Chapter Five
The New School Year
Aunt Rebecca was out of sorts, as she often was when she had to deal with magic. Gritting her teeth and closing her eyes, she followed Essie and Corey through the pillar and onto the platform, sighing with relief and fanning herself when she survived it a second year in a row.
"Can I have my ticket now, Aunt Rebecca?" Essie asked. "I can't possibly lose it now."
"One moment, not until I make sure everything's been sorted proper. Who knows what would happen if something got left behind or transferred to another platform for some poor bloke to find? I can imagine how bad that would be, and with all that magic stuff inside and your name on the label… oh dear, what a mess we'd be in!" Rebecca said, scowling. "Let's get on it, then, baggage first, and not one thing left behind. Corey, where is your cat?"
"He's right here, Aunt Rebecca, he's all right," Corey insisted, tapping the cage. "And my trunk, and my guitar, everything important."
"What about your books?" she frowned at him.
"Oh, those. Yes, the case is still there," Corey said. She wondered not for the first time if he were trying to lose them on purpose.
"Corey! Essie!" Corey's best friend, Taylor Brittle, was a tall, thin boy with tiny glasses on his nose. He dodged through a crowd of students to get over to them. Rebecca looked over the boy warily and nodded at him. "There you are! Danny's already on board saving us seats."
"This is my Aunt Rebecca. Aunt Rebecca, this is my friend, Taylor," Corey said.
"How do you do, Mrs. Hunt," Taylor said politely. "Can I help you with anything? My stuff is already on. Here, Essie, let me get that," he insisted, taking her suitcase.
"Well! You seem normal enough at any rate! Let's be getting this stuff taken care of then," Rebecca said, coasting them over towards baggage while trying to avoid the main crowd around the train.
"What was that supposed to mean?" Taylor whispered to Corey.
"Aunt Rebecca met Doug last year, but he and Julie got in a fight on the platform and Julie made daisies grow out of his ears," Corey whispered.
"I wish I'd been here to see that," Taylor chuckled. "At least it explains why he smelled so pretty on the way to school."
"Stop dawdling! No offense, Corey, but I really would like to get out of this… crowd," Rebecca said, standing near the cars.
"Yes, Aunt Rebecca."
"And don't forget your books!"
"Yes, Aunt Rebecca."
Taylor quickly handed their trunks up as Rebecca looked them over one last time, straightening Essie's coat dotingly.
"All right then, I suppose you're off. Mind your teachers and especially Jennifer and Severus so I don't have to hear any nonsense about your getting in trouble at Christmas. Oh, and if you don't mind, would you please remember to send the owls to the kitchen door so I don't have to explain to the neighbors why birds are attacking my house?"
"Yes, Aunt Rebecca," Essie nodded. "I'll try not to forget."
"Good. Off you go then," she said, frowning as she watched them get on board. A Dwarven engineer smiled warmly at her from the baggage car, and Rebecca carefully edged away, smiling back uneasily so not to seem impolite. With one last quick wave, she ran back out; unable to get off the platform fast enough to suit her.
"You know, she really is getting better," Essie said to Corey as they hopped on, following Taylor through the cars and waving at people they knew.
"Yes, but she was a little more stable last year when Uncle Mark went too," Corey chuckled. "He's sure kept her steady through all of this. I'm never going to forget how he stuck up for us when Dad came to convince him to let you go to school."
"I'm never going to forget how Dumbledore came and got them to change her mind about it," Essie added with a smile. "I love Hogwarts! And I like going off to school too, because I don't have to come home and tend the sheep after I get done for the day," she added.
"Watch out, Essie, you're starting to sound like me now," Corey said with a grin as they finally got to their compartment. "Hi, Danny!"
The dark-haired girl smiled at them from where she sat by the window as they sat down across from her. She had grown less...well... flat over the summer, Corey noticed, and her features were softening and her eyes were more violet than ever. But Corey had known since last year she had actually grown attracted to Taylor, although why an athletic Slytherin girl preferred a Ravenclaw who tripped over his own feet on a daily basis puzzled him. They were both at the top of the class, along with himself, of course, although Corey knew with his perfect memory he hadn't had to work quite so hard at it.
"Where's Doug?" Essie asked as she put her carry-on away.
"Oh, he went to try his luck with Katie again," Taylor sighed. "I don't know how Gail Sisna puts up with that."
