Chapter Twenty-Seven
Flickering Candles
Not long after dinner, Jennifer found herself escorting Alastor, Audi, and Harry to Dumbledore's office to discuss what happened that day. She had barely enough time to refresh and change clothes to meet them, greeting them as warmly as she could before leading them in. As they got to the main stairwell, she heard a student calling her and turned to see Alex and Mandria coming down the stairs, Alex frowning when she saw who she was with.
"Are we not going driving in the sled tonight?" Alex said.
"Oh… I'm sorry, Alex, I'd forgotten all about that," Jennifer said sincerely. "Honestly, I really don't have time tonight. Something's come up. Perhaps tomorrow."
"Rose will have Quidditch practice," Alex protested. "What's come up? Something with Ciardoth?" Jennifer frowned at her knowingly.
"Nothing you need to know or worry about, young lady…"
"Ah, Jennifer, a moment for a word in your ear?" Alastor said. Jennifer looked at him curiously as he stepped closer. "What happened this morning is too big of an event to hide, you know. She and the whole school will find out about this, one way or another. The question then is whose rumor do you want circulating; your own, or the ones Alex will undoubtedly receive from her siblings?"
Jennifer sighed loudly, looking at her daughter and shaking her head.
"You're right, of course, Auror Moody," she said. "Alex, why don't you meet me for breakfast tomorrow morning? We'll discuss it then."
"All right, Professor Craw," Alex said more cheerfully as Jennifer and the Aurors went up the stairs, Moody winking at her with his magic eye. Alex turned to Mandria. "Well, let's go to the barn and let Xavier and Rose know we're not going out tonight."
"If Rose wasn't out there, I'd say let the bugger figure it out for himself," Mandria said. "He never gives us a single moment's peace these days."
"I still think you're too hard on him," Alex said, "although I do agree it seems to be harder and harder to have a private conversation anywhere in Hogwarts these days."
"You can say that again," Mandria said, glancing suspiciously at a painting who began to whistle softly to himself. "Come on, let's go."
"Your daughter reminds me a lot of you," Audi said quietly to Jennifer as they climbed out of hearing range. "I still have trouble reading her, and her friend."
"Yes, I know," Jennifer sighed. "I hope she's not up to anything… dangerous."
"She's Severus' daughter as well, isn't she?" Audi said with amusement. "Better keep an eye on her too, Harry, maybe you'll get a preview about what your children are going to be like when they get to Hogwarts."
"There is no way they could possibly cause more trouble then Hermione, Ron, and I did," Harry said.
"Oh gosh, I wish you hadn't said that," Jennifer chuckled. "Now I know we're in for it."
They were still teasing Harry all the way up to the spiral stairs, finding the doors open for them. Jennifer wasn't quite sure what she had walked into. Mr. Weasley seemed to have stopped with his tea cup half way to his lips and was staring aghast at Sirius while Anna sat beside him with her hand over her face. Sirius was looking challengingly across at Severus, who was standing on the other side of the room as if poised to say something uncomplimentary back. But whatever it was Severus was going to say he immediately curbed it when Jennifer entered. Instead he simply folded his arms, tapping his gloved fingers irritably and scowling across the room. Icarus had an unabashed look of amusement on his face, nodding to the four in the doorway.
"Please, come in," Dumbledore said, smiling at them from behind his desk. "Severus was just filling us in on some of the details of Ciardoth's breach of Gringotts."
"And I'm growing more and more concerned by the minute," Anna said, looking over at Jennifer. "When you spoke to Ciardoth, did she attempt to foretell anything in your future as well?"
"As well?" Jennifer asked, looking at Severus, who was doing his best to avoid her gaze. "As a matter of fact, she told me she knew how I was going to die, and then locked me in the vault," she said, looking over to Anna. "Although I gather from what she said to me, that specific event wasn't the fated death spoke of. She knew I was going to get out, especially considering she didn't make any attempt at killing the goblin who could let me out."
"It sounds to me like she was deliberately toying with them," Sirius said.
"That's exactly what worries me," Anna said. "Ciardoth is bent on destruction, she's completely obsessed with it. The only reason she might allow herself this sort of cruel satisfaction is if she were completely certain that her plan is going to work. And that means she must have all the sets now. All but the last one."
