Author's Note: I know, I know! It took me long enough. I'm sorry it took so long to get a chapter out. Anyway, I apologize for the stopping point of this chapter, but it seemed like a good place to end it. I have no idea when the next chapter will be, but don't worry I haven't abandoned anything. If anything, I'm getting annoyed at my brain for constantly coming up with new story ideas.

I also want to thank everyone for reviewing the last chapter. I tried really hard to make Jack less of an idiot in this one, so hopefully Jack has learned his lesson. I also want to thank everyone who has followed and faved.

Chapter Fifteen: The Arrival

Jack couldn't help but stare at the mark on his hand as he left Gringotts. He clenched his fist closed and let his arm drop back down to his side. It wouldn't do for anyone to see that. He wasn't even certain if it could be seen or not. It's not like that horrible goblin ever said if the necklace would hide that.

Wind whipped his hair as he walked down the alley, but Jack didn't answer. He didn't feel like getting yelled at when he was already too busy yelling at himself. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he almost missed the store he had been looking for. But sure enough, there was a shop that sold robes.

Jack wandered over to the storefront to see that it was Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions. He peered in the window to see that there did seem to be a lot of robes for sale. He also saw a variety of old-fashioned shirts and pants and breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't really want to wander around in a robe, because even to him it looked a bit like a dress. (Not that he'd ever tell Pitch that.)

He glanced at his boots and internally winced. They looked like someone had fished them out of the garbage! He supposed if he were at any other store he might get sneered at, but he figured here that this Madam Malkin might see it as an opportunity to make a sale. At least he hoped so.

It turned out that Madam Malkin didn't seem to mind his odd attire, as she explained to him that she had muggle-born children in all the time and he should see what they wore! She was also quite curious about his white hair, but Jack managed to distract her by asking about some clothing and she soon forgot all about it.

It took Jack a lot longer than he thought to purchase the clothes he wanted. He really only wanted a few outfits and one pair of boots and maybe something to carry them in, but Madam Malkin managed to talk him into a pack that had an extension charm on the inside. She also convinced him to get a few more outfits than he wanted, explaining that she'd give him a special discount since he was buying so much at once. Jack had been so happy about the discount that he readily agreed and found that he still had plenty of money left over in the pouch.

He wondered what else he should buy, as he left the robe shop in one of his new outfits. He was wearing much a much nicer pair of boots than the ones he walked in with, as well as non-tattered dark pants and a long-sleeve cream peasant shirt topped off with a wintery blue cloak that reminded Jack strongly of the one he used to have so long ago, but in blue.

Madam Malkin had kindly offered to repair Jack's former clothes for him, but Jack had only allowed her to touch those horrible boots. Jack felt like he already gave up so much for the little he had gotten from the goblins and didn't want to just toss the boots away.

With everything else tucked away into his pack, Jack walked down the street feeling a little like he had stepped back in time. Wind ruffled his hair questioningly, but Jack just hissed that he'd explain later since he didn't want to be seen talking to apparently no one in the middle of the street.

Jack rubbed his eyes as he blearily looked around at the shops. He felt dead on his feet, but he knew that he had no time to rest now that he was so close to finally finding Lillian. Flourish and Blotts caught his eye, that strange little bookstore he had gotten thrown out of earlier. If he needed a crash course on the wizards, he felt like this would be the place to go.

As he entered, he noticed with relief that the shopkeeper was busy with customers, so he was able to browse in peace. He found a few books with titles that mentioned 'muggle-borns' whatever they were, so he grabbed them as he hoped it would be useful. One seemed to be like a guidebook of sorts to the wizards for those just entering the world. Jack smirked at that since that was just the book he needed!

After his disastrous start, it finally felt like things were going his way. The only problem was, of course, that he had no time to read any of the books he would be getting. He wondered if he could multi-task a bit with flying. Wind could steer him, right? He could already hear Wind scolding him for that, but he mentally shrugged. He didn't have time to stop and read. Books weren't really his forte, anyway. It would have to do.

He grabbed a few magical theory books, on the premise he could study them later after he had fully enacted his plan. He also grabbed Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, because..

Well..

Just because.

Jack was secretly hoping to look up the Guardians or Pitch to see if they were in there but then wondered if he should be offended if they were. They weren't actually 'beasts' after all. He wondered suddenly if he would be in there, but sort of hoped he wasn't, for the same reason.

