More information about Crejy the entity and, tadaa, out of the blue, a new one.

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Chapter 21

Reconciliation

"Lierin! I've been looking all over for you! I just heard about what happened. What exactly did happen?"

Lierin quickly wiped a few tears away and if Remus saw this at all, he was considerate enough not to mention it.

"A bad decision. That's what happened... I'm sorry, Remus. I'm still a bit shaken up. I'm not really in the mood to tell the entire story in all it's specific details."

"Fine, I'll... hear it another time then. How are you? At least indulge me and tell me that."

Remus could tell that Lierin was having a hard time falling apart. He saw tears glistening in her eyes and her hand was trembling when she casually moved a lock of hair behind her right ear.

"Not good, Remus, not good. I've... I just found out that... Merlin, I can't even begin straight. Do you remember when I asked you about Serena Romero? You said you knew nothing about her."

"Yes, I remember. What about her?"

"I told you that Snape had said something that I found very peculiar, didn't I? Well, today I found out what exactly I found peculiar. You see, Snape told me that the girl had died in her third year, one year before I first came to school."

"And why is that peculiar, if I may ask?"

"Because I remember that girl. I remember Serena; I just don't know in what way I remember her. There are just these vague memories of her on the Quidditch team and celebrating her graduation. But how can I remember her if she died approximately one year before I came to school? How can I remember her graduation party when she never graduated? That's what I found peculiar and that's why I'm so confused and distressed."

"Well, at least this proves that we -or at least you- have memories of a past life, or a parallel life, just as you want to describe it. But, it does break a certain continuity in Hogwarts' Mystery."

"A certain continuity? What do you mean?"

"Think about it. So far, our ideas are based only on the feeling that we've experienced certain events before. And that it might or might not be connected with your search for the Goblet of Might. Now, not only are you sure that you remember something of your past or parallel life, but the event you remember has a different outcome than the one in your current life. And... What in Merlin's name am I talking about? Past lives, parallel lives, current lives. I don't understand anymore. I'm so confused."

"Have we ever fully understood? All we have are hunches and guesses. Nothing more and... Wait a minute! I almost forgot, someone else is involved as well!"

"Someone else? You mean besides you, me and Severus?"

"Oh, we found out about him already? Rats. We really should take some notes to keep us from running mad. Well, at least I now have more evidence that Severus is involved as well."

"What kind of evidence? Something solid, at last?"

"Well, I'm not sure if it's really solid, but listen to this. After my little 'accident' today, I had a little talk with Severus. At some point he suddenly grabbed my chin and studied my eyes and said that I have 'Crejy's' eyes now..."

"Crejy? Who's..."

"Never mind, Remus... all right, she's the entity that I summoned today and who possessed me..."

"Entity? Summoned...Possessed, Lierin what..." Remus stopped asking further questions upon seeing the annoyed look on Lierin's face and the waving of her hands to stop him from further pressing the matter.

"What I'm trying to point out is, he knew her name, he recognised her the minute she barged into his class (at this point Remus knew better than to cry out: "Barged into his class?") and, well, he shouldn't recognise her."

"Is it too much if I'd ask -Why not?-"

"Because the entity, when summoned, takes the form best suited for the summoner. Much like the entities summoned by the patronus spell, actually. But, I never summoned Crejy before, let alone that I summoned her in front of Tyng Saccahkan... I mean Severus Snape, obviously... Did I just say 'Tyng Saccahkan'?"

Remus smiled."Yes, you did. Care to explain?"

"I'd love to, but... I have no idea what that means."

"Imagine that, the first thing that pops into Snape's mind when he sees you as your summoned entity, is his or her name and the first thing that pops into your mind when you want to explain something regarding the entity and Snape is... Tyng Saccahkan? I really think that you ought to know what that means."

"Well, actually I do know what it means, I just don't understand what it has to do with Severus and me."

"Just start with A and continue with B. If you explain to me all that you know about Crejy and Tyng Saccahkan, maybe we can figure out what it has to do with you and Severus, together."

"All right. Start with A. Uhm... well, obviously Crejy is the name of an entity that resides in Achilles' Spear. The entire line of 'Achilles' artifacts were created by an ancient tribe, a weak ancient tribe, so they could defend themselves against their enemies. But their enemies were with many and they were strong. The result of several wars was ruination and despair. The people from the tribe were either killed or taken prison. The artifacts were scattered all around the world and the entities were never summoned again. They still await, peacefully slumbering until their help is needed once again. Now, Crejy is the entity of crystal. Her name is the tribes' translation of the name of the Indian goddess Shiva. Tyng Saccahkan means 'Dark Messenger' and he's the entity of shadows. There are several more entities. There's Evned, Eqeuh, Pyrysid, Yhesy, Jymavun and Ouzespu. Those are the entities I'm familiar with. But who knows how many entities are still hidden?"

