Chapter Eight

The White Mark

Jennifer spent the morning with Minerva learning about fabric transfiguration. She had a little experience with it from school when she was a girl, but soon realized it was going to take a lot of work for her to get any good at it.

Minerva, Jennifer quickly learned, was a woman of many talents. How she managed to juggle her class schedule, filling in for Dumbledore, and still have time to sew and get in an occasional game of chess seemed like an amazing feat for Jennifer, even with magical help. Minerva had even found time last year to make Jennifer a formal dress for the Ministry Ball, which was how Jennifer learned about Minerva's hobby. As they worked, Jennifer told her about her summer and asked her about how things were, but Minerva just shook her head sadly.

"I only wish I could say things improved here over the summer, but things are building up again on both sides," Minerva said. "We've been working on creating a safety net for some of the student families that were threatened, but as you can see, many have chosen to pull out all together."

Jennifer frowned thoughtfully. Just how could they convince the Muggle families with magic children that they'd actually be safer at Hogwarts?

"Too bad I couldn't have taught the parents a few lessons in fear resistance too," Jennifer said.

"We can't really help people who don't wish to be helped," Minerva sighed. But Jennifer frowned thoughtfully, unsure whether or not she really agreed with her.

That afternoon was the Ravenclaw–Slytherin game, so Minerva and Jennifer ate a quick lunch then hurried to the teacher's box just before the game began. Jennifer immediately began scanning the other boxes as they reached it, looking for Severus. He was normally back before the game on Sundays, she thought with a frown.

"So, who do you think is going to win?" Minerva asked as the gate started to open to let the players out.

"Ravenclaw, definitely. Cho against Malfoy? No contest." Jennifer grinned at her.

"Yes, and it's her last year here," Minerva said, watching the players zoom around the field, "Seems like only yesterday she was Sorted. It feels strange sometimes as a teacher, watching them grow, it sometimes feels as if you're standing still beside your desk, never-changing, while the rest of the world moves around you."

"Now there's a deep thought, I'll have to remember that one," Jennifer said with a smile.

Just as Rolanda Hooch was getting ready to start the game, a pair of hands touched their shoulders, and Jennifer looked up to see Severus, crouched behind them.

"Professor Dumbledore needs to see you both immediately," he told them. "There's been another attack." They quickly got up and hurried down the stairs, Severus sitting and watching them go, looking more somber than usual as he tried to focus on the game.

Dumbledore and Jennifer Apparated to the site, and Jennifer found herself in front of a modest Muggle house in a very Muggle neighborhood. Even so, everything there was drenched with the smell of dark magic. Dozens of Ministry wizards and witches swarmed over the site, having set up a perimeter early that morning. The most startling thing about the scene, however, were two marks that hovered in the air. The one above the house proper she knew very well, for it was the Dark Mark; a snake coming out of a grotesque skull. The other behind the building was almost white, and as she and Dumbledore came around, she saw that it somewhat resembled the first mark, except that there was a long dagger pierced through the skull and down through the snake's head. Lying on the grass below the mark was a corpse, covered in dark robes and with a mask; the robes of a Death Eater.

Jennifer looked over at Dumbledore, who was raising a hand up to get someone's attention. Jennifer then noticed Arthur Weasley, Minister of Magic, walking over to them.

"I'm glad you could come, Professor Craw, Professor Dumbledore. Professor Craw, we have a witness, but he's a Muggle and a mite scared, so we were wondering if you could talk to him before we change his memory. We've not had much luck with him." Arthur said. Jennifer nodded quickly, and Arthur led them to the house next door where an elderly man was sitting in a rocking chair, quivering beside several Muggle department officials who were trying their best to make him comfortable by offering him pillows and tea and anything else they could think of. Jennifer knelt beside him, smiling at him warmly, trying to make eye contact.

"Hello there, my name is Jennifer. What's yours?" she asked quietly. He glanced at her suspiciously, fearfully, looking at her strange clothing.