"Why does he keep going after her like that?" Corey asked, rolling his eyes. "I mean, he's had study dates with every single girl in our Gryffindor class."
"And some outside of it," Danny admitted, having studying with him herself before she and Taylor had gotten together.
"All of them except Katie. She keeps saying no," Taylor grinned. "You think he'll ever learn?"
"Not Porthos," Corey grinned, calling Doug by his old nickname. "It'll take one heck of a girl to settle him down."
"So what do you think about Katie, Corey? I mean, I think she keeps turning him down because she likes you," Taylor said.
"I wouldn't want to get in Doug's way," Corey said, getting in his pocket to count his sickles for the trolley. "Honestly, Taylor, I don't think I've met the right girl yet."
"But what if you never meet the 'right' girl?" Danny asked. "You can't sit around and wait for lightning strike."
"Well, I'm only fourteen, so I've got plenty of time to wait," Corey reasoned, getting out his guitar and strumming it. "Besides, if we end up being any good with this band thing I'm sure we'll meet plenty of girls."
"Yeah, the sort of girl that Doug likes, but probably not the kind you like," Danny grinned at him.
"All right then, miss know-it-all, what type do you think she'll be?" Corey challenged her.
"Well if opposites attract, she'll be a cool tempered shy girl that always obeys the rules and can't remember a thing," Danny teased. Just then Doug walked in and sat down, looking dejected.
"Turned you down again, huh?" Corey asked.
"She just doesn't know a good thing when she sees it," Doug said. "At least Gail didn't catch me, she was in my sister's car talking to Perry. Amadeus and his gang aren't far either, but they didn't seem to see me when I passed them."
"No reason to worry about them anymore, Doug. They're not going to bother any of you this year," Danny said calmly, taking out a deck of cards.
"What makes you think this year's any different than any other year?" Doug asked.
"I wasn't a Malfoy last year," Danny explained.
Doug and Corey looked over at each other but didn't say anything as the trolley service arrived and they scrambled for candy and freshly popped Express Popcorn. It wasn't long before they found themselves talking about that train ride their first year, and Danny and Essie, who hadn't been there that trip, made them start over and tell it from the beginning so that they could hear the whole story.
Anna Apparated to the gate and ran up the stairs just as she heard the train whistle in the distance, announcing the arrival of the Hogwart's Express. Quickly she made her way to her office and over to her desk, looking through her attaché and grabbing some paper and a pen to sort out the notes in front of her. Just then she heard someone clearing her throat and looked up to see Minerva McGonagall standing in the door, giving her a stern look.
"Minerva, I am so sorry. I got detained, but I have everything right here in front of me. I worked most of it out on the plane," Anna said.
"You know, you could have always written your syllabi before you left, perhaps after your letter to me saying that you were going to be late two weeks ago," Minerva suggested, drumming her fingers slightly.
"All I need to do is copy them out. I'll have them on your desk tonight, I promise," Anna said.
"Very well, Anna, but I want to see you first thing tomorrow to go over agendas."
"I have a class at eight," Anna pointed out.
"Then I'll see you at seven," Minerva said. "Now you'll have to excuse me, I have students to Sort. I'll let your brother know you're back but not to disturb you. Goodnight, Anna. Just leave them on my desk," she added, walking back out. Blowing her hair back in exasperation, Anna got to work on her syllabi.
Minerva smiled softly as she came in to the Great Hall from the back door, taking a moment to whisper to Jennifer and Severus before heading up to the front.
"Do you think she found out anything?" Jennifer asked Severus. He drummed his fingers thoughtfully, relieved that she was back but slightly irritated that she had cut it so close. Sirius must have had something to do with it, he mused. Seeing Jennifer's expression change as she caught that, he quickly turned back to her question.
"Probably. After all, what else could have kept her?" he asked.
Jennifer glanced up to see the students beginning to arrive. A moment later, Dumbledore came in, smiling at them warmly as he went to take his place. Sagittari was not far behind, standing at the end of the table, a sign that the first years had arrived and were probably waiting impatiently outside the main doors. Between the centaur and Severus sat Filius Flitwick on a stack of pillows, the trio making for an interesting sight for the first years coming in.
