Chapter 8
The Marauders who were holidaying in London were holding a how-do-we-keep-Abrax-from-climbing-the-walls meeting while the object of their meeting was visiting Myrtle's parents for the day.
"Supplies" said Senagra "We need to make sure there's canned food – and can openers – for the secret room in case anyone has to spend any length of time there. And a spirit burner might be handy for cooking – you know, if it becomes important not to use any magic at all in there to lie low."
"That's a very good point" said Kinat approvingly "Well, two very good points. I didn't realise my sister was that bright; being a marauder has improved you."
Senagra stuck out her tongue at him.
"What are we going to use as money?" asked Hawke "I know technically we could ask previous Marauders for a donation, but I'd like it to be our thing…."
"Well most of us are good at potions aren't we?" said Senagra "Why don't we invest in ingredients and make beauty preparations to sell to fifth and sixth formers? That'll be profitable, big girls are always daubing their faces with some stuff or other."
"She's on a real roll, isn't she?" said Romulus "Been taking wit-sharpening potion have you, kid?"
"Unlike BOYS I don't need it" said Senagra with asperity.
Romulus chuckled unabashed.
They pooled their money and decided to buy some supplies as well as ingredients for increasing their wealth; and headed for the nearest foodhall.
They were on their way back with cans of such things as spam, baked beans and tinned peaches, which they decided covered most dietary needs, when they saw that Abrax had returned and was now fleeing from the house, pursued by his mother bearing a salmon in a most aggressive manner.
Severus was outside dressing a tree in a pot and turned to stare as Abrax ducked in the Snapes' gate crying,
"Sanctuary, Severus, help, mad mum!"
Severus came to the gate.
"Hello Wendy. You appear to have a fish in your hand" said Severus.
"Hello Severus" said Wendy in a dangerous sort of voice "I have a son who ought to be clouted with it."
Severus raised one eyebrow.
"In my opinion, Wendy, as both House Master to one of them and Potions Master to both, I'd say you have two sons who ought to be clouted with whatever came to hand. What has Abraxus done specifically this time?"
Abrax came into view at a safe distance from the fish.
"I only asked mum when she was getting pregnant again and suggested that if she had quads we could get one into each house" he said, sounding injured.
Severus looked at Wendy; and both grown ups fell about in helpless laughter.
"Have you stopped being cross with me mum?" asked Abraxus, warily.
"Yes… but to ask a question like that when I'm in the middle of doing food for Christmas when your sisters have managed already to cover themselves in flour AND honey and fed honey into the motor of the hoover because it was hungry…. It's been an interesting day. And here's your brother with tins of food….tell me Hawke, am I starving you or something?"
"Oh no, mum, it's for school."
Wendy raised her own brows at Severus.
"The food got so bad they'd prefer spam, hot-dog sausages and beans?"
"Not so I noticed…. I expect it's for an illicit feast and as a professor I had better not notice" said Severus "I SHALL however punish anyone who is dopey in class next day and anyone who is sick deserves it."
"It's for…." Began Jade
"SHHH!" said the others.
"He IS a marauder" said Jade.
"We might tell you another time, Scales, when you don't have to do professor at us" said Hawke.
"Meantime I know nothing about it" said Severus firmly "DO try to smuggle it into school with a bit more finesse than a J Sainsbury bag."
The tins disappeared into various trunks of luggage to be taken a bit at a time up to the secret room; the ingredients for beauty products were easy enough to purchase in a trip to Diagon Alley – claiming a need for expendables – and were also slipped in. The largest of these was the cake of beeswax as a basis for many ointments and creams; and the most risky was the Sainsbury's sunflower oil to use as a carrier base for other ingredients.
"If it bursts in anyone's clothes it'll be disastrous" said Jade.
"We'll ask one of the house elves that work for us to take it" said Hawke "They aren't so likely to get curious and ask awkward questions like Sirri and Beloc. We could I guess, but we did promise not to apparate unless it was either a blood group thing or an emergency."
"It'll be handy when Mimi is old enough to be a marauder" said Jade. "I guess you could ask Dobby or Winky too, 'cos Winky reckons she belongs to Lynx and Dobby is almost a marauder."
"And Winky hasn't got any imagination or curiosity at all either" said Hawke "Neat thought!"
The Marauders boarded the train looking as though butter would not melt in their mouths nor corned beef in their clothes trunks.
It was a great relief however that the only trunk spilled by the goblin porter that burst was Colin Weasley's; and the Malfoy twins pointed and laughed on general principle.
The whole school was excited that such famous alumni as Draco, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville were rumoured to be going to return at some point near the beginning of term to give a duelling display.
That they were going to be there would soon get out anyway; someone would see and recognise them. So Severus had spread the rumour, and the duelling display would in fact happen as a cover for the real reason the whole blood group was to gather.
Abrax and Hawke had discussed some things with Jade and the other New Marauders; and dragged Lynx, Fabian and Senagra into a carriage together and set up jinxes on the door to deter any interruption.
"D'you know why some of us have the scar?" asked Hawke, bluntly.
