Chapter 3 I Always Feel Like Someone's Watching Me.
The whole school was restricted to the compound for the next five days except Father and Tracy (the charms and language professor) and those two were out looking for whatever it was that had been watching Shadow earlier that week. At the end of the third day the only thing they could find was some buried trash and a site that had held a campfire several miles away from the compound. There was a deer trail that went past the swamp where Shadow had been collecting Airoflax that lead to a national park so the two concluded that some hikers had followed it and ended up at the wrong place and at the right time. They spent the next two days strengthing the wards around the compound and renewed the notice me not charms.
After they were finished the children were allowed to resume their normal activities which included gathering potion ingredients in the swamp and around the complex, for those that had winged pets and could transform into a winged animal flying around the forest with their familiars, hiking and swimming in the nearby lake.
One of the favorite activities of the children was a modified game of hide and seek. The children were split into teams, seekers and the hidden. The seekers had to find the hidden and once found had the chore of subduing them. Once subdued the hidden became a seeker and the seeker became a hidden. About the only thing disallowed was spells that could harm either seeker or hidden and the physical combat was limited to weaponless fighting. Still, sometimes broken bones happened and several times students had to be carried back to the compound for healing beyond the students skills. This was the activity all seven students were engaged in when both Smoke and Shadow began to feel like they were being watched…
The two broke from each other instantly on their guard. Looking around neither saw anyone. Casting out feelers, neither found anyone.
"What do you think it is?" Smoke asked
"Don't know but I felt it before. That's why we were restricted to the compound." Shadow answered. "Father and Tracy found traces of muggle activity around the compound. It could be the same again. We aren't that far from the park."
Smoke looked around uneasily then asked, "If it were muggles we would be able to find them wouldn't we?"
Shadow shook his head no. "My feelers are geared to magical signatures and you're learning the same ones I am so I don't think so. Don't worry Smoke, if its muggle then they can't harm us."
Smoke started to giggle, "If it is muggle we probably scared the hell out of them. I don't think boys and girls fight like this in their world." She looked around again then asked Shadow. "Should we call them and let them know we aren't killing each other?"
"No, lets just head in closer to the compound. We're pretty far off." Shadow answered.
Smoke agreed and the two walked back toward the compound arguing all the way about who was now seeker and who was now hidden.
Later that evening after the kids all returned to the compound Shadow and Smoke told Father about the feeling of being watched. They also told him that they were very close to the park when it happened so Father dismissed the incident as not important. It wasn't the first time his children had been spotted by muggles who were visiting the park and he doubted it would be the last. He did however warn the kids to always be careful about using magic where muggles could spot them and he did warn them to not go so close to the park in the future.
The next two days passed without incident but the day after Ice, Fire, Tide and Silver were out gathering insect casings for potions when the four felt like they were being watched. This time when they looked around trying to spot the watcher they saw two young women watching them. Both had on back packs and carried walking staffs.
Silver went up to them and introduced himself. "Hi, are you two lost? You're not in the park anymore you know."
One of the girls smiled and said. "I know. We crossed the fence about four miles back but it's so nice out today and the hike was so much fun that we didn't care. Are we trespassing or something?"
"No, not at all. This forest is national although it's not a part of the park. The rangers don't like hikers to go this far because if you get lost it could take forever to find you if your found at all." Silver answered.
"Well then, if its not part of the park are you lost?" one of the girls asked with a smile.
Silver laughed and waved his hand toward the other students. "My sisters and brother and I live around here. We are always wandering around in this forest so it would take some real work for the three of us to get lose. Look, you two enjoy your hike and please head back toward the park soon. If you don't you'll be out here after dark then you might truly get lost." With that said Silver loped back over to Ice and Fire and the three of them headed back toward the complex.
That evening at dinner Fire and Ice regaled the others with the much exaggerated story of Silvers encounter with the two muggle women.
"Of course being Silver he had to flirt with them or else we would have just left." Fire said.
"Come off it Fire, I was not flirting. I was just trying to find out if they were the ones that Smoke and Shadow sensed the other day. Besides, they were cute." Silver explained.
"Cute, that explains it all doesn't it." Father teased
After dinner the children dispersed to their privet rooms to study or read before bed.
(Hogwarts)
"Are you sure Severus?" Arthur asked.
"Yes, unfortunately I'm sure. The ritual was held last night. He's back." Snape replied.
"Well, this makes it even more imperative that we find Harry. I had hoped we would have more time but time has run out for us." Albus said. "This is now our first priority, the boy has to be found and trained. Is Voldermort looking for him Severus?"
"Looking to kill him is more like. I don't know if he has any leads or not but yes, he is looking. He has all of his followers out looking too. The search has been split into tasks, I'm to look for him amongst the home schooled because I am a potions master and his age puts him at around O.W.L.'s at the end of next year and I visit so many of the home schooled in the summer between fourth and fifth year to asses their progress and make recommendations in their training so they can pass their test." Severus brought his hands up and rubbed his eyes tiredly, "Do we have any leads at all Albus?"
"I have people out looking, not in the usual places of course but there are some interesting rumors about a small school in America. The students aren't seen often but the headmaster is an old acquaintance of mine. Some of you may remember Chandos? There is also a small community of magical people located Africa. They are very much the loners although I have heard rumors that they have three children not born to them that they teach and I also have someone looking in the mountains of Peru for a small group that run a school of magic. I understand that they take in orphans with large amounts of talent. This school is reported to be run by Lexan. Some of you may have heard of her."
Remus shook his head as soon as Albus mentioned Chandos. "Surly not him Albus. After Voldermort was defeated by Harry he ran off. He has always disagreed with the order and James always fought with him about everything. I don't think he would bother to take in Harry under any circumstances."
Snape snarled, "You don't like Chandos because he always disagreed with Potter and Black. He's powerful enough though. Albus, are you going to let him know that Voldermort is back? Perhaps we can get him to rejoin the order. We need someone of his magical strength."
"You've always gotten along with him better than most Severus. Perhaps you can go and visit him and sound him out about rejoining the order. I can take over your classes on Friday and Monday. That would give you four days. Long enough to try to convince him to return but not so long as to annoy him." Albus then turned to Serius and Remus, "If Severus is successful I expect you two to behave yourselves and maintain a professional attitude towards Chandos. Understood?"
Both men looked down before agreeing with Albus. Severus just smirked at seeing his two rivals shamed by his mentor.
"I agree to go under one condition Albus…This time you will not teach my classes to reduce fruit sugars down into sweets. You stick with the curriculum I set. I still have nightmares about how hyped up my students were when I got back. Sugar rushes and potions DO NOT MIX." Severus glared around the room as the snickers mounted.
Albus looked a little sheepish as he agreed. "This order meeting is dismissed. We will meet again when Severus gets back from America. Oh, stop laughing Bill and Minerva, I thought it was a good idea at the time."
As the group was breaking up Bill and Serius cornered Minerva. "Now what happened with the kids and the sugar high……."