Chapter 4 The Candle
(AN: Please don't hurt me, I have already hurt my brain enough trying to write elf speak. Yes my autocucumber also hates me as well. Hope you all enjoy. I am posting as fast as I can with what I have. No money, No beta, first story that I am willingly showing anyone, AU, and OOC characters. Bad/Evil/Manipulative APWBD. Good Snape, Borrowing ideas from another author. Frankly I love the concept of house spiders or bouncing spiders that CorvisDraconis has. So again not mine just playing with them... because well I have an actual spider, thank you Halloween decorations, with a bucket on it.)
December 24, 9pm, EST. 1979
Severus Snape tossed his head back in frustration. He had been combing through the MACUSA's Library of Congress, since the first of the month. He had started with the Dark Arts section, had made is way to Charms. Chewed his way through the Department of Defense library, which was a quick trip as all the books had been redacted to a point that you could not read them clearly. He spent a day speaking with MACUSA's top experts on Magical Creatures, and now he was sitting in the Potion's division with an avalanche of books around him.
The Dark Lord had given him a task that he expected to have completed by the first of the year. He knew what to expect should he fail him. He took off his robes and frock coat, it was blistering in here. 'Do the ghosts spend all their time together at the reference desks making it colder for the librarians?' He mused, 'at least it is dry in here. The weather outside has been terrible the last few days. Apparently, they call it a nor'easter. More like the gods cannot make up their mind on if it shall rain, snow like you see on the telly in holiday productions, send the Devil's own sleet to here, or bring us a white out blizzard.'
'I can't be at a dead end. There must be something more. I keep finding these references to the Darkest of Arts book, but the Dark Lord was uninterested in creating horcruxes, and only focused on those sections. Perhaps the Rituals room, or even the rare texts room. Hn, Rare texts will likely get me more results. I wonder if they would approve of an unofficial copy of the books. Perhaps I can read more in-depth for this Phoenix Cure, which is not tears apparently.'
"Right. Bernard?" Snape called forth one of the library's elves. 'Now why can't elves in Britain look like these specimens.' The elf that popped in stood at attention, the library uniform hanging neatly on him. He was obviously older, but proud of his position and it showed.
"What can Bernard do for Potion's Apprentice Snape?"
"I am finished with these books if you could please see that they are properly reshelved I would be most appreciative. Also, if you can inform Ms. Marsters that I am requesting access to the Rare Books room to continue my research I would be grateful for your services. I am afraid that I do not know the way to her office from here."
The elf clicked his fingers and the books zoomed off to their proper places. "Thank youse for asking Potion's apprentice Snape. Too many wizards place books willy nilly. It becomes most difficult to track them down."
'Hn, perhaps,' his thoughts trailed for a moment 'if the elves can shelve books that they find in an improper place, could they know what is in the books themselves. Or do they just know based on the title.' "Bernard, would you happen to know anything about a scroll or book that discusses the Phoenix Cure?" He was one of the oldest elves that the place had. 'Since he still works with the books, I would think that he would know the collection the best out of them.' He paused as his thoughts took a different turn. 'Could it be that elves are the librarians here and that there are only a handful of witches and wizards that are the curators? That might explain why the place is so cold. They would think that a dry, cold, environment would preserve the books better.' He waited for the elf to answer his question with a touch of impatience.
"Sirs, we's generally not allowed to read the books, but Bernard does know of a book called the Phoenix Requiem. Bernard can bring it to a private room for youse in the rare book room. Bernard, or another elf, would have to stay with youse as it is quite damaged, Sirs."
"Is there a reason that I may not handle it?" His eyebrow had shot up, this was most unusual.
"Wizard magic has damaged the Phoenix book. It will only respond to elf magics, Sirs. It is also very crumbly."
"Well then Bernard, would it be possible to create a copy of the book?"
"No Sirs, youse wizard magics wont creates a duplicate. However, if youse have a journal, a library elf can duplicate the words in your book. The Library Masters would take it as loaned. It tases us a few hours as we's need to hand writes each pages."
Severus could not believe his luck, even if it took him a few days to get a copy for the Dark Lord that was better than going back empty handed yet again. He quickly grabbed his messenger bag, digging through the contents for his expanding journal. "How long would the loan be, and will the writing disappear on its own or will I need to return the physical copy."
"Sirs can have access to the writings for two months. After that the writings will vanish."
"And if I make a copy of the writing?" He had to restrain himself from bouncing in excitement. He could dance around his hotel room if this worked later.
