Clemens arrived at the Rufus Stone just before sunrise. He didn't know the
area at all, and looked around him with interest. This place had a lot of
natural magic about it. He would have to come here more often. His fingers
traced the inscription on the Stone:
"Here stood the oak tree, on which an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrell at a stag, glanced and struck King William the Second, surnamed Rufus on the breast, of which he instantly died, on the second day of August, ANNO 1100."
Clemens smiled, and placed his hand on the ground next to the Stone, letting the memories of blood wash over him, watching the arrow strike home, watching the ensuing chaos, hearing the laughter of one man.
A noise to his right jerked him out of his reverie, and he faded into the background as Snape came into view.
Snape shivered and cursed loudly. It was too early in the morning for it to be early in the morning and, despite the fact that the weather had been warm, there was a thin layer of frost on the ground.
There was a rustling behind him, and Gilderoy Lockhart's voice boomed out over the clearing:
"Severus, old friend! Good to see you!" Snape gritted his teeth and forced his features into a thin smile. It was a high price to pay to prove his loyalty to the Dark Lord, but it had to be done.
"Lockhart."
"I got your message, old chap. What did you want to see me about?" Lockhart flashed his famous, toothy grin. "I expect you've heard the news, eh? Won the Witch Weekly's Most Handsome Man poll for the third year in a row. Have you read my new book? No? I'll give you a copy, a signed copy, how about it?"
"Gentlemen!" Both men jumped back as Clemens appeared. Snape pulled out his wand. "Please, put it away, Severus. I come as a friend."
"Who are you and what do you want?" growled Snape.
"My name is Clemens, and I only wanted to meet you."
"How did you know we would be here? Who sent you?"
"Severus, relax, he's probably just a great fan of mine. What do you want, young man? An autograph?"
"I would like you both to join me at my home," replied Clemens, still smiling.
"We don't have time for that!" snapped Snape. He sighed as Lockhart pulled out a piece of parchment and a huge quill. "For pity's sake, man, put it away! We have some urgent business to attend to!"
"Believe me, gentlemen, you have all the time in the world!" Clemens clapped his hands and the view faded, and seconds later they found themselves in a comfortably furnished living room. A girl was sat on one of the chairs, her leg draped idly over the arm. She flashed them all a smile.
"Hawkes?" asked Snape, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I live here," she replied. "Good to see you again, Severus. You know, no one from Hogwarts has bothered to keep in touch with me? I find that rude, don't you? And I thought that I had friends there!"
"No-one knew where you had gone," mumbled Snape.
"And you didn't try sending me an owl? Didn't bother with a Search-spell?" She shook her head, and turned her attention to the falcon on the back of her chair.
Clemens gestured to Snape and Lockhart to sit, and eased himself into the big chair by the fire. Snape sank uneasily onto his chair. Lockhart threw himself down and beamed around the room.
"Nice place you've got here. Bet it cost you a pretty penny, didn't it? That rug on the floor, is it Persian? I've got one very similar myself."
"That rug is the exact rug that Aladdin used to escape from the cave. It was given to me by my grandfather." Snape snorted.
"That was just a children's story." Clemens raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, really? You should know better than anyone, Snape, that children's stories have their origins in something much, much darker. I believe you wrote a scroll on the subject. I have it here somewhere." Snape went white.
"I only ever made one copy of that! It was never published, and I lost it years ago! How did you get it?"
"You'd be surprised at the things I have collected. Shall we go for a tour? Ellen, where do you recommend we start?" Ellen shrugged.
"Don't care. You always end up in exactly the same place."
"We'll start with the library, then."
"Fine. I'll wait for you in the dungeon. It's warmer down there."
"Dungeon?" Snape cast a wary look towards Clemens, his fingers straying to his wand. Clemens shrugged.
"Why should you be so surprised? All the big places have one, and besides, it's not as if it's used much anymore. I mainly use it to brew my potions. Come on, let's go." Clemens got up and strode to the door, Lockhart, beaming idiotically, following. Snape hesitated before getting up to follow. He wasn't sure whether or not to trust the man. There was something suspicious about the way that he'd been at the meeting-place. Of course, it was a popular place among Muggles, but not at sunrise. And the man was obviously not a Muggle.
