A Shard's Worth of a Mirror Image
Chapter Six: Bright Darkness
"Grindelwald," breathed Ron. "Artemis, you bloody look like Grindelwald! Haven't Dumbledore told you that?" asked Ron, but without the fear one would expect of him when he encounters a Dark-oriented wizard. No, Ron was clearly amazed.
Artemis pursed his lips. If only computers were running here at Hogwarts, he thought. He would have already looked up his genealogy up in some unofficial site erected for him by some silly fangirl. If he only knew that one of the professors had one, and connected to the Faerie High Frequency Network (HFN) at that as well.
"Is it supposed to be that bad?" Harry asked Hermione, his eyes still glued to the grim, yet eerily beautiful man stuck inside the Wizard Card. He knew that he should not share the same views Slytherins usually had regarding bloodlines: that they tell a lot of one's personality. Yes, he knew that somehow Artemis Fowl was cunning, and that he would break a lot of rules himself whenever the need would arise, but Harry trusted Artemis enough, especially after the latter helped him save Snape and also after he had seen the protectiveness and care he held for the girl, Juliet.
Hermione shook her head. "I don't think so, really," she said. "So what if Artemis was related to Grindelwald? What then?" But then as she shifted her gaze from the image in the Wizard Card and towards Artemis then back again, she could not help but feel a little apprehensive. Both men shared the same physical features, but more disturbing was that they even shared the same facial expression.
Harry was also thinking along the same lines, but he could not forget the resemblance between Artemis and Snape. If the three men—er, two men and one boy—had a more cleaner background, he would like to think that it was some funny family reunion. But no.
All three of them just had to be cunning, slightly evil, and Slytherin.
"Am I supposed to be disturbed?" asked Artemis as he took the Wizard card and inspected it himself. When he touched it, Artemis could have sworn, the figure of Grindelwald winked at him as if the wizard and he were in some devious plan.
One month later, Christmas MorningArtemis woke up the earliest at three in the morning. Deciding that he could not sleep anymore for that day, he put on his cleaned Saint Bartleby uniform sans the blazer and wrapped himself in the thickest robes he could find, then topped it all off with the classic Slytherin forest and pale green scarf. Slipping in his fluffy gray slippers that were short of having bunny ears to make it look complete, he padded quietly out of the Slytherin dungeons and into the Library, which was thankfully left open for those who wanted to do some research in Christmas break.
He was in a magical institution, and he decided to make the most out of it by researching about goblins. He did not forget that retrieving his gold from the goblins was the sole reason that he went in Wizarding Britain. He also did not forget that Butler was still missing, and it was upsetting Juliet more and more each day. However, Artemis had a hunch that Butler was alive and well; one could not believe the dangers the manservant had put himself in: putting up with the Russian Mafiya, training in the most dangerous martial arts, working alongside the Faerie LEPrecon unit, and even surviving the full blast of dwarf fart.
No, Butler would have made his way in the forest. Thing is, where is he?
Now, Artemis had a full time in ticking off the various facts, which he deemed important.
- They were separated in the Forbidden Forest. Artemis went there because of an Intelligence report handed to him by Foaly, a centaur, which told him that the forest was one of the main Goblin mixed-tribe hideouts.
- Goblins in Wizarding Britain were clearly more intelligent than the B'wa Kell of the Lower Elements. How are they related to each other?
- The Goblins stole gold from him. The Wizarding Britain Goblins own the bank named Gringotts, one of the most richest and secure Wizarding banks in the whole world.
- Because students were explicitly forbidden to go out into the forest, and with Artemis under the watchful eye of Dumbledore ever since his resemblance to Grindelwald was discovered, he could not sneak out into the forest. He would have to ask the help of Harry, but even Harry was beginning to become a bit wary of him, even though both were comfortable with each other's identities. It was the potential outcome of Artemis that Harry feared, and expected, the most.
- Death Eaters were found in the Forbidden Forest.
- Severus Snape, one of the Death Eaters, found him in the Forbidden Forest. And brought him to Hogwarts, which means it is the nearest institution to the forest, because Artemis knew that if he were a killer and hit someone whom he didn't mean to, he would leave him in the nearest hospital and leave him there, covering any more tracks. Hogwarts was only the only place with a hospital within reach…which in turn means that Butler is still out in the cold somewhere.
