Disclaimer: Well, you should know by now who belongs to who, I should think. I'm not making any money from this.
A/N: I am so unbelievably sorry it took me this long to write the new chapter. -_-; Real life got in the way of things, and writers block hit me along with a heap of other things, so I apologise profusely for that, and I would like to thank Severa, for encouraging me to write and ensuring that I did. Love you dear. ^_^ I cannot say for certain when chapter 13 will be up.....rest assured it'll be awhile though. I start university in a few weeks, and that's going to seriously cut down my writing time.
That said....this chapter may be revised when I find the time. I'm not entirely happy with it, but still.....if anyone's still around, r/r away please. ^_^
********************
Chapter 12- The Raven Bloodline
Down, down, down......Emmanuel felt himself being seemingly sucked into oblivion.
Then, in a mere moment........
He felt Snape's hands on his shoulders, keeping him steady as he felt his legs sway underneath him.
"The first time going into a memory has that effect," the Potions Master said nonchalantly, brushing a strand of dark hair from his eyes as they looked into the murky greyness.
Then, before his eyes, Emmanuel began to see a scene fade into view. A very familiar one.
It was in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. The tables were there, lined up, the teachers table, the enchanted ceiling and candles......but all the faces sitting at the tables were different.
"Wha-"
"Shh..." Severus whispered and gestured to the stool and sorting hat that were sitting out there, and a younger McGonagall, reading out names one by one as the first years went out and were sorted.
"Quirrell, Wilton!"
Emmanuel's head jerked around to see a short, thin, dark-haired boy of eleven moving nervously to the stool. Wait a minute......no, it couldn't be.
The boy was almost a spitting image of himself. Emmanuel's eyes widened.
"That's Dad." he said quietly in awe.
He barely heard the soft chuckle from Snape as he watched his young Father sit down on the stool and have the sorting hat placed upon his head.
There was a brief, palpable silence before the hat cried out 'Ravenclaw!' and Wilton hurried over to his house table. Along the way, Emmanuel noticed an older, Slytherin student pat him on the shoulder. As he squinted harder, he noticed the hooked nose and the much shorter, but raven black hair of the student.
"And that's...."
"Me. Yes." Snape replied quietly. "This is your Father and Mother's sorting in 1970."
Several students later, Emmanuel heard his Mother's name announced and was treated to the sight of his mother, 34 years younger and looking very shy indeed, being sorted into Ravenclaw.
"She's so young....." he marveled.
"And," Snape mused, pointing out Wilton, who'd saved a seat for her at the table and smiled happily as she sat next to him, "your Father was quite smitten by her. Even then."
The older man then crooked a finger to the entrance, and as they walked through, the scene faded to grey, then to the marble staircase, where a new, different scene faded into view. Another very crowded view, Emmanuel observed. The staircase was empty but for two students, but others mulled near the foot of it. Also present was a rather harried-looking wizard bearing a camera, and a younger witch, quill and parchment in hand and in conversation with Dumbledore.
"It is truly a great honour to have graduates such as Wilton Quirrell and Celestina Sinistra among our ranks. With a legacy such as this, we anticipate a great future for the wizarding world, even in hard times." the then-Headmaster was saying, gesturing to the two smiling teenagers.
Emmanuel, still getting over his shock at glimpsing his parents at his age, was further mind-boggled at the sight of his parents as a pair of shy eighteen year-olds. Somehow, Snape was guiding him through the students, right to the front of them. There stood his Father and Mother, Wilton only slightly taller than before, face flushed with excitement. Celestina, slightly taller than Wilton, her face also flushed with excitement. And, Emmanuel noticed immediately bounding down the stairs towards them, a younger Professor Flitwick.
Then again, he thought, maybe bounding wasn't the word. He was making his way down quickly and carefully, as he was balancing the weight of two very cranky ravens on his shoulders. The photographer sighed relief.
"Ah, the ravens." he said with a relieved smile, as Flitwick made his way over and got the ravens to perch on his shoulders.
However, the ravens did not calm down. Instead, they crowed louder, flapping their wings, their claws digging into the shoulder of the photographer.
"Merlin's beard! Get them off!" he yelled.
Wilton moved down a few steps quickly.
"Shhhhh......" he put a finger to his lips, and the birds straightened and were silent.
The photographer looked stunned.
"How'd you do that?" the photographer asked. "They wouldn't be quiet for anyone, that pair!"
Wilton shrugged modestly, as Celly said "I don't get it myself......he gets on better with the Ravenclaw birds than anyone else."