"Great stars, I hope you're wrong," Jennifer said.
"I only wish we had anything to the contrary to tell you," Alastor said grimly. "We've finally completed a search of old case records, and found a number of 'sudden deaths' that fit the same description, only no one had made the connection to the diamonds a that point, including the ones in the watch. There's now less than a dozen unaccounted for pieces… and to be frank, I think Anna is probably right. And at the rate we're going, I think it's safe to say that Ciardoth will probably find this Rigs before we do."
"Then our only chance now is to find out where they are and steal them back before she has a chance to use them," Severus said.
"We would have already done it if we could," Audi snorted at him. "She's left no signs to where she's holed up, and since she zaps herself with a flash all over everywhere, she could be holed up half way across the planet for all we know."
"I even tried to find a magic item that might be able to imitate her gift for sensing the time stream," Harry said. "But so far we haven't found anything. I don't suppose you know of any, Jennifer?"
"Every device I know of beside this hourglass works inside the frame of time…this universe's time, I mean. I've never encountered anything set up like this," Jennifer said.
"Well. Ciardoth is starting to get cocky about her success at least," Audi said. "If she gets too confident, maybe we'll get lucky and she'll make a mistake."
"Wait a minute, you just reminded me of something," Jennifer said, glancing over at Audi. "She did make a mistake, although I'm not sure how important it is. When I ran into her, she greeted me with, 'We meet at last,' as if she'd forgotten all about our first meeting."
"The entire encounter in the Chamber surprised her, in point of fact," Severus mused. "But shouldn't she remember it now that she's actually lived it?"
"Perhaps she does, but doesn't quite remember the order," Icarus suggested, the others looking at the ghost curiously. "A memory seems like a memory to us, no matter when it's from."
"How were you able to keep them straight, Icarus?" Dumbledore asked.
"I'm not sure," Icarus said thoughtfully. "Age, I believe. I always seemed to have a general knack of telling how old people are, even when they don't want anyone to know. As far as day to day changes, I believe I may have been able to tell how old I was… mortals change every day, no matter how subtle… and I think that's what kept it all straight for me."
"You think?" Severus asked. "You don't know?"
"It's rather difficult to explain. It was a subconscious thing, not something I had to think about to do. I assume I developed it as a young child when most are organizing such skills as language and physics; I just had another thing to adapt to. In fact, I don't think I ever really thought about such things as aging at all when I was alive, but being dead gives me a different perspective."
"Being immortal she may not have developed a sense of aging as a distinction," Dumbledore said with interest, thoughtfully. "I believe you may be onto something, Icarus, and a very sound observation, Jennifer. There may come a time in the future when we can use that flaw to our advantage."
"Assuming we have time," Audi said dryly. Dumbledore smiled at her.
"We will have time, Audi, be sure of that. A wise man once told me that it was one thing to cheat death, but quite another to cheat Fate."
"Wait a minute, I said that," Icarus said with surprise.
"And that same person has also on occasion come to me on things he remembered that troubled him, some of which won't happen for quite some years yet," Dumbledore said with a smile towards Icarus. "And at least two of those events were Fate at work, wouldn't you agree, Icarus?"
"True, but it's Ciardoth's plan to put an end to all memories after this point," Icarus said.
"Well, Icarus, make up your mind. You were convinced up until now that your memories could not be changed, and now you are saying that they can be. Which is it?"
"For some reason, I'm not so sure anymore," Icarus admitted quietly.
"Good," Dumbledore said, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Now, back to the matter at hand. If you are correct in that Blithers' assistant has the last set, then it is imperative we warn him or her at once. Whether we know who this person is or not, we are on the same side, after all. We must make sure this entire event is well publicized, and not only in the Daily Prophet. It should be mentioned in other medias too, in other places, even the Muggle media, if we can arrange it tactfully enough."
"We are running some telly spots with Ciardoth's description and diamonds to look for, I'm sure I can arrange an update," Mr. Weasley said reluctantly, "but I'm afraid Gringotts is not being cooperative. They would rather keep the publicity down to a minimum. In fact, they attempted to talk my son out of writing about it at all, stating that it might undermine bank security and cause a panic."
"They do have a point," Jennifer said quietly. "In fact, Albus, I should probably tell you that Severus and I agreed not to discuss the issue, or the nature of the curses involved in the breach."
