with his card deck, but it was the clear feeling his straight and open gaze gave him. That made Thomas nod, and back down.
"Thomas?" Bernard asked, without asking. Thomas looked at Bernard and gave him a nod. He was telling the truth.
"Thanks for believing in me." Lars said dry as the castle walls were hard.
"I believe in your stubbornness." Bernard said with a crooked smile. Thomas nodded, completely agreeing with Bernard's words. Lars was stubborn – not at all like him.
"All right, you turn coats. Let's get this picture playing." Lars said, pulling a piece of black fabric out of his own ring. "This two items will, in theory, act as a conduit."
"Theory? You don't know for sure?" Bernard asked, tucking his hands inside his robes. It didn't stop Thomas from seeing the shaking of his hands. He was calmer, but still unnerved. Thomas thought it was best to look the other way. It's not like he had an answer to make his problems go away.
"I've never done a reading for another." Lars said taking out a deck of card, not from his ring, but from an inner robe pocket. Holding a black deck that reminded Thomas of the night sky with its white silver flecks. "I've only done them to guide my own actions, or to help understand my own visions."
"How do you know it's going to work?" Bernard said, his voice cracking. "How do you know it'll help us save Pipa?" Bernard swallowed hard, taking some shaking breaths to control himself.
"Belief is the most important part." Lars said his quiet voice ringing through the room. Making the hairs on Thomas's neck stand up on end. A feeling like when Lars eye's glowed — stopped Bernard's more doubts from leaving his mouth. It was hard for Thomas to describe. Bernard just stopped shaking, and he shared a look with Lars.
Thomas couldn't see what it meant, only that something right then and there had an exchanged. Thomas watched Bernard shoulder's square back, and the more confident Bernard return. With a resolve that stopped his unseen hands from shaking his robes. Could this be part of a seer's power? Thomas didn't know, but then again he never doubted it.
"I believe in you Lars." Thomas said, his voice above a whisper. Not wanting to break up the exchange that was happening in front of him — Thomas waited.
"I know." Lars said turning away from Bernard — who was visibly relaxed again. That was the thing different between Bernard and him, when he first heard about it — he never doubted. He only believed. Perks of not growing up in a magical family, is that you take magical talents at face value. At least that was how Thomas worked with any new magical encounter. Believe until proven otherwise.
"I get it." Bernard said crossing his arms across his chest he leaned back into the purple fabric of the couch. Looking tired, he asked. "Can I help?"
"Listen. Sometimes — these cards work through me, and I miss information." Lars said, looking to Thomas. "Can you move the table closer to me?" Lars folded his legs across one another while remained seated on the couch. Thomas moved the table close enough that Bernard had to fold his legs up onto the couch to make room. "First I need to cleanse the area. You two can help. Follow my lead."
"Close your eyes." Lars started, while Thomas was staring into the back of his eyelids. "Take a deep breath, visualize a light cleansing the space." Rain, rain was cleansing, Thomas pictures, like Lars asked. Light, but to Thomas it was rain, washing away all their shared fears, and cleaning the surrounding area. "Think of something that can protect you, protect us doing this reading."
"Please don't question it, or open your eyes!" Thomas frowned, squeezing his eyes shut for he wouldn't open them to question it. why would they need that? Thomas gave himself a metal shake, he had only said moment ago that he believed in Lars — why act doubtful now? Something protective? Thomas frowned again — his mind drawing a blank.
"It can be an object or even a person." Lars voice kept an even, rhythmic tone. Thomas's hand drifted not to his pocket knife — his usual go to, but instead to the heart shaped locket. Laying on his chest beneath his robes. An object that he generally forgot he even wore, but when Lars brought up protection. It was the first thing to come to mind. After nothingness that is.
"Now open your eyes." Lars sat cross-legged on the couch. Hands holding his deck on his lap. He looked peaceful? Thomas expected the glow to reappear in his eyes, but instead it looked like it went inward. Giving Lars this air about him. Thomas couldn't look away, if he could, he doubted Bernard wasn't capable either.