"They flock to him like a moth to the flame!" added Professor Flitwick with a proud smile. "He has a gift with them."
A gift? Emmanuel wondered, as the scene faded again and before he knew it, he was back in Dumbledore's room.
"Couldn't we see more, Professor?" Emmanuel asked. "Surely there's more memories that Professor Dumbledore has about Dad...."
"My memories of your Father are endless, Mr Quirrell," said the former Headmaster, standing to join the potions master and his young charge. "but I'm afraid I can't allow you to look at all of them right now. Some things are better left unseen.......at least until you're older."
Emmanuel frowned. "Why?" He felt a slight anger rising in him. "I have a right to see everything! He was my father!"
"And you shouldn't be denied him, Mr Quirrell," Dumbledore replied in a calm and even tone. "but neither should your sister."
"You will see more, Emmanuel." Snape added, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "But your sister must see them as well. She can't be denied it either."
***************************
The next morning in London, Eve found herself packing her things again. The previous night, after meeting Draco, Tony had ordered Atticus and Catherine to leave. She found herself with a sick feeling in her stomach when she left the club, and a distinct impression that Creevey, the waiter that Tony had spoken with, had clearly become more clumsy and nervous than before.
"Are we going straight home?" she asked, lugging what little she'd brought with her into the living room.
"No," Atticus replied. "not immediately. I've been asked to pay a visit to the Ministry of Magic to see someone about a little project that Professor McGonagall has invested much importance in."
"Really? What kind of project?"
"Well...." Atticus fumbled for the right words, not wanting to give anything away about the threats from a dark wizard. "....it's a little project on the history of Hogwarts. A very important one though."
***************************
And so it was, Eve thought, as they came to the Ministry. A goblin dressed in a blue and gold uniform asked what business they were on.
"An appointment with Miss Hermione Granger of the Archaelogical/Historical department." was Atticus' prompt reply, handing over a piece of parchment. The goblin examined the parchment and nodded.
"Up the staircase, down the main hall, then two doors down the east one."
"Hermione Granger?" Eve queried. "I know Hermione Granger!"
"mmhmm," Atticus nodded as they walked up the staircase. "she works here at the ministry....you know of her?"
"She's the girlfriend of one of the Weasleys....Percy's brother Ron."
"Really?"
"Yes, that's perfectly true," came a clipped, polite voice from behind them. "though I'd ask you to respect my privacy, Professor Dinsdale."
Atticus' head whipped around in surprise. "Miss Granger...we meet again!"
Eve turned around at the same time to see the Miss Granger in question, a young witch with pretty brown eyes and hair that was struggling to escape it's ponytail.
"We do, Professor." she smiled, shaking his hand in greeting. "Professor McGonagall told me to expect a visit from you, and...." she trailed off, look in Eve's direction. She looked up at Atticus. ".....is this Professor Quirrell's daughter?"
Atticus nodded in reply, and Hermione offered her hand, which Eve shook. "It's a pleasure to meet you.....Merlin's Beard, the last time I saw you, you were only this high." and she held her hand to her knee.
Atticus chuckled at Eve's embarrassed expression before resuming walking alongside her and talking, Eve listening intently.
"How goes the research?" he asked, as he watched Hermione juggle the papers and books in her hand.
"Slowly," she replied with a disappointed expression. "the raven bloodline is difficult to track since the heirs were kept in secret. I do have a few leads though, if you'll follow me into my office."
Hermione stopped at an inconspicuous little door with her name on it. Taking her wand from the sleeve of her robes, she ran it down the edge, mumuring an incantation, at which point the door sprang open, revealing a surprisingly huge office with stacks of parchment and bookshelves lining the walls that stretched to the ceiling. She beckoned them inside to chairs in front of her desk, on which sat an extremely shrewd-looking giant orange cat.
"Don't take heed of Crookshanks," she laughed, seating herself behind her desk and proceeding to go through a drawer, pulling out a navy blue folder. "he looks at everyone like that."
Eve smiled, and petted the cat. "What's the raven bloodline?" she asked.
Hermione handed Atticus the folder. "The raven bloodline is the bloodline of Rowena Ravenclaw. Her descendents and heirs." she paused, looking up at Atticus. "Can she be trusted with information like this?"
Atticus nodded. "Of course," he glanced at Eve. "you promise not to tell?"
She nodded, and Hermione continued. "Well, the school's trying to find the Ravenclaw heirs for.....historical purposes," she half lied. "and I'm currently researching the oldest pureblood wizarding families in the United Kingdom and tracing their bloodlines back into the founding years of Hogwarts."