Corey sat near the center of the Gryffindor table with Doug, who was busy trying to get Gail to look at him. She, as usual, was rather annoyed with him, so instead was making eyes at the fifth year Perry Dalance, who had suddenly decided he didn't mind it. Finally Doug gave up with a dejected sigh and started looking around to see who else was available.
Corey couldn't help but think back to his own Sorting as the new students stepped forward, remembering how it had put him in Gryffindor for lack of any other choice. Still, he had fallen right into place with his classmates, even if they did get angry with him about getting into so much trouble. Looking back, the choice, however, seemed obvious. How could he have fit in anywhere else? And to think, he might not have been there at all if it hadn't been for his now adopted Mom noticing him the first summer she lived in the Broom Closet. As the last of the new students took their places and the banquet appeared, Corey snapped out of his thoughts and noticed that his fellow Quidditch teammates were already talking about this year's strategy.
"We have a real stable team this year with not needing any replacements, but the same goes for Slytherin," Perry said. "Amadeus isn't on suspension anymore, so we're going to really need to pay attention that game. I think he proved last year that he's not queasy about brutal tactics." Several of them glanced at Corey, who nodded. "We nearly caught up with them, and I am completely convinced that we have a shot at the cup this year, even with the weak sparring team. All we have to do is attempt to keep on top of things and not to be goaded into doing anything stupid. We know they'll try it, they always do, but we don't have to fall for it. Keep an eye on the younger ones and make sure they're staying out of trouble too. We don't want any more first years coming in and sucking up all the points like has happened in the past." Corey looked annoyed. How come all of the references seemed to be aimed at him?
"Even if we succeeded in being angels all year, I'm not sure we could beat them," Gail put in from the other side of Perry. "I mean, Danny hasn't lost a game, and off the Pitch she is always grabbing points for all the extra credit stuff she does."
"So? Danny doesn't have the market on extra credit. Volunteerism, that's what we need. Willowby, your friend's on the paper, why don't you two get in on it?"
"Us?" Doug said, making a face.
"And Gail, you and Juniper could always help Professor Sprout after class, she's always looking for help out there." Perry suggested. Gail started to make a face but saw Perry looking at her, suddenly nodding.
"Of course, anything to help out, Perry," she said. Doug rolled his eyes.
"Look, I don't really think I'm cut out for the paper. How about I get my band to just volunteer to play at the spring dance this year?" Corey offered. Perry looked at him.
"You mean with that thing you were plucking on the train? I want to earn points, not lose them," Perry said frankly. Corey glowered at him, but Perry ignored it. "Seriously, folks, think of things you're good at and volunteer to help out. I doubt most Slytherin will go that out of their way to be useful, so I think it might turn to our advantage."
Doug and Corey were glad when they were finally released to their dorms, lingering in the hall to wait for Danny and Taylor.
"Do you believe that Dalance? He's only a fifth year and he's bossing the team around like he was head boy or something," Doug said.
"Well, he is team captain,now, and he's not been doing all that bad. I admit he's a bit of a pain, but he is right in some ways. Personally, I'm really getting tired of people of calling me the "end" of the winning streak just because I had a rough two years starting out. I didn't come anywhere near losing as many points last year," Corey said.
"Only because Dumbledore kept overruling your punishments every time you got in trouble," Doug smirked.
"That's because I only got in trouble when I had to. I mean, if it hadn't been for us, Danny might have been killed," Corey protested.
"Yes, but we're not supposed to talk about that, remember? Nobody knows who saved her, and we will get in trouble if we start talking about it," Doug said. A moment later, Danny and Taylor appeared in the hall and they waved them over.
"There you are," Corey said. "We're going up to see Professor Dusthorn. Are you coming?"
"Wait, what about what Professor Dumbledore said about the Trophy Room still being off limits?" Danny asked.
"Oh, we're not going to the Trophy Room, we have other connections," Corey explained. "Come on, we should at least say hello before curfew. We haven't seen her in months."
"All right, I admit I'd love to see her myself," Danny smiled, touching something around her neck.
"You sure we're not going to get in trouble?" Taylor asked. "It'd be a rum go to lose points on the very first day."
"I can hear Perry now," Doug smirked.
"Come on, guys," Corey said, heading up the back stairs. One passage and two doors off the main corridor was an abandoned classroom with only a low hung painting on the bare walls. In the painting, a kindly looking bearded wizard sat in an empty classroom reading a book. He looked up as they came over to him, smiling.