Jack continued to browse, as he was determined to get everything he needed. The last thing he needed was to miss something vital and be discovered by the wizards at Hogwarts. He didn't need to wind up like poor Lillian with his memories taken away by some horrible spell. With that thought in mind, he also added Hogwarts, A History to the books he was getting. Even though he knew the grounds inside and out, he didn't know anything at all about the inside of the castle and he felt that he should get to know it at least a little if he wound up staying there for any length of time. He was hoping that it wouldn't have to be very long, but he felt that extracting Lillian from the castle might take a little time, especially if she didn't have any of her memories. He knew that his original thoughts of snatching Lillian right out from under the wizards' noses were too idealistic.

Jack added a few more books after grabbing Hogwarts, A History but was dreading how much all these books were going to cost and decided that he had enough for now. After all, he could always sneak back to the Alley if he needed anything else. Holding the stack of books along with his staff made things a little difficult, as even though the wizards would see a normal-sized wand, it still didn't diminish the actual size of his staff. He awkwardly made his way up front and soon had completed his purchases. The shopkeeper was still rather busy and either didn't make the connection that Jack had been the one he'd thrown out before, or he was too polite to mention it. Either way, Jack tucked the books into his bag, except for The Muggle-born's Guide to Wizards and What to Expect, a thin little volume that looked a little outdated, much like most of the wizarding world's books. Jack was pleasantly surprised that all those books fit comfortably in the bag with the rest of his things and the bag didn't seem to weigh much of anything at all.

Once he was back outside, Wind ruffled Jack's hair affectionately as he wandered down the Alley and tried to think of anything else he could possibly need. Somehow it felt a little lacking just to get clothes and books, but he couldn't think of much else that he would need. A wave of tiredness hit him suddenly and he found himself staggering a little as Wind whispered in concern. Jack didn't dare to assure Wind of anything since the last thing he needed was for the wizards to see him talking to nothing. He tiredly rubbed an eye and decided that he had enough for now.

Stifling a yawn, he made his way back to the solid wall he had come through and tried to lounge as casually as he could while he waited for someone to open up the entrance. Thankfully he didn't have long to wait and he hurried after the witch who had opened it up. Once he was inside The Leaky Cauldron, he made his way through the pub hurriedly and was soon out the front door.

Wind started to blow harder in anticipation of Jack's flight, but Jack glanced around surreptitiously and saw what he thought was a few wizards giving him looks for wandering outside in wizardly clothing in full view of the non-magical population. Jack put his head down and hastily walked off down the sidewalk as he tried very hard to avoid being walked through. He didn't need to blow his cover now that he had put so much effort into perfecting his disguise.

He walked at a fast pace for about four blocks before he was satisfied that there weren't any wizards around to spot him.

"Sorry Wind," Jack said softly to his friend since Wind had started to blow more harshly in agitation the longer that Jack ignored her. Jack had hardly ignored Wind as much as he had done that day. Wind was his only friend for so long that he always listened to her whispers and encouraging words. "But you know I can't let anyone see me talking to you."

Wind finally calmed down at Jack's apology and the people that were walking by stopped shivering from the chilly breeze that had been blowing so harshly.

"Now," Jack said as he raised his voice and held out his staff, "Let's go to Hogwarts!"

A few hours later, a very sleepy and irritated Jack Frost struggled to read the thin book he had kept out from his bag as he flew through the air. Wind was very agitated with his poor choices and kept blowing fiercely as she berated Jack continually, telling him that he could crash into something and how would he feel if he ran right into a tree?

"Wiiind!" Jack whined as he lost his place yet again when the pages of the book were turned by the blustery Wind. "C'mon, I'm trying to read!"

Wind didn't seem to appreciate this reprimand and Jack let out a yell as he was suddenly flung sideways in the air. He hadn't had such problems flying since he was first learning how to do so. When he had first tried to fly he had taken to ordering Wind about and she hadn't appreciated it in the slightest. It had taken some time before Jack realized that he had to be more gentle with Wind. After he had that realization, they had both gotten along well and soon became fast friends.

Now it looked like that after a few hundred years (it not being three hundred just yet) they were having their first fight. Jack didn't really appreciate this in the slightest as he struggled to keep a hold of the book and his staff, let alone the bag he'd slung over his shoulder. The hood of his cloak flew up and went over his head, obscuring his vision as he flailed about in a panic.

