Author's Note: Thank you so much for your patience. I'm so sorry for making people wait so long for an update. It's been a stressful month or so. I had to have a few awful medical tests, and I'm just now able to sit at my computer for long periods of time without my back hurting from the spinal tap. And I don't have a brain tumor or any other nasty problems. Yaay! My headaches are also much better. Many thanks to Escaped, Arsinoe de Blassenville, Kiwiblue and Moonjasmine for your concern. Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers who have been waiting so patiently.
Chapter Twenty-Three
"Bad business, Minerva," Cornelius Fudge said in rather clipped tones, his face creased with weariness and concern. "Very bad." His gray hair was rumpled, but his tweed suit looked just as neat as it always did. The man set down his cup of tea on the office table, while Professor McGonagall hovered over us. Although she had been rather chilly with me since the entire incident at the Great Hall, I had the definite impression now that she was being protective. She had certainly been flustered at Fudge's appearance at the school while Professor Dumbledore was attending a 'very important meeting."
I suspected, of course, that it was a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix, since my mother had had a substitute teaching her Muggle Studies class that morning. I was so happy to have my mother back, that everything during the first few days of her return had seemed hazy and dreamlike. I didn't even care when the other students regarded me with fear, and I easily ignored the whispered rumors in the hallways.
The stern witch crossed her arms. "Certainly you don't mean to send her to Azkaban!" Her voice trembled with shock.
"No, no, no!" The man waved his hands, and smiled at me in a kind of affectionate grimace. "We don't send first year students to Azkaban for almost cursing their classmates."
I sighed deeply in relief. I had heard that Hagrid had been sent there not too long ago, and he was still so traumatized by the experience that he could never talk about it.
"Well, thank Heavens for that." The teacher sniffed indignantly. "It's not as if she's a trained witch, after all. She had no idea what she was doing." She flashed me the same worried, suspicious look that she had been since the incident. I couldn't help but wonder if she believed her own words.
Mr. Fudge patted my hand. "Of course, of course. I'm relieved, my dear, that you did not harm yourself. Magic as powerful as yours can be quite difficult to control for a young, untrained woman." His smile faltered for a moment. "Please understand, however, the school governors have been in touch. It seems they've been receiving howlers from many of the students' parents."
"Friends of the Weasleys, no doubt," Professor McGonagall said. "As much as I sympathize with Molly, at times she can be a- what's that phrase that the Weasley twins always used? A shit-stirrer. She's not thinking about how this is affecting Albus. He has plenty of other things to worry about at this moment."
There had been no word from Severus for several days, and I knew that everyone was worried about him. Without his report, the Order had no way of knowing what was happening within the Death Eaters' ranks, or what exactly had happened to my Uncle Lucius.
The Professor picked up a copy of "The Daily Prophet" from the corner of her desk and snapped the front page open. The paper had yet another article about me in it, this time accompanied by a large photo of an angry Mrs. Weasley. The woman in the photo talked heatedly, dramatically punctuating her story with large hand-waves.
Evidently the paper had ignored the fact that my father had been a Death Eater when I first arrived in the Wizarding world, probably because the Silverthorns had been such a famous and admired family. Because of Molly Weasley's demands that I be expelled from Hogwarts, however, it seemed to be all that the Prophet could report about. Letters to the editor gave suggestions on what should be done about me. Some suggested that I already served "You-Know-Who" and should be put into Azkaban to protect the lives of the other students. A few even suggested that my father's blood had tainted me with evil impulses.
"I think I liked it better when I was a celebrity," I told them sullenly. "That newspaper sure is fickle." I was really getting sick of it by now. I never wanted to look at it again, not even to order hair-care potions.
"The public is becoming hysterical," The witch said. "It's just like it was the first time that Voldemort rose to power. Now that his return is official and the Dark Mark is appearing more frequently, they'll start panicking. Soon there will be accusations flying around the Wizarding world. Wizards and witches will attempt to turn in their neighbors to the Ministry as Death Eaters..." Her voice trailed off as she remembered the past.
"Now you see why something must be done," Mr. Fudge said. "I am terribly sorry, Miriel, but I think that perhaps now would be a good time for you to leave Hogwarts. The governors are seriously considering this."
I gasped. "You're going to expel me?" I turned to gape at Professor McGonagall. "Can he do that?"
"The school governors do have that power, I'm afraid. There's no need to get upset," The man told me, with a look so sympathetic, it bordered on being insincere. "I'm sure with all that's happened to your uncle, it's probably difficult for you to focus on your studies right now as it is. And you have poor, little Draco to care for now. Being his legal guardian, now, you will have to manage the Malfoy estate and the rest of his inheritance until he comes of age."