"Because you did a secret ritual" said Senagra.
"Yes; blood magic" said Hawke "For Harry. But it protects us all." He proceeded to explain to the three. "And it goes through blood unborn too, because Krait and Sev's baby's are part of it and Sirri's babies too, even Sevvy who's Dobby's not Severus'" he explained "So any children we have will be part of it too."
"Sirri has a child with Severus? I thought he loved Krait!" said Lynx shocked.
Hawke shrugged.
"I guess they both love her a lot… it's none of my business, and if they're happy I'm not about to comment or interfere. Uncle Lucius effectively has two wives; and they get on just dandy. Anyway, we're going to be doing a big ceremony; and we thought we'd invite you to blood in with us too and help with it."
He went on to explain about Myrtle.
The Junior marauders were of course enthusiastic; but Hawke nodded approval at Fabian's initial reservations and desires to have several points clarified.
"Assuming the babes aren't there we'll be twenty five without Myrtle which is not a bad arithmantic number; but I've got a feeling Krait wants to try and see if blooding makes Sephara less squibbish" said Hawke "And that means with Myrtle we'd be three raised to the power of three which is a really good number and likely to enhance the whole ceremony; I'd do anything for my brother and that's why I'm suggesting bringing you in now."
"Does Madam Malfoy know you're asking us?" asked Lynx.
"No; I wasn't going to tell her unless you said yes" said Hawke, cocked his head on one side and said, "Hello, sounds like someone braved our jinxes."
Lynx giggled.
She was still sufficiently inexperienced in enchanting as a subject to be impressed at anyone tying jinxes to a door.
It was to be several days before the time was right; which meant there was still time for trouble to occur.
Trouble came in the form of a blockage in the staff toilet by the potions dungeon; and Severus was most distinctly NOT amused.
"WHO is the author of this unholy concatenation?" he demanded "I shall find out; it is better to own up."
None of the fourth years who were on their way to break spoke up; but Myrtle popped out of the tap.
"It was those two, Severus, and that one got some on her skirt and it's burnt a hole" she said, pointing to Elisa Mourne and Dione Parnassus.
"Much as I dislike sneaking, I also dislike lying; and by refusing to speak you lived a lie at me" said Severus. "Miss Carmichael, for sneaking, you can clear the blockage at the other end since it falls within your remarkable talents; Miss Mourne, Miss Parnassus, you have cleaned up after enough of your turbid transgressions and malodorous messes to know where the cleaning equipment is. It will be cleared by the end of break or I will want to know the reason why."
Myrtle dived, unabashed, into the toilet, reflecting that Severus was reminding her that soon she would be a solid little girl required to call him 'Professor Snape' in class and likely to get into trouble from his sharp tongue if she was not up to scratch. And yet in a way that was so nice, to have a chance to be just like anyone else! Myrtle cleared the blockage and popped out of the toilet.
"I say you two" she said loudly "I'm sorry I sneaked, I got in the habit of being nasty when everyone was nasty to me…you two are rude to me but I guess sneaking was too much."
"Yeah" said Parnassus.
"Go vomit yourself" said Mourne.
Myrtle splashed her with water from the toilet pan and dived back down.
They might be a trouble when she was solid; they were her age too after all.
Still, no-one expected Slytherin girls to be nice. Except the ones who were in the MSHG of course; Krait had made a real difference to Slytherin house!
The famous few arrived to great cheers.
The duelling display was not perhaps as spectacular in some ways as the one at Durmstrang; Hermione's heart was not really in something that was only a smokescreen, but Ron and Neville, who had not taken part in the Durmstrang venture had a great deal of fun, and Harry and Draco exhibited duelling as a body contact sport just for fun. And if Professor Flitwick muttered things about it not being done like that in his young day, the younger spectators enjoyed it no end, even when Harry accidentally exploded the chains of one of the candelabra that might have caused some serious damage to the spectators had not Hermione seen the danger and hurriedly and wandlessly caught and lowered it to the ground.
"Sorry Albus" said Harry.
"No harm done my boy, no harm done!" said Dumbledore cheerfully, which left Hermione muttering darkly again about that only being thanks to her own perspicacity and something about men never growing up once they reached about thirteen.
"Eight" said Krait.
"What?" said Hermione.
"You said they never get past thirteen… I was offering my opinion that it's closer to eight."
Hermione laughed reluctantly.
"Let's just agree they never grow up… oh no, not that old chestnut the tooth growing hex!"
"I heard you profited from that in the end, because Madam Pomfrey shrank your teeth to the size you wanted…"
"THAT's beside the point" said Hermione.
Mr and Mrs Carmichael arrived quietly late at night in a flying carriage; and the blood group assembled in Myrtle's loo.
"With the babes out, if you're putting in Sephara, these three make twenty seven with Myrtle" said Hawke "I thought it was auspicious…."
"I was going with twenty four, also auspicious….but I like, if they're willing" said Krait "We ought to have their parents' permission of course…."
"Dad knows I do what I think's right" said Lynx.
