Chapter Fifty-Five: Reports

"And you wrote it all down?" Cass had an oddly calm expression as Severus handed her the scribbled prophecy. She read it, folded it, and placed it in a pocket of her uniform, only the slightest marks of melancholy coloring her impassive look. "Don't worry. I've heard words to this effect before, always something about these three heirs and such-and-such won't happen until such-and-such happens first and beware the ides of March and such." The werewolf shrugged, trying her best to seem affable and nonchalant. "Birman Wood to Dunsinane, all that stuff."

"Cassandra, he and I were discussing your child when the prophecy started."

"Sometimes he gets them in the bathtub. I'm used to it."

"I think the 'third heir' he spoke of is –how would you notice prophecies if he was in the bathtub alone?"

"Whoever said we take baths alone? Have you ever tried to scrub your own back when your elbow's been hexed all to spit? Besides, it's more efficient."

"I'm sure that efficiency is your main objective," Severus observed wryly. "What if this 'third heir' prophecy has something to do with your child?"

Cass pulled out the prophecy and read it again.

"The first shall have no true brother –well, that leaves the Weasleys out. Raised in infamy…hmm. Mistaken parentage or a bad neighborhood? Propechies nowadays are so insuccinct."

"Be serious. The whole blood uncle of the third idea leads me to think that the third heir is your child and therefore Draco should be the second's mate."

"Mate as in mating, or as in chess? What if the second heir is Ron, and noone should try to beat him at chess except Draco or else shall all hope of ever beating the little showoff is lost. John has made prophecies regarding the toast, you know."

"Toast?"

"Yes, a few months ago. 'Beware the spread with hue of October leaves, lest the scorched bread be unfavorably besmirched.' It turned out the marmalade had weird little seeds in it. I just can't get excited every time we get messages like this."

"So you're ignoring the warning?"

"Hell, no. I'm going to add this one to the notebook of all the other ones I've kept since the first on he did for me, and as soon as I have a free moment or need something to read while I dye my hair, I'll look over them."

"You can't dye your hair, you know."

"Oh, right! I'd been usin g the Muggle kind to avoid dispellment charms turning me into an anime character, but I bet Ginny could fix the roots for me with some kind of spell. I'd see that stylist up in Hogsmeade, but I'm a bit lazy."

"Too lazy to go with me this afternoon? I went with John earlier, but he didn't seem to want to look for potions ingredients."

"Really? What could possibly dissuade him from something like that?" Cass looked confused and Severus stifled a smile. "Oh, don't you give me that, Severus! Where were you two?"

"Quality Quidditch Supplies, actually."

"Oh." The witch seemed to accept this answer. "Normally I'd be ticked that I didn't get to go, but Draco and I went last month and there was nothing too remarkable that I hadn't seen in the catalog. What'd you think of the new polyurethane Quaffles?"

"I liked the variety of colors, but the grip seems like it could be impaired, and I'd always preferred leather."

"I was more of a pebbled rubber sort until I tried a regulation leather one at the academy. Definitely easier to catch." The werewolf unbuttoned the coat of her denim uniform and began to search through the inside pockets. "Tell you what. How about we go up to Hogsmeade, buy every exotic potions ingredient your Slytherin heart desires, and then we'll both have something done to our hair. It's more fun than going alone."

"What could I possibly do to it?" Severus examined a lock of his dark and already-greasy-from-the-cauldron-fumes-by-four hair. "It's just hair."

"I'm not suggesting anything as radical as highlights, Sevvy, but you could get a trim and maybe do something to repel the sticky stuff that seems to adhere to it."

"A trim?"

"Just to take the split ends off." Cass took a lock, twisted it, and showed him the damaged tips. "Snip here, very little loss of length."

"Wait. Can't you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Cut hair."

"What on earth gave you that idea?"

"Well, you seem so knowledgeable…and you are a woman."