"He's a good man, you know." Snape jumped; he hadn't realised that Ellen had moved beside him. "He gave me a place to stay and carried on my training after I had been cast out. He's a good man to have as a friend. I certainly wouldn't want him as my enemy. He's extremely powerful, you know. I've only been here two years, and I know I haven't seen the full extent of his power, but what I have seen has scared me shitless. Best to keep him sweet, don't you think?" She moved to the door, and then turned back. "So nice to see you again, Severus. Keep in touch. If you can be bothered."
Snape jumped up and ran after the girl.
"Ellen, wait." She turned and raised one eyebrow.
"What do you want?"
"Why does he want us here?" She shrugged.
"How should I know? He was out when I came back, and he's just turned up with you two. I didn't know you were coming, or I'd probably not have been here when you turned up."
"Why are you so hostile?"
"Why do you think? Two years, and not a single fucking goddamn word from anyone! And to think that I thought certain people cared about me. I'd catch up with them if I were you, Severus. Clemens is not a man who likes to be kept waiting." Ellen disappeared through a door. Snape stood still for a second, then hurried to catch up with Clemens and Lockhart.
"Good of you to join us, Severus. Now, as I was saying, the library has many fine examples of early scrolls. . ." Snape tuned Clemens out, occasionally nodding or smiling in what he thought were the right places. He watched Clemens carefully. He seemed extremely at ease and completely confident about everything. He was also annoyingly likeable. Snape let his mind wander. What was Hawkes doing here? Did the man have a plan for her? Surely the Ministry of Magic wouldn't. . .
Snape was suddenly aware of the silence. Clemens had asked him a question. He shook his head and said, "Sorry, could you repeat that please?"
"I was asking what your opinion was on the works of Aleister Crowley." Snape shrugged.
"I've always thought of his works to be a bit too far-fetched," mumbled Snape.
"But a talented man, don't you agree?"
"Well, yes, if you are interested in that area of magic. . ." Snape broke off. The look Clemens had given him. . . well, it wasn't nice. Not particularly evil, just. . .
Snape began to feel scared. The man had so much power, it was frightening. He'd felt it in that look. The man could destroy them without breaking a sweat, and they were at his mercy! Snape doubted very much whether they would be allowed to leave, at least in the foreseeable future. He shivered.
"Here stood the oak tree, on which an arrow shot by Sir Walter Tyrell at a stag, glanced and struck King William the Second, surnamed Rufus on the breast, of which he instantly died, on the second day of August, ANNO 1100."
Clemens smiled, and placed his hand on the ground next to the Stone, letting the memories of blood wash over him, watching the arrow strike home, watching the ensuing chaos, hearing the laughter of one man.
A noise to his right jerked him out of his reverie, and he faded into the background as Snape came into view.
Snape shivered and cursed loudly. It was too early in the morning for it to be early in the morning and, despite the fact that the weather had been warm, there was a thin layer of frost on the ground.
There was a rustling behind him, and Gilderoy Lockhart's voice boomed out over the clearing:
"Severus, old friend! Good to see you!" Snape gritted his teeth and forced his features into a thin smile. It was a high price to pay to prove his loyalty to the Dark Lord, but it had to be done.
"Lockhart."
"I got your message, old chap. What did you want to see me about?" Lockhart flashed his famous, toothy grin. "I expect you've heard the news, eh? Won the Witch Weekly's Most Handsome Man poll for the third year in a row. Have you read my new book? No? I'll give you a copy, a signed copy, how about it?"
"Gentlemen!" Both men jumped back as Clemens appeared. Snape pulled out his wand. "Please, put it away, Severus. I come as a friend."
"Who are you and what do you want?" growled Snape.
"My name is Clemens, and I only wanted to meet you."
"How did you know we would be here? Who sent you?"
"Severus, relax, he's probably just a great fan of mine. What do you want, young man? An autograph?"
"I would like you both to join me at my home," replied Clemens, still smiling.
"We don't have time for that!" snapped Snape. He sighed as Lockhart pulled out a piece of parchment and a huge quill. "For pity's sake, man, put it away! We have some urgent business to attend to!"
"Believe me, gentlemen, you have all the time in the world!" Clemens clapped his hands and the view faded, and seconds later they found themselves in a comfortably furnished living room. A girl was sat on one of the chairs, her leg draped idly over the arm. She flashed them all a smile.