- Come to think of it, Severus should have cast Artemis under the Obliviate spell. Why did he even bother with putting up with Artemis, when he could be easily mind-wiped? There is something else in Severus' mind.
- About Hogwarts, electronic devices could not in there, as well as it could not be seen by Muggle eyes.
- Artemis looked like both Grindelwald and Snape. But he was virtually a clone of Grindelwald.
- Grindelwald was killed by Dumbledore on 1945
Artemis would like to think more, but as the clock turned five in the morning the castle awakened and the scent of Christmas breakfast beckoned for him. As well as the promise of a detection-free visit—later he would ask for Harry's help in combing the Forbidden Forest.
Artemis felt a bit useless in the Wizarding World since he could not even fly a broomstick. He had to find Butler as soon as possible: it was winter and god knows how strong Butler would be against the elements.
Rubbing his temples, fighting off the quite-late urge to fall back asleep again, he stretched and padded along towards the Great Hall.
The Burrow
Molly Weasley had finished putting the best porcelain on the table, when Bill, Charlie and Ginny, who opted to spend their Christmas in their home, bounded into the dining room. She gave them a smile and motioned for them to take their seats. Arthur Weasley would be arriving home from his overnight work in the Ministry later and would join them in the Christmas breakfast; and that makes for five plates on the table.
But there was a sixth one placed on the far right of the table next to Bill's. It was Ron's place, but he did not plan on spending Christmas there. "Mum, has Ron changed his mind and coming here?"
"And someone's chopping wood at the backyard, Mummy. What for?" Ginny piped in.
"Oh, him, that's our guest, he always insists on helping out," answered Molly and she put a vase full of poinsettia flowers (well, they're not really flowers but leaves) and sprigs of mistletoe. "Arthur found him wandering in the Forbidden Forest…He's a muggle looking for help after he and his two companions were ambushed by the Death Eaters," she said, lips pursed. "Arthur is looking for a way to help him find his two friends…they were probably kidnapped by the Death Eaters."
"How horrible," gasped Ginny, her hand on her mouth.
"And on Christmas no less," Charlie muttered. "They don't have any restraint."
Bill snorted. "Old Voldemort never grew up, I tell you," he said as he tied his still-wet ponytail with a leather strip.
Molly gave Bill a sharp glance. "Don't you EVER mention that name here, Bill!" she said sharply. Then her tone softened a little. "And would you please do that in your room and not in the dining area?" she said, referring to Bill's tying of his wet hair, which occasionally splattered Ginny with drops of water every time he turned his head.
"Ugh, Bill, stop doing that!" whined Ginny as she wiped a drop of water from her cheek.
"Fine, my dear ladies," said Bill, rolling his eyes. When he saw that his mother was still giving him a sharp look, his face broke out into an apologetic smile. "Um, sorry already?"
"As long as you mind your manners, William Weasley." Molly glanced at the clock by the dining room entrance. "And now, we wait for your father."
Moments passed when a polite knock came from the back door. "I'll take that," Molly said as she strode towards the door in the kitchen connected to the dining room.
Butler was carrying a huge pile of chopped wood by the entrance. "Where do you need this, ma'am?" asked the giant of a man politely.
Molly was a bit stunned by the sight of a muggle man strong enough to carry a five-foot high pile of hard wood as if he were carrying a doll. "Well, yes, um—just put it in here," said Molly, pointing to a vacant corner in the kitchen and stepping back just enough to let the giant with the woodpile in.
Butler was a bit uncomfortable with the robes that the Weasleys gave him to wear—he knew, though, that they had to go to a second hand shop to buy him big-sized robes since he could not wear any of theirs, him being too large than any of them.
After putting down the woodpile gently with a grunt, he wiped off a sweatdrop on his forehead with the sleeve of his quite-tattered green robes.
"Thank you very much, Butler," said Molly with sincere gratitude. She wished that Butler were a wizard—if anyone were to have a wizard of his strength on their side, it would be a big boost to their force. She could not have been more right.
Butler shook his head. "No. I thank you," said Butler. "For your hospitality and your help in finding master Artemis and my sister for me."