"Hello, young ones. Here to see Professor Dusthorn, are we?"
"Yes, sir, if it's not inconvenient," Taylor said.
"I will go see if she's free," the wizard winked, getting up and stretching before disappearing from the painting. A moment later, a bright-eyed elderly woman in gold robes appeared, smiling warmly at them.
"Well, well, well! And just whom do we have here?" Caprica asked with a smile.
"Have you really forgotten us?" Danny asked.
"No, but goodness, you've all changed! Danny, you are blossoming into quite a young woman, I see. How was your summer?"
"Wonderful, really, the best ever," Danny said, earning a pleased look from Caprica.
"No one could be more glad to hear that than I. Corey, Taylor, Doug, why… you've all shot up some inches, haven't you? And Doug, was that you I heard screeching down the halls?"
"Not funny, Professor. It's not like I can control it. There's a potion but Mum wouldn't let me take it, she said it'd sort itself out," Doug said glumly.
"Mums know best," Caprica said, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Don't worry, it won't take long for it to settle out. It is good to see all of you back, and it's so hard to get anything done without a few helping hands."
"Well, we're back, so just feel free to call us if you need anything," Corey said.
"And feel free to call me when you need someone to talk to," Caprica said. "But you'd best be off to bed. You can't be falling asleep in your first day of class, can you?"
"What about you, Professor? I mean, you will warn us when you get sleepy again, won't you?" Corey asked. Caprica smiled at him.
"Don't worry, Corey. With all the work I have left to do, it'll probably be months, if not years, before it's time for me to sleep again," Caprica said.
"What sort of work would a painting have to do?" Doug asked.
"I think that'd be rather obvious," Caprica said, slightly amused. "Paintings preserve the past, and the people and special moments that take place in them. And I, as Caprica, preserve a very special friendship," she added, glancing over at the four of them. "But that is for another discussion on another day."
Giving them one last smile, she left to return to her own painting as the wizard quietly returned and took her seat.
"I wonder what she meant by all of that," Doug said, waving to the wizard as they left so he could be alone with his book.
"Well, if paintings preserve the past, and preserve the moment their painted in," Danny said as they walked down the hall, "Then perhaps something tied to the time when that portrait was painted is important in the here and now."
"I heard Mom say that Caprica helped Sagittari accept himself as the Sentinel of Wild Magic," Corey said. "So. perhaps having once been a Sentinel herself, that's what it's all about."
"That would explain the first part easily enough, but what about the second? Preserving a friendship? I don't think she was talking about us," Taylor said.
"No," Corey said with a nod. "But I do have an idea about who she might be talking about," he admitted, wondering how he was going to find out for certain.
It wasn't until lunch the next day that Anna finally had time to talk to anyone about what she had found out from her aunt. Severus was the first to find her in the staff room, and Jennifer found the two of them and Hermione listening to her story when she came in a few minutes later.
"I'm not even sure who I can trust anymore when it's obvious my own family was hiding things from me," Anna said with a sigh.
"Well, you're not the only one. I wasn't told any of this either," Severus scowled. "Titiana is such a common name in my father's family, I never had reason to doubt it was ever anything else."
"I'm not blaming you," Anna sighed. "I just don't understand why they changed it and why they kept my heritage from me so long."
"Well, at least there's little doubt where the Merlin blood came from on our father's side of the family," Severus said. "The Snape origins dates back centuries, from Romans who settled around the Yorkshire area and blended into the local color over time. From what I was told, the magic line married in several centuries before we took the Snape name, from a man descended from the Le Fey line," he said, lost in thought.
"Le Fey? As in Morgan?" Anna asked.
"She had several sisters, and I'm not quite sure which one he was actually descended from. I suppose I could ask our father's brother Augustus," Severus grimaced. "Frankly, I'd rather not. Suffice it to say that it's very possible that the Merlin blood you're looking for on our half of the family probably came from that line."
"The other half is obvious where it comes from, considering the names speak for themselves. Like Rigatona Danaan," Hermione said. "Especially when she told you it's one of nine names, and that magic only seems be born in the women in your family...your mother's half must have Fae blood in it, and probably royal Fae blood at that," she said. Anna, Severus, and Jennifer looked over at her expectantly.
"What makes you think that?" Jennifer asked.