"Let begin the reading." Lars said is voice still holding the calm quality, but it sounded firmer — older. Did Lars see a future, by getting it from his future self? The idea was wild, but made Thomas wonder. He made a note to asked that, when the time was right, and now it wasn't that time. "What I'm about to do is a Celtic cross — it answers a question." Lars said shuffling the cards.
"What is the items from Pipa and the Potter girl for?" Bernard asked, the three of them were speaking in whispers. The energy in the room felt thick, and not something that he should disturb.
"To connect to the question — I think." Thomas whispered watching the cards, almost roll in their shuffle in Lars's hands.
"Thomas is right — now let's lay the cards." Lars put the deck down on the table, right on top of Pipa's hair ribbon and the piece of robe Lars's took of Daniel's sister. "This is a ten card read. We'll talk through it as we go. Ready?" Both Bernard and Thomas nodded. They were ready — and so Lars flipped over the first card.
On the card was an older man, with long golden hair, and eyes like a storm. To Thomas, he was upright, but that was because he was sitting on the other side of the table from Lars and Bernard. Red roses hung above his head, and in his hand was a candle burning at both ends. His eyes narrowed, and he slammed the candle down on the rough wood table in front of him. Making both him and Bernard jump — Lars remained unmoved his eyes watching the card. Before lifting a sword and cutting the candle in two. Only to have the candles burn to nothing.
"Does the man on the card look a little like you?" Bernard asked, "Or is it only me?"
"My parents had these made, its thought that it would help me connect to the deck." Lars said, his eyes narrowing on the cards. "Me — I'm not so sure."
"Is it your future self?" Thomas asked the burning question on his tongue. Forgetting all about asking it later. "Did another seer make these for you?"
"You can be rather perspective at times Thomas." Lars gave him tired smile. "Again, I'm not so sure about that. At least these cards can be helpful — when they want too."
"Sounds like you." Bernard said — under his breath but it didn't go unheard. Lars let it go with a simple raise of his eyebrow. Thomas wished he could do that. It seemed like such a handy gester – raising ones eyebrow.
"Back to the card — the first represents our question. What is happening here, or to out Pipa?" Lars said tapping his finger in front of the card. "The magician reversed. Being misled by a charming manipulator, a manifestation of desires." Lars frowned. "A choice."
"Someone is making a choice to hurt people?" Thomas asked pointing at the two dark spots where the split candles were. "Doesn't look like it'll end well."
"What would they want with souls?" Bernard said, resting his hand on his chin. His honey brown eyes intent on the card. "To feed off them? Like a Dementor?" Bernard looked at Thomas, his blank looking face must have made him add a explanation. "Dementors are dark creatures that consume human happiness, and even souls." Thomas shivered, what a horrible thing to exist.
"Squeakers could have acted like a shield, protecting it from being consumed." Lars said, "Acting the part of a Patronus. The animal that comes from your happiest memories." Lars explained.
"Like Potter's deer?" Thomas mused. Thinking back to the conversation they had last night. Squeakers did love Pipa. He never left her side – though he had initially belonged to another.
"The next will tell us what crosses or tries to stop us." Lars pulled the card off of the top of the deck. Laying the card horizontal across the first. "An upright devil," once again an older looking Lars. Siting high on a stone block. With people chained at his feet. Thomas swore he could hear the chains rattle when he whipped them about.
"That can't be good." Bernard said, shivering. There was a lot of that going around today.
"Trapped in an ideal, or lost to greed and desires." Lars said, the look he gave Thomas made him wince. "Like that Professor of yours?"
"He is not bad." Thomas whispered looking away from both the card, and Lars, as they both looked to be judging him. "He's simply... moody." Thomas paused before getting the right word. Thomas nodded, moody sounded much better than dark or morose.
"Lars is on to something, Thomas." Bernard spoke up. Thomas looked at Bernard, who looked at him with pity.