"But she hasn't found anything yet," Atticus added. "because Rowena Ravenclaw kept her heirs hidden to prevent any danger befalling them."
"That folder contains what I've found so far.....in particular, a family of Irish druids who emigrated about twenty or so years before Hogwarts was established. The information there should keep Professor McGonagall interested until we meet again, which shouldn't be too far off. I'm just waiting on Miss Lister's contributions."
"I see." Atticus glanced at his fob watch. "Professor McGonagall is expecting me back with my charge here, soon."
He stood and reached to shake Hermione's hand again. "I shall see you at the next meeting."
"Yes, yes indeed." she replied, before shaking Eve's hand. "And it was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Quirrell....your father was a remarkable wizard."
Eve nodded, feeling a bit lighter about her situation. "Yes."
After the two had left, Hermione found herself mulling over the Quirrell name. Wilton Quirrell's family had evidently been an old pureblood family themselves, and had a history of having many Ravenclaw alumnus in their midst. Perhaps they were worth researching....
*********************
"We meet again, Master Malfoy."
Draco smiled at the Bloody Baron's spectre in the flames, leaning back in his chair. "You bring news, dark servant?"
"Yes...Emmanuel Quirrell's met with Professor Dumbledore. Severus Snape took him up to meet him."
"Oh? And are there any clues of what was concerned in this....meeting?"
"It is....hard to say, Master Malfoy. I believe though, that he's getting his first inkling of who his father was in life though....as opposed to death. As for his sister, Eveleen.....I'm not so sure about her. She was absent."
"Hmm.......I saw Eveleen in London. At Tony Parkis' club, with Snape's nephew and Iphigenia Lister." Draco, rested his chin on his hand in thought. "Find out why they were in London. I would say it was more than just a casual visit. And keep your eyes on them. If they're starting to get wind of their father.....there's a chance they could get an inkling of their ancestry as well, and we can't have that happen before it's too late."
"Always at your service, Master Malfoy."
"Until next time, dark servant."
Draco watched as his ghostly face disappeared from the flames. That little meeting over, he relaxed slightly, his thoughts slowly and methodically planning the attack that would come in the ensuing months.
End of chapter 12
A/N: I am so unbelievably sorry it took me this long to write the new chapter. -_-; Real life got in the way of things, and writers block hit me along with a heap of other things, so I apologise profusely for that, and I would like to thank Severa, for encouraging me to write and ensuring that I did. Love you dear. ^_^ I cannot say for certain when chapter 13 will be up.....rest assured it'll be awhile though. I start university in a few weeks, and that's going to seriously cut down my writing time.
That said....this chapter may be revised when I find the time. I'm not entirely happy with it, but still.....if anyone's still around, r/r away please. ^_^
********************
Chapter 12- The Raven Bloodline
Down, down, down......Emmanuel felt himself being seemingly sucked into oblivion.
Then, in a mere moment........
He felt Snape's hands on his shoulders, keeping him steady as he felt his legs sway underneath him.
"The first time going into a memory has that effect," the Potions Master said nonchalantly, brushing a strand of dark hair from his eyes as they looked into the murky greyness.
Then, before his eyes, Emmanuel began to see a scene fade into view. A very familiar one.
It was in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. The tables were there, lined up, the teachers table, the enchanted ceiling and candles......but all the faces sitting at the tables were different.
"Wha-"
"Shh..." Severus whispered and gestured to the stool and sorting hat that were sitting out there, and a younger McGonagall, reading out names one by one as the first years went out and were sorted.
"Quirrell, Wilton!"
Emmanuel's head jerked around to see a short, thin, dark-haired boy of eleven moving nervously to the stool. Wait a minute......no, it couldn't be.
The boy was almost a spitting image of himself. Emmanuel's eyes widened.
"That's Dad." he said quietly in awe.
He barely heard the soft chuckle from Snape as he watched his young Father sit down on the stool and have the sorting hat placed upon his head.
There was a brief, palpable silence before the hat cried out 'Ravenclaw!' and Wilton hurried over to his house table. Along the way, Emmanuel noticed an older, Slytherin student pat him on the shoulder. As he squinted harder, he noticed the hooked nose and the much shorter, but raven black hair of the student.
"And that's...."
"Me. Yes." Snape replied quietly. "This is your Father and Mother's sorting in 1970."