"Someone was cursed?" Sirius asked with interest, looking directly at Severus.
"We're not discussing it," Severus said icily.
"Everyone is entitled to some secrets, of course, so long as it's being used to protect and not to endanger," Dumbledore said calmly. He glanced at the door just before there was a soft knock. Minerva entered with a thin smile, the sort of smile that alerted everyone that something was up.
"We have another visitor," Minerva said. "Lucius Malfoy has... requested… to see you, Albus."
"Requested, or demanded?" Dumbledore asked, but waved his hand slightly, needing not to hear the answer. "Very well, show him in."
"Now?" Minerva asked with amusement, glancing at Jennifer and Severus.
"Oh, if he can take the risk of coming here uninvited, I can take responsibility for a slight violation of his restraining order," Dumbledore said, glancing at Jennifer. "I've neither the time nor patience to see him alone. Show him in."
It wasn't long before Minerva returned with him, and Lucius stepped into the office with his unbendable self-confidence and worth. As much as Jennifer despised the man, even she had to admit that despite everything that thrown at him, he always found a way to persevere above it. Of course, that also made him all the more dangerous. In fact, he should have been rotting in prison at this moment, although Jennifer was beginning to realize that putting him in prison wouldn't end the standing rivalry between Lucius, the Snapes, and the Craws. At that moment, however, he wasn't thinking about them at all. Lucius' thoughts seemed to be solely directed towards revenge against Ciardoth.
"Having a social?" Lucius asked in a sneering tone. "Well, if it isn't the political power house behind the current Ministry. Arthur, if you can't depend on your own staff to the point that you must look to teachers for advise, I suggest it's time to replace your staff."
"I'm sure if you have any suggestions you can always leave them in the box on Penelope's desk, so that I can have her you send a nice appreciative form letter on where to properly stuff them," Arthur said with a smile.
"To what do we owe the honor of this visit, Lucius?" Dumbledore asked calmly.
"Probably the same event that caused these past-their-prime Aurors and figureheads to grace your presence," Lucius said, earning a few glares around the room. "Several of my friends have come to me about having their belongings being stolen right from out of Gringotts bank, and curiously enough, two of your teachers were present at the time."
"Just get to the point, Lucius," Severus said tiredly.
"The point, Severus, is that you and your wife had no business being in there in the first place. You are not officers of the bank, nor was any property of yours in danger. You are also not Law Enforcement or licensed Aurors. In short, you had no business being there at all."
"I was given permission to intercede by Griphook, Lucius, and as such I was on bank business at the time," Severus snapped.
"He's the school's personal account manager, isn't he?" Lucius asked, looking at Severus steadily.
"And also head of the Diagon Alley branch and member of the bank board. I'm sure you'll find he has the authority," Severus replied.
"I find that nearly as interesting as the fact that witnesses and goblins at the lower branch have given statements that Jennifer made it clear that she was going in whether anyone approved of her doing so or not," Lucius said. Jennifer felt her face getting hot.
"I happened to have an escort, actually. An officer of the lower bank went with me," Jennifer said defensively.
"Yes, and according to his statement, he opened the vault at your insistence as well as Ciardoth's," Lucius said with a slight smile.
"She was going to kill him!" Jennifer started to protest angrily until she caught a firm, calming look from Dumbledore.
"Lucius, whether they had any business being in there or not, I really don't see how any of this truly concerns you. Of course, anyone who owns some of those diamonds wish to protest they may, but I suggest they take it up with the bank instead of the school."
"Oh, I will do more than that. This matter is far from closed, Dumbledore. I happen to know for a fact that there is a clause in every contract here that states that teacher conduct outside of this school must not publicly detract from the school in any way, and I believe that your staff's tendency towards vigilantism is doing just that. I've already talked to several members of the board of governors sympathetic to my concerns. I daresay it's time to put a stop to it one way or another, even if I have to find a way to get back on the board of governors again and end this myself."
"I would resign before I see that happen again," Dumbledore said with such a dangerous flash in his eyes that Jennifer took an involuntary step backward. But it was the abrupt flickering of the candelabras, candles, and lanterns that truly made everyone in the room jump.
"What was that?" Arthur asked after it settled down.
"That," Severus said grimly, "was no House Elf."