"Professor Nocturne isn't greedy! He live in a small cabin — with nothing for years!" Thomas insisted slamming his palm on the table. Making all three jump. "Sorry." Thomas said tucking his hand onto his lap. Rubbing the small egg in his pocket. To keep his hands busy.
"It could be someone else." Bernard said to Thomas with a small smile. "Can the cards say for sure?" Lars shook his head.
"Even for a seer. Card reading isn't black and white." Lars sighed and looked to Thomas. "At least be careful around him?" Thomas reluctantly nodded. "Then to the next card — it'll tell us the best outcome." Lars took a card and laid it upright underneath the first two. The blonde man sat on a spinning wheel that he turned with one hand. He offered them a wink from his throne. "Wheel of fortune. It means anything is possible — and it's usually positive."
"Then Pipa will be okay?" Bernard asked leaning forward towards Lars.
"We shouldn't let our guard down, but yes. I think so." Lars said, his face stern and unreadable. "We should never assume Bernard, by not acting when we should — we can change the outcome of the cards. Nothing is for certain." Lars glanced at Thomas. "People are a variable, that even the future can't read." Thomas felt like that last part was in reference to him. What did he do?
"Okay, what's the next card?" Bernard said looking to the deck.
"Foundation, the reason for the reading." Lars placed the card to the left of the first two. It showed the man dressed in a black robe, his back toward them — his shoulder shaking with tears. "Five of Cups. Loss and sadness." Lars went quiet, they all did. They didn't need to talk about this one. The three all knew what it represented. Pipa.
"The past." Lars picked up the next card and placed it above the overlapping pair. It was a heart, that was moving in a slow beat with three swords stabbed through it. "Betrayal, the pain of heartbreak." Lars frowned and shook his head. "I'm not sure if this helps us."
"We could go around and ask people." Thomas said, how many could be heart broken in a school?
"Oh, pardon me but have you suffered a heartbreaking moment? That causes you to go mad and steal the souls of others?" Bernard looked at Thomas like he was mad.
"Okay, that sounds worse when said like that." Thomas said folding his arms on the table to rest his head. This was hard, card reading — how did Lars do it all on his own?
"Let's move on." Lars said pulling another card, and placing it to the right of the first. "The near future." The blond man walk off the card with a bouquet of words in his possession. "The thief."
"Someone elses soul is in danger?" Bernard said, leaning forward and brushing his fingers along the bottom edge of the deck. Not touching the card, but close.
"Seems like it." Lars nodded, "things are going to get worse before they get better."
"Great." Thomas said, sitting upright again. How many more souls would suffer? His elbows leaning on the table, he turned to Lars. "Can we stop it?"
"The next card is us." Lars reach over and quickly turned the card over to the bottom, where the top corner touched the bottom of the last card. " The fool. " Lars grimaced at the man prancing in the sun on the card.
"Is that bad?" Bernard asked. Lars shook his head.
"I dislike this card." Lars didn't go into details. "It means a leap of faith. Of taking risks and new beginnings."
"Your not one for risks." Thomas said, Lars may like to appear laid back and uncaring, but he like things to happen it a predictable way.
"Lars doesn't seem like the type to let a little risk bother him," Bernard shook his head and disagreed. Thomas shrugged his shoulder's, disagreeing with him, but not wanting to fight about it. Lars liked having a plan, even if he wasn't one to share it. Why else would fret about which house Thomas was in? Or being seen with his deck.
He could see it being a bother his abilities were out in the open — Seers were rare, it would draw too much attention. None of these things on their own were bad, but there was a risk they would be. The attention could spin things out of control, and that was the greatest risk of all. Loosing control. Thomas looked at Lars, who turned his eyes downwards.
"You can be perspective at times." Lars said in the thinnest of whispers, and a small smile on his lips.
"What?" Bernard asked leaning forward to hear Lars better.