Several students later, Emmanuel heard his Mother's name announced and was treated to the sight of his mother, 34 years younger and looking very shy indeed, being sorted into Ravenclaw.
"She's so young....." he marveled.
"And," Snape mused, pointing out Wilton, who'd saved a seat for her at the table and smiled happily as she sat next to him, "your Father was quite smitten by her. Even then."
The older man then crooked a finger to the entrance, and as they walked through, the scene faded to grey, then to the marble staircase, where a new, different scene faded into view. Another very crowded view, Emmanuel observed. The staircase was empty but for two students, but others mulled near the foot of it. Also present was a rather harried-looking wizard bearing a camera, and a younger witch, quill and parchment in hand and in conversation with Dumbledore.
"It is truly a great honour to have graduates such as Wilton Quirrell and Celestina Sinistra among our ranks. With a legacy such as this, we anticipate a great future for the wizarding world, even in hard times." the then-Headmaster was saying, gesturing to the two smiling teenagers.
Emmanuel, still getting over his shock at glimpsing his parents at his age, was further mind-boggled at the sight of his parents as a pair of shy eighteen year-olds. Somehow, Snape was guiding him through the students, right to the front of them. There stood his Father and Mother, Wilton only slightly taller than before, face flushed with excitement. Celestina, slightly taller than Wilton, her face also flushed with excitement. And, Emmanuel noticed immediately bounding down the stairs towards them, a younger Professor Flitwick.
Then again, he thought, maybe bounding wasn't the word. He was making his way down quickly and carefully, as he was balancing the weight of two very cranky ravens on his shoulders. The photographer sighed relief.
"Ah, the ravens." he said with a relieved smile, as Flitwick made his way over and got the ravens to perch on his shoulders.
However, the ravens did not calm down. Instead, they crowed louder, flapping their wings, their claws digging into the shoulder of the photographer.
"Merlin's beard! Get them off!" he yelled.
Wilton moved down a few steps quickly.
"Shhhhh......" he put a finger to his lips, and the birds straightened and were silent.
The photographer looked stunned.
"How'd you do that?" the photographer asked. "They wouldn't be quiet for anyone, that pair!"
Wilton shrugged modestly, as Celly said "I don't get it myself......he gets on better with the Ravenclaw birds than anyone else."
"They flock to him like a moth to the flame!" added Professor Flitwick with a proud smile. "He has a gift with them."
A gift? Emmanuel wondered, as the scene faded again and before he knew it, he was back in Dumbledore's room.
"Couldn't we see more, Professor?" Emmanuel asked. "Surely there's more memories that Professor Dumbledore has about Dad...."
"My memories of your Father are endless, Mr Quirrell," said the former Headmaster, standing to join the potions master and his young charge. "but I'm afraid I can't allow you to look at all of them right now. Some things are better left unseen.......at least until you're older."
Emmanuel frowned. "Why?" He felt a slight anger rising in him. "I have a right to see everything! He was my father!"
"And you shouldn't be denied him, Mr Quirrell," Dumbledore replied in a calm and even tone. "but neither should your sister."
"You will see more, Emmanuel." Snape added, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "But your sister must see them as well. She can't be denied it either."
***************************
The next morning in London, Eve found herself packing her things again. The previous night, after meeting Draco, Tony had ordered Atticus and Catherine to leave. She found herself with a sick feeling in her stomach when she left the club, and a distinct impression that Creevey, the waiter that Tony had spoken with, had clearly become more clumsy and nervous than before.
"Are we going straight home?" she asked, lugging what little she'd brought with her into the living room.
"No," Atticus replied. "not immediately. I've been asked to pay a visit to the Ministry of Magic to see someone about a little project that Professor McGonagall has invested much importance in."
"Really? What kind of project?"
"Well...." Atticus fumbled for the right words, not wanting to give anything away about the threats from a dark wizard. "....it's a little project on the history of Hogwarts. A very important one though."
***************************
And so it was, Eve thought, as they came to the Ministry. A goblin dressed in a blue and gold uniform asked what business they were on.
"An appointment with Miss Hermione Granger of the Archaelogical/Historical department." was Atticus' prompt reply, handing over a piece of parchment. The goblin examined the parchment and nodded.
"Up the staircase, down the main hall, then two doors down the east one."
"Hermione Granger?" Eve queried. "I know Hermione Granger!"
"mmhmm," Atticus nodded as they walked up the staircase. "she works here at the ministry....you know of her?"
"She's the girlfriend of one of the Weasleys....Percy's brother Ron."
