Chapter21: The Enigma Part2

Previously… 'I did not trick the sorting hat into placing me in Gryffindor house, uncle!' Gabey cried indignantly.
Severus cocked an eyebrow in disbelief. Gabey sighed as she began to pace the length of the room.
'Fine, if you must know, then I will tell you what that stupid sorting hat told me! Then will you believe me?' Gabey asked loudly. Severus gave the tiniest of nods to allow her to continue.

With a slight sigh she began to re-tell what she had been told that night…

Flashback: …Harry returned his attention to the sorting. Suddenly interested in which house Gabey would be placed in. He watched as she calmly made her way to the stool and placed the hat upon her head, which unlike the others, didn't fall over her eyes, and she instead took to looking at the ceiling as a shooting star shot across it. After what seemed like an eternity, the hat finally shouted, 'Gryffindor!'
Gabey promptly made her way over to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Hermione who had made room next to her…End of flashback.

Gabey continued to pace the length of the room as she tightly wrung her hands in front of her. Snape kept visual the entire time, listening raptly to her story.
'…I placed the hat on my head and decided to look at the ceiling instead of at the other students. A shooting star shot across it and at that moment the hat spoke to me,' she paused to take in the expression of her uncle who looked to be scrutinizing her every move.

'It said that this year things would be different… that things had changed some how. He didn't go into much detail, just that I would be needed before the end… that the chosen one would need me in his last fight… and to do that, I would be better placed in Gryffindor rather than in Slytherin, even if I do possess many of the Slytherin qualities,' Gabey fell silent as she waited for the snide remark that was trademark of her uncle.

Snape surveyed Gabey until she began to shift from one foot to the other under his piecing gaze. Finally he spoke. 'You are certain of this? There is no way that you could be mistaken?' he asked seriously.
Gabey was slightly taken aback by her uncle's tone but nodded mutely.

Snape seemed to be thinking over all that had been said and in that time Gabey had re-heated her hot chocolate and snuggled into the comfy sofa cushions.

Snape stood up and tended to the smouldering real-fire that was currently burning. He gazed almost longingly into the flames before addressing his company once more.
'What of my earlier question, then?'

Gabey looked up from the spot in front of her that she had been gazing at with a furrowed brow. 'What question?'

Snape turned to look at her seriously once more. 'Where is he?'
Gabey took another sip of her beverage before answering. 'I don't know.' At Snape's look of disbelief she continued. 'Well, I haven't seen nor heard from in over two months, but before that I was told he was spotted in Romania,' she answered offhandedly.

Snape's brow furrowed as he thought that through. He mused that Gabey didn't seem to think this significant, whereas to him it concerned him deeply. He pinched the bridge oh his nose as he felt a headache begin to settle.

'Why didn't you tell me sooner?' he asked bitingly. Gabey was perplexed at the question. 'Huh?' she uttered.
'I suppose it did not seem important to you that your father, my brother, was roaming Romania, hmm?' he asked in frustration.
Gabey shrugged. 'As long as he isn't anywhere near us then what does it matter? He can't get to you because you're here with me… we're protected by the 'walls of Hogwarts'… nothing can touch us here…. Right?' Gabey asked.

Snape shook his head. 'No you silly girl! 'The walls of Hogwarts' are not enough to protect both you and I… not to mention the rest of the school, if my theory as to what he is doing in Romania is correct!' Snape stormed as his thoughts flooded with the grotesque image of Voldemort's lipless mouth form a smirk as his brother, Sumner Snape, handed their enemy the power to vanquish them all. He shuddered at the thought.

'What do you mean?' Gabey asked, now scared at the idea of her father residing in Romania. 'What could possibly be so powerful or important that could be found in Romania!' she asked with a bite of sarcasm.

Snape let out a calming breath as he resisted the urge to curse his niece into the next century for her naivety. 'Because,' he began with a voice filled with forced calm, 'if your father is searching for what I think he is…' Snape's piercing gaze bored into Gabey's slightly frightened one before he continued. 'Then we are doomed, Gabrielle. And nothing and nobody will be able to help us, not even 'the walls of Hogwarts' will be able to protect us then.'

Harry sat in the common room pondering over what he had walked in on earlier in the library. He was slightly annoyed that they had kept there relationship from him, but he wasn't angry enough to admonish them for it, after all wasn't he doing the same thing but with Ginny?
Ginny… Harry sighed happily, and with the thought of his fiery girlfriend in mind he meander up the stairs to the boys dormitory for some much needed sleep.