Premonitions

Severus did not speak to his daughter at all the rest of that day. He went directly
to St. Mungo's from Hogwarts after breakfast. The intern on duty, warned of his
unpredictable temper, let him into Jennika's room without a fuss. She was the same as when he'd left her yesterday, trapped in the stasis spell. He drew his wand, pointed it at her and barked the incantation he'd found in the ancient tome last night before his quarrel with Arista. "Tempus Fugit!"

He felt the stasis spell shudder as it tried to fight off the charm he'd cast, which did not attempt to break through the shield around Jenna or penetrate it, but simply ordered time to resume its natural course. But the stasis was not strong enough to fight the
inexorable flow of time and gradually it began to crumble as he poured more of his will into his charm.

Eventually, he felt the stasis shield crumble to dust, swept away by the passage of time which wears down all things, even magic. He peered at Jenna, who was still asleep, lost in a world of dreams. But she breathed steadily, her chest rising and falling evenly. He touched her hand, it was cold—cold as ice. Probably a result of the stasis spell. He pondered whether to give her the Restoring Elixir he'd brewed, or wait until the doctors examined her.

He decided to allow the Healers to examine her first, in case there was something else wrong with her physically that he'd missed. He allowed himself a brief smile of triumph. This was one victim that Nightshade's magic would not claim. At least not
today.

By the time the doctors had finished examining their patient, and had determined there was nothing physically wrong with her save for abnormally cold skin and the fact that she was not awake yet, it was close to noon. Severus was starving, he decided to grab a quick bite in the hospital cafeteria before going back to Jenna's room and giving her the Restorative Elixir. The doctors had agreed that it wouldn't harm her and could only help.

So Snape ate a hamburger before he went back upstairs, where he slowly fed the comatose Jenna miniscule amounts of Restorative Elixir, one half spoonful at a time, making certain she swallowed after every spoonful.

Gradually, the color returned to Jenna's waxen limbs, and by the time the elixir was finished, her skin was a normal ruddy color again and starting to warm up. "There! That should make you feel better," he said to the sleeping magician. "Now, if only you'd wake up." He pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Maybe that's one hurdle your husband can help with. I'll be back in a moment or two."

Five minutes later he returned with an ecstatic Colin, who immediately set about calling Jenna's name and holding her hand to see if she would respond to him. But the dark-haired magician remained soundly asleep, not even waking when her husband kissed her gently or shook her.

"What do we do now?" the Dark Hunter queried. "She won't wake up. She's not in a coma or anything is she?"

"No, not really. But that was a rather strong Memory Charm she was hit with. It knocked her out and now she's dreaming. I think it best if we don't try to wake her again. She should wake up on her own now that the stasis is no longer affecting her."

"When?"

"I don't know. We'll just have to wait and see."

The Dark Hunter sighed impatiently. "That's all I seem to be doing any more. Not that I'm complaining or anything, Severus. If it weren't for you, she'd still be trapped inside that shield. I don't know how we can ever repay you . . ."

"That's easy," Snape said with a faint smile. "Help me find Nightshade and all debts between us are settled, Flynn."

"You got it, buddy." Colin grinned. "Now if I were a dark witch that had two wizards that wanted to kick my ass to hell on my trail, where would I hide?"

"Somewhere I could get to easily," Snape offered. "Why don't we go and scout around the Crow's Rest again? Perhaps there's a secret tunnel or something nearby that we missed."

"Uh-huh. Or we could try questioning the patrons." Colin said. "Severus, how good are you at intimidation?"

Snape grinned evilly. "You're looking at the teacher who's intimidated hundreds of reluctant students into doing homework and studying for exams they hated, Flynn."

A smile spread across Colin's face. "You're an expert then. Let's go. I want some good leads and I want 'em now."

They Apparated from the room, wearing identical smirks a devil would have envied.

