Chapter Nineteen

Thorns and Roses

Snow had finally begun to fall, blanketing Hogsmeade in a crystal white coat. Jennifer knew that in a matter of minutes it would all be interrupted by a stampede of students, eager to do some shopping before the holidays. Severus had often made it a point to volunteer to save a table for the general staff on these visits to town, but Jennifer knew that the real reason he came early was to avoid the crowds if he had something in particular he wanted to pick up while they were there.

The Three Broomsticks was clean and fairly empty with a spitting log in the fireplace, warming the pub and reminding one of the holidays yet to come. It was just as Jennifer was settled at the long table that Severus got up to run errands. But when he stood, he noticed someone approaching that quickly made him change his mind.

"See, Alvin, I told you it was the right weekend," Rolanda Hooch Archibald said with a cheerful smile. "Severus, are you sitting at the sociable table now? Aren't you afraid it'll ruin your reputation?" she taunted him.

"I see you haven't changed," Severus said dryly. Jennifer stood up and gave her a warm hug.

"I can't believe you managed to get away! It's so good to see you both!" Jennifer said happily, coaxing them to sit down.

"I assume this is not just a quaint nostalgia visit," Severus said, taking Alvin's offered hand briefly.

"No, I have some business with Dumbledore, and also I have some news concerning your last letter, Severus," Alvin said, sitting down. "I'm not quite sure how you guessed

it, but you were right about Ursa being adopted. In fact, it seems that her father was British."

"Who?" Jennifer asked.

"Someone who had enough pull to seal the records," Alvin sighed. "The Tribunal wouldn't release them to me. I sent an owl to Minister Weasley, so hopefully they can cut through the red tape."

"Staying after all, Severus?" Rosmerta asked as she came up behind them, handing Jennifer her butterbeer. "Rolanda! Alvin! Long time no see! What can I get you?"

"Anything without Vodka," Alvin joked.

"Snitch in the Mud for me," Rolanda said cheerfully.

"Anise Wine," Severus said.

"Don't strain yourself by trying something new once in a while," Rosmerta teased Severus. "What about you, Headmaster?"

"I'll have the wine as well," Alvin said.

"Two adventurous souls," Rosmerta chuckled, winking and heading back behind the bar.

The students had begun to trickle in before Rosmerta made it back to the table. Severus scowled, annoyed that he would have to stay late to finish his errands, assuming that nothing he had planned to acquire hadn't run out in the meantime. But those thoughts were quickly forgotten as two figures in dark cloaks pushed through the door, one tall, one hunched over, hurrying towards them. It was Harry and Alastor, both sitting down with little ceremony as Alastor signaled Rosmerta for a couple more butterbeers.

"We were hoping to find you here, Archibald," Alastor said. "We just got back from the Scandinavian Tribunal and… persuaded them to render assistance in the case."

"Blackmailed, you mean," Harry said disapprovingly.

"Now, Potter, politics are never bloodless, and governments sometimes need negotiations mixed with larceny to function properly," Alastor said in a low voice, grinning nastily. "The bottom line is that we found out who the father was. You'll never believe who it was."

"Impossible," Jennifer murmured, staring at him.

"Jennifer, at least let him say it first," Rolanda said impatiently.

"She was none other than the illegitimate daughter of Cornelius Fudge," Alastor said in almost a whisper.

"Impossible," said Rolanda.

"Her mother is a woman named Kreola Ropavich, the keeper of one of the few wizard inns in Siberia," Harry said. "Apparently there's a small settlement up there that grew from a handful of wizards researching the wild Yeti population. It seems that Fudge was up there some time after his 'disappearance.' I gather it was one of the few places he reasoned that he wouldn't be found."

"Well, he could have picked somewhere warmer," Rolanda said, folding her arms as if suddenly cold.

"They all had different reasons for being there," Harry sighed, waiting a moment for Rolanda to hand out the drinks before continuing. "Kreola's husband was a wizard specializing in magical properties of minerals. He died during a cave in, and she stayed on not wanting to leave her friends. Fudge it seemed was friends of one of the Yeti specialists who had fled Voldemort many years ago, which is how he got the idea to hide there."

"He never did have an original thought in that stuffed head of his," Rolanda commented, sipping her drink. Severus nodded to her in agreement.

