Chapter Thirty

A Question of Lineage

A few days later, Jennifer arranged to have lunch with Anna in her office to talk about her progress and get some idea of what other things Anna might need to learn. The office itself had come a long way from when it was a storage room. The last of the books that had been packed there had little by little found other homes, and along with the Muggle-style paintings and tiny potted plants had really began to look like somewhere a person might retreat to get some quiet work done. They had been talking for some time when Jennifer began to get distracted, nibbling on olive bread and looking over at her sister-in-law thoughtfully.

"Anna, there's something I've been wondering about, and I hope you don't mind if it's a bit nosy," Jennifer said.

"You can ask me anything," Anna shrugged. "We're family now, after all."

"Well, I was sort of wondering about your family. How much do you know about them, their history, I mean?" Jennifer asked.

"You mean, about the Snapes?" Anna asked.

"Well, not just the Snapes. But the Hughes, and your mother's family."

"I don't really know anything about the Snapes except what Severus has told me. The Hughes are an old family in America, they were Dutch colonists I'm told. And my mother's family came from Ireland I believe, and moved to America in the eighteen hundreds or so. I don't know any great detail, though, but I've always wanted to. I just never had the time," Anna said thoughtfully. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, just curious," Jennifer said, picking at her bread. "Being a Craw and all, we're pretty much smothered in family history since we're kids. Who did what famous thing, who married who, that sort of thing."

"Well, I seriously doubt any of my family are half as colorful a family as yours," Anna chuckled. "Still, now you've got me curious. I think I'll use some of my spare time this summer to go look it up,"

"If you find out anything interesting, I'd love to hear about it," Jennifer said.

There was a tap at the window and Jennifer put down the bread, opening the small window to let in two owls, one handing Jennifer a small bundle of letters and the other dropping Anna's on her desk.

"Oh look, there's a Muggle posted letter on top of mine, labeled Air Mail. I still want to know what they mean by that. What other kind is there?" Jennifer asked, as Anna chuckled softly.

"Well, normally they're delivered by trucks," Anna said. "You know, large cars."

"That sounds rather inefficient," Jennifer said, sitting back down. "It's from Doctor Linde again, we met at your wedding."

"Doctor Linde? He used to be my pediatrician when I was growing up. I didn't know you two were writing," Anna admitted with surprise.

"Yes, after that whole mess at the end when all of us starting talking to the Muggles, he, Severus, and I started chatting about how potions work, and we really hit it off," Jennifer said.

"Wait a moment, you told him about potions?" Anna asked flatly.

"It's all right. At least, I think it is," Jennifer assured her. "After you left, some of the Muggles stayed behind and we all started talking, and they started asking us all sorts of questions and some of us, namely the Ministry folk, started asking them questions back. It was actually a lot of fun, even though I admit I was so glad to get home to my nice comfortable cottage again."

"Now I know why Corey wanted to do a paper on my wedding. I wish someone had told me about that sooner! Wait 'til I go home for Easter," Anna said, glancing over her post. Suddenly she stopped and put them down.

"What's wrong?"

"Another letter with no labeling. The last one I got had a curse on it," Anna said. Jennifer got up, getting her wand out.

"Hang on, let me take it. I doubt that any cursed letters would get past Hogwarts post, but better safe than sorry," Jennifer said. "I may need your help in case I can't get this spell off," she added, pushing the envelope aside with a quill. Concentrating for a moment beforehand, Jennifer cast the identify spell on it, waiting for the grey aura around the envelope to change colors. When it didn't, she took out some gloves and put them on, opening it carefully, muttering another spell under her breath before looking at the writing.

"It's not cursed," Jennifer said, paling slightly, "but it's not friendly, either."

"Let me see it," Anna said, taking the letter from her and reading the text.

This is your last warning. If you value your family and the welfare of their future, you must rescind your knowledge of magic, else those you care about will meet a bitter fate.

"Who do they think they are, asking something like that? Threatening my family like that?" Anna said angrily.