* * * * * *
Two hours and about fifteen sniveling bar patrons later, Colin and Severus had managed to discover that Nightshade rented a tiny flat not far from the pub, or had as far as the bartender knew. At first he'd refused to answer any of their questions, even when Colin told him he was obstructing a Hunter's investigation. But he
cracked quick enough when Snape went to work on him, spilling his guts in fifteen minutes.

"Got to hand it to you, Snape. You are one hell of a nasty character when you want to be. You nearly had me shaking there, and I'm on your side," the Dark Hunter praised.

"He was easy compared to a room full of conceited fifteen- year-olds, Flynn." Severus laughed. "The only way to get them to pay attention is to be as demanding and hard as possible. I learned that after my first year of teaching."

Colin whistled. "Maybe I ought to tell Chief Hamilton to start getting recruits from the schools next time. All those retired teachers could have a bona fide future questioning reluctant witnesses and suspects."

"Teachers turned cops, now there's a thought to send any criminal crying to his mother," Snape said, giving Colin one of his rare smiles.

"If you ever get sick of teaching, come and see me, Severus. You'd do wonders in law enforcement."

"I'll think about it," Snape said evasively. "Shall we follow up on our lead?"

"By all means." Colin gestured for Severus to precede him out the door of the pub.

But when they reached the flat, they found it was empty, save for a few empty cardboard boxes and an old sofa with the springs coming out. Colin swore ferociously. "Just when we think we're getting close . . .!"

"Perhaps a tracking spell?"

"I need something of hers to make it work."

Severus walked over to the torn couch and examined it. Most of the stuffing was coming out of it and it looked as though rats had gnawed on a leg. He ran his hand over the back of the couch. When he lifted his hand there was a long white hair stuck to it. "Will this do?"

Colin came over to examine the hair. "If it's hers, yes. Let me get my ID kit." He reached in a pocket of his coat and drew forth a tiny black case. When he opened it there was a small depression to fit a hair. He quickly tucked the white hair in the
case and shut it. Then he put a finger on it and said, "ID match for Livia Nightshade."

The case blurred for a moment. Then it blinked back into view. Colin opened it and a woman's voice emerged. "Positive ID, hair of Livia Nightshade."

Colin grinned darkly. "You slipped up this time, witch. With this I can track you to hell and back." He looked over at Snape. "You need anything from your potions cabinet, or are you ready to go?"

"I have what I need," Severus said eagerly. "Let's finish this."

Meanwhile, Arista had been invited to a late morning tea with Sybill Trelawney, the Divination teacher. Since she was usually ravenous after one of Colin's sessions, she accepted Trelawney's invitation gratefully, even though the Divination teacher made her slightly uneasy.

She could not explain why she felt that way, for most people viewed the eccentric woman as harmless, if a bit touched in the head. Her father had once commented that Trelawney was the worst teacher at Hogwarts for teaching students anything practical or worthwhile, but she was one of Dumbledore's charity cases, and
that was why she had remained so long at the school. Touched in the head she may be, but there's something else about her that gives me the shivers. Maybe it's the way she looks at you, like she can see right through you. No, that's not it, Dad looks at me like that sometimes, and he doesn't scare me half as bad as Trelawney. No, it's more like she looks at you like you aren't there, or don't exist, or something.

Shrugging, she continued up the stairs to Trelawney's quarters. As she had expected, the Divination teacher's room reflected the Seer's dreamy nature. The floor was covered in thick red carpets and there were gauzy wall hangings of constellations and hazy landscapes with unicorns cavorting through meadows and one large picture of a crystal ball with two hands reaching out for it. A sofa in a soft plum color that clashed
horribly with the carpets had plump pillows in all the colors of the rainbow scattered on it.

Arista blinked as she walked into the room. Maybe I should have worn sunglasses, I feel like I've just walked into a quilter's worst nightmare.
There was a curtain of beads to the right, and the smell of some kind of incense, probably jasmine, hung in the air. In the center of the sitting room was a small round table covered with a fading lace tablecloth and Arista wouldn't have been surprised to
discover it had a large crystal ball atop it.