"I can't leave!" I looked to Professor McGonagall for help. "I really wanted to come to school here, and Professor Dumbledore really wanted me here as well." Even though I hadn't been too happy with the lack of acceptance on the other students' part, I felt quite safe here under the watchful eye of Professor Dumbledore, and I knew that Draco would be safe here too. I hadn't forgotten how horrifying it had been to face the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. What could happen to us if we didn't live at Hogwarts? Did I attract the Dark Lord's attention again when I almost cursed Ron? There was no way I was going to live in Malfoy Manor after all that had happened there.
"Really, Cornelius," The witch said in a huff. "Don't you and the governors think that this is Albus' decision to make?"
Of course, these were the same governors that let my Uncle Lucius threaten them into firing the Headmaster a few years ago. They didn't exactly sound immune from pressure.
The Minister flashed another sympathetic smile. "I was going to suggest, of course, that perhaps the Ministry might convince the governors to be a bit more lenient, if Miriel could give us important information that could help us." He said this casually, even buttering a scone while he said it, but when his eyes met mine, they were alert and eager. "It's important for you right now, Miriel, to prove where your loyalties lie."
I felt an awful, cold feeling in my stomach, as if I had just swallowed ice. "Information? About what?"
The Minister's voice lowered, and I could see that Professor McGonagall actually had to lean over us to catch his words. "There's a Silverthorn mirror that the Ministry has been interested in for quite some time, now..."
"That is quite enough," Professor McGonagall said firmly. "I refuse to let this conversation continue without Albus' presence. I suggest that you wait and speak with him."
"Miriel is over the legal age, Minerva," Mr. Fudge said, without taking his eyes off of me. "She doesn't need Albus or a guardian to speak for her."
"That mirror of which you speak no longer exists," she said, looking down her sharp nose at him. "It's time that the Ministry accepted that. Your agents have been all over this castle countless times and have come up with absolutely nothing. Do you think that Miss Silverthorn carries it around in her pocket?"
The Minister searched my face, and I tried to make my face as blank and innocent as possible. My uncle had been right. I really was a horrible liar, and the less I said about the Mirror of Emit, the better.
"Well," he said. He wiped his mouth, and tossed his napkin onto the table. "Miriel will need to register her wand at the Office of Potentially Dangerous Wizards and Witches." He handed me a card. "Please make an appointment with my secretary, my dear." He glanced at Professor McGonagall, who was still fuming. "Perhaps we can talk more privately at the Ministry."
"That man!" Professor McGonagall said after the Ministry of Magic had left. "I'm sure he timed this visit knowing that the Headmaster was absent." She pressed her fingers to her forehead, as if she had a headache. "Albus and the rest of the Order don't need all these distractions right now. I shudder to think how he is handling having your mother and Molly together in the same room."
I passionately hoped that my mother hexed Molly Weasley. "Do you know when the Headmaster and my mom will back from their meeting?" I asked. The idea of being forced to leave Hogwarts was quite upsetting to me, and I wished that I had one of them to talk to.
"There's no telling," She told me, her eyes filled with worry. "I just wish we'd hear something from Severus. I fear the worse. I feel that it is my duty to cancel the Hogsmead trip for the students this weekend. Potter and his friends have no business wandering around freely at a time like this. Hogwarts is the safest place for them."
"Professor, you know that I'll be expelled before I tell the Ministry anything about the Mirror of Emit, and then Draco will have to come with me. He'd be a lot safer here. Isn't there any way to return him to his normal age?" Although I had become very fond of little Draco, he was a handful. I found it draining to keep up with school while trying to keep him entertained and out of trouble. He was missing his home more and more, and was becoming quite restless. Hermione didn't mind watching after him from time to time, but she had her own school work to do.
The Professor nodded. "Thank heavens that Severus had the antidote prepared before he was summoned. It was Albus' idea, of course, to try and prevent Mr. Malfoy from becoming a Death Eater. I think that it would be best for him to return to his natural age. Since circumstances with his father have changed, the entire point of the potions 'accident' has become moot. Albus mentioned giving Mr. Malfoy the antidote at the last meeting, but I'm afraid we became distracted with Severus' disappearance." She considered for a moment. "Bring the wee lad to the infirmary, and Poppy will administer the antidote."
"What about the other students? Won't you have to owl their parents too?"