"It was sent through the Muggle post again, probably so we couldn't trace it," Jennifer said. "Whoever is sending these must have some idea what you are, and I think… I think that it's scaring them."

"Scaring them? Me?" Anna stared at her.

"Yes, Anna, you," said another voice. Jennifer glanced up at one of the paintings to see Caprica standing there.

"Oh, hello, Professor," she waved, receiving a smile from Caprica in return before she gazed back over at Anna.

"Anna, haven't you observed before that many of the prejudices that have grown over the years are rooted in fear?"

"All prejudices are rooted in fear," Anna said. Caprica smiled then and nodded.

"True enough. Well, let me assure you, even in the magic world, humans are not comfortable when certain things fall out of what they consider the natural order of things. And you, although very much apart of this world, also have powers that many others do not."

"Jennifer can cast dark spells that no one else can, and yet they don't seem to fear her," Anna said.

"Not fear Jennifer Craw? What makes you think they don't?" Caprica asked. Jennifer looked up at her curiously. "I may have only been awake for a few months, but I might be so bold, I believe she is probably feared almost as much as Dumbledore or Harry Potter, and rightfully so. I certainly wouldn't want to be on her bad side myself if I was alive."

"Well, they never threatened Jennifer, did they?" Anna asked.

"Actually they did, from the moment I arrived at Hogwarts," Jennifer admitted. "I'm not sure I agree with Professor Dusthorn that anyone fears me now, but when I first came, it was different. Of course, they didn't want my powers to end, they just wanted me dead."

"So what does that say to the two of you about this person, then?" Caprica asked.

"They don't want you dead, they just want you out of the way. So, it is someone that must care about you on some level, but are still so frightened that they feel compelled to do this," Jennifer said. "Or, maybe, they think they aren't capable of killing you."

"They're not willing to threaten to harm me, but they'll threaten everyone around me," Anna said, angrily. "I've had about enough of this. I need to find out who's doing this."

"I think I know how," Jennifer said cautiously, looking at Anna. "In fact, I might even know who."

Jennifer couldn't help but be slightly annoyed the way Severus waved her off with a simple, "Have fun, be careful," when she announced that she and Anna were going to run some errands near London, especially after the row they had gotten into when she had been late to Danny's game. True, he hadn't known exactly where she was since the hotel wasn't listed on the watch, but still... this time, he hadn't even bothered to look up from his work. Huffing slightly, Jennifer stepped out, heading over to her office where Anna was waiting.

"That didn't take long," Anna grinned at her.

"Do you believe he didn't even blink an eye?" Jennifer said, baffled.

"Neither did Sirius. I wonder if they're up to something," Anna mused.

"Well, it can't be half as important as what we're doing," Jennifer said, closing and locking the door. She double-checked her cloak to make sure she had everything. "Let's go."

After taking the floo to Diagon Alley, Jennifer stopped at the Craw vault and quickly removed a dusty tome from it, blowing off the dust when she got upstairs and showing it to Anna. "This is it, this is what we've been looking for," Jennifer said rather loudly, looking serious. "With the Spear at our side, it should be safe enough."

"I'll do whatever I can to help you," Anna said, playing along even though she wasn't quite sure what she was playing along with.

"We'd better get going then if we want to make it by sunset. That'll be the best time to try it," Jennifer nodded as the two of them left the bank. Getting out their brooms, they flew straight up into the cloud line, pausing momentarily when they were at a good height and were sure they couldn't be seen. "I feel a sense of déjà vu coming on," Jennifer grinned, gently nudging the broom towards Salisbury.

"You sure you're going to be able manage that thing all the way there on your own?" Anna asked her.

"If you can, I can," Jennifer said, "Just no fast dives, ok?"

"Definitely not," Anna said, as the two of them pushed forward. It wasn't all that far to the downs, and Jennifer had remembered enough to get them going in the right direction. Strangely enough, it was Anna who seemed to know the way as they got closer to Stonehenge, even though she had been encased in crystal the first time. Just as they reached the site, Anna pulled the broom to a stop, hovering on the edge of the clouds as she looked down with a grimace.