It was now set with a pretty rosebud china tea cozy and two matching cups, a set of silver spoons, a sugar bowl and several trays of tiny iced cakes and tea sandwiches. There were two chairs drawn up to the table, red poofy things that reminded Arista of
Little Miss Muffet's tuffet. Overhead hung a chandelier with strands of crystals dangling from it.

"Come in, Arista," Trelawney's voice was a breathy whisper. She emerged from behind the beaded curtain like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, aswirl in magenta and turquoise skirts and a white peasant blouse. A screaming green scarf caught up her golden-brown hair. She smiled welcomingly at the girl.

"Do sit down. I am so glad you could join me. I feel this is going to be an auspicious day for you. All the signs point to it."

They do? What kind of tea leaves have you been reading, lady? So far this morning has been one of the worst I've had since I've been here. She still wasn't speaking to her father, Colin had lectured her and then quite neatly stomped her into the dirt at their practice, she was still worried about Jenna, and wishing she could do something about Nightshade. Maybe her kind of auspicious day isn't the same as mine.
She sat down on the poofy cushion, feeling an absurd desire to bounce up and down on it giggling like a naughty preschooler. But she restrained herself, taking her napkin and setting it in her lap like a properly well-bred girl.

Trelawney sat opposite her, beaming at her like a happy butterfly. Her multiple strands of beads and chains glittered in the light from the chandelier and her bangles chimed merrily as she poured the tea into their cups.

"This is a special blend of orange, lavender, and Pekoe tea. It is very calming and soothing. I always have this after a long day of using the Inner Eye, it helps me to relax. Do try some."

"Thank you, Professor," Arista said politely, accepting her cup from Trelawney's hand. Calming and soothing? I could sure use some of that today. She added three spoonfuls of sugar and sipped it. To her surprise, the tea was actually quite good, it had a tangy yet sweet flavor. "This is excellent. Did you make this yourself?"

"But of course. I always make my own tea blends, it's the only way to ensure the best quality of tea." She sipped her own, peering at Arista from her overlarge spectacles, which magnified her eyes to twice their size, giving the impression of a curious owl.

She gestured to the tray of sandwiches, cut into neat triangles and star shapes. "Do have some cucumber and cheese sandwiches, dear girl. The cucumbers are from Professor Sprout's garden."

Arista took one of each shape, though she was not particularly fond of cucumbers. She ate them anyway, her stomach was growling, thinking wistfully of a roast beef sub with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and cheese on a toasted roll. There were also little
iced gingerbread cakes and she ate three of them, for gingerbread was her favorite.

Trelawney chatted with her about inconsequential things, asking her how she liked Hogwarts, how her father was, and if she planned to stay on here for the fall term. Arista answered the questions as best she could, wondering what the teacher could find so interesting about a mere thirteen-year-old, even if she was Professor Snape's daughter.

Then Trelawney leaned forward and fixed her with a piercing stare and said, "I was wondering, do you know of any practitioners of the Sight in America? I have heard they are quite well-respected over there."

"Um . . .well, there's Sylvia Barone, she's a psychic that works with the Dark Hunters." Arista recalled. "She helped my teachers on quite a few cases. She finds missing kids and people who have disappeared and that kind of thing."

Apparently, that was not what the professor was looking for. "I see. That must be . . . exhausting, to use one's Inner Eye in such a fashion. Is there no one else that you know of?"

"I'm sorry, I never met that many magicians who had the Sight. I was a Dark Hunter's apprentice," Arista apologized. "Uh . . .wait, there was one other one, her name was Madame Rosvita the Gypsy Fortune Teller, she . . .umm. . . .worked the strip in Las
Vegas."

Trelawney gasped. "You've been to Las Vegas? A young girl like you?"