"Yes, we'll have to come up with some kind of story. As intelligent as Albus is, sometimes his desire to save people can be a bit...impulsive. A very Gryffindor trait, as I'm sure you've discovered by now. As much as I love my house, sometimes I'd give a million Galleons for a nice Ravenclaw Headmaster." She actually smiled a little at me as I left her office.
"Why do I have to go to the hospital wing?" Draco asked, trying to drag his feet as I pulled him down the hallway. "I'm not sick."
"Baby, you have to take some medicine." I finally picked him up to carry him the rest of the way. "Do you remember the magical accident you had? Well, this will make everything alright again. You'll be a little older, like you were before the accident."
"Will you still like me when I'm older?" He clung hard to my neck like he didn't want to let go.
I smoothed his silvery, baby-fine hair. "Of course I will. I love you when you're little, and I'll love you when you're bigger, too. You're very smart, and funny, and you'll be a great Quidditch player." I knew that would impress him. I was going to miss reading 'James and the Giant Peach' to the little guy. He had loved that book, especially since there was a giant spider in it.
I sat him down on one of the infirmary beds, and Madam Pomfrey ran to prepare the antidote potion. It would be such a relief to see the teenager. There were so many things I missed about him. I looked forward to his smirks, his outrageous sense of humor and even his perverted jokes. I found that I even missed arguing with him.
"I don't think I want to be bigger," Draco said nervously with a scowl. When the nurse handed him a vial to drink, I thought for a moment he was going to refuse it. He sniffed it tentatively. I had a bad feeling that kids' potions weren't flavored with grape or bubblegum like they were in the Muggle world.
"Down the hatch," Poppy said. She held his nose and poured the potion down his throat. Honestly, sometimes she needed to work on her bedside manner.
Draco sputtered, coughed and made faces.
"Are you okay, Baby?" I said, patting him on the back. I waited anxiously for the antidote to work, but nothing happened.
Draco held up his hands and looked at them. "I'm not getting any bigger," he announced.
"What happened?" I asked the nurse. "Is something wrong with the potion?"
"I honestly don't know," she told me. "Severus didn't leave me any notes. Some potions take time to work, so we'll just have to wait and see. He'd better stay here tonight." She looked like she was not looking forward to that. She sighed. "I'd better try and find something to keep him out of trouble."
"I hate the Wizarding world," I growled, throwing my clothes forcefully on the floor. I knew better than to brush out my hair when I was angry or upset. I'd probably just rip through the snarls and give myself massive split ends.
"Have you had a bad day, dearie?" My enchanted mirror asked.
"I thought that Hogwarts would be like- a fairy tale or something," I muttered. "That everything here would be magical and happy. Now I'll probably have to leave. Ever since I got here, people just want to believe the worse about me. I'm either a wealthy snob, or a Death Eater."
"I do have some very good news for you," My mirror said. "I'm sure it will cheer you up."
"What?" I asked. "I definitely need something to go right today."
"I've spoken extensively with the other mirrors in the castle. Once I told them your identity, they were only too happy to pass my messages onto the Mirror of Emit!"
My mouth fell open. "You found the Mirror of Emit?"
"I've actually talked to it!" The mirror's voice rose sharply in excitement. "I can't tell you what it was like, to talk to such a famous mirror. I was thrilled. It wants to meet you."
"It does?" I was rather stunned at this.
"Yes, but I must warn you about something. The Mirror of Emit was nice enough to talk to, but it's not entirely stable. I felt its enormous power, but there's something... not quite right about it."
I swallowed. "Yes, my uncle Lucius warned me about not touching it. My grandfather somehow disappeared into it. I still haven't quite figured that one out. But where is it exactly? Why can't the Ministry of Magic find it?"
"Well, the Headmaster wasn't only your grandfather's friend," The mirror continued. "It seems that they were related in some way. Distant cousins, I believe."
"Oh, so Professor Dumbledore is actually related to me. I wondered why he never mentioned it."
"The Wizarding world is quite a bit smaller than the Muggle one," My mirror answered.
"Everyone seems to be related in some way to everyone else. Anyway, Professor Dumbledore did pick up a bit of mirror magic himself from being so close to Sebastian Silverthorn. He knew how to store the mirror so that it doesn't actually take up space within the castle. The searching spells that the Ministry of Magic used couldn't detect it."
"How did he do that?" I asked. This was becoming more and more interesting.
"He actually stored the Mirror of Emit inside the Mirror of Erised!" The mirror sighed. "Isn't that a stroke of brilliance? Magical mirrors aren't only flat surfaces, you realize. There are depths, other dimensions to them that only powerful wizards have access to. Normal wizards, I'm afraid, would not have nearly enough power to access them."