"Well, Rigatona is another name for Rhiannon, and Danaan, of course means 'children of Danu', the Elven Mother, and the royal line. Nine names, because priestesses were often in groups of nine, and it's also common if the elven blood came from a female that their traits pass on only to daughters. So, since Merlin only had one daughter, it is probably that line your mother's family follows," Hermione concluded.
"That doesn't explain why they hid my heritage from me. Us, I should say," Anna corrected.
"Perhaps we should ask someone we know who helped cover it up," Jennifer suggested.
To any who didn't know where to look, they might have never have noticed the curious bricks on the sidewalks that marked the edge of Lost Tower. Droves of Londoners and tourists stepped on it and over it without a thought on their way to their destinations, unaware that it meant anything at all. But as Jennifer stepped over the foundation line in the street, she was no longer surrounded by the noise of cars and crowds. Instead, she met the sound of a roaring Griffon that resided in the Menagerie of the Lost Tower of London. She paused and looked behind her as Anna stopped short to gaze at a jet-black cat with green eyes. It stared back at her with boredom as its nine tails wiped lazily about behind it.
"Come on, you can goggle at the animals some other time. We're supposed to meet Audi and Severus in the lobby, and we only have an hour before visiting hours are over," Jennifer said.
"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say this was directly connected to the Tower of London," Anna said, glancing over at the other entryway thoughtfully.
"It is. The Muggles wanted to tear this section down a long time ago, so some wizards got together and found a way to preserve it. The Muggles only think it got torn down," Jennifer grinned. "Not that it hasn't been altered, of course; it's been gutted and refurbished over the years. I'm kind of surprised you've never been here yet, as much work as you've done for the Ministry. You didn't think they kept petty criminals in Azkaban, did you?"
"No, I've heard of it, I just didn't ever have any reason to come here," Anna said, following Jennifer inside. Severus was standing just inside with his arms folded, tapping his fingers against his folded arms impatiently.
"What kept you?" Severus asked.
"Sorry, my last students on Fridays are first years. You know they can't even boil water without blowing something up," Jennifer said, falling into place beside him as they climbed the stairs. "Where's Audi?"
"In there already," he said.
The guard standing at the door greeted them respectfully before showing them in. A long table stretched across the center of the room, a token barrier to those visiting, but otherwise was quite open and nowhere near as secure as the visiting room Jennifer went to once a month at Azkaban prison. That irritated her, she realized, although she wasn't quite sure why. Perhaps it was because the nervous man sitting behind the table had nearly killed her, and even wanted to condemn her and Anna to eternal sleep. Yet he was here, and probably treated quite well. Of course, Cornelius Fudge had been the Minister of Magic and a very respected man, and Jennifer couldn't help but wonder if that fact had also saved him from any stricter security measures. Cornelius, holding onto Audi's hand when they came in, quickly noted Anna's wary expression, Jennifer's look of dislike, and Severus' open hatred.
"Hello, Jen-girl, Anna, Severus," Audi smiled. "I hope you don't mind. I thought I'd head on up to let Corny know to be expecting you."
"Good. Then I hope he's prepared to actually tell us something useful for a change," Severus said curtly. "And without games this time, if you don't mind. We're not buying the wild chases any more."
"No, I suppose I blame you for being angry with me. But I haven't done anything that I didn't think was warranted, and that includes everything I've done to protect Anna…from herself, and from others," Cornelius defended himself. Severus growled softly but stopped when Jennifer touched his arm.
"Why was everyone led to believe my birth name was different? That sort of thing couldn't have disappeared off of official records without a little help," Anna confronted him.
"You're right, of course. It was I who authorized Alice to change the records, writing it off as a clerical error. After all, it was only one letter…"
"Wait just one minute," Jennifer said, suddenly alarmed. "Look at me and say that again." Cornelius nodded and looked over at her.
"Yes, it's true, your mother knew about Anna too. Of course, she worked for me, so she knew quite a bit of things. But it went a lot farther than that, considering what had happened at your parents' wedding."
"I don't understand," Jennifer said, sitting down. "What do my parents have to do with all of this?" She glanced up at Severus, who was squinting at Cornelius.
"Severus, do you recall going to the Craw wedding with your parents?" Cornelius asked.
"No," Severus said, frowning slightly.
"Then perhaps it's time you did," Cornelius said.