"Anyhow, I'm not quite sure what was going through his head, but she's a very lonely witch, late forties although she looks older, and glad for some company. But when she became pregnant thirteen years ago, she didn't feel that she could give a child the future she thought she deserved in such a rough settlement. Fudge, although willing to support them if necessary, made it fairly clear he couldn't take them back to England. So, after Fudge helped her get some monetary affairs in order and headed back here, Kreola put Ursa up for adoption. She hadn't had contact with her for all these years, although she knew, apparently, who had taken her daughter in. She had been so proud of her getting into Durmstrang that she had sent her the pendant Fudge had given to her before he left, thinking that she was giving her daughter a connection to her real parents. I rather kept out the part about the diamonds being involved in this when I spoke to her," Harry admitted. "I didn't want to upset her any more about the matter."

"That poor woman!" Jennifer said, feeling depressed. "To have lost so much, and then her daughter as well!"

"I wonder who would have trusted old Fudge enough to have actually handed him some of the diamonds over to him in the first place," Alvin said.

"Fudge was well liked and well respected then. It's not unfeasible that someone could have given it to him," Severus said.

"Or perhaps it was in the Ministry, or a part of Equinox's prized artifact collection," Jennifer suggested.

"Well, one thing does seem to persist through all this, and that is these diamonds all seemed to have originally been in hands that either outright opposed Voldemort or were on the line on whether or not to do anything about him," Alastor said. "I don't think that's a coincidence. I think someone was purposefully spreading the diamonds out just in case Voldemort found out what they were for."

"They were afraid that whatever this is would be turned into a weapon," Jennifer said, sounding far away.

"You know, Severus, considering what happened with your parents, I would be wondering if your family didn't have some as well," Harry said.

"If there were any, they passed out of our hands long ago," Severus said.

"Wait a minute, Severus, what about Uncle Augustus?" Jennifer asked, suddenly concerned.

"Were I that lucky," Severus muttered. "I already sent him a note on the subject, and he quickly replied that he wasn't the sort that collected trinkets and to stop bothering him."

"I sent letters off to all of the people Dad said he knew was at my mother's bridal shower, hoping that they'd remember something about who gave Mother the ring, but I haven't got any replies yet," Jennifer said, propping her head in her hand.

"Well, I'll be damned if I just sit here and wait until another corpse shows up," Alastor said, guzzling down his drink in annoyance. "I think it's time we stop wastin' time and go looking for her."

Just then there was a loud crash behind them as a tray of drinks and a pair of chairs had toppled over. One of them still contained a student, Rose Bailey, still grimacing from the impact but otherwise all right. The students around them started laughing, while Rosmerta took out her wand to clean up the broken glass and Rose untangled her feet from the empty chair they had been leaning on and rolled over to on the ground to get up. Severus, who had jumped up the moment the crash had sounded, quickly put his wand back in his sleeve, folding his arms.

"Oh goodness, Miss Bailey, are you quite all right?" Pomona Sprout asked from the front, wading through the crowd with Minerva close behind.

"Perhaps the next time Bailey wants to work on another one of those Herbology experiments of hers, she should work on something that improves dexterity," Severus suggested with a slight smirk. Rose blushed bright red, apologizing to Rosmerta and offering to help.

"Now, Professor Snape, we all went through an awkward stage," Sprout chided, patting the girl on her shoulder.

"I didn't," Severus said defensively. Rolanda suddenly choked on her drink from laughter, gratefully accepting the towel Rosmerta handed out to her. As Severus turned to squint at Rolanda, Rose used the opportunity to slip away.

Outside the snow was falling heavier now, but Rose didn't mind. She was glad for a bit of space outside the crowded pub, thinking about what she had overheard. Several of her classmates yelled at her from across the road inviting her to Honeydukes, but she waved them on, shouting that she'd be along.

Rose had never had close friends before. Now that she had two, she was quite sure she wanted to give them both something more than just candy for Christmas, but what she hadn't decided. If only there was a rare herbs and flora shop here… no, she corrected herself. As much as she would be interested in such things, she was quite sure Alex and Mandria only had the polite interest of two humoring friends. Alex seemed to mostly care about her Muggle stories, while Mandria liked books with lots of trivia. But Rose couldn't think of a more boring gift for someone than a book. She glanced into the joke shop but quickly changed her mind, deciding that Alex and such things might be an unwise idea.

Just around the corner from the Divine Vision, Rose then spotted a little gift shop named Toby's Trinkets, and seeing that the shop seemed quite popular with the students she slowly pushed her way through the door.