I looked down in amazement at my wand, and remembered what Mr. Ollivander had told me, that this kind of wand was created to conduct huge amounts of magical power. He compared my magical power to that of my Grandfather's! I also remembered that Professor Dumbledore had been challenged in trying to restrain my curse at Ron Weasley.
I breathed deeply, trying to steady myself. "But I don't know any of the spells," I said. "I don't know any mirror spells at all."
"The Mirror of Emit asked me to give this to you," The mirror said. "It says that it's tired of being hidden away. It wants to be used."
"What-?" Then I saw it. In the mirror was the reflection of a huge book. It seemed to float in mid-air. It was dark blue, and leather-bound. It looked so ancient I could barely make out the stamped impression of a unicorn on its cover.
"Take it," The mirror urged.
I peered at the volume in confusion. "But it's just a reflection. How-?
"Just reach in and take it, dearie." The mirror voice was beginning to take on an edge of exasperation.
"This is too weird," I muttered. I tentatively touched the surface of the mirror with my fingers, and was amazed when my fingers slipped through it. The glass felt like cool water. I gripped the book and pulled it out!
"Wow!" My fingers caressed the unicorn on the cover. Sitting on the floor, I rested the book on my knees and opened it. The leather pages were illuminated in gold, silver and jewel-like colors of ink. Most of the illustrations were of unicorns, the moon, articles of silver, moonstones, Artemis the Huntress, different herbs and flowers and water. Some of the flowing script I could not read, as it appeared to be written in Latin. "This is gorgeous. Doesn't Professor Dumbledore know about this book?"
"I think it's been within the Mirror of Emit since your Grandfather placed it there," The mirror told me. "I believe it was a personal journal of sorts, spells that he had collected and such. He had many projects he was researching. The Mirror of Emit could very well have been guarding it, saving it for mirror-magi's eyes only. I'm not sure if your mother even knows about it. Your grandfather disappeared quite unexpectedly, and your mother was a very young girl at the time."
"There are so many spells in here," I whispered. There were spells for traveling through mirrors, using mirrors to see distant events, and instructions on how to make various mirrors. There was a slew of time spells. There was a section on healing potions and potions to break curses. "It's almost like... the opposite of the Dark Arts. Is there such a thing as the Light Arts?"
I turned the page, and was astonished to find an illustration...of what? It was a strange looking creature, kind of like a long-legged wolf that walked upright on its hind legs. The moon was round and full in the picture, and painted with silver ink. As I smoothed my fingers over the picture, I experienced the same, shivery feeling along my skin I had when I first laid eyes on Draco. It was there again, the same feeling ...of connection. The golden letters under the picture spelled out, "versipellis."
That night I couldn't sleep to save my life. I lied in my bed in the darkness, but my mind whirled with words and pictures and spells. It finally occurred to me that I could use the Mirror of Emit. Obviously, I was bound to do so, since I had warned my mother in the past to escape Karl, but now I realized that I could do so much more. I now had access to the spells I'd need to contact people in other times, or to even travel to other times. Even with the knowledge that the mirror was dangerous, I felt a rush of power, so intense that at times my heart beat madly. There were suddenly so many possibilities. I could see my father before he had died. I could see what the future held. I could even go back a few days ago and avoid Ronald Weasley. What if I could save the future of the Wizarding world from Voldemort by finding out what actions he would take? I finally understood why my Uncle Lucius had been so desperate to take possession of the mirror.
I got up very early, relieved to finally see a dim glow of sunrise fill my room. My bones ached and I was exhausted from lack of sleep. I fixed a thermos of tea and made some sandwiches for the day. I dressed in my heavy cloak, pinned my braids up with my silver and emerald hair sticks, and walked out to the unicorn stables to see Amalthea. I needed her calming influence.
The chilly air was refreshing and felt good on my hot face. When I arrived, the surrounding countryside was bathed in buttery light. The only sounds were of birds chirping. Usually Almathea was prancing around her yard, talking to some new animal friend. This morning, however, she was nowhere in sight.
"Baby?" I pushed the door of the stable in, and peered inside. I had made this place much more comfortable, since Draco and I spent much of our time out here. I'd even had Hermione transfigure some furniture and a bed out here so I could study while Draco played and took naps. I'd hung up the tapestry that Sr. Angela had sent me, and the place actually looked rather homey.
"Amalthea?" I looked everywhere, but she was gone!