"And by virtue of lacking a 'Y' chromosome I can automatically perform any tonsorial feat up to and including nail trimming? What kind of a dangerous stereotype is that?" Cass looked rather offended for a second and Severus sighed apologetically, only to have her brighten immediately. "I used to trim my dad's, actually. Just don't trust every female whacko with scissors around your hair, or you could stand to lose an ear." The witch removed the coat of her uniform altogether, revealing a tight pair of jeans and a t-shirt that didn't quite conceal a faintly becoming bulge.

"You're still wearing those jeans?"

"Whyever not? I mean, just because one is expecting doesn't mean –merciful peace!" The poor werewolf went ashen and clutched at her stomach. "Sevvy, something's wrong!"

"Alright, sit down. Now, don't panic." The professor stood and fetched a stethoscope from a drawer. "What does it feel like?"

"Sort of like bubbles, but harder."

"Where?" Cass took Severus' hand and showed him the location of the weird sensation.

"Is it bad?" Severus rolled his eyes and got out his wand. "What the-?"

"Transpereo illusia." A hovering, exact view of what was going on in Cass's gut appeared, the magical answer to a sonogram.

"That isn't…"

"Your baby, Cassandra, is kicking you."

Colonel Tyler of the American Aurory considered this.

"Well, that's gratitude for the free ride in there. Does the food not agree with you?" Cass watched the illusion open and close its' fists. "Good god, Sevvy, look! Fingers! Is that normal?"

"Naturally. She's a little ahead of schedule in terms of development, but with the potions you take I'm not surprised. And don't you dare go all pale again, that's a good thing!" There was a long silence.

"She?"  Severus nodded. "That's a girl baby?"

"Yes." Cass seemed utterly amazed, but Severus couldn't resist adding an additional tidbit of information. "You do know that at this stage she can hear you?"

"I thought that wasn't until-"

"Werewolves have more sensitive aural capacity. It is believed that a genetically lycanthropic foetal specimen is capable of aural comprehension as early as seven to nine weeks."

"And in English?"

"Baby werewolves hear sooner than totally human ones."

"Oh." For quite a few moments this news had the mother werewolf pleased, but then a dark shadow crossed her face. "And when I go on missions, she hears that, too?"

"As painful as this may sound, Cassandra, your unborn daughter can, in theory, already identify the voices of several Death Eaters. Conversely, though, she also knows the voices of her parents and all of their coworkers."

"Including her godfather." Cass gave the Professor a kiss on the cheek and hugged him soundly. "Uncle Sevvy."

***************************************************

Christmas came and went, and still no owls or word from Narcissa arrived. Death Eater manors were raided right and left, and once the Aurory squad under Col. Tyler managed to break up a full meeting, almost capturing Voldemort himself. Harry Potter had reached the point of proficiency that he was able to join the Aurors on missions, though his girlfriend got her papers a full month earlier and had already shot no less than six Voldemort-supporters before Harry even took his test.

It was a legal loophole that enabled the minors to participate so fully in the war. By international law, American Aurory officers above the rank of captain were enabled to swear in probationary agents, and UC officers could even bestow a fully commissioned badge. The Chairperson and President made another visit to Britain, during which Colonel Cassandra Tyler was given new sidearms and the official United Coventry commission. She was now, like her husband, a UC or World Auror, effective and empowered anywhere.

(The Chairperson and President also felt the need to bestow an especially cuddly stuffed raccoon, as a gift for whom they jokingly called 'the new Tyler officer,' and they were reported to have been given a tour of London's wizarding nightlife by one Blaise Zabini, who was now tending bar at the Sticky Lick in addition to aiding the war effort. Umbridge nearly had kittens on the spot when Maureen and Joanne declined her invitation to tea and practically exploded when Witch Weekly reported where the two world leaders had gone instead. So much for homophobia in government.)

It was thus that Ginny Weasley was now Captain Weasley, complete with stripes on the sleeves of her denim uniform and a very tasteful gun. Harry Potter, despite being the Boy Who Lived, was also the Boy Whose Girlfriend Was A Drastically Better Shot, and his rank was merely a lance corporal. Severus Snape was presented, rather against his will, to the Chairperson by his lycanthropic coworker, and thence recognized as an unofficial Captain in the field of espionage. The remarks made by the Captain with regard to the fact that his rank was equal to that of the sixteen-year-old Weasley did not quite bear repeating to history.