"You know, there's something I think you forgot about when you planned this thing on the Spring Equinox," Anna said. "Tourists," she said somberly, looking down at the crowd of people camping around Stonehenge.

"Hang on a moment, nothing's moving," Jennifer said, leaning to one side to try and get a better look. "Let's land a bit away from them and walk up." Cautiously the two witches landed, picking their way across the hill and over. Everything was eerily still, the sky beginning to color as the sun made its descent. Taking out her wand, Jennifer stepped closer towards the first group, looking at them carefully before relaxing.

"They're asleep. All of them," she said.

"Asleep? So many?" Anna said, stepping up to take a look.

"By someone who knew what they were doing, apparently," Jennifer said walking closer to the rings. "I guess you must have learned a trick or two working in the Ministry all of those years, didn't you Fudge?" Anna looked at her with surprise, and then watched as Jennifer stepped into the ring. Cornelius Fudge stepped out from behind one of the monoliths warily, nodding to her.

"And just how, might I ask, did you know I would be here?"

"I knew you were keeping a careful eye on Anna, and I had a feeling if we went somewhere public like Diagon Alley that you might have taken notice, wondering what we were up to," Jennifer said. "And when you discovered we were coming here, I knew you would come to stop us, especially now that you know that at least of two of the four items used to safely open the gate are at Hogwarts. It was also you who was sending her the messages, although I have a feeling you had some help with that, since I doubt you truly have the know-how to make the curse that was on the one letter.

"But I have no doubt at all that it was you who called the Imp. You of all people knew what sort of trouble someone can get into for casting spells in public, and you were betting that Anna, being new to our world in many ways, would make that mistake. Of course, the plan backfired, since everyone saw the Imp after the chandelier fell, epecially after it grabbed Alex. So instead of the political nightmare it might have been, it opened a door, in many ways, between several of the Muggles and us, and the incident was quickly swept under the rug."

"Such accusations. What makes you so sure it was me?" Fudge asked warily.

"Because for one thing, you're one of the few people that actually had a real motive…the same one that prompted you to keep Obliviating her memories and sending her home. Everyone knows that to be an Aethermage, you have to have strong faerie bloodlines on both sides of the family. But what if all of Anna's blood stemmed from the same source, from differing branches of the same tree that stretched in different directions for centuries? The only way to tell for sure if someone possesses this bloodline is that they all have certain traits, such as being an Aethermage, and possessing strange immunity to certain types of spells, and so forth. And of course, the most revealing part is the fact that according to legend, they, the descents of all four children of Merlin are the only ones who can properly reopen the gate to the Otherworld. And the only person who possesses all of those qualities that might fit that description that is Anna," Jennifer said, looking over at her.

"No, this can't possibly be right," Anna said, shaking her head, her face growing paler by the second. "Why do these things always seem to happen to me?"

"My dear, Jennifer just explained why all of these things happen to you," Fudge sighed. "And she also just explained why I can't let you go now," he said, casting the Earth-bind spell on them before they could react. "I had long promised your parents when you were little that I would do my best to look out for you, but that was before I knew that you possessed the power to destroy our world forever. I am sorry, but it's much too great a risk. We didn't survive the torment of Voldemort only to be taken down by one of you," he said sadly. Suddenly from all around them snakes began to slither into view, and Jennifer knew at once from their diamond-shaped backs what they were.

"Don't move, Anna. Vipers. And our friend Fudge seems to have the Staff of Eyre on him," Jennifer said. "I should have guessed it was you, come to think of it. Back when Voldemort was around, the Ministry wouldn't have had all that much time after you left to worry about changing codes and procedures and I bet some were completely overlooked. You probably still have a friend or two in the building willing to help you out as well, didn't you?"

"I would keep very quiet if I were you, Professor. Vipers don't normally attack without reason but you never know; they're not too fond of being controlled and might have gotten temperamental. A bite might not be fatal under normal circumstances, but considering your condition, I'd take time to pause and consider what it might do to your child," Fudge said. "I was very fond of your mother, Jennifer, we were good friends, and I'd rather not anything happen to you either."