"Minerva, you and the other housemasters go and secure the students at once," Dumbledore said, standing. "Alastor, would you and Audi escort this man off the property and check the grounds? Harry, if you would, you and Anna check the lower castle and Sirius and I will check the higher end."
"I'm going to see if I can get an Enforcer team here," Arthur said.
"My private exit will get you there quickly," Dumbledore said, nodding to him. "Let's be off, there's little time to spare."
Jennifer and Severus hurriedly followed Minerva out and turned towards the back stairs, but it was not long before Jennifer stopped short, grabbing hold of Severus' sleeve. Minerva continued on to get Pomona.
"Alex! I forgot… we passed in the hall. She was heading towards the stables to put Ruby away!" Jennifer said. Severus took out his watch.
"She's there. Probably with Sagittari, but he may be in the forest too," he sighed with irritation. "You go. I'll secure Ravenclaw." With that they split up, eyes darting down every corridor as they passed them.
A light fog whipped around the lake as Alex and Mandria walked to the stables, Alex chatting about everything from parents to schoolwork at such a rapid pace that Mandria had a hard time keeping up with it all. In no time they spotted Rose and Xavier standing by the pens near the light coming from the window.
"Hullo! There you are! Where's Professor Craw?" Xavier asked.
"She's up to something," Mandria paraphrased, cutting Alex off. "She said we have to do this some other night."
"And after all that trouble hooking that filly to the sled!" Rose sighed.
"What?" Alex said, peering in to see Pepper hitched up and looking none too pleased for being there. "We usually go out on Ruby, you know that!"
"Yes, but let's be honest about this, Alex, Ruby moves like she's taking a flight to find a grazing area," Rose said. "So Xavier suggested hitching up Pepper and see if your mum would let her take her out since it'd be so much trouble trying to switch them."
"I bet she wouldn't. Mum probably knows a spell for that," Alex said. "Pepper isn't exactly tame yet."
"So we found out trying to get the thing on her," Xavier said. "I'm not looking forward to trying to take it off."
"We need distraction. Pepper will do anything for an apple," Alex said, "Let's see if Doctor Sagittari is at home."
As they walked over, delicious smells arose from the hut, and Alex suddenly found she was hungry again even though she had eaten. Inside the lights blazed cheerfully and smoke danced out of the chimney. It was Xavier who rose to the occasion to knock, and the door opened to show not one but two centaurs inside, and for a moment they were all struck speechless.
"Well, Mr. Platt! Miss Bailey, Snape, Shea. Going out for a bit of riding tonight, are we?" Sagittari asked.
"We thought we were, but Mum called it off," Alex sighed.
"Yes, I suppose she would have after what had happened today," Sagittari murmured to himself.
"And we hitched the sled to Pepper and now we're a bit leery of getting it back off," Rose admitted.
"Feeling adventurous tonight, are we?" Sagittari asked, shaking his head at them. "Very well, you'd best come in and warm yourselves while I get some apples."
The four of them entered, nodding to the other centaur as politely as they could, but it was hard not to stare. The dark coated centaur seemed nothing like his counterpart; he seemed so solemn and proud, standing with his arms folded over his bare chest and gazing at them with wary curiosity. There was a wildness about him, Alex decided, something in the eyes that Doctor Sagittari didn't seem to have. As she looked back at Sagittari with his Hogwarts' robes over his human half and browsing through his cabinets, it was almost hard to think of them as even the same race at all, four legs or not.
"Students, this is Firenze, a school friend and a member of my constellation. You know what a constellation is, correct?" He asked them.
"It's a community of centaurs, and also refers to a meeting of them," Alex said. "My parents got to go to one once."
"You must be Alexandria Snape," Firenze said quietly. "Your parents are well respected among my people. And you are Mandria Shea. Your parents are also known to us, although we've never met."
"This is Rose Bailey and this is Xavier Platt," Alex introduced. Rose nodded her head nervously, while Xavier did a ceremonial bow. "We're sorry if we interrupted. What exactly happened today that has everyone worked up, Doctor?"
"I believe you came here for apples, Miss Snape," Sagittari said chidingly, getting out a bowl of them and handing it to her. "If you still have trouble getting the sled off, come back and let me know, and I will see to her myself."