"Wind, stop!" Jack cried out as he nearly dropped his staff in alarm.

Wind responded by flinging Jack harshly to the other side and then flipping him around so he was upside down. Her normal whispers had turned into yelling as the gale picked up and Jack's shouting was whipped away as he flailed even more in the air, rather ineffectually.

"I'M SORRY!" Jack finally shouted in sheer desperation. He barely had managed to grab hold of his book that had tumbled out of his arms by the edge of the cover and the pages flapped back and forth as Wind continued to yell at her Winter Spirit. "PLEASE! L-LET ME DOWN!"

It was the desperation and fear in Jack's voice that finally snapped Wind out of her shouting match and Wind seemed to realize she was being overly aggressive with her friend. True, he was being an idiot by trying to read and fly at the same time, but that didn't mean that she had to knock him out of the air.

Wind seemed to realize with a little remorse that she'd almost caused Jack to drop his staff and the gale immediately quieted down to the usual chilly breeze that accompanied Jack on his flights. She whispered her apologies to Jack as she hastily flipped him back so that he wasn't upside down anymore.

Jack hastily snapped the book shut and glanced back at his pack after lowering the hood of his cloak back down. He marveled at the fact that it hadn't opened at all while he was being flung around. It would've been a disaster if it had opened and he lost all his things so early on.

"Let's just get to Hogwarts," Jack said with his voice tinged with exhaustion. "I have to get to Lillian."

Wind didn't say anything in return but Jack noted gratefully that he seemed to fly even more quickly through the air.

Finally!

A long time after that, Jack found himself perched in a tree with very little idea how he'd gotten there. His eyes had begun to close when he was flying and he fuzzily remembered something about a village before he found himself in the tree. Wind ruffled his hair and whispered he was close to the castle, but that he should rest now.

Jack wanted to argue that he had to get to Lillian while he was so close, but the sun was already setting and darkness was settling down around them. Jack had just enough sense to tuck his book back into his bag as his eyes began to close.

A little nap couldn't hurt.

The next morning found one Severus Snape on a mission. True, while he wasn't particularly happy with his young cousin at the moment, it didn't mean that he no longer wanted anything to do with her. He knew he still needed furniture and things for her room that had been added on to his quarters, and he was determined to get them. While she might prefer the company of that dunderheaded Lockhart, that didn't mean that staying with him was what was best for her.

So with that in mind, with the sky turning various shades of orange and pink with the rising sun, Severus set out on foot to the village of Hogsmeade. He hadn't managed to get very far, however, when a flash of something blue caught his attention. He paused in his walk along the path that lead to Hogsmeade to see a bit of blue cloth dangling down from a tree branch. This might not be too remarkable, but he could also see what was unmistakably an arm.

His wand was drawn so fast that it was little more than a dark blur, but the cloth nor the arm stirred as he drew his wand. Feeling very alert, Severus drew closer to the tree and the arm. He could see that the hand that belonged to the arm was pale and the person was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt of some sort. As Severus drew ever closer, he could finally see what was in one of the lowest branches of a tree: a sleeping boy.

He stared at this improbability for a moment with his mind quite blank. Why would there be a boy of all things sleeping in a tree?!

Silently Severus waved his wand at the boy and several silent spells surrounded the sleeping figure with their various lights, but still, the boy slept on. Severus could see dark shadows under the boy's eyes and deduced he must be quite exhausted. It was odd that the boy had his wand out like that since most wizards kept theirs in their pockets or in holders but he didn't pay that much mind right now. He could tell that there wasn't anything Dark about the boy. Frowning slightly, Severus cast one last silent spell at the boy and his frown deepened. Why was he so cold?

His temperature was much lower than it should be. Then there was movement and Snape froze as the boy turned over in his sleep, mumbling incoherently. The hood of the boy's cloak slipped as he moved and Snape stared at the impossibly snowy white hair. Snape took in the pale features of the boy and noticed that he was wearing a blue cloak of all things. The clothes were much different and the boy wasn't as pale, but Severus couldn't help but notice the unmistakable resemblance to the smirking boy he'd seen in Lillian's mind.

His mind raced as he stared at the snowy white hair. He knew he suspected Lillian of being a Seasonal and with her powerful accidental magic, it was more than likely that she was. And now here was a boy from her mind with snowy white hair and a temperature that was far too low.

Could it be possible that this boy was one too?

Snape's mouth thinned at the thought and he brandished his wand at the boy once more.