The shop seemed fairly new with brightly painted shelves and polished counters that were cluttered with the widest assortment of wooden and tin gadgets, home aids, and toys that Rose had ever seen in one place. Noise from bells and whistles and clangs came from all corners as the students busily tried to figure out what each gadget did. At the very front of the shop sat a short but lanky man that reminded Rose quite a lot of her grandfather. He was wizened in appearance and yet had the same timeless look about him as Witolf, his icy blue eyes more intense than she had ever seen. He had no beard, but his high-boned, rosy elfish cheeks and red nose reminded her of Father Christmas. Toby, as he surely was named, was working quite busily carving a bit of wood in his hand, while he paused every now and then to nod at a student pointing at the counter and then to a huge round mug with a smiling face upon it that spoke the words, "Thank you," every time a student dropped in some coins. Behind him sat a carved wooden owl that looked around the room with its large golden eyes, its movements so realistic that at first glance Rose thought it was real.

Coaxed by another student trying to enter the shop behind her, Rose moved further in, bumping into a standing shelf near the door. Quickly she moved to right it before it toppled over, exhaling in relief when nothing fell off. The top shelves had beautiful wooden music boxes, many of them with miniatures of tiny House Elves cleaning, baking, and oddly, enough, making toys. Below them was a rack of shoes of every shape and size imaginable, mostly of bright colors and silver buckles. Tacked onto the shelf was a small sign that read; "All the items featured on this shelf are Elf-made. Proceeds for these items go directly to the House Elf Liberation Movement."

"Boy, wouldn't they both love this shop!" she murmured, watching as a pair of wooden knights jousted each other and enchanted balls juggled each other near the ceiling. It was then she spotted something along the base of a wall shelf that made her pause and look at it. It was a flowerpot. But it was not like any flowerpot she had ever seen; for this flower pot stood on three clawed feet like a stool, the surface covered with raised vines and detailed roses. She stood and stared at it for quite a long time, not realizing that she had earned the scrutiny of the maker, who leaned across the counter with the piece of wood still in his hand, watching her with a smile.

"You'd like the pot, I think, miss. It's enchanted to sense the needs of the plant. If it needs sunlight, it will get up and move to a better position. If it's thirsty, it'll move closer to a water source."

"Your work is so impressive, Mr. Toby, and so realistic and detailed, but shouldn't these roses have thorns on them?" Rose asked.

"Those are Pax Amanda. Not all roses have thorns," he winked at her before he turned his attention to the boy standing at the counter. "How much? How much is it worth to you?" he asked him, sitting back on the stool. "Just put it in the cup, lad."

"There aren't any prices?" Kirk asked from where he was standing by the Quidditch bats.

"Everything has a price," Toby smiled. "But in the end we all decide what we're willing to pay, don't we?"

Rose put the pot back, thinking about what he had just said. What a marvelous concept! Name your price on items in the shop? But then, how did he make a profit? She gazed around in amazement, glancing at the pot again, but then remembered the real reason she came in. Turning around she went back to the music boxes and picked two out, heading back towards the front. The man was nodding at each student as they put their money in the cup and took their item, and then spotted Rose stepping up, smiling apologetically.

"I'm terribly sorry miss, but only one item per customer," Toby said, pointing upwards. The wooden owl hooted and stretched one wing out, pointing to a sign that indicated just what he said. "You see, I believe that mankind in general has a very fair and generous nature. But there are some very few but highly outspoken individuals who might take advantage of the rest of mankind's good nature if there weren't certain rules in place. If one of those individuals come in and give me knuts for one of my best works, the fairness of the others make up for it and more. But if I didn't have the rule, those few would try to take everything, then I wouldn't be able to sell nice girls like you lovely flower pots," he winked, nodding over to the corner at the one she was admiring.

"Oh, no thanks, I really couldn't afford it. I was looking for something for my two best friends," Rose said, putting the jewelry boxes down on the counter. "Wonderful store though! I'll have to come again."

"What if I find one present that perhaps you can all use?" Toby smiled, piquing Rose's interest. But suddenly he looked up, squinting briefly at the window moment as someone passed by. Alerted by the sudden change in Toby's mood, Rose looked behind her as well, only to see the back of a man disappearing from view.

"Who was that?"