Molly smiled ruefully. "If only we could find them sooner, but Arthur is working on that."
Great Hall, HogwartsArtemis had just finished his plate when Dumbledore and Remus beckoned for him from the other side of the table. Since there were only seven students who stayed in including Harry and Ron, they decided that the staff table was enough for them, pushing it back a little so that they could put more chairs on the front. Artemis pulled back his chair and went over to where the two sat. Not far from there sat Severus, who watched them with hooded eyes. When Artemis deliberately looked at his, Severus started and looked away. Hmm.
Artemis leaned over to Dumbledore, who was holding the usual vulture-topped hat. "Could you come to my office this afternoon?" asked Dumbledore.
He nodded. "Yes, sir."
"We just need to do some…testing," said Remus, who sat opposite Dumbledore. "Just to be sure. If it is alright with your father?" Remus said as he regarded Severus with a kind smile. Severus only gave a sharp nod in response.
Artemis could not help but feel sorry for the man who was tasked to cover him by pretending to be his father. Ever since the incident, he became even more sullen and bitter, and lashed at his students with even more bitter words indiscriminately. Artemis somehow knew that it was because Severus was effectively cut off from the cause except in cases wherein his expertise in potion-brewing was solicited.
"Thank you. You can go back to your friends now," Dumbledore said. Artemis gave Remus a polite nod, then walked over to where Severus sat and gave him a light pat on his shoulder. "Could I come down to your office later?" asked Artemis.
"What for?" asked Severus warily. Whenever Artemis wanted to see him, there was always something in the boy's mind. Now was no exception.
"I was wondering if you could tell me more about my…parentage."
Artemis did not miss the slight reaction Snape had as he asked the question, especially after he mentioned 'parentage'. "Very well. You come down my office at five in the afternoon sharp." Severus answered after a short fit of discomfort.
Artemis could not help but think about it. What do they need to test from me?
The Burrow"Oh, I insist!" said Molly as she pushed (which was no mean feat) Butler towards his now-appointed place by the dining table. He was greeted by five red-heads, with the father, who have just arrived, giving him a warm smile.
"Merry Christmas, Butler," he greeted as the muggle (who was more used in being called mud-man by the way) reluctantly took his seat. "Let me introduce you too half of my children. "This here is Charlie,"
"Hullo," Charlie said with bread still in his mouth. He received a good, hard kick from Ginny as she jerked her head sharply towards their mother. Luckily Molly was busy fussing about the guest.
"And beside him is Bill," he said, referring to the quaint but charming man with the long hair cascading down his shoulders and who sported earrings. "Hello, mate," he greeted as he nodded towards Butler.
"And this charming little girl here is Ginny," Arthur said as she pointed to his youngest daughter. "Oh Dad," Ginny half-moaned as she turned a proper Weasley-red at his remark. "Er, um, hello?"
"This is the Weasley family as you can see," said Molly as she took her seat beside Arthur. "The other children are at Hogwarts, except for our eldest child Percy, who already works at the Ministry. The three others, Fred, George, and Ron at Hogwarts."
"That's a magical school of wizards, by the way," Bill piped in. "I was one of the top players of Quidditch there."
"Quidditch?" asked Butler.
"Now, now, children," chuckled Arthur, which was nice to hear especially on a Christmas, "Don't overload the guest here with too much information. You should take it little by little…perhaps you would like to share what the latest in your technology could do?" he asked Butler. "I really like to—"
Now it was Molly who gave Arthur a swift hard kick in the shins under the table. "Arthur!" then she looked apologetically at Butler, who was a bit amused with the blatant show of family affection. "Sorry about that. It's just because wizards are forbidden to tinker with muggle technology since it could result to muggles discovering our existence…but you're an exception since you need our help."
"I see," Butler said. There was an awkward silence after that, since Molly cut the desired thread of conversation off short.
Ginny decided to pick it up again. "Um, speaking of Hogwarts, something new happened," she said tentatively. She was not really used to being a conversation starter.
When she saw that all eyes were on her, she continued, "A kid just about Ron's age entered Hogwarts about two months before," she said as she speared her turkey. "It turned out that he was Professor Snape's son. He was sorted into Slytherin."