"Hand copies will stay; charmed copies will return to us. It is as all our books here Sirs." Bernard looked as if he had said this countless times before.
"Can I hire a scribe, Bernard?"
"No Sirs, if not by your hand, or the reader, must be by a library elf. If Young Apprentice is finished with questions Bernard can take youse to the Rare Books room." Bernard bowed before Severus and held out his hand.
Severus quickly took the elf's hand in his waiting for the familiar tug of apparition, but there was none. The room swirled around them. Severus closed his eyes as it made his stomach upset to watch the blur. The air turned stagnant, and difficult to breath. He felt his ears pop as they adjusted to the new pressure. There was a cooling sensation that slithered down his body, clinging to his skin almost like being hit by a disillusionment charm would cause. He opened his eyes and was sitting in front of a binder with the available books pictured in it.
"Breathing and safety spells last two hours Sirs. Call for an elf when you needs a book. We's can fetch it for youse." Bernard bowed low and popped off leaving Severus alone in the room.
Severus sat down and began to peruse the binder in front of him taking note of the books that he would need. "Two months. Two months or a library elf to make a hand copy of these books. If I have to just buy an elf made copy for my own work… Hn. It may be worth something, even if I do not find what I am looking for... Morgana's shorts, This… This is it." He reread the summary provided on the Phoenix Requiem. It seemed to be just what he needed. "Bernard," he yelled out for the elf in anticipation.
A smaller elf, with more hair popped into the room. He, her, they, Severus was unsure, wore the same uniform and stood in the same manner as Bernard.
"Hows can Gershwin helps Young Apprentice Snape, Sirs."
The voice was higher, likely a female elf then. Severus was struck by the absurdity of the elf's name, but quickly controlled himself. It would not do to insult these elves. There was more work he would need to do in the future. "Yes, Hn, Gershwin, is there any way that I can have the Phoenix Requiem, and any cross-referenced books added to my journal?"
"Yes, Sirs, Gershwin would be glad to assist." She snapped her fingers, and his journal glowed a bright white for a moment. "Theys all copied for youse."
"Thank you, Gershwin. I thought it would take a longer time to receive copies."
"Gershwin is exceptionally talented when it comes to being a scribes. Is why Masters Bernard tells Gershwin to comes helps the Young Apprentice. Gershwin can copies small books very quicklys for those looking onlys to studies them and nots perform the spellses that theys have.
"Two months loan, correct?"
"Yes, Sirs. Is there anything else that Gershwin can help youse with Sirs."
"Why is it that you can only copy them for study and not practical uses? What harm would be in casting some of the spells that are in the books?"
"Oh, Young Aprentices Snape, mosts of these bookses have bad curses on them. Things not alwayses go correcticalies. Gershwin has hearses taleses from the older elves, spellses make targets and casters into rubber duckies. Gershwin does not want youses to become rubber duckies. Gershwin does not wants to turns into rubber duckies too."
The elf looked positively terrified of this. Severus had seen the horror stricken look on an elf's face when they receive clothes. Even when they are ordered to go serve another family, they do not show this level of fear. This was far and away worse. He had never seen this much fear from an elf. "Gershwin what is wrong with a rubber duck? They are a child's bath time toy. They serve no purpose."
Gershwin threw herself at Severus feet. "Gershwin cannot says Sirs. Elves are forbidden to speakeses of its. We's rather betray our Masters secretses to those whose would harmeses the Masters." The elf took a few minutes before she calmed herself and stood back up. "Gershwin also heardses spellses go oppositses of what theyse supposed to. Youses can study spelles, but youses need to buildes on these. Please no castings of the spellses. Magics comese back three timeses. Not onlys on the wizards but also on elves like Gershwin whoses provide copies."
Severus was highly confused by this. Even the darkest of texts that he had read, which were protected by spells that only the vilest wizard or witch could create, didn't cause magic to come back three times. "Gershwin, I was wondering if it is possible to hire a library elf to make personal copies of a few books that will be needed for a few additional projects that I have going at the moment. I do not want these to be loans from the library."
"We's can be hired Sirs. But not these raressteses of bookses. If youse be wantings a personal coppieses of the raressteses bookses youse need to be hand wringtingeses out themses by youseselves. What books would you be needing, that Gershwin can have elveses writeses up for youses?"
