Chapter Eight

Ghosts and Strange Portents

Sunday was Jennifer's visiting day for Azkaban prison, and Jennifer was looking forward to her monthly visit with her father. As intolerable as he could be sometimes, she knew he was also reluctantly proud of her, and loved her as much as she did him. By alternating weekends with Severus and other visitors, they had been able to make the 'one visit per person per month' stretch so that Thomas Craw had a visitor every weekend.

In an almost tedious ritual Jennifer went through all the searches and met up with one of the enchanters that guarded the prison; a young, calm man named Thatcher Boltin. Boltin and Jennifer had become good friends. In fact, he had also become fairly good friends with Thomas Craw, for Thomas was one of those individuals that one either truly liked or extremely hated. There was never any in between. Thomas was a tall man with grey eyes and auburn hair, the sides and his short beard showing sides of grey. He walked into the visitor's room with uncommon confidence and dignity. No matter what he might have lost over the last year and a half, there was little sign he was losing his strength of will.

"There you are, Jen-girl, what kept you?" he asked, sitting down.

"Dad, visiting hours just opened half an hour ago," Jennifer said, shaking her head. "I have your Wizard's Digest, letters from Severus and Corey..."

"Oh no, not another 'Grandfather please talk them into getting me a broom' letter," Thomas chuckled.

"Your herbal tea, and your worm mints," Jennifer finished, giving them to Boltin to hand across the magic field. "Did Severus tell you? I got a new wand, my own wand this time," Jennifer said.

"Oh. did you?" Thomas said, picking up the magazine.

"You'll never guess what it is either," Jennifer said.

"Hm. I don't suppose it might be a twelve and three quarters rosewood Merlin owl feather wand?" he asked.

"Oh, so he did tell you," she said, pouting disappointedly.

"No, actually, I had some words with Dumbledore as well last week. He came to tell me about Audi moments after Severus had," Thomas explained, putting down the magazine and folding his hands together. "Just as well, I suppose. Boltin was threatening to put me in solitary after my reaction when I first found out about it. To think, that…thing is going to get out while I am left here to rot forever…for every death I committed, I can assure you he is responsible for many more. I at least am a merciful killer…"

"Dad," Jennifer said sternly, "You weren't exactly all that hesitant to torture Lucius in Knockturn…"

"Considering what I wanted to do to that inverted slug it was very mild," Thomas said and stood, his eyes beginning to flash. "Especially after what happened to your mother. Can you deny he deserved a much more excruciating punishment?"

"Thomas…" Boltin interjected warningly. "You know I normally look the other way, but I might not be able to forget any more if you keep this up."

"You should have let me kill him," Thomas said gruffly, sitting back down. Jennifer sighed.

"I know, Dad," Jennifer said with a nod.

"You do?" Thomas said with surprise. "Well, I suppose that's progress," he said, eyeing her thoughtfully.

"I don't suppose you have any idea how Malfoy could have gotten hold of the Queen's Ladle?" Jennifer asked.

"No, I have no idea, and Arthur was already down here pestering me about it. As far as I knew, it was along with all the other items Audi packed when we fled. Of course, it's more than possible she missed it…everything she left behind was sold off as a partial payment to a 'debt' the government said I owed Malfoy. Debt, my eye, he embezzled my investments and then billed me for the loss. Jennifer, you are really going to have to watch your step when he gets out. There is no doubt on my mind that he will be out for blood, and you and I are on the top of his list," Thomas grunted.

"I know Dad," Jennifer said.

"For a girl your age, you know an awful lot," he said, drumming his fingers testily. "Don't you have any good news for me? As in, when can I be expecting a real grandchild?"

"Dad!" Jennifer chuckled with exasperation. "You know the plan as well as we do. We'll have one child a year for the next four to be due out in the summer so not to conflict with work. Assuming all goes well, that is."

"Well, I suppose that'll have to do, just as long as one of them is named after a Craw," he said.

"Just don't ask us to name one of them Thomas, because we're not going to," she told him sternly. Thomas didn't argue, nodding solemnly. It had nothing to do with him, but another Tom altogether. "But it's going to be awhile before we know for sure if we can stay on schedule, so stop pestering us!"

"Do you two ever stop arguing?" A hollow voice sounded from all around them. "You are both depressing me to tears. Can't anyone ever get along? This isn't family counseling, you know, it's a prison."

"Oh, what would you know about such things! You killed your family off," Jennifer growled as a ghost materialized behind Thomas.

It was the ghost known by most patrons as Mad Ick, but whom Jennifer knew as Icarus Ravenclaw, Rowena's adopted son and former apprentice. Dark splashes of spilled potion covered the old potion master's robe; the eternal sign of what he had done… poisoning his wife and children and then himself. It was something that Jennifer had considered the most dastardly of acts, all under the reasoning that he might be able to stop his bloodline from spreading, with the hope of protecting the future from the heir of his true father, Salazar Slytherin. But it all had been in vain; Voldemort had still come, and Icarus had doomed his soul into haunting the island on which he was buried and driving everyone crazy listening to him in the process.