"Well, yeah. Not in the casinos or anything, but my guardians were working a case, trying to catch a guy that was selling fake amulets . . ." Arista explained hastily, wanting to hit herself. Great, just great! I hope she never tells my father that, he'll flip out, even though nothing happened. "I couldn't get in to see Madame Rosvita, though, she was too expensive."

"I see," Trelawney sniffed, disappointed. "I had hoped . . ."

Hoped what? That I could put you in touch with Psychics of America? Sorry, Professor, but you're barking up the wrong tree. Private investigators I know, not Seers. Then Arista had an idea. Perhaps Trelawney could use her Inner Eye and find Nightshade
for her. She wondered why none of them had thought of it before.

"Er . . .Professor, have you ever used your, uh, Sight to find someone?"

"Find someone? Like a lost child?"

"Not exactly. I mean, a person who's hiding."

Trelawney coughed, then said, "You must understand, dear, that the Sight is not like a dog, it does not always come when you call. Sometimes it chooses the time and place, and the Seer must accept that."

"But you can use it to find people?"

"Yes . . .I suppose one may . . ."

"If I asked you to find someone, could you do it?"

"I, well that would depend. I don't use the Inner Eye frivolously, you understand."

"No, it's not like that, Professor," Arista said quickly. "This is important. A matter of life and death."

Trelawney blinked. "Life and death? Whatever do you mean, Arista?"

"I want you to use your Sight to find Livia Nightshade."

"Livia Nightshade? The criminal?"

"Yeah, that's her. We need to find her, before she kills someone else, she's already hurt Jenna Flynn, one of my teachers. Can you find her for me?"

"I don't know. I've never done anything like that before."

"Will you try? Please, Professor?" Arista begged, giving Trelawney her most pleading little girl stare.

"I-I . . .very well," Trelawney gave in. "Let me get my crystal ball." She reached under the table and withdrew a large crystal ball upon a claw-footed copper pedestal. She set it before her and folded her hands. "I can't promise you anything, the future cannot be known . . . perhaps a deck of Tarot cards would be better . . .I see . . .I see . . ." Trelawney began to gasp, peering into the crystal ball, her hands white-knuckled fists upon the tabletop.

Suddenly, her eyes rolled back in her head, and she slumped in her chair, trembling all over.

Arista stared at her in horror. Now I'm sorry I asked! "Professor? Are you all right?"

Trelawney jerked upright, as if pulled by a giant hand. Her eyes were wide and unseeing. She began to shake violently. Oh man, looks like she's having some kind of fit. The teacups rattled in their saucers. Arista rose to her feet and came around the table, grabbing a teaspoon as she did so. I'm probably the only Hogwarts student in the history of creation that made her teacher have a seizure by asking her a question. My father's gonna kill me for sure!
She reached Trelawney and touched her with a hand, tapping into her healing power. Strangely, her power could not find anything wrong with the Divination teacher. She registered as normal.

Arista felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle in warning. Then Trelawney said in a deep hoarse voice: "The one you seek is in the Houses of Healing. Beware, for the Pretty Poison shall be the Potion Master's doom, only love can save him, a love that was lost and found again, called forth by an orphaned child. Thus have I Seen."

"What are you saying? That my father is going to die?" Arista cried, backing away from the Seer, her heart pounding crazily in her chest. "That can't be right! Nightshade can't kill him too! Then I'll have no one." Tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

Professor Trelawney gasped sharply and then woke up from the Seer's trance that had possessed her. She blinked, rubbed her eyes, and focused on Arista, who was looking at her as if she were the Grim Reaper, crying silently.

"Arista, what's the matter?"

"You—you Saw . . .in your crystal ball . . .that Nightshade was going to kill my father!" the girl wailed.

"I saw Professor Snape die?" Trelawney repeated in astonishment.

"That's what you said . . .don't you remember?"

"No . . .I'm afraid not . . .when I See something strongly sometimes I can't recall exactly what I saw while I was in the trance . . .Did I say anything, child?"

"Yeah. You said that Nightshade was going to kill my dad."

