Disclaimer : - The world of Harry Potter isn't mine – wish it was – but belongs to JK Rowling… anything from the books is hers not mine…. Anything else is probably mine. Not getting anything but fun from writing this etc etc etc….

The fic is Rate R ….. if you are not old enough to read it etc then please don't

Spanning the River of Blood

By Ridley-Roo

Chapter 19 – Rise and Shine

Tuesday morning dawned bright and full of the promise of clear blue skies as Layla sat beside the lake watching the sun slowly climb it's way over the horizon.  She'd spent much of the previous evening lying low in her chambers but the need for fresh air and a change of scenery had led her to sneak out of the sleeping castle.  Rani had followed, along with Jake and the three now sat in silence on a blanket eating fruit and watching the changing light transform the landscape before them.

Rani had dressed her in a warm woollen robe this morning and while it was less ornately adorned than the silk of yesterday, Layla still wasn't happy.  After all what exactly was wrong with jeans?  She'd certainly be more comfortable.  Jake, however was more than comfortable stretched out beside her and purring for England.  Leaning back against a tree she let the sound wash over herself.  There was something magical about a cats purr she decided, a peaceful feeling that told her she was both safe and loved.  Closing her eyes she stroked him and simply let her mind drift.  Although she was full of questions this wasn't a time to go seeking for answers, just for a moments peace.  A brief interlude in the events around her so that she could regain her inner balance. 

That feeling of waiting for something to happen has started again during the night, or at least that was when she had first become aware of it.  Silently she was starting to wonder if it would ever leave her alone.

* * * *

Hermione woke early and decided to head up to the library before breakfast to check out an idea that had occurred to her up on the roof during the meeting the previous night.  She had been busy explaining the principal of large scale wards to Seamus, including the fact that no one had ever been able to produce wards over an area as large as Hogwarts without relying on the innate magical field in the landscape, when Ron had asked if anywhere could be protected like that.  Although she didn't know for sure it had started her wondering.

Memories of the Quidditch World Cup came to mind and of how hard the ministry worked to hide the pitch and surrounding encampment from the muggles.  It had taken a huge amount of co-ordination and several wizards working around the clock to pull it off, and even then some muggles had slipped through and required memory charms.  Hogwarts covered a much larger area and yet she had never actually seen anyone 'maintaining' the wards.  This made her think that the answer to Ron's question was a resounding no.  A thought closely followed by another question.  Why?

So she headed back to the library and straight to the section dealing with concealment charms and wards.  She scanned along the shelf looking for the large leather bound tome she had been able to glance at briefly before dinner last night.  'The History and Development of Concealment Charms Through the Ages… by C.T. Barrowbridge.'  Surprised when she reached the end of the shelf she had left it on last night she headed back to the beginning and worked her way down the row.  Once again she found herself unable to find it and expanded her search to the other shelves.  Nope, it's wasn't there anymore.  Sighing she headed despondently down to breakfast, her mind already trying to work out who might have it.  She was fairly sure she knew why they would have it, but one thing was for sure, that particular theory was worth pursuing further.

* * * *

Snape woke at his office desk down in the dungeons.  Rising slowly in deference to his stiff body he looked down at the book which had been acting as his pillow.  It took a few seconds for his brain to remember that he had been reading about large area wards and more importantly what he had found.  A small smile played on his lips and he pulled himself up and headed over to the fire and put a cauldron on to boil some water for his morning cup of tea.  He needed the caffeine to get his mind working again.

As he sat back down with his steaming cup of Cylon tea, he flicked back a couple of pages and started to read.  Most of it was fairly standard stuff that he knew perfectly well, but there were a couple of bits he'd either never known or had forgotten. 

The manipulation of the natural magical field into a self-sustaining concealment ward was first duplicated by Salazar Slytherin who used this technique to great affect.

He reread it several times to make sure the context and meaning were as he had first assumed.  Yup.  No doubt about it.  This author definitely did not hold the widely held belief that Slytherin had discovered the technique.  Duplicated.  It quite clearly said that he had duplicated the technique.  So who had used it before him, and what did they hide?

Snape lent back into his chair and sipped his tea.  He knew very well what Slytherin had used the technique on, it had been part of his contribution to the building of Hogwarts.  A feat that no other individual wizard had ever managed to match.  But if this book was correct he had learnt how to do it elsewhere.  Where?

All the wards now protecting Hogwarts were based in some way on his first ward.  Many were additions and others simply small scale copies, but the underpinning of them all was Slytherins work.  Could it have contained a flaw that no one other than Ms Green had been able to find?  The weakness must be there, in the original.  But as to what that weakness might be he was still at a loss.  However since he now had something concrete to work with he decided that his stiff neck had been worth it and headed off in search of breakfast.

* * * *

Jake lay purring on the blanket next to his mistress mulling things over in his mind.  Things were going rather well he decided.  She was sleeping again and had met Oreas.  With luck this would all be over bare the shouting in no time.  He stretched out and purred to himself.  All she needed now was a final push to get nature to takes it's course.

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