"Do you know what I heard?" Icarus said, floating through the barrier to look Jennifer in the face. "I heard that someone who told me that living and fighting was everything tried to convince a young Harry Potter to leave her in the Tomb to die. How hypocritical of you."

"I was already dying," Jennifer snarled. "That was an entirely different set of circumstances. I was attempting to save his life."

"And I was trying to save hundreds. But then again, you don't see the bigger picture do you? Any more than you did when your father tried to kill Voldemort and you nearly killed him instead."

"Enough! Ick, Jen-girl already has one father to remind her of her mistakes, she doesn't need two. Jen-girl, it's utterly pointless to argue morality with the dead," Thomas barked at them. "Get back over on this side where you belong, Icarus, and stop pestering her. She's only allowed an hour."

"Fine, have it your way. I waste too much time with you living people anyhow but I had to rub it in. Another Craw willing to sacrifice themselves for a cause…what is this world coming to? Disaster I'm sure," the ghost muttered, fading away.

"I really, really don't like that ghost," Jennifer said.

"I don't blame you. He really likes you, though. In fact, he drives me insane asking questions about you," Thomas said gruffly. Jennifer stared at him.

"Why in the world would that old doomsayer find any interest in me?"

"Oh I can think of several reasons; you uncovered the trap he set in the Chamber of Secrets, helped destroy the one person he feared more than himself, and you have Ravenclaw blood in you from your mother's side of the family," Thomas replied, working to open the letter from Severus. "Not to mention being born a Craw, which should be enough to interest anyone, even in this day and age," he added, earning a slight smile from Jennifer.

The conversation quickly turned into current events and more or less trivial matters, as well as talking about the new family crest that Severus was working on. Before she knew it, her time was over, and Boltin had to accompany her on the long walk back to the front of the prison.

It was not far down the corridor that Jennifer felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise and got the intense feeling of being followed. There was little doubt in her mind as to who was causing it. Boltin looked around casually, having gotten the same sensation.

"What do you want, Ick?" Jennifer sighed with annoyance.

"I'm sorry to disturb your high and mighty Crawness," Icarus said as he floated into existence walking beside him. "But I thought I might check on that stuffy fellow while I was up here, you know the one… the one who hates you and your father and the ground you walk on. Did you know he says he's getting out soon?" Boltin and Jennifer glanced at each other grimly.

"Yes, I know," Jennifer replied.

"Very well, Mrs. know-it-all, I shan't tell you anything, ever, ever again, since you can figure it all out…" threatened, but Jennifer wasn't in the mood for his games. "You know, perhaps right now might not be a good time for you to think about starting a family…" he added more seriously. Jennifer spun around with fire in her eyes, and Boltin laid a hand on her arm.

"Would you just mind your own business for a change?" Jennifer yelled at him. The ghost stared at her with a sad but stern look in his eye. For a brief moment, Jennifer almost recognized the intelligence behind the memory she had seen before he had died. As always it did not linger; fading like the ghost's own intangibility.

"My business is your business, oh last great Keeper of the Craws. And you'll do well to remember that when you have to come crawling back for my help someday," he said glumly before walking mournfully into a wall.

"I really hate that ghost," Jennifer said emphatically, allowing Boltin to conduct her back towards the front again.

As if to make her day complete, Jennifer found Sibyl waiting for her at the gates when she arrived asking her to lunch. Sighing softly, she glanced at her watch, which was pointed at 'Forest Cabin.' That was when she remembered that Severus was visiting Anna before her trip back to the States. Knowing that she would probably regret it, she accepted, and Sibyl's eyes lit up as she guided her back to the tower, chatting merrily about the trials of being gifted in such a 'misunderstood' branch of magic.

As they ate, Sibyl suggested she do a Tarot Card reading, hoping to find out more information about the dream. Jennifer couldn't help but be slightly curious in spite of herself. There had been so much symbolism in her life since she joined Hogwarts; perhaps there was something to be said for such devices. Willing to give anything a try once, and wanting to make an effort to get along with a fellow teacher no matter how eccentric, Jennifer munched on cucumber and pumpkin butter sandwiches as Sibyl 'prepared the cards.'

"Ah! Just as I suspected, Seven of Wands," Sibyl said in a voice as if that explained everything. "You are in a position of constant opposition."

"I am?" Jennifer said, looking at her with bewilderment.

"Yes of course, plain as the nose on my face. Oh, and look here, ten of pentacles covered by the seven of swords, not good, not good at all," she tsked, shaking her head, as she flipped over the cards.