"Oh, just one of those outspoken individuals I mentioned," Toby said thoughtfully. "I wonder what he's up to." Seeing that Rose and several other students were watching him from behind the counter, Toby smiled. "I'm sorry I became distracted. Now miss, stand here to the side a bit so that the others can get to the cup and tell me about your friends. I'm quite sure we can come up with something."

It had taken a few minutes, but finally Toby was able to come up with a gift that Rose could not resist, and he made sure that Rose didn't put all of her money as she had been quite tempted to do. She found herself smiling as she left, finally feeling as if she had accomplished something other than snooping on professors. Now, she was ready to look for something fun to do, or at least something to eat. Honeydukes, it seemed, was still very crowded, and even in the deli was standing room only. She patiently waited in line for her sandwich and ladle of Witch's Brew in a Bread Bowl, and then had to be content with a spot on the curb.

It was not long after she'd finished her sandwich and started on the brew that she happened to notice a small group of Gryffindors walking by, most of them her Quidditch teammates. It was Conner who stopped short, holding his hands out to stop the entire group from walking any further.

"Hey Thorny! Thorny Bailey! You're coming, aren't you?" Conner said. A couple of the girls looked at each other as if not so happy about the extra invitation.

"Sure, Thorny, come with us," Stewart Gaffney said. "We're going to Keki's Grove."

"Keki's Grove!" Rose said, standing up so fast she nearly launched her brew into the air. "Are you really going there? Are we allowed to go there?"

"I asked McGonagall myself, she said it'd be safe enough so long as we didn't go in the forest proper," Stewart said, "and we don't bother the centaurs."

"I'm coming!" Rose said hurriedly, throwing her things away and hurrying over to them.

"You see? It's a trip even Thorny Bailey here wouldn't mind grouping with the rest of the housemates for," Conner teased as they headed down the road. Rose couldn't help blushing a bit at that. It was true she hadn't exactly gone out of her way to be with the rest of them, but until she made the team… rather, until she started becoming a success on the team… they hardly ever asked her.

"Is it true the trees in the center of the Grove have developed healing powers? And they say their bark grows as white as a Unicorn in the winter," Rose said excitedly.

"I heard that sometimes Unicorns come out of the woods in the spring to graze near there, as if paying homage to their old leader," Stewart Gaffney said. "And sprites and pixies and faeries go there in the summer and dance all night long completely in the nude!"

"Oh, cut it out, Stew," Conner laughed. "We're not going to fall for those lines you're always feeding your brother."

"Okay, okay," Stewart grinned, Rose shaking her head at him. "But what is true is the fact that not everyone can get in. The Grove doesn't like everyone."

"Perhaps it only likes virgins," Conner grinned, looking at the other girls. Rose rolled her eyes.

"Well that wouldn't explain why it doesn't seem to like many Slytherins though, would it?" Stewart put in. "I heard it wouldn't let it Henry the Ox this morning."

"Probably afraid of how many trees he'd knock down," Rose offered, the others grinning at her.

Inside the air was still and peaceful, the giant icicles hanging of the trees nearly touching the ground. The trees seemed to endure them easily with little sign of breaking, reminding Rose of a crystal palace. The path was free of ice with unblemished snow hugging the edges, completely covering the ground beneath the trees. Rose shivered a bit, but not from the cold. There was something about the Grove that somehow reminded her of a sleeping giant; a wild strength that rested deep within each tree that Rose couldn't explain.

"Well, it looks as if there's one Slytherin in here at least, former anyway," Stewart said after they had walked for a while, breaking the growing silence. For near the center of the grove on a stone bench sat Madame Brittle, reading a book. She glanced up as they came closer, giving them a warm smile.

"Hail, the conquering Quidditch team! Getting some exercise away from the crowds, are we?" she asked mischievously.

"We read about Keki's Grove in History this year, so we were curious," Rose said. "Isn't it lovely?"

"And more," Danny agreed. "History? Gosh, that almost makes me feel old!" she chuckled. "I remember when these trees were planted. It's always been a special place for me, somewhere one can rest, and think, and perhaps do some soul searching."

"Hard to believe this was once such a place of evil," Stewart agreed, contemplating breaking off a piece of icicle.

"I wouldn't recommend that," Danny warned him. "The trees around here get awful temperamental at times, even when half asleep."

"And I was so hoping to get a sample of that white bark," Rose said, disappointed.