"Hawkes?" asked Snape, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I live here," she replied. "Good to see you again, Severus. You know, no one from Hogwarts has bothered to keep in touch with me? I find that rude, don't you? And I thought that I had friends there!"
"No-one knew where you had gone," mumbled Snape.
"And you didn't try sending me an owl? Didn't bother with a Search-spell?" She shook her head, and turned her attention to the falcon on the back of her chair.
Clemens gestured to Snape and Lockhart to sit, and eased himself into the big chair by the fire. Snape sank uneasily onto his chair. Lockhart threw himself down and beamed around the room.
"Nice place you've got here. Bet it cost you a pretty penny, didn't it? That rug on the floor, is it Persian? I've got one very similar myself."
"That rug is the exact rug that Aladdin used to escape from the cave. It was given to me by my grandfather." Snape snorted.
"That was just a children's story." Clemens raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, really? You should know better than anyone, Snape, that children's stories have their origins in something much, much darker. I believe you wrote a scroll on the subject. I have it here somewhere." Snape went white.
"I only ever made one copy of that! It was never published, and I lost it years ago! How did you get it?"
"You'd be surprised at the things I have collected. Shall we go for a tour? Ellen, where do you recommend we start?" Ellen shrugged.
"Don't care. You always end up in exactly the same place."
"We'll start with the library, then."
"Fine. I'll wait for you in the dungeon. It's warmer down there."
"Dungeon?" Snape cast a wary look towards Clemens, his fingers straying to his wand. Clemens shrugged.
"Why should you be so surprised? All the big places have one, and besides, it's not as if it's used much anymore. I mainly use it to brew my potions. Come on, let's go." Clemens got up and strode to the door, Lockhart, beaming idiotically, following. Snape hesitated before getting up to follow. He wasn't sure whether or not to trust the man. There was something suspicious about the way that he'd been at the meeting-place. Of course, it was a popular place among Muggles, but not at sunrise. And the man was obviously not a Muggle.
"He's a good man, you know." Snape jumped; he hadn't realised that Ellen had moved beside him. "He gave me a place to stay and carried on my training after I had been cast out. He's a good man to have as a friend. I certainly wouldn't want him as my enemy. He's extremely powerful, you know. I've only been here two years, and I know I haven't seen the full extent of his power, but what I have seen has scared me shitless. Best to keep him sweet, don't you think?" She moved to the door, and then turned back. "So nice to see you again, Severus. Keep in touch. If you can be bothered."
Snape jumped up and ran after the girl.
"Ellen, wait." She turned and raised one eyebrow.
"What do you want?"
"Why does he want us here?" She shrugged.
"How should I know? He was out when I came back, and he's just turned up with you two. I didn't know you were coming, or I'd probably not have been here when you turned up."
"Why are you so hostile?"
"Why do you think? Two years, and not a single fucking goddamn word from anyone! And to think that I thought certain people cared about me. I'd catch up with them if I were you, Severus. Clemens is not a man who likes to be kept waiting." Ellen disappeared through a door. Snape stood still for a second, then hurried to catch up with Clemens and Lockhart.
"Good of you to join us, Severus. Now, as I was saying, the library has many fine examples of early scrolls. . ." Snape tuned Clemens out, occasionally nodding or smiling in what he thought were the right places. He watched Clemens carefully. He seemed extremely at ease and completely confident about everything. He was also annoyingly likeable. Snape let his mind wander. What was Hawkes doing here? Did the man have a plan for her? Surely the Ministry of Magic wouldn't. . .
Snape was suddenly aware of the silence. Clemens had asked him a question. He shook his head and said, "Sorry, could you repeat that please?"
"I was asking what your opinion was on the works of Aleister Crowley." Snape shrugged.
"I've always thought of his works to be a bit too far-fetched," mumbled Snape.
"But a talented man, don't you agree?"
"Well, yes, if you are interested in that area of magic. . ." Snape broke off. The look Clemens had given him. . . well, it wasn't nice. Not particularly evil, just. . .
Snape began to feel scared. The man had so much power, it was frightening. He'd felt it in that look. The man could destroy them without breaking a sweat, and they were at his mercy! Snape doubted very much whether they would be allowed to leave, at least in the foreseeable future. He shivered.