Alex began to thank him when the lights flickered at such a startling rate that everyone froze what they were doing.
"What is up with the fires around here?" Xavier exclaimed. "They're always doing that! But I've never seen them quite that bad before."
"Neither have I," Sagittari said, suddenly looking quite concerned. "You four had better stay here. Let me have a look outside," he said. He took the Spear off its place above the mantle, his expression and Firenze's growing so solemn that Alex found herself holding her breath, a very heavy tension in the air as Sagittari went to the door to look outside.
"What do you think is going on?" Rose whispered to Alex.
"I don't know, and I hate not knowing," Alex whispered back. Firenze didn't speak, he only shook his head with a somber look on his face. Sagittari stepped out onto the grounds, glancing at the nervous behavior of the animals with growing concern.
"Sagittari!" Jennifer called out, hurrying out of breath. "Alex and the others…"
"They are here. Firenze as well," Sagittari said calmly. "Any sign of her?"
"No, but we have everyone searching the grounds," Jennifer said, glancing at the strangely skittish animals as well. "Perhaps she's in the Dark Forest."
"I highly doubt that," Sagittari said. "The forest has its own senses about such things, and from what Firenze has told me, it would not welcome her."
"Did something happen?" Jennifer asked with a frown.
"I shall tell you about it later. Perhaps I should keep these four students here for now since we do not know where she is it would be unwise not to move them," Sagittari said.
"You're right. I'd better get back." Jennifer said.
"Alone? I think not," Sagittari said, backing up from the door and glancing at Firenze. "I am going with the Professor."
"I will wait with these foals until you return and protect if necessary," he said evenly as the two Professors headed towards the castle.
"Anyone want an apple?" Alex said wryly, breaking the silence. "I have a feeling we are going to be here for awhile."
"There is nourishment on the stove if you require it," Firenze said. Glancing at each other, they shrugged and tucked in, nervously watching the centaur who patiently waited, standing still and looking lost in thought. But just as they were actually starting to relax a bit, the door burst open with a sudden force and Essie Brim ran in.
"Essie? What are you…"
"Everyone out of this hut! Now!" Essie shouted, grabbing Mandria who happened to be on the nearest stool and pushing her out the door. Firenze did not hesitate, helping Rose over the table and following behind them while Essie opened the pens and stables.
"What's going on?" Alex asked again.
"Firenze, take them into the forest," Essie snapped.
"Very well. Follow me," Firenze said, turning with a brisk trot, and the four of them had to run to keep up. It was just as Essie's hands released the last tether on Pepper that the dragon appeared, its looming shadow soaring overhead and turning around. Quickly Essie jumped into the sled, snapping Pepper's reigns who took off like lightning, her spirit and fear propelling her forward and nearly knocking Essie out as it surged into the air. It was at that very moment that the dragon let out a furious inferno of flames on the hut and the surrounding area, scorching or melting anything it came in contact with.
"How dare you attempt to defy me? You shall all pay dearly for your attempts to stop me!" The dragon roared, letting another blast out towards Essie.
But Pepper, who had made it clear to Essie from the beginning that it was she who was in charge, quickly veered them out of the way, pathing uncomfortably close to the dragon like a wren attempting to escape a hawk, flying towards the castle at breakneck speed. Essie's knuckles were white and palms raw from trying to hold the reigns, but no control was to be had as the sled flew between two of the towers and towards the mountains on the other side. Pepper was trying to lure the dragon away from the forest, Essie realized, deciding to give her a bit more reign to keep her from breaking her neck. But as they passed the castle, a flash of sickly green light came off one of the Towers, barely missing the backside of the dragon. It turned then to answer, spying the foolish assailant and squinting as if to try and recognize who it was.
It had not taken Lucius Malfoy long during the commotion to lose his escort and work his way back inside. So much exploring had he done in his youth… so much knowledge of secret passages… within seconds he was in them, his brain calculating her possible ways of attacking, her motives. Jennifer, he suspected, was probably behind it somehow. Perhaps he'd get lucky and Ciardoth would dispose of her before he killed her. For he was determined it would be he and he alone who would finish Ciardoth, and no one would stop him from completing that task.
