Disclaimer : Nope, still not mine. Sorry for the mess, I'm still trying to figure out this app, and it seems like everytime I blink there's a new error. I actually just found I wrote tituls instead of rituals.
Dropping on the castle's grass, and amidst the sheers and screams and music, the first thing she noticed was the lack of Dumbledore, Snape and Moody. That was the second bad sign of the night, she started to steer away from professors asking aloud where they were. But no one looked into answering anything, she started looking for her third flask of polyjuice and her heart dropped. It wasn't there.
She didn't think much, she just ran, she couldn't tell when they started to notice, she slipped away and was in the hallways in a matter of seconds, going at full speed like the devil himself was at her heels. Until, the fourth turn showed her the two men at her twelve, they looked at her strangely, cautious even, until a smaller figure appeared form behind them, Harry fucking Potter. looking mighty confused.
Cursing aloud while two grown ass men possibly the strongest wizards out there, very much talented in the art of dueling threw spells and curses at your back, was a given.
That's how she left the hallway of doom , dodging like a madwoman, and blocking like a barely talented student, the last of her potion effects were dissolving, the two men were too far to see who it was, but the hit of a cutting curse on her side made her scream loud and clear.
The pain blindsided her and took away much of the speed she had, she was almost blind by sheer exhaustion and pain when she hit the wall she was looking for, and disappeared inside just when the door closed to her persuers.
"Headmaster"
"The room that comes and goes Severus, there is no use trying to open it, it will not"
"Professor, what if it is another death eater" "one that dicided to save you from a terrible encounter, harry?" "Headmaster, we can't simply leave it be"
"No we will certainly not, call on all the student body to the great Hall, Severus. I believe your cutting curse hit"
"Harry, you will stay by my side. Any questions about your whereabouts, you came to me after the last trial because I specifically asked you to"
"Yes sir"
The transformation back to her body was anything but smooth, the skin taking a new shape was disturbed and it made the burning sensation tenfold, she was only able to put some essence of dittany to close the cuts before darkness took her.
The gathering in the great Hall was loud and cheery but only a few people knew it's true prupose. Children, family members and staff members were all gathered in the same place, celebrating, enjoying the last meal of the day. Even the few disappointed fans were enjoying their meal. The only missing members were the four champions. Three of them in the hospital, one of them dining in silence accompanied only by the cooing noises of the majestic phoenix in the headmaster's office. And one Nina Morgenstern, a fourteen years old spanish halfblood Hufflepuff.
Even if the evidence was there, it was still completely wild to accept. The girl was not exceptional, her grades were strong in the subjects she liked and average or dismal in those she found boring. Her magic not as strong as her classmates, even weaker when she was younger. She was not popular amongst her peers, sometime she was seen sitting and speaking with some students in her classes, other times she was seen enjoying time on her own. Reading or walking around the grounds.
She was not someone to draw attention to herself or question someone out loud. She wasn't quiet, but neither outspoken. She didn't fit the image of someone who would find out a nefarious plot that would affect all Britain only to attempt to stop it on her lonesome.
The black cloaked man approached the headmaster hurriedly.
"Yes Severus"
"Miss Morgenstern is missing"his voice was a mere whisper, they were in the chambers where they spoke to the champions for the first time "Miss Morgenstern, are you certain?" The old man seemed to turn too fast.
"The only one missing, headmaster" the surprise on the old man's face was not fleeting. But the dark eyed man was sceptic still.
"She expressed to some of her classmates the lack of sense in having children fight for glory, I still believe we have another intruder, or another imperious victim"
"Why would anyone imperious a random child to fake being harry potter the night of the last trial" his pensive calm face was making the potion master lose his patience.
"Perhaps they knew the cups purpose?"
"You don't believe it was her doing, Severus?" It seemed to surprise him, as if he somehow let slip a piece of information he was supposed to know.
"No headmaster, she's a strange child, a very average strange child"
"I'm not so sure Severus, her dueling was nothing close to average, and escaping the Dark Lord intact is not exactly easy feat"
"It could be someone else headmaster, we don't know for certain it is her. She could simply be in her dorm room, reading one of her books." The wish of his cloak followed his brusque movement and his agitation.