Oddly enough, antiwar protests had actually begun in London by a severely pacifistic minority. Cass had a word with Luna and they switched over to S.P.E.W. It was maintained by the Colonel that such unsavory tactics as threats or bribery were not used, but the fact that the 'Quibbler' carried exclusive interviews with all the most publicly known American Aurors for the succeeding month was not thought a coincidence. The publication in question also ran a full-spread picture of the Aurory squad with Col. Tyler seated at a desk, and one of the Colonel alone but for a copious amount of orange feline on her lap. A photograph of the Colonel asleep with her head resting in General Tyler's lap was considered so sweet by the old ladies of British wizarding society that another, depicting the couple bent over a tactical map of London and holding hands, ran the following month. A positively disturbing moving picture of Professor Snape, the Tylers, and hostage Hermione Granger in the midst of a Twister game was never published, but Luna bought it from Colin Creevey and had it enlarged to poster size.

It was reported in the last month of December that Gregory Goyle had attempted to resist initiation as a Death Eater and been killed by his former friend Vincent Crabbe. Draco Malfoy was unavailable for comment.

It was rumored that Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy were living in seclusion somewhere in France, but never substantiated by the press.

Bellatrix Lestrange was interviewed by Penelope Clearwater for the 'Quibbler' and found to be somewhat saner than prior to her Aurory deprogramming. She expressed doubts as to Voldemort's superiority for the first time, and rather surprisingly wanted to know, not whether she would be eventually held in Azkaban, but whether good behavior might let her out for the Aerosmith concert. Her sister Andromeda visited for the first time and after almost an hour alone with the reputed sadist emerged and gave Colonel Tyler an almost backbreaking hug.

The Chudley Cannons beat the Wimbourne Wasps. There was much rejoicing.

A telegram, carried by owl from the Muggle office, arrived at Hogwarts to notify Colonel Tyler of her father's death. As return to the States would require both informing the Grangers of their daughter's captivity and opening the student body to attack in her absence, Tyler did not depart, but remained a reported two days entirely out of view. It was around this time that rumors of both a devastating illness and a secret pregnancy began to flourish. As the symptoms were virtually identical, Tyler was inclined to let the 'devastating illness' theory prevail.

Buckbeak the hippogriff and his mate produced a handsome silver foal. Hagrid was beside himself for quite some time and eventually asked Colonel Tyler to act as a go-between to ask the advice of the centaurs in naming the arrival. Bern son of Ronan arrived at the gamekeeper's hut and personally bestowed wreaths of winter flowers both on the new foal and the gamekeeper, suggesting the name 'Demipegasus Raptorides.' Grawp the giant was enchanted with the little foal and called him 'Demmy' for short, learning gentleness by attending to his grooming. Hagrid was astonished by his half-brother's progress and read several books on therapy animals before eventually acquiring several Kneazle kittens to train for St. Mungo's. They all insisted on sleeping on his pillow.

Professor McGonagall got a new hat.

A first-year managed a wispy Patronus and was given an entire box of Chocolate Frogs by Professor Lupin.

The house-elves made kidney pie and Ringo Tyler discovered that this was his favorite food.

A boggart got into a shoebox and transformed into hideous snakeskin stiletto heels.

Two fifth-years made Polyjuice Potion and took turns pretending to be each other until caught.

The leaves fell.

The wind blew.

Things happened.

Things failed to happen.

Life continued.

And Severus Snape was more worried, depressed and alone than ever before in his life. Every day he wondered, would it have been better never to have fallen in love with her, so that losing her never hurt? Every day he knew that he was a fool. It would have hurt for him to lose a clever coworker and friend this way. Come to think of it, it would have hurt merely to lose a know-it-all student.

And how could he have helped falling in love, anyway?