"Douglas," he said at last, "Nick Douglas. What are you?" he asked.

"I'm just a school teacher," she said calmly. "Don't worry, I don't bite."

"Awful young for a teacher aren't you?" he asked. She knew he believed her, but had to ask just the same. She chuckled.

"Why does everyone always say that?" she said. He smiled weakly. "May I ask what the family's name is across the way?" His face fell and looked haunted, glancing at the house. Jennifer studied him carefully for some time before she smiled gently. "It's all right. You don't have to say anything. There's nothing to worry about," she assured him. She stood up and turned back to Arthur with a sigh.

"Well, Mr. Douglas was sitting on his porch last night when an individual in a dark cloak walked up to the house, opened the door with a light… I think he means an unlock spell, and then went in. He saw green light, heard a scream, and then the person came out, and the symbol appeared. That's when he noticed what looked like the shadow of someone on the roof, who cast a light from there, the Killing Curse again, I think, killing the first one. After that the man left, and Douglas went to call the police, and then strange people showed up. That's about it," Jennifer explained.

"A very strange situation," Arthur Weasley sighed. Stress was showing on his face, and he didn't look like he had been getting much sleep lately. "First off, to have a Death Eater acting alone in something like this, then someone coming and killing him."

"The Muggles there were related to the Death Eater in some way, weren't they?" Jennifer asked.

"Grandparents," Arthur said shooting her a questioning look. Jennifer nodded.

"Then it's not that odd he was alone. He must have been an initiate. To be a Death Eater you must first prove yourself by purging any impurities in your own family," Jennifer explained. "But I don't know anything about that other symbol."

"No one really does," Arthur said, leading them back over to the house, "But we think it might be connected to a lot of the recent disappearances of former Death Eaters in different countries over the last few years. Only now they're starting to work on the current ones."

"Yes, I know something about the attacks you mean. Madame Belle was working on the American case." Jennifer suddenly wondered if she hadn't inadvertently kept Malfoy from getting killed several nights ago. But after thinking about it, she shook her head. In all the other instances, the victim had been alone.

They went inside, somberly looking over the two dead figures, apparently caught sleeping in their bed. Only surprise had registered on their faces; death didn't have much truth that she could read. They then went out to the other figure, pulling off the mask, his face had been surprised and angry. She heard Dumbledore sigh behind her, and glanced at his face.

"Levus Baylor," Dumbledore said, shaking his head sadly. Jennifer closed her eyes. Another student had lost his father.

Jennifer wandered into her office an hour later plopping down in her chair in depression. She was looking over her books for something to keep her mind distracted when there was a soft knock at the door. She knew by the knock who it was and quickly opened the door to Severus Snape, who came in carrying a couple of mugs, handing her one.

"Thank you. What a night. What would I do without you?" Jennifer said, closing the door and going back to her seat.

"Make your own potions, I suppose," Severus answered somberly, sitting down. Jennifer shook her head at him, drinking it. Severus folded his hands around his mug, looking thoughtful. "I had a talk with Roger. I'm going to escort him back to his mother's house tomorrow, so don't expect me here in the morning."

"Who is doing this, Severus? Do they have any idea at all?" Jennifer asked, referring to the Death Eaters. Severus drank down his own potion, looking over at her.

"No, but he has managed to put Voldemort somewhat on the defensive, whoever he is. Voldemort actually has the Dementors out looking for him, hoping to quickly dispose of him."

"So I guess the race is on then," Jennifer said. Severus looked at her quizzically. "To see who's going to get to him first…Voldemort or the Ministry."

"Hm, well I wouldn't mind asking him a few questions myself," Severus said, thinking over some of the recent disappearances. "Considering how many of those missing and dead they think might have been killed by him had actually been supporting Dumbledore over the last fifteen years. Of course, he may not of known that or may be seeking revenge for something that happened previously."

Jennifer looked up at Severus, his thoughts mirroring her own. Were they looking at another threat against them personally as well?