"Can't you think of anything besides plants, Thorny?" Conner said rolling his eyes. "Like how beautiful this place is, or how romantic. Why, this is the sort of place it'd be nice to take a walk alone with a pretty girl," he winked. "How about it, Carrie?" He asked one of the girls in the group who grinned and took his hand, ignoring the other girl who was pouting in annoyance. Stewart grabbed her hand as well, taking a different route.

"Hey, Hilda, let's go see if any of the icicles have fallen onto the path," Stewart suggested. "I still would like to try one."

"I bet they don't taste anything like Bertie Bott's icicle flavored beans," Hilda chuckled as they went to search the path.

"Well! I like that!" Rose declared as she found herself standing by herself. Danny began to chuckle.

"It's all right, Rose, I'll walk with you. I was done with my chapter anyhow," Danny smiled standing up. "I take it you are not interested in boys yet."

"Not them," Rose snorted, getting another amused look from Danny. "Stewart's all right when he's not getting along with Conner, but I can't stand the way Stewart has to do everything that Conner does, no matter how mean it is. And Conner… Conner is full of himself."

"I have a friend that was a lot like Conner when he was in school," Danny nodded. "He'll grow out of it. I hope," she added with a grin.

"I just don't understand other people my age, Madame Brittle. They all seem so immature at times," Rose said.

"Is that why you hang out with girls two years younger than you?" Danny asked.

"But they're not like them! Mandria is smart and no-nonsense, and yet she has a very kind heart. And Alex…Alex is so enthusiastic that even when she starts talking a mile a minute, I find myself fascinated with her ideas of things. And they… they don't seem to mind that I'm not like them," Rose added.

"You mean they don't tease you," Danny prompted. "And because they're younger, you probably think that if they start you would feel fairly comfortable about defending yourself."

"They accept me for who I am," Rose said defensively. "What about friendship is more important than that?"

"Nothing, I suppose," Danny agreed with a smile as they walked out of the Grove.

As they turned to walk up the hill the sensation of being watched hit Danny full force, and she noticed shadows out of the corner of her eyes. Alert, she glanced back towards the Grove then stopped walking, turning to eye the edge of the forest warily.

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure, Rose," Danny said carefully, taking her wand from her belt. "I want you to turn around and walk back into the Grove and stay there until I come get you. Don't let any of the other students leave either," she added. "Walk quickly, but don't run." As Rose turned to do as she was told, Danny turned her attention to seeking out the shadow she had thought she had glimpsed, scanning the skyline.

Just then, several robed figures on brooms burst forth from the cover of the forest, diving into view with such speed that Danny had barely enough time to shout, "Run!" before sending a Firebolt towards the trio. The bolt missed the rider but singed the bristles of one of the brooms, the smoke trailing as they suddenly dove towards Rose and scooped her up kicking and screaming.

"What are you doing? Put her down!" Danny shouted, struggling to bring out her own broom as they flew out of range for her wand. Conner and the others appeared at the edge of the forest, and Danny barked at them to stay there. It was then that she took out an old pistol and aimed it at the sky… not at the assailants as the students first suspected, but straight up, shooting out a flare of brightly colored star-shape lights that split into three directions and darted away. Leaping on her broom, Danny took to the air, veering sharply upwards in the direction of the smoke to follow behind.

Dumbledore, who had recognized the signal immediately, suddenly Disapparated from where he was standing outside the Three Broomsticks right over to where the signal had been launched. Jennifer, Severus, and Harry appeared a mere second after him. Dumbledore quickly spied the students at the edge of the forest, hurrying over.

"Conner? What has happened here?" Dumbledore asked.

"They took Thorny, Professor!"

"Rose Bailey?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, Professor! I saw some figures on brooms… they must have grabbed her! Madame Brittle went after them!"

"Permission to go after them, Professor."

"Permission denied, Severus," Dumbledore said sharply. "You and Jennifer escort these students back to town and make sure no one else is missing."

"You don't think Ciardoth…" Jennifer said, motioning to the students to follow her.

"Ciardoth wouldn't need others to do her work, Jennifer," Severus said. "But I think I now understand why she first appeared in the Gryffindor common rooms. It wasn't our one diamond Ciardoth was originally after."

"If she was kidnapped because of she has diamonds on her, Danny is going to be over her head out there," Harry said, not vocalizing his concerns about who was behind it any further. "Shouldn't I go after them?"

"It's all right, Harry, help is already on the way," Dumbledore said quietly as he gazed up at the fading lights from Danny's flare. "I trust they will bring her safely back."

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Friends," Dumbledore said.