"What were my exact words, child? Can you recall them? You might not be interpreting the vision correctly." Trelawney said.

"I'll never forget them," Arista gulped, drawing a hand across her eyes. She repeated verbatim the eerie words Trelawney had spoken.

"Beware the Pretty Poison—that must refer to Nightshade. She shall be the Potion Master's doom," Trelawney recited.

"See? That's the part where you said he was going to die."

"But there is more. Only love can save him, a love that was lost and found again, called forth by an orphaned child. Don't you see, Arista? There is hope yet. Your father can still be saved."

"By a love that was lost and found? How can that be possible?"

"I don't know. But it would not be given me to See if it were not able to happen. Professor Snape will be saved by love, a love called forth by you, child."

"Me? But the prophecy said an orphaned child. I've only lost one parent."

"But were you not raised in an orphanage?" Trelawney pointed out.

"Yes. I grew up thinking I was an orphan," Arista said softly. "Of course! I get it now. Then only I can save my father from Nightshade."

"Only you, Arista Snape." Trelawney pronounced.

"But where is Nightshade? What are the Houses of Healing?"

"I believe that refers to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies."

"Right. That makes sense, he was going to check on Jenna today. How much time do I have before this prophecy you saw comes true?"

Trelawney frowned. "I would say, from the strength of the vision, that it could happen soon . . .very soon."

"Then I'd better get over to St. Mungo's double quick!" Arista said, turning to run out the door. "Sorry to eat and run, Professor, you were great! Bye!"

Trelawney watched her go, wincing as the girl jumped down two steps at a time, the pounding shaking the tower room. "How extraordinary! This is the second True Seeing I've ever had. I must inform Dumbledore." She yawned suddenly. "Later, I'll tell
him later. For now, I think I shall take a nap. Using the Sight always exhausts me."

Arista ran all the way out into the courtyard, stopping just before the front entrance to the castle. She peered up into the sky, it was a leaden gray color, warning of a storm. She cupped her hands about her mouth and shouted as loud as she could, "Fireflash! Fireflash! I need you!"

Then she waited. The sky remained empty. Clouds scudded across it, but nowhere could she catch a glimpse of a bronze scale.

"Fireflash!" she yelled again. "Oh, where are you, you stupid dragon?"

"What's the problem, sweetie?" came a bass roar.

"Fireflash! There you are!" she cried, as the bronze dragon swooped into the courtyard, landing before her in a gust of wind that nearly blew her over. "You've got to help me. I need to get to St. Mungo's."

"St. Mungo's? That's the hospital Jenna's at." The dragon said, lowering his head so he could look Arista in the eye. "But your father told me you weren't to leave the school grounds unless he gave his express permission."

"Never mind that. He didn't know about the prophecy."

"What prophecy?"

"The one where Nightshade kills him," Arista snapped impatiently. "Now do you see why I've got to get to St. Mungo's? She's there and she's going to kill him unless I stop her."

"Stop her how? You're only an apprentice."

"I don't know how, only that I'm the only one who can! Don't bother me with details now, Flash, just take me to the hospital. If we stand here arguing, it'll be too late. And if my father dies, I'll never forgive you!"

"Whoa! Take it easy, kid. All right, seeing as it's an emergency . . ." He extended a foreleg. Then he muttered a word in dragonspeech and the dragonsaddle appeared on his back, cinched and ready to go. "Hop on, Arista. I'll have you at St. Mungo's in five minutes."

Arista climbed up the dragon's leg and fastened herself into the flight seat. "Thanks, Fireflash! You're the best!"

"Sure I am," the dragon snorted, blowing purple mist over the girl. "You be careful, girl, because if you get hurt, your father will nail my wings to a wall. I shouldn't even be doing this . . .but seeing as it's in Sev's best interest . . ."

He spread his wings and sprang into the air. Arista closed her eyes and prayed that Trelawney had interpreted the prophecy correctly.