"Our parents are fine about Kinat, I think they'll like me protected" said Senagra.
"Mine will be far happier not knowing you know" said Fabian.
Krait sighed.
"Too late to quibble anyway" she said "I'll get Myrtle's bones in the cauldron and get it going then I'll give the signal to blood up; and if any of you three chicken out at the last minute, none of you get in, I need my numbers right."
"We shan't!" said Lynx shocked.
"Time please" said Krait "Blood up and exchange, new ones, with each, quickly now, and keep dripping to be ready. Here…" she slit her own palm and held it to smear to each of the new ones before turning back to the cauldron, which Severus was stirring carefully, holding out his own bloody hand absently.
"Bones of the body to be renewed in" said Severus "Boomslang skin prepared in salts to aid transformation… Blood of the parents freely given with love…" and Krait put in the boomslang skin and poured in the vial of blood she had previously taken "Blood of the blood of the murderer, freely given in remorse for his deed…" and Krait let her blood pour in "Tears of the phoenix, freely given to counteract the Basilisk poison….blood of a unicorn donated willingly….." and Krait emptied a tiny crystal vial of sparkling clear liquid and the larger amount of silvery unicorn blood; and the reddish liquid turned an achingly bright silver. Severus smiled in grim relief; it was working. "Blood of her truest friends and dearest love…" each approached in turn to let a single drop of blood fall in the cauldron. Severus glanced at the clock "Synchronise heartbeats…flesh of her own true love given in sacrifice of love beyond love" Severus finished with a counter-clockwise flourish; Krait pointed her wand at the cauldron, its end against the resurrection stone; and Abrax, pale but determined reached into to the seething, boiling liquid, gritting his teeth but failing to restrain the cry of agony. He was blocking the others taking his pain; as he saw it, that was part of the sacrifice, to experience her pain to help bring her back. And there was a hand gripping his in its intolerable pain that must be endured, a hand at first bony, becoming more solid….Abraxus pulled backwards, and willing hands came to support him and the naked bemused little girl who was now looking in horror at the bones of his left hand where the flesh had boiled off.
Abrax passed out.
When he came to, he was in the sick bay; and Myrtle was in the next bed, fast asleep. Her parents also slept.
Dumbledore was sitting beside him.
"Hello sir" said Abrax "Is everyone all right?"
"They are indeed my boy: and Sir Edward is guarding your door right now from the other ghosts."
"Oh, I suppose some of them might get jealous" said Abraxus "Well, tough."
"Exactly" said Dumbledore. "How are YOU?"
"Fine….better than I thought I was going to be when I passed out…. I hope Myrtle won't mind me having bones…. I guess I ought to sever it at the wrist…." he withdrew his hand from under the sheets and looked at it, expecting to see a bony travesty.
Instead there was a perfect hand of white marble. He gasped.
"How….?"
"My little gift to you my boy for your fortitude and the proof of what I have long said, that love can conquer ANY barrier; it's from the angel memorial to Myrtle. I asked her parents; they said they were only to happy for you to have it."
Abrax flexed it, joyously; what nice people Myrtle's parents were!
"What are they going to tell people? When she goes home for the holidays?" Abrax suddenly thought of that.
"Oh we invented a spurious son for them, I've seen to all the paperwork myself; she's his granddaughter, their great-granddaughter, all her family died in one of the disasters engineered by the deatheaters, that was easy to arrange. Far easier to have spurious family members who aren't alive to ask questions of, hmmm?"
"Yes, I suppose so" said Abraxus. "It really worked!"
"Did you ever doubt it?"
"I guess at times I didn't dare hope too much…but not deep down, no I never doubted it…. It was in the hands of the greatest potioneer in the world and his star pupil. What really could go wrong?"
"Ah Abraxus! Never forget that love and trust are the keys to everything" said Dumbledore. "Now, my boy, get some sleep."
"…..relax, son, you've had a busy day" murmured Abrax sleepily, wondering if Draco had been able to resist saying it.
"Just what Draco said" murmured Dumbledore, answering that question.
Next time Abraxus awoke it was because two warm little arms went around him and his nose was kissed. He opened his eyes. Myrtle, in blue striped pyjamas two sizes too large for her, was sitting on his bed.
"Hello sleepy head" she said "Now you're awake I shall do the job properly"
Before Abraxus could protest that her parents were watching, Myrtle kissed him very thoroughly on the mouth. Abraxus wondered wryly if she had been spying jealously on other people, which made her such a good kisser; then he gave up and enjoyed it.
He put his arms around her and hugged her firmly. At last Myrtle pried herself off his lips.
"We so are going to need to go to Diagon Alley to kit me up; people have loaned me some clothes but I have no school kit at all!" she said "And I'm raring to go….when I've spent some time with mum and dad. Do you mind me going with them? After all you've gone through for me?"
"I think it's really nice you get to have them back as well as them having you… take as long as you need" said Abraxus "You can always feel me; our blood sings together. We be of one blood, ye and I."
"Krait has a thing about Kipling!" laughed Myrtle "At least I'VE read Jