Chapter Seventeen: Found In The Hands Of Fate
Severus Snape, professor at Hogwarts, Death Eater, genius, the greatest Potions Master in the world, lay in a shattered heap on the floor. He looked as if someone had laid his skin over a million tiny jagged rocks. Tears formed in his eyes around their broken sockets, threatening to spill onto his crushed face. Choked whimpers were heard straining from his fractured throat.
The students looked on in horror as Dumbledore rushed to the Potions Master's side. He uttered a hasty "Petrificus Totalus" to cause his body to go rigid, preventing the sharp broken bones from cutting any inner organs. He levitated Snape's body and turned to leave for the hospital wing, just in time to see Austerus approach Natalia to confiscate her wand.
"Do NOT touch her wand!" the Headmaster roared, filling the room with his thundering voice.
Everyone froze at hearing the great wizard's words. He turned around to McGonagall, saying with great urgency,
"Minerva, bring Severus to the hospital wing immediately and send at once for Asklepios, the healing master. He will know what to do with Severus."
He turned toward the shaking girl crouched on the table.
"Natalia," he said gently, afraid that one word would break her, "Come with me to my office."
The frightened girl nodded and timidly followed the Headmaster out of the room. As Snape's body got further away from her, the translucent wand in her hand slowly turned back to a deep green mother of pearl.
Dumbledore sat Natalia down across from him. The Slytherin was trembling from shock, her face more ashen than it had ever been. Her shaking hands clutched onto the wand with a death grip, making her knuckles as white as bone. The Headmaster looked worriedly at the girl and handed a piece of chocolate to her.
"I insist that you take this, Natalia. It will calm you."
She reached for the chocolate and slowly nibbled on it, afraid that it would shatter at her touch. The wizard peered at her grimly from behind his half-moon spectacles.
"Natalia, I am going to ask you some questions. You must promise to try and answer them as thoroughly and honestly as you can."
The girl nodded slowly, afraid that this was going to lead to what Nestor had foretold about her ominous future. The Headmaster slowly began.
"Natalia, the spell that you used on Professor Snape, the Frangocius Curse, how did you learn of it?"
She stared back at him blankly, unable to say.
"I'm sorry Professor, I cannot say for I do not know. I did not mean to use that spell. I planned to use the Disarming Spell on him, but a power came over me and instead, I did what I…" she trailed off, not wanting to recount the events that had happened.
Dumbledore nodded understandingly.
"This spell, Natalia, is one of the oldest and strongest spells there are." He leaned forward, saying quietly to her, "I doubt even Death Eaters or the Dark Lord know of this, which is why I had to ask how you discovered it. But seeing as you did not learn it from anywhere…"
Natalia spoke up, soothed by the chocolate.
"But Headmaster, why do the Death Eathers and the Dark Lord not know of this spell?"
The old man looked up at her, his face more somber than ever.
"The curse has not been uttered since the Dark Ages. It was last used during the Crusades; wizard knights would defile the curse by using its great power to destroy the people who opposed them. The Frangocius Curse shattered anything and everything it hit. The Ministry banned this curse after it proved to cause most disastrous catastrophes. However, when you used it today, I must admit, you put me in quite a shock."
Natalia nodded, more scared than ever of herself.
"Natalia, may I ask, where did you get your wand?"
She looked up at the Professor, confused,
"My Father left it for me in his death. Do you think it caused all this?"
The Headmaster eyed Natalia closely, seeing that she knew nothing of what she held so tightly in her hands.
"When Professor Austerus was counting, I noticed that your wand changed. Did you notice this?"
Natalia nodded, seeing that she was not the only one who was aware of the change that occured.
"Yes, the wand grew very hot and an immense amount of power was released into me."
Dumbledore sat back, deep in thought.
"Natalia, you said your Father left this wand for you in his death?"
"Yes, it had been his wish since I was little."
The Professor frowned when the puzzle pieces in his mind finally fell together.
"Did he bind this wish by means of a Wizard's Pact?"
The girl looked at the Headmaster inquisitively.
"What do you mean?"
Dumbledore closed his eyes and considered telling her why he had asked this, and decided against it. Instead, he asked her,
"Does your Mother know the origins of your wand?"
She frowned at the avoidance of her question.
"I do not know. I will have to ask."
The Professor nodded before stating,
"We shall send for her at once."
A sleek black Rolls-Royce landed in front of Hogwarts and slowly pulled its way to the entrance. Upon coming to a stop, the chauffeur opened a perfectly shined door and escorted out a tall pale witch. Her bright arresting eyes were hidden behind a pair of fitted sunglasses and her dark silken hair wrapped underneath a delicate green shawl. Her tailored robes fell in rich emerald folds, cascading down her long lean body like waves. Covering her pale hands were delicate gloves made of liquid silk from a water spider.
The woman glided gracefully up the steps of Hogwarts in a poised and erect manner. She moved as though she had been a dancer her entire life. Upon entering the castle, students stopped in their activities and stared in awe at the elegant figure walking to Dumbledore's office.
Natalia sat nervously in the Headmaster's study. She did not know what her Mother would say about her newly acquired power of necromancy, or of her nearly killing a professor. She was fidgeting with her hands so much that she did not notice the person behind her until they laid a hand on her shoulder. The girl turned around and beamed at the person she saw.
"Mother!"
Natalia embraced the tall witch, seeing her for the first time in weeks. The crimson lips of the refined woman parted into a warm smile. She took off her shades, showing a pair of brilliant jade eyes that matched Natalia's perfectly.
"Natalia, I came as soon as I heard."
Her Mother brushed a strand of hair out of her daughter's face, tucking it behind her ear.
"You must have had a fright."
Natalia smiled mindlessly, unable to contain the joy of seeing her Mother again.
"I am sorry for causing all this trouble, Mother. I do not know what happened to me."
The Headmaster smiled from behind his desk. The two women that stood in front of him looked almost completely identical. Their beauty could easily surpass that of all the witches who dwelled in the West.
"Aurelia, how good it is to finally meet you."
The witch turned to Dumbledore, gracefully taking his hand.
"No, Headmaster, I assure you, the honor lies with me."
They sat down, quickly getting to the heart of the matter. Natalia began telling her Mother of the events that occurred in the past week. Aurelia listened attentively with not a trace of emotion showing on her face. After the girl finished her account of what had happened, Dumbledore quietly addressed the older witch with his question.
"Aurelia, I must ask, do you know the origins of Natalia's wand?"
Even though the witch's expressions were perfectly masked, Dumbledore noticed something spark in her eyes.
"Yes, Strages acquired it from a peddler in Brunei." She turned to Natalia.
"This was on the same journey that he got Albea."
Natalia blushed at the mention of her dragon.
"Amicus, my dragon is called Amicus now."
Aurelia looked at her daughter inquiringly. Natalia shook her head slightly.
"I shall explain it all to you later. Go on, please."
The older witch nodded, and turned back to the Headmaster.
"Apparently, this peddler was a seer and informed my husband that Natalia was to have this wand at all costs. After leaving Brunei, he stopped in Sweden to watch the annual broom race, where he salvaged my daughter's dragon."
The old wizard looked at the witch, deep in thought. He cautiously asked his next question.
"And did your husband by any chance bind the wand to Natalia with a Wizard's Pact?"
Aurelia's eyes flashed for a brief second, then immediately masked themselves with indifference again.
"Yes, in fact, he did."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled while his face showed great relief.
"That is most curious, because you see, when Natalia attacked Professor Snape, her wand took the form of an icicle."
Shock could not be hidden from Aurelia's face now. It was apparent that Dumbledore had just subtly informed the witch of a very vital piece of information.
"That is not possible!" she said, "You know that only the most powerful of magicals can…"
"Yes." the Headmaster replied, smiling, but at the same time grim. He turned his attention to Natalia, who was now more confused than if a Sphinx had asked her a riddle. The old wizard gave her a reassuring smile.
"My dear, have you ever felt any discomfort while using your wand? Did you ever start feeling weaker?"
Natalia frowned. Her wand was a perfect match for her.
"No, Professor. My wand suits me very well. In fact, I could not imagine performing spells with anything other than it. Why? Has something gone wrong?"
Albus Dumbledore smiled mysteriously. He could not be more glad that Natalia was The One.
"Nothing has gone wrong Natalia. You are simply the wielder of the Shangri-La."