"Which means, what?" Jennifer asked impatiently.

"Someone in the near future is going to attempt to take all of your wealth! It will come without guilt, perhaps with revenge in mind. Ah, look, the empress is your guide that is good, she is the mother of fertility, creativity and growth. I believe you are fated to rise above this situation! Oh, but do not get too comfortable, you have very hard times ahead," Sibyl nodded solemnly. "You see?" she said, pointing out another pair of crossed cards. "Nine of swords over the chariot. You feel a lack of control over the decisions in your life. Take my advice and fix that as soon as you can, or the next reading may not be as pleasant." Jennifer blinked at her.

She didn't feel a lack of control over her life; in fact, for the most part, things had been going smoothly. Still, some of the elements of the reading bothered her, as if there were some thin strand of truth to them… or was it just because Sibyl so fervently believed it? In either case, the idea of a 'next reading' was definitely disturbing.

"Have you finished your tea yet? No? Well, I have an idea to pass the time, how about just for fun we do a reading on Severus," Sibyl said, shuffling the cards.

"Well, I don't know. You see, Severus…"

"Come, come now, it's between us, just for fun, we don't have to tell him anything. All you need to do is let me hold something he's given you over the cards and we can go from there," Sibyl said.

"Very well, but just this once," Jennifer said firmly, unpinning her cloak pin and handing it to her. She smiled at Jennifer then closed her eyes, waving it over the cards before shuffling them carefully. Running the pin over them again she handed it back to Jennifer.

"I believe I have them properly attuned," Sibyl informed her before turning over the first card. She immediately looked pleased. "Ah, what else but the eight of swords? I should have guessed. It is the desire to hide oneself from the world and his own failures and the unwillingness to change." Jennifer propped her head up in her hand. That might have been Severus once, true, but Jennifer knew that Severus had changed quite a bit since she had met him. "Ah, here is the eight and nine of wands. He is going on an unexpected trip of great import, and will have to keep his guard up on his journey." Jennifer gazed at her thoughtfully but didn't say anything. Severus wasn't the sort who would travel without notice, either. Perhaps the first reading did sort of work for Jennifer, but this one so far wasn't making sense at all to her. "And here, very powerful cards, the Tower, which means dramatic and sometimes traumatic change, and the fool, which is beginning a new venture. There can be little doubt great upheaving events dominate his future. His top card is the Magician, the will to see things through until the end, one trait I do think you'll agree with me that he has," she told her with a smile. That was when she turned over the next two cards and looked at them in bewilderment, frowning. Suddenly she started sweeping the cards back together.

"What, what's the matter?" Jennifer asked.

"Nothing, nothing, that's all there was," Sibyl said frantically.

"Sibyl, I'm a Truth Seeker, if you don't tell me I'll just get it from your face," Jennifer said, trying to make eye contact with her.

"You won't believe me. In fact, I'd rather not believe it, but then there it was plain as can be. I suppose I should warn you, but then again, I should probably just butt out," Sibyl said.

"Sibyl, what did you see?" Jennifer sighed irritably. She was half convinced this was all an act just to get her curious. Exhaling, Sibyl putting her cards away and took Jennifer's hand.

"I saw the Ace of cups below a Queen of Pentacles, in this case, a person… an unknown girl. In the near future, Severus will fall in love with another. I'm sorry, but along with the Tower…a great change could also be a severed relationship, so it doesn't look good," she said in a low voice. Jennifer stared at her.

"That is the most total load of nonsense I have ever heard in my entire life!" Jennifer said, getting up. "I've heard of your ridiculous predictions before, but this one definitely takes the cake! Severus and I are a Cosmic Match, or have you forgotten that?"

"The cards don't lie," Sibyl said calmly.

"Sibyl! They're just cards! There's no truth in them, and if there were, I'd know it!" Jennifer said.

"I think you do know it. I think that's why you're upset. You know, if you were wise, you'd take my advice and do what you can to keep him from meeting anyone…"

"That's it, I'm leaving. Sibyl, I trust Severus implicitly. And I definitely trust my own judgment over some half-baked conglomeration of superstitions that for some unknown reason still exists as a magical study. There hasn't even ever been any proof it is magic. And I think it's not anything I care to explore further, but thank you for your interest."

Jennifer stormed down the tower stairs feeling utterly furious, and not really feeling in the mood to talk to anyone until she calmed down. She went to the indoor gym where they met for sparring, and began working on her forms to help clear her head. How could she have let Sibyl get to her like that? Because Sibyl believed it, Jennifer mused thoughtfully, glancing in the mirror. But just because someone believes it's the truth, that doesn't make it the truth. A curious feeling went through Jennifer as she pondered that before she glanced at her watch again and walked out of the room.