"I want a copy of each Potion text from the Rituals room. I will also require a copy made which cross-references with a list of books that I currently have. I would also like a loan of all the potion books here in the rare bookses. Ahem," he cleared his throat listening to American elf speak was becoming too much for him. He needed to get away from them. "I mean the rare books room." He paused for a moment, 'could they it would be creating it into a completely different medium, it may be the way to get past some of the more disturbing curses that he thought of. "Gershwin can a loaned book be woven and copied by spider?"
Gershwin looked affronted. "Elves magics is best way. Spider'ses cheat and steal good elveses dutieses. Spellses should not be in tapestrieses where alls can reads thems. Now leave Gershwin with the lists, Sirs. We's can send a new journal that copies the books you want. Each bookes will be its own journals Sirs."
"Please, Gershwin, send the bill for the books to Gringotts, tell them Lord Prince has requested them. Oh, and have them sent to my hotel." Severus eyes lit up. All the possible thoughts and projects that he could do with these tomes. 'Of course, they will need to be edited and translated if my thoughts are correct, and she is saying that spiders cheat. I think I will have a word with a few magizoologists. If I must visit dark and terrible jungles, or wherever the weaving spiders are native to, I will do that.' He began thinking about his next steps. He would get around the MACUSA's restrictions and wards in any way possible for the treasure trove of knowledge here.
The elf bowed low, her nose scraping the floor, "Gershwin is happy to make journals for the Noble House of Prince. Does Sirs have any more needs, or shall Gershwin take Sirs to the lobby?"
"I would appreciate the lobby, Gershwin."
"Gershwin will also call Lord Prince a taxi. Gershwin hoped that Lord Prince has the happiests of holliday'ses." She took Severus' hand and apparated them to the Ministry's lobby. The elf put two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. "Oy! Taxies's for Lord Prince"
~ooOoo~
The phone rang, Severus nocked it off the hook. "Mmm, yes?" His sleep addled mind trying to rouse and figure out what had disturbed him. He looked at the clock it was four in the morning. 'What ungodly creature woke me up at four in the morning.' He looked around his hotel room, there were piles of journals that he had purchased from MACUSA's Library of Congress. They were neatly stacked next to his open trunk for the trip home, but he wasn't due at Little Hangleton till ten. 'That is still six hours from now. So why am I awake?'
The buzzing of the alarm clock, quickly followed by his wand next to him brought him to full attention. He reached over to turn off the alarm on the clock and noticed the phone off the hook. That must have been it. "Wait six hours, Merlin's ingrown crusty toenail, I have less than an hour." He quickly jumped out of the bed grabbing his wand and summoned all his items into the trunk. He took care to place the copies of his new books into the trunk before shrinking everything to fit into one of his pockets.
"Trunk, key, books, is that all that I need?" He slipped his wand into the hidden pocket in his robe. Taking a second glance about the room for anything else that he may have forgotten he grabbed the paper that was his portkey. "Right front desk first, then find the toilet." He exhaled sharply preparing to show what he had found to the Dark Lord. 'I only hope it is the right information or enough that it will lead him in the direction he wants.'
He quickly exited the room, taking the lift down to the lobby. There was no one at the desk at this hour, so he grimaced, and hit the little signal bell. Its annoying metallic ding echoed through the empty lobby startling several of the bellmen who were asleep at their post, and a maid.
"May I help you?" The manager came out from the back office and sneered at the young man.
Severus gave the manger the same look back. "Junior suite checking out. It is under Snape."
"Yes, young man, may I have the key back?"
He shoved the key into his outstretched hand. Severus spared a glance at the grand clock in the lobby seeing that he had ten minutes left until his portkey activated. "Look I have no time for this, I have an early flight that I must run and catch." He pulled out his wallet and looked at the manager in the eye. He laid four five-hundred-dollar bills on the counter. "Clearly I have no time left for you to sit and figure out my tab. This should be sufficient. Send my accountant the receipt." He pulled out a business card and laid it next to the cash.
The manager looked from the young man to the grim face of former President William McKinley. "Yes, Sir. Thank you for staying with us." He was quickly cut off as Severus spun and stormed off to one of the side doors on the lobby. The manager stood there with a gob smacked look.
"Close your mouth sir, though you do make for an excellent imitation of a fish." Once Severus was out of the manager's sight he detoured to the bathroom and activated his portkey. The familiar tugging sensation behind his navel was a welcoming one. It took him several minutes before he found footing again on terra firma. The weather was unseasonably warm, and he found his feet in a large puddle before the winding drive of the Riddle House.