It was Lucius who had made his way to the Astronomy Tower as the others were still busy checking students and staff, and it was he who earned Ciardoth's full attention in that moment. Lucius stood there defiantly as Ciardoth turned and let out another blast. But when the full stream of fire reached him, he made no gesture of moving, letting the fire wash over him.
As the flames cleared, Ciardoth roared in anger, for no harm had been done to either Malfoy or the castle itself. She charged him then like a raging Unicorn, and her catlike eyes were red with hate as she closed in. But as she came near, another spell was cast, and Ciardoth cried out in agony as the spell hit, her roar of pain shaking the building and she disappeared into a bolt of lightning. Malfoy knew better than to let his guard down, and quickly he found how right he was as another flash appeared directly behind him. He rolled defensively to find Ciardoth in her true form standing over him.
"Those who cause me pain die by pains far worse," Ciardoth said in a cool, calm voice.
"It is nothing compared to what you will suffer when I am through with you," Lucius snarled. Ciardoth laughed for a long time, completely ignoring him as the Acidic Eulogy attempted to burn away her skin. For a moment it appeared to be working, but Ciardoth was obviously in no pain, her eyes in constant contact with his as he finished the incantation and her burns disappeared.
"You cast spells of darkness at me, but none of this world know the dark as I do," Ciardoth said.
"I care not what you know, only that you pay," Lucius snarled.
"Fool. It is I and I alone who will be seeking revenge this day. I have seen your death, Lucius, and it will be a violent death indeed. Perhaps that day is today!"
"As long as I take you with me," Malfoy said, raising his wand again.
Jennifer searched through the Great Hall where everyone had gathered until she found Severus, pacing near the Slytherin tables.
"Well? Where are they?" he snapped.
"It's all right, they're safe with Firenze at the Hut," Jennifer assured him. But just before he was about to reply, Audi and Alastor hurried in.
"Everyone just hang tight and stay here!" Alastor said in such a booming voice that Minerva growled in her throat. She had just gotten everyone calmed down. "Minerva, I need anyone you can spare!"
"You found Ciardoth?" Jennifer asked.
"Found her? Can't miss her," Alastor grunted. "She's in dragon form blasting everything in sight. More on that later, but right now she's attacking someone up in Sinistra's Tower, and we think it might be Malfoy."
"What?" Jennifer said in surprise.
"He's sealed off the door with some sort of dark curse I haven't seen before. I think it's some sort of hybrid spell he's concocted," Audi added.
"More likely he hired someone to design it for him," Severus said dourly.
"Never mind that, let's just get going. Malfoy doesn't stand a chance up there alone," Jennifer said, following them to the back door. "Where's Dumbledore? Perhaps he can fix it so we can Apparate up."
"I think since Malfoy obviously wanted to handle this alone, perhaps we should just let him," Severus said with such a vindictive tone that Jennifer turned to look at him.
"Look, Malfoy isn't exactly stable right now…" Jennifer murmured.
"And this is different than when?"
"Severus! He can't possibly do this alone, and you know it! He'd rescue us in the same position," Jennifer reminded him.
"Only because he has to!" Severus snapped.
"That's entirely besides the point!" Jennifer snapped back. "A man's life is at stake and whether we like it or not, we're actually on the same side in this instance!"
"Aunt Jennifer!" Jennifer looked up in surprise to see a very unkempt Essie running over to them. "It's alright, they're safe!"
"Essie? What are you doing here? Who's safe?" Jennifer asked.
"Alex and the others are with Firenze in the forest," Essie explained. "Ciardoth's not in dragon form any more either, she's fighting someone on the Astronomy Tower. I couldn't fly close enough to tell who."
"Don't tell me you were insane enough to attempt to fly a broom in a dragon's wake?"
Severus stared at her.
"Sanity doesn't seem to run in my family. I wasn't on a broom, I was in the sled," Essie said. "And if you ask me, Uncle Severus, I think that brooms are safer."
"She's right, thought, it's the only way to get there in time," Jennifer said. "We should organize what teachers we can spare and try to overpower her with a broom squad."
"Enough of this!" Severus said with such fervency that Jennifer braced for a fight. "Essie, where's the sled?"
"In the courtyard."
"I'll not have any of you risking your lives over someone who's not worth saving. Wait here, and that's an order from the senior faculty member in charge of security," he said, turning for the door. Jennifer looked at him completely stunned for a moment. But as she made a move to follow, Alastor put a hand on her shoulder.