"Influences effecting us is the next card." Lars placed it above the last card. Forming a line. Thomas smiled and shook his head, he didn't mind not sharing that part of Lars with Bernard. He'll find out on his own — one day. "Ten of Pentacles." It was upright to Thomas, which meant the card was in reverse. Ten shining stars sparkled as an older man, who looked like Lars's father watch over the blonde man from afar.
"Family inheritance, can be blocking our paths." Lars eyes lifted with a glowing edge to them. Bernard noticed as well, because he heard him suck in his air like it hurt him.
"You must find your animal Thomas." Lars voice became almost feminine, but it was rough and hard. Nothing like Lars's mother — who was gentle and free-spirited. "You have everything you need. Why don;t you take it?" The heart around Thomas neck heated up. Thomas pulled it out from his robe. To see the Celtic knot in the middle glow purple.
"You have your fathers blood, and your mum's magic, but you are also mine — a warrior. Fight." Lars hand lashed out and his eyes turned dark, but they still glowed.
"Mother?" Thomas whispered. A feeling of familiarity that ran though him, triggered no memory, but felt so right. The eyes, were not Lars's, but dark and endless like the ocean.
"No animal will choose a weak master." Lars dropped him, no, his mother did? Thomas caught himself on the table, but was no less confused. "Nor will a woman choose a weak man." Bernard pushed himself up onto the arm of the couch. At some point his wand managed to get in his hand. Lars's hand lashed out and snatched the next card. Slamming it down in the above the right line.
"Face your fears — all three you!" Lars dropped to the floor like a puppet without his strings. Thomas ran over to him. The heat of his necklace, still burning him through his robe. He ignored it.
"Lars! Are you okay?" Thomas dropped to his knees. Helping the struggling Lars back to the couch where Bernard waited, his wand still in hand.
"What was that?" Bernard asked his hand shaking, but knuckles white on his wand. "I don't know." Thomas didn't, could it have been his mother — the siren? Was she somehow connecting him through Lars?
"Seven of Pentacles — reversed." Lars voice was rough and strained, but his own. His eyes glowed bright, but the colour was his ever-changing hazel blue. "Fear of success, time is running out." Lars reached out Bernard tried to stop him but Thomas slapped his hand away.
"Ow!" Barnard said rubbing his hand. "He's not himself, we should stop him."
"He needs to finish it — or it could hurt him." Thomas said, Lars's mother, Berry the house-elf, and even Lars father, had not tried to stop the visions. They had waited and were there to take care of him when they stopped. Thomas was sure that was important.
"The Outcome. Ten of Swords." Lars placed the final card above the others, finishing the line. "Bonds may break, there is no turning back, where this ends — another will begin." Lars turned to Thomas, his heart raced at the glowing black ocean eyes pinning him down.
"Remember you are also your mother's son." The sound of water rushed over Thomas. In a flash he saw a world far different from his own. One of life, and death, water and blood. The life of a warrior of the oceans. Then it broke apart, making him dropped to the floor, along with Lars.
"Is there water here?" Thomas asked, panting. He fell to his side, but he used his hand to give the egg in his pocket a quick check — it was fine, but how about Lars?
"I saw a small barrel in the cabinets" Bernard leapt over the couch, and Thomas went to Lars. Pushing the table out of the way. He moved him to lean his back on the couch he fell from. His eyes flickered, and his face — covered in a sheen of sweat. When he finally opened his eyes, Thomas felt relieved.
"Lars, can you drink?" Thomas asked while Bernard came flying around in a swirl of black robes. A wooden goblet in his hands.
"It's meant for plants, but it's safe to drink." Bernard put the goblet to Lars's lips, Thomas helped to keep him upright. With the water finished, Lars eyes sparked back to life.
"What did I miss?" Lars asked, quirking his brow.
"Besides scarring me into my next life?" Bernard said joining them on the floor.
"It may have... it was my mother. She talked through you." Thomas said dropping his hand to make sure Lars didn't need his support anymore to keep him upright.
"Which one?" Lars said sharply.
"The siren." Thomas said blinking at the harsh tone, but too shocked at the turn of events to say anything.