Severus was quickly overheated and removed his heavy winter cloak, he had been wearing it in New York City, however the weather here was significantly milder than there. He chose instead to go with frock coat and a cooling charm currently. 'Right, get in, have audience, get out, try not to be punished, and go home to see if Mum has plans for Christmas morning. The less time I spend here, or in Bellatrix's company, the better.' His pep talk complete, he strode up to the house with as much dignity as he could muster.
There was a rat serving as butler or perhaps a truly ugly house elf, his lip curled upon seeing Pettigrew. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen. No longer hanging out with your Marauder friends? Feeling underappreciated, were we? Just open the door Peter, I haven't got all day, and the Dark Lord is expecting me. We wouldn't want to tell him that you were the one making me late now would we."
Peter turned red in the face and considered slamming the door on Severus, who grabbed the edge of the door, forcing Peter back. He was shoved out of the way and landed hard on the floor. "I won't forget this Snivelly." It was an empty threat at best, but he would find a way to get even.
Severus strode through the halls, he made sure to smile and nod to the right people as he past them. It was Christmas morning, and it was odd that there were quite a few of the inner circle members here instead of with their families. 'Hn, he must have called some meeting without me,' he spied Lucius and Narcissa over in the main parlor looking on at Bellatrix's mad antics with mild boredom. He nodded his head to both in greeting. He knew he could ask Lucius what was going on and get a straight answer out of him. They may not have liked the Dark Lords methods, but he was at least attempting to bring wizarding Britain up into the twentieth century, instead of letting it continue to languish in the outdated ideas of Queen Victoria's reign. The Dark Lord had a very severe dislike for the outdated trappings of wizarding society. 'Then again,' Severus thought, "If I had been raised in the same environment that he had been I would hate it too. Although my home was not much better.' He sneered at the thought of what things were like when he was a child.
Severus continued up the grand staircase and off to the Dark Lords office. Not knowing what type of mood, the man may be in he knocked lightly. There was the sound of movement from inside, and the distinct sound of things being broken.
The Dark Lord opened the door forcefully, "What," he said forcefully. Anger radiated off the man and Severus could see the mess that the office was. Books strewn across the floor, shards of glass everywhere, papers still floating down from where they were flung. "Oh Severus," the Dark Lord calmed and waved a hand at the destruction of his office. The mess cleaned itself up, and he stepped out of the way for Severus to enter. "Good News I take it since you are here before your deadline?"
"Yes, my lord very." Severus bowed his head before accepting the seat that was offered to him. "I believe I may have found what you have been wanting. From all I have seen it may be much like what you described from your own research." Severus pulled out a small journal from inside a pocket in his frock coat. He quickly unshrunk it before handing it over to the dark lord. "It is on loan from MACUSA. They say you have two months, and if you wish to keep it you should be the one that makes your own handwritten copy. Otherwise, as I was informed by Library Elf, the reader can copy it as well. Now whatever that specifically means, I am still attempting to figure out.
"I see, I want you to research the book thoroughly for me then. I need that spell. Also, I have another task for you Severus."
"Oh, my Lord, and what would that be?"
"I want you to persuade Dumbledore to hire you as a teacher at Hogwarts. I have also tasked Regulus Black with the same. I want to know everything that man does. His actions of late concern me."
"I will make it my priority and will also speak with Reg. As for the research on the book I have my own copy to attempt to puzzle apart, but what little I have managed to parse out is that all the work will need to be done by the caster. My lord," Severus shrunk back in his chair, "I am not sure if this includes the translations, or not. The elf refused to answer most of my questions about casting spells. It kept muttering dire warnings about rubber ducks." Severus shook his head trying to dispel the annoying conversation that he had with the elf in question yesterday. 'If I never hear elf speak again, it will be too soon. If he wants me to teach, I am going to go on that research trip first.'
"Very well Severus. I will study this at my leisure. I want to be kept abreast of any details that you uncover. Now if you don't mind." The Dark Lord waved his hand in Severus' general direction and the door sprung open.
Severus quickly got out of his chair and bowed hoping that he would be spared any punishment that may come his way. He moved quickly without turning his back to his Lord. "Thank you for your audience with me, my Lord. Enjoy the rest of your day." He felt behind him for the open door and attempted to get out of the office as fast as he could possibly move. He narrowly avoided the stinging curse that Voldemort cast at him lazily.
"Next time that you only bring me half of the results, I will punish you within an inch of your life. It will be a lesson that you will never forget."
"Of course, my Lord."