Arthur spluttered. "Snape? Has a son?"
Charlie and Bill looked at each other then laughed. "Oh, I am soooo fainting," Charlie mocked-swooned as if in a faint. Then he rightened himself up. "Really?"
Molly shrugged her shoulders. "Well, its not really our business how Snape had a son. Maybe we should be just glad that he took custody of him."
"Well, yes, but Snape…you know his part in the battle." Arthur shook his head. "It would be dangerous if ever he attached himself to other people. They could be his weakness and would just be exploited."
"I agree," said Bill. "The Death Eaters would do anything…" then his gaze went to Butler, who paled a bit at the mention of the Death Eaters. "Oh. Sorry."
Butler shook his head. "That's alright."
Charlie decided to ignore that particular thread. "So Ginny, what was the new kid's name?"
"Artemis Snape."
Butler started so abruptly that the table shook. "Could you please repeat the name please?"
"Artemis Snape."
Damn… But Butler decided to push it. "How does he look like?"
"Um…black hair, blue eyes, really pale?"
"Is he with a blonde haired girl about his age?" Butler could hear his heartbeat going fast.
"Well…yes. She's the new assistant for Madame Pomfrey...her name's Julia, or Juliet I think…"
"Oh, oh god," Butler felt his knees going weak with utter relief. "That's them. I guess you people found her," he laughed weakly which was an attempt to stifle a cry. "Thank you."
Arthur and Molly looked at each other, well-pleased that their guest had found the people he was looking for, and what's important was that they were safe.
"You've got to hand it to Severus," Arthur said. "I bet he had a hand in their rescue."
Molly sighed. "If only Errol was still with us," she said, "we would have sent Severus a message in the first place. Too bad we could not afford to replace him."
Dumbledore's OfficeArtemis stood in the middle of a makeshift pentagram drawn by Remus on the carpet. It was nicely done, and Dumbledore decided to keep the drawing even after the testing. Artemis could not help but feel tingles rising up from his feet, through his spine and into his head. He decided that it felt nice.
"Now, Artemis, do you feel anything there?" Remus asked, standing just a few inches away from the outer fringes of the pentagram. He was wearing reading glasses and had a parchment in his left hand, while he tapped his wand with it. From time to time he would tap his wand on the unrolled parchment and he would peer at it through the glasses, as if he was gauging something.
"Yes, and it's like a current running through my body. Upwards." Artemis answered.
"Good. Now, lift your wand arm—er, I mean, your writing hand, please."
As he did so, small blue sparks emanated from his right hand. He could not help but be at awe, not to mention that he was extremely excited. What if he had powers?
"Well, that just about takes care of it," Remus said, roling the parchment and taking off his glasses.
"Well?" Artemis inquired.
"You do have wizarding blood, all right," Remus said matter-of-factly. Artemis let in a sharp intake of breath.
"Only, you're a squib."
Artemis' shoulders slumped. "A wizard who doesn't have any powers," he said feebly. "That's new."
Right at that moment, Dumbledore, who had momentarily left his office in order that Remus and Artemis had some privacy, barged in with some good news.
"Artemis, did you receive anything for Christmas?"
Artemis nodded even though he could not comprehend the reason behind the question. Harry gave him a bag of Bertie Bott's Beans and Ron handed him a pack of custom Weasley Wizard Wheezes.
"Perhaps you should add this to you pile, Artemis," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Arthur Weasley, Ron's father, had brought here your other companion. He is with Juliet as of this moment."
Artemis' knees folded and he gave a tearful smile to Dumbledore.
"Thank…thank god."
Four hours later, the DungeonsWith the joyful reunion behind him, Artemis gleefully (which is a total disregard of control for him) ran through the corridors towards Snape's Office.
He knocked on the familiar heavy oak door, and pushed it as soon as the resonant voice of the Slytherin Head of House beckoned him in.
The scene behind the door was dark, and Artemis had to squint his eyes just to see clearly.
Suddenly, he was pulled by two strong hands and with a wand tip pushing against his neck.
"The great descendant of Grindelwald. How touching that you should save me from your own student, but I am beyond your tricks," Severus growled at his ear.