"Wait — I thought you were a vampire?" Bernard said rubbing his eyes — he looked tired and confused. Thomas sighed, he bet that they all looked the same — haggard and muddled.
"My father is, but I have two mothers." Thomas explained, Bernard looked baffled. Rubbing his face with a groan.
"Fine, okay, I can go with this." Bernard said given up on understanding what is all going on. Taking his wand off the floor, Thomas hadn't even noticed it falling there.
"A seer can only channel the dead Thomas." Lars said, placing a quivering hand on Thomas's knee. "I'm sorry."
"What?" Thomas said, falling back on his arse.
"I have to say this as blunt as I can. Or it'll only hurt you more." Lars said shaking his head, and grinding his teeth. Whatever it was Lars didn't want to say it. "I know my parents said that your father, and witch mother were alive."
"They are?" Bernard asked, sounded more surprised by the second. "I thought you were an orphan?"
"They only hid me there." Thomas said, unsure what he was feeling. "But this locket." Thomas fingered the heart that still hung outside his robes. "Shows their magic, and they are still alive — somewhere."
"That might be worse." Bernard said inching over closer to Thomas. "I'm sorry, Thomas."
"It's okay Bernard – I didn't really know them." Thomas said, he didn't feel anything. He couldn't — could he? Thomas didn't even know them — what was to be sad about?
"The magic in the locket only is there, your other mother, your siren mother, must not have been a part of that." Lars grimaced. "I've never experienced this before. I'm sorry Thomas — I am so sorry. I never thought this could happen."
"She was trying to protect Thomas?" Bernard looked to Lars, and back to Thomas. "That has to mean something — at least you knew she cares — even in death." Thomas nodded there was that. He felt a connection at that moment. Strange as it was.
"I agree, she was trying help, at least that is what I felt." Lars said pulling his hand through his hair. "She seemed..." Lars didn't finish.
"Scary?" Bernard offered with a wave of his hand.
"Hey!" Thomas said defending the mother he never knew on instinct.
"Sorry," Bernard said with a wince. Raising a hand to ward off any other words Thomas might throw. "She was very harsh. It could be her fighting instinct are being a warrior? It could be a siren, you said that was what she was?" Bernard checked and Thomas nodded. "It could be part of how they are?" Bernard offered instead. Thomas didn't know anything about her, or sirens in generally, so for all Thomas knew. That could be it.
"She felt worried." Lars said, interrupting the two. "I felt her urgency Thomas. She believed, and so do I. That you need your animal to call, when face what has hurt Pipa." Lars grabbed his hands. Holding them hard. "You have to."
"How?" Thomas asked, not doubted Lars for a minute... or small part of Thomas acknowledged. That he didn't doubt his mother either.
"We'll use this space." Bernard was the one to come up with an answer. "If it's not flying or defence against the dark arts class — I excel. Lars is good with all the subjects." Bernard stood up and looked around. "We'll make you the new youngest to make the Patronus charm, and help you find that animal to call."
"I'm only average at charms." Thomas had a hard time keeping up in class — the shift to what he knew. On site classes at a bar, and reading poetry was a far cry from sitting down in class and learning. He knew without his friends, he would be failing most of his classes.
"We'll be right here, learning and doing it with you." Lars said, getting up to sit on the couch. A slight wavering in his stance. "We'll give the thirteen-year-old Harry Potter a proper beating." Lars winked.
"We can do this Thomas, not only for Pipa, but for you." Bernard said holding his hand out. "We can't let you be taking away." Thomas took it, and Lars added his hand into the mix.
"For Pipa." Thomas said, his hand shaking along with Bernard's. It surprised Thomas that Lars's hand shook too, but it was understandable. He had just been possessed by his dead mother after all. They had all learned a lot of now, but it had no meaning, and they had no time to understand it.
"For Pipa, and for you Thomas." Lars correct Thomas. The three of them were not fearless. Their shaking hands spoke volumes, but they were willing to face their fears. To be warriors for the common cause, that was not only Pipa but all four of them.