"Dark brown hair, the scream was of a female child Severus"
The dark haired man stood still in silence, as if chided, the deep difference between them showing its ugly head. He seemed to take these seconds to school his sneer and went on with this train of thought.
"The cut was deep, there was too much blood, she should be treated immediately, she would have to go to my stores or Poppy's for essence of dittany"
"Or the room would simply provide what she needs"
At the calmness of his response, coupled with his veiled accusations he lost all patience.
"Headmaster, is there any reason we're not doing anything, in the eve of the Dark Lord's return"
"You said so yourself my friend, the call was different, his power is different. Something is different and sending you in ,blind, seems more dangerous as it is"
For the first time that night the worry on the old man's face looked real and palpable.
Snape would never believe it.
"We know Karkaroff has run off"
"It was expected, was it not?"
"Entirely"
"We will inform the proper channels"
"And then?" He went on stubbornly
"We either wait for our little friend to make a move or we make one"
"I cannot wait much longer, it has to be tonight, headmaster, otherwise I would lose credibility" the potion master insisted.
"I understand my friend, let us enjoy dinner for the night, the world is going to be hectic form now on"
A few minutes in their meal a grey looking owl, went straight to the staff's table and landed right in front of the headmaster's plate.
The message it held was short but foreboding, it constricted the headmaster's face considerably. It read
"I'm sorry, he's back, I'll fix it I promise" and below it a portrait of a thirty years old handsome man with dark hair, piercing eyes and sharp cheekbones. The portrait was done hurriedly but the details in it were captured perfectly.
The note held a tone of childish innocence and guilt that hit the old man to his core.
He discreetly nodded his head to professor Snape. The dark haired man left with a stony look and hurried steps.
It was two days after that Nina Morgenstern was seen out and about. Few of her classmates knew that she wasn't feeling too well due to girl related problems, it seemed the perfect excuse for everyone to stop asking questions. Her stance was thight and she clearly tried masking her pain.
He followed her with falcon eyes since breakfast.
He couldn't understand for the life of him why would Dumbledore, not want to whisk her away for information immediately, like he did a thousand times with the golden boy.
The only time when they actually needed the information and the old man decides he doesn't need it just yet.
Reluctant as he was, he didn't forget to ask about her whereabouts and doings everyday.
the last day of school, the dark eyed man lost all patience and went to have some answers.
"Headmaster, I would like to call Miss Morgenstern to ask her whereabouts the night of the last trial"
"Not yet Severus, I understand this must be frustrating, but there isn't much she could tell us that we can't live without at the moment"
"Much she could tell us?!" He practically screamed. "forgive me headmaster you seem to have forgotten the littlest fact of the Dark Lord rising once more after a ritual performed to utter perfection enough that he recuperated his body in perfect form. I'm sure this hasn't escaped you, dark magic has its balance as well. A dark ritual to make a body wouldn't give him back his body. It would have given him a deformed one, strong according to his persuits. Not a perfect replica of his old self aged primely to adulthood, that is impossible."
"It hasn't escaped my notice Severus, I am very aware of the concerns this raises, but what makes you believe the child we persued yesterday and attacked would give us any truths. She clearly did not trust anyone to do what was needed, and she was desperate enough to do it herself. Did you know Severus, that for a split second Cedric Diggory would have touched that cup. Tell me, what kind of fate do you think would have befallen him at the hands of the Dark Lord."
This seemed to take Snape by surprise enough to calm his agitation.
"I believe the best way to aid Miss Morgenstern as well as Harry, at the moment is to keep her existence a secret. Tom is not an idiot he must know by now, the blood he used wasn't Harry's, but someone else's, and frankly my friend, what worries me most is that he chose to keep this a secret from those he considers close."
"So Miss Morgenstern will return to her home in Spain, far away from Dark Lords and dark rituals?"
"Precisely, Severus, pricesely"
Silence seemed to reign the two men once more and Snape's piercing eyes were on the old man all the time. "That is not the only reason you do not wish to speak to her" the pained smile that pulled on the headmaster surprised the younger man greatly. He chuckled tiredly "Indeed Severus, have a good night my friend"
Author's Note : I'd like to give a big thank you to my first ever reviewer Amariyah1