"You know, you could just try trusting him for a change," Alastor suggested. "Besides, we need you to look at that door, remember?"
"Right. Let's go," Jennifer said, her voice sounding a bit shaky to even her ears as she turned towards the back stairs.
Malfoy knew for certain she was just playing with him now. The first few blasts had been harsh indeed, for it hadn't taken her long to figure out that the protections on him against fire had made them more susceptible to cold. But the heavy onslaught suddenly changed as she began to assess his ability and found it wanting. The Darkest of spells, the most forbidden and most whispered among the few who knew them were all cast that night, and all ten of the death spells he knew hit their mark with deadly accuracy but with only momentary results; the spells melting as they hit her like snow on warm pavement. But he was not about to give in. Not for all the fortune. Not for all the spilled blood. He had sworn to himself that one of them was going to die. But the blind rage upon him had caused him to fire at random, his defensive stance slipping in favor of more vicious attacks. And it was as she struck the last blow that sent him sprawling across the top of the tower when he realized perhaps he did have a sense of mortality after all.
As he struggled to his feet, he noticed that the wand still fiercely gripped in his hand had snapped. Behind him Ciardoth tsked, shaking her head with pursed lips and looking down at him with such open superiority he felt his rage returning again.
"How the mighty have fallen! If this is the best your mortal world can do, then you would do well to surrender to your deaths now," she said. "Come now, beg for a swift death."
"Never," Lucius growled, grabbing his cane and holding it up as if planning to use it as a weapon. But just as she held up her hands and cast another blast of energy towards him, a curious blue shield suddenly arced over him, creating a barrier that caused the energy to dissipate.
Her attention immediately turned to the sky, and for a split moment Lucius almost detected a look of fear in her icy eyes. Then he spotted a shadow and heard the whinnying of a horse as a sled flew by, the driver leaping out as it passed and landing on his feet.
"Someone kill me now," Lucius muttered as he realized it was Severus Snape, wishing he had taken her offer for a quick death. But Severus was paying little attention to him, his wand out and stance defensive.
"How dare you! How could you possibly know such magic?" Ciardoth said, her first clenched as she turned to face him.
"Care to see what else I know, Ciardoth?" Severus said challengingly.
"Fool! You are still mortal, and you still hide behind that pitiful stick to cast! You can't possibly think you are any match for me!"
"Really? For some reason, I have little fear from dying at the moment, for if you believe your memory of my being alone is true, then you know as well as I do that I will not die on this occasion," Severus said calmly, not dropping his stance. "How do you die, Ciardoth?"
"I do not die!" she screamed in anguish and anger, the air suddenly whipping around them as a storm began to darken the sky.
Severus' felt his skin prickle and knew what was about to happen just as clearly as he realized that Ciardoth did not. Acting on instinct, Severus leapt out of the way just before the lightning struck, casting a spell simultaneously, covering the area near Ciardoth with white and diving head first into the protection of the arc.
As the lightning struck, the marshmallow cream ignited around her, consuming her in fire. Shrieking in agony, Ciardoth disappeared in a flash of light, leaving only the quickly crusting glop in her wake.
Without even a passing glance at Lucius, Severus stood, and the arc dissipated as he dusted himself off. It was in that moment that the door sprung open and Jennifer, Sirius, Dumbledore, and the Aurors burst through it, looking around at the flaming mass with surprised expressions.
"Interesting," Alastor said enthusiastically, spotting the two figures on the other side of the tower. "Roasting a Ciardoth, are we?"
"Severus! Is she?" Jennifer asked.
"Retreated. For now," Severus said curtly, grabbing the heavily injured Lucius by the collar. With no concern for Lucius' state, he picked the man up and dragged him over to the rest, dropping him at Jennifer's feet. "There, he's alive, as you wanted. Now if you don't mind, I am going to take a bath. I suddenly feel quite disgusted with myself," Severus said, walking down the stairs without a glance towards anyone else.
"I should never have used that marshmallow spell on him when we were kids," Sirius decided as he snuffed the flames out with a spell.
"Well, whatever happened up here, I can't wait to hear about it, because it looks brilliant," Alastor said cheerfully, carefully scooping a bit of it with his finger and tasting it. "Not bad, not bad at all."