Half an hour later there was a bright flash as Severus Snape's floo went off. Severus had been bending over his couch and he silently cursed as he hastily waved his wand over the figure that he'd been examining that was on it. Pocketing his wand, he turned and knelt down in front of his floo.

"Headmaster?" Snape said in surprise since he wasn't expecting to hear from Albus so early in the morning.

"Severus," Albus Dumbledore said, his tone serious and unusually grave. "Have you seen anything unusual this morning?"

Snape's mind immediately went to the boy with the white hair, the very boy he had disillusioned on his couch in fact. His expression, however, was inscrutable.

"Nothing more than my morning tea, I assure you," he said dryly to the Headmaster. "Why do you ask?"

"It is most unusual, but the wards have recently informed me of a strong magical presence," the Headmaster said as he looked at Severus over the top of his half-moon spectacles.

Snape's mouth went dry at the implications since as far as he knew, nothing more unusual than the boy had recently entered the wards of the castle. This all but confirmed his suspicions. If the boy was a normal wizard, the wards wouldn't have reacted as such. He was either a Seasonal or else extraordinarily powerful. Considering all the strangeness that had happened that year so far, Severus was more inclined to believe the former rather than the latter.

"That is strange," Severus agreed. "But not particularly unusual. Could it have been an animal? You yourself said that it has happened from time to time."

"So I have," Albus agreed, his tone quite cheerful now and his blue eyes twinkling. "You wouldn't by chance know where Gilderoy is, would you?"

"This early? Probably still in bed," Severus replied.

"Hmm, perhaps," Albus nodded. "Well, I won't take up any more of your time. If you could continue to keep an eye out for anything strange."

"Of course," Severus replied and with a little pop Albus Dumbledore's head disappeared from the fire.

Snape stood from where he'd been kneeling on the hearth and looked back at the sleeping figure on his couch. Even now he wasn't sure why he hadn't told the Headmaster about the boy, but he hadn't mentioned anything about his suspicions of little Lillian either. He supposed that only time would tell on if he made the right decision or not. He was tempted to Enervate the boy, but it was obvious that he was exhausted.

The boy's pack lay on the floor leaning against the couch and the blue cloak was hanging upon a hook near Severus' door. The boy's wand was still in his hand, as Snape hadn't been able to wrest it from the sleeping figure. The boy's grip on it was quite strong, even in sleep.

After watching the boy for a long moment, Snape decided to really brew his morning tea. It was with regret that he realized his shopping trip for Lillian would have to wait; he could not leave the boy alone in his quarters. Who knew what would happen when the boy awoke. He wasn't a danger to the castle since the wards hadn't repelled him, but that did not mean he couldn't prove troublesome and Snape wasn't about to leave the boy unattended. If he woke and wandered the castle it could prove disastrous.

As he made his morning tea in the little kitchenette in his quarters, Severus tried not to think of the snowy-haired boy running amok in Hogwarts with an armful of snowballs. Surely it was just an odd defense in Lillian's mind.

Not if he's a Seasonal.

The thought came unwelcome and unbidden and Snape shoved it aside as he carried a cup of steaming tea out to his sitting room. He sat down in his armchair and surveyed the boy over the rim of his teacup as he settled in to wait.

"For the last time, I AM NOT GOING TO ERASE YOUR MEMORIES!" Severus Snape bellowed at the top of his voice, his patience long since gone.

"Yeah, right!" Jack snapped back as he stood behind the couch, his staff held in front of himself defensively. "Tell that to Lillian!"

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to martial the last remaining shreds of his patience.

"I have been helping her to recover her memories, Jack," he finally said as Jack gaped at him.

"Y-you know my name?" Jack stammered as he stared at Severus.

Severus could see how unnerved Jack was by this.

"I also know that both you and Lillian are Seasonals," he said almost conversationally as he looked at Jack's wintry blue eyes.

"Wha-?! How could you - er, I mean.. We're not!" Jack said wildly as he looked even paler. "Erm, what's a Seasonal?"

Severus raised an eyebrow at that. The boy all but confirmed it!

"Do you really expect me to believe that you don't know?" Severus told Jack.

Jack leveled a very serious look at Severus.

"What does it matter anyway? Where's Lillian?" Jack demanded.

Snape sighed and sat down in his armchair again, hoping that Jack didn't do anything rash.