"Really?"
"Yes, that's perfectly true," came a clipped, polite voice from behind them. "though I'd ask you to respect my privacy, Professor Dinsdale."
Atticus' head whipped around in surprise. "Miss Granger...we meet again!"
Eve turned around at the same time to see the Miss Granger in question, a young witch with pretty brown eyes and hair that was struggling to escape it's ponytail.
"We do, Professor." she smiled, shaking his hand in greeting. "Professor McGonagall told me to expect a visit from you, and...." she trailed off, look in Eve's direction. She looked up at Atticus. ".....is this Professor Quirrell's daughter?"
Atticus nodded in reply, and Hermione offered her hand, which Eve shook. "It's a pleasure to meet you.....Merlin's Beard, the last time I saw you, you were only this high." and she held her hand to her knee.
Atticus chuckled at Eve's embarrassed expression before resuming walking alongside her and talking, Eve listening intently.
"How goes the research?" he asked, as he watched Hermione juggle the papers and books in her hand.
"Slowly," she replied with a disappointed expression. "the raven bloodline is difficult to track since the heirs were kept in secret. I do have a few leads though, if you'll follow me into my office."
Hermione stopped at an inconspicuous little door with her name on it. Taking her wand from the sleeve of her robes, she ran it down the edge, mumuring an incantation, at which point the door sprang open, revealing a surprisingly huge office with stacks of parchment and bookshelves lining the walls that stretched to the ceiling. She beckoned them inside to chairs in front of her desk, on which sat an extremely shrewd-looking giant orange cat.
"Don't take heed of Crookshanks," she laughed, seating herself behind her desk and proceeding to go through a drawer, pulling out a navy blue folder. "he looks at everyone like that."
Eve smiled, and petted the cat. "What's the raven bloodline?" she asked.
Hermione handed Atticus the folder. "The raven bloodline is the bloodline of Rowena Ravenclaw. Her descendents and heirs." she paused, looking up at Atticus. "Can she be trusted with information like this?"
Atticus nodded. "Of course," he glanced at Eve. "you promise not to tell?"
She nodded, and Hermione continued. "Well, the school's trying to find the Ravenclaw heirs for.....historical purposes," she half lied. "and I'm currently researching the oldest pureblood wizarding families in the United Kingdom and tracing their bloodlines back into the founding years of Hogwarts."
"But she hasn't found anything yet," Atticus added. "because Rowena Ravenclaw kept her heirs hidden to prevent any danger befalling them."
"That folder contains what I've found so far.....in particular, a family of Irish druids who emigrated about twenty or so years before Hogwarts was established. The information there should keep Professor McGonagall interested until we meet again, which shouldn't be too far off. I'm just waiting on Miss Lister's contributions."
"I see." Atticus glanced at his fob watch. "Professor McGonagall is expecting me back with my charge here, soon."
He stood and reached to shake Hermione's hand again. "I shall see you at the next meeting."
"Yes, yes indeed." she replied, before shaking Eve's hand. "And it was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Quirrell....your father was a remarkable wizard."
Eve nodded, feeling a bit lighter about her situation. "Yes."
After the two had left, Hermione found herself mulling over the Quirrell name. Wilton Quirrell's family had evidently been an old pureblood family themselves, and had a history of having many Ravenclaw alumnus in their midst. Perhaps they were worth researching....
*********************
"We meet again, Master Malfoy."
Draco smiled at the Bloody Baron's spectre in the flames, leaning back in his chair. "You bring news, dark servant?"
"Yes...Emmanuel Quirrell's met with Professor Dumbledore. Severus Snape took him up to meet him."
"Oh? And are there any clues of what was concerned in this....meeting?"
"It is....hard to say, Master Malfoy. I believe though, that he's getting his first inkling of who his father was in life though....as opposed to death. As for his sister, Eveleen.....I'm not so sure about her. She was absent."
"Hmm.......I saw Eveleen in London. At Tony Parkis' club, with Snape's nephew and Iphigenia Lister." Draco, rested his chin on his hand in thought. "Find out why they were in London. I would say it was more than just a casual visit. And keep your eyes on them. If they're starting to get wind of their father.....there's a chance they could get an inkling of their ancestry as well, and we can't have that happen before it's too late."
"Always at your service, Master Malfoy."
"Until next time, dark servant."
Draco watched as his ghostly face disappeared from the flames. That little meeting over, he relaxed slightly, his thoughts slowly and methodically planning the attack that would come in the ensuing months.
End of chapter 12