"And they all reside in a line of Achille's artifacts?"

"Yes, Crejy resides in Achille's Spear, made from crystal, Tyng Saccahkan resides in Achilles' Lantern, which can cast shadows and there's an Achilles' Ring, an Achille's Yuriken, to draw blood and..uhm... I don't remember exactly what artifacts are in existence."

"You must have called Snape Tyng Saccahkan for a reason just as he called you Crejy for a reason."

"But what reason can that be?"

Remus thought about that question for a while. Suddenly he came up with- what he thought to be- a plausible explanation.

"Well, you said that he called you Crejy upon seeing you in the entities form, right?"

"Yes... and?"

"It was a reaction. A reaction to a memory, a memory in which you summoned Crejy."

"A memory to his or our past/parallel life?"

"Possibly, and maybe, because you called Snape Tyng Saccahkan, that was a reaction as well. Maybe there was a sign of remembrance in your mind that connected Snape with the entity. Maybe you too have a memory of him, a memory in which he summoned an entity. That might explain why you called him that. You might have a memory of him as Tyng Saccahkan."

"You know, that just might not be as far off as it sounds. I recall that when I entered the classroom, Crejy was surprised that I was angry at Severus. She seemed to have a ...pleasant... memory about him as Tyng Saccahkan."

Both Lierin and Remus paused for a while, until Remus was the first to start summing up a list of things they 'knew' for sure.

"Okay, the facts: those entities take a form best suited for their summoner, so they never appear the same when summoned by different persons. Severus recognised Crejy in her form best suited for you and you linked the entity Tyng Saccahkan to him. Proof that the both of you have encountered each other in the entities form. That proves that both you and I are involved and Severus. More proof, Severus still hates me for a childhood prank though Sirius is actually the one to blame. But who knows, maybe Severus hates him too."

"More facts, you as well as I actually have memories of that past/parallel life. Now we know that Severus must be involved as well, I'm sure he too has memories of that life. Him recognising Crejy is probably one of them."

"Very important fact, you have a memory of Miss Romero which on its own is very strange, even considering the fact that we now have knowledge about a past/paralel life. If you have no memory of her in your current life, you shouldn't have one of her in your past/parallel life. Proof that there is a certain 'inconsistency' somewhere down this or the other time-line. Miss Romero however, is not involved in the Hogwart's Mystery. If she were, she would have been alive today just like she had been in your memory."

"Another fact we might want to consider, in that memory of Serena, I was with Severus when she begged him to talk to Minerva about a transfer. But why was I with Severus? Why was I at Hogwarts at that time? Was I a student... or...?"

"I think you were a professor, Lierin. I mean, if you were a student, Serena never would have approached Severus in front of you. But, were you a professor..."

"And if she knew me well and trusted me as a professor..."

"... she just might have confided in you and in Snape."

Silence again.

"Another fact..." said Remus thoughtfully, "We found out about the Hogwarts Mystery about the same time you were after the counterpart for the Goblet of Might. Coincidence? I think not. You are here for a reason, you were guided here for a reason."

"And you?"

Remus chuckled but there was no joy in it."Me? I think I am only here to guide you into the right direction."

"And Severus?"

"For some reason, I think he's important. You two are linked somehow. You two always have been linked. As humans and as summoners."

"Nothing happens without reason," said Lierin softly.

"Excuse me?"

Lierin shook her head."It's nothing, forgive me... I have to go, clear my head and buy a few Christmas presents."

She turned to leave but Remus grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Don't let this suffocate you, Lierin. Take it easy, take your time and everything will be just fine. I am here for you, Lierin. Remember that. I am here for you, I always will be..."

Lierin allowed her head to rest on Remus' shoulder and a soft sob escaped from her lips. She didn't know how much more she could take, how much responsibility she could handle before she would break. And for a moment, she wished she had never come to Hogwarts. Things had turned much too complicate after her arrival. She closed her eyes and sighed. She knew Remus was right. She was here for a reason and whatever that reason was, it was important.

Neither Lierin nor Remus noticed that the door had creaked open and that two dark eyes were watching them. Anger and hate plain to be seen in those dark pits. "I am here for you, I always will be..." Those words echoed in his mind and caused a painful contraction in his throat. He felt like slamming the door but he restrained himself. She wouldn't fool him again with her pretty face.

His time would come. His revenge would be sweet.