"She's still with that idiot, Gilderoy Lockhart," Snape explained to Jack.

Jack's eyes lit up at that and he grinned triumphantly.

"I knew it!" he cried.

"Look," Snape said impatiently, "You need to sit down and explain why you are here and who you are precisely. I can help you, but only if you take the time to explain instead of rushing headlong into disaster."

Jack paused as the words sunk in. He'd been so frightened when he woke up in a strange place, but now as he took the time to look at his surroundings he saw what he had failed to notice before - the walls and floor were made of stone.

"Where am I?" Jack said, his voice hushed, not daring to believe.

Severus shot Jack an irritated look since that wasn't what he had asked, but he answered nevertheless.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he said, his tone indicating that Jack better hurry up and begin the explanations.

"Lillian's here!" Jack whooped with a huge grin and he almost took off running right then.

"STOP!" Severus shouted as he saw that Jack was going to take off like a shot. "You cannot go running about the school like a chicken with its head cut off! Take the time to use your head!"

Jack paused in mid-step and then set his foot back down as he looked sheepishly at Snape. He was doing it again, he knew. Acting without thinking. He couldn't help it, he just wasn't the planning sort of person! He was more of an 'act now, think later' person and he knew that it could cause him a world of trouble.

"Now," Snape said in his most soft and deadly tone, "Sit down and explain."

Jack looked affronted at the commanding tone.

"Why should I tell you anything?" he said in the sort of tone that only a teenager could.

"Because, you foolish boy, I am Lillian's cousin," Snape shot back waspishly.

Jack's mouth fell open and then he promptly closed it and shook his head.

"That's impossible. You can't be related to Lillian," he said.

Snape raised an eyebrow at this. He had thought this on more than one occasion, but apparently not even this boy, this Seasonal knew. Perhaps it was something that not even Lillian had known?

Interesting.

"In any case, I've been declared her legal guardian. She's staying with Gilderoy at the moment until I can get the necessities for her," Snape told Jack.

Jack frowned at Severus when he heard that.

"She doesn't need a legal guardian! She already has Pi- a dad!"

"Does she," Snape said as noted the slip-up. It sounded like he had almost said the name Pitch, which Severus knew was the name of Lillian's father. He recalled that the Jack he had met in Lillian's mind had told him so, but hadn't seemed entirely certain about it.

"Yeah!" Jack exclaimed as he continued to frown at Pitch.

"And you have come to take little Lillian back home?" Severus questioned him.

"Of course," Jack said as he frowned a little at Severus. "Our dad's really worried about her. I've been sent to come get her."

That wasn't exactly the truth, but Jack knew that he couldn't tell this guy that Pitch had essentially been ignoring Lillian and had no idea that she was even missing. He was hoping that he could get Lillian back soon enough so that Pitch wouldn't even know anything had happened. It wasn't as if Pitch kept up with what was going on with the wizards or anything.

"Hmm," Snape said as he narrowed his eyes at Jack a bit. "How did you get here? I was under the impression that Lillian was from the US."

"Uh.. magic," Jack said somewhat nervously as he fidgeted with his staff.

"Articulate," Snape said as he almost rolled his eyes.

"What's it matter, anyway? I'm here and I've come to get Lillian," Jack said defensively.

"It would be best if she were to remain here until she has completely recovered her memories," Snape explained slowly as if to someone particularly dimwitted.

"She's.. she's getting them back?" Jack's asked, a little wide-eyed at the thought.

"I told you earlier that I'm helping her to recover her memories," Snape replied somewhat testily. Honestly, was the boy really this dense?

"..Oh, yeah," Jack said awkwardly as he wasn't really paying any attention to that earlier.

Snape rolled his eyes at that and chose not to comment.

"Let me ask again, precisely who are you if you are not a Seasonal?" Snape asked yet again.

"Uh.." Jack fiddled with his staff as he tried to come up with an answer.

He had thought of everything, except for this! How could he have forgotten he'd need some sort of cover? He couldn't just show up and proclaim to be some unknown wizard and whisk Lillian away.

How could he be so stupid?

While Jack was panicking and mentally berating himself, there were several knocks on the door.

"Professor?" Lillian called through the door.

Jack gave a huge gasp and before Snape could even think about saying anything, Jack had lunged at the door and jerked it open. He grinned down at the stunned form of Lillian, who was wearing a light blue dress with a matching ribbon in her hair.

"J-Jack?!"