"He was at Hogsmeade the day the Wraith came," Anna said softly. "I remember you telling me about it."

"So you, not Malfoy, was the one who wanted to find out what was left down there, and you were trying to steer us to think it was him," Jennifer said, "What were you looking for?"

"One of the missing pieces of the gate, of course, the only one nobody seems to know where it is…Dagda's Cauldron," Fudge said. "I knew if I could just get a hold of it and destroy it, then there would be no chance of the seal ever being broken again, and it would end the temptation of ever wanting to open it. As it turned out, it wasn't down there, but I left the Dreadbiter to see if it could find an opportunity to get hold of one of the other pieces, as well as discourage anyone from wanting to go back down in those caverns," Fudge said. One of the vipers made a play at biting Jennifer's leg, and she stopped moving towards her wand, letting her hand fall back to her side.

"We seem to be in a bit of a stalemate here," Jennifer said. "After all, you yourself said you don't want to hurt us, and yet we can't stay here all night. Your spell on those Muggle tourists isn't going to last forever."

"No, but we're not at a stalemate. You are both going to take a little Cosmic nap now," Fudge said, "and since my other pet is busy looking for Sirius and Severus, it might actually be a very long nap indeed," he admitted, putting away his wand and taking out a bloodstained spindle.

"Hey, that's a family heirloom," Jennifer complained. "I see the chest wasn't the only thing you took out of the Craw vault."

"I suppose it's only fitting then that you be the next to use it," he said, taking a step towards her.

Suddenly there was a loud hissing sound and the snakes coiled, hissing in confusion as if not knowing who to attack. Fudge, seeing he was losing control of the vipers, dropped the spindle to grab the staff with both hands. But the staff was jerked away, and in a panic he began to fight for control of it while the snakes around them started to scatter angrily. Quickly Jennifer reached over and grabbed the spindle, ignoring the pricking sensation in her finger as she did so, thrusting it down in her pocket while sucking on her finger. Anna in the meantime had run over to Fudge and pulled his arm away from the staff as it was finally ripped from his hands, floating in mid-air as another hissing sound, loud and persistent, was heard. The vipers, subdued by the staff again, turned around to look as a head appeared next to the staff.

"Harry!" Anna and Jennifer said at once.

"Hello girls, fancy meeting you here. All right, Jennifer?" Harry asked.

"Fine. It's a family heirloom, so it wouldn't have worked on me anyway," Jennifer explained. "And I officially charge Fudge with possession of stolen goods, abuse of attorney privileges against my family, being a Muggle public nuisance, and whatever the hell anyone else can think of for all of this mess," she said. Harry gladly put him in Auror cuffs.

"Harry, what are you doing here?" Anna asked.

"Well, Ginny's home on spring break. I had stopped by to see Severus after the game and he seemed to think Jennifer was into trouble again, so I promised I'd keep an eye on her," he said cheerfully. "I didn't know this would be a working vacation, but I guess I should have known better."

"Wait a minute, what about Sirius and Severus?" Jennifer said, glancing at her ring and fumbling for her watch. "Severus is the forest now, they might be in a lot of danger! We have to warn them."

"I can't Disapparate, or I already would have," Anna said with frustration. "And this isn't exactly the best place for me to drop off," she added, glancing at the tourists.

"I need to get Fudge to the Ministry and let Dumbledore know what's going on. You girls better run ahead and find them. I'll catch up," Harry said.

"Right," Jennifer said, pulling out her broom, Anna doing the same.

"You both came here on your own brooms?" Harry said surprised. "Boy, things have changed around here since I've been gone."

"We'll tell you all about it later," Jennifer promised, kicking up from the ground.

"Be careful, you two. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Harry told them, watching them go before turning to Fudge. "I don't envy you."

"I wouldn't plan on me being in jail for any length of time if I were you," Fudge told him.

"I didn't mean about that," Harry said, taking out his Ministry port key. "I don't envy the chat Dumbledore is going to have with you when he finds out about all of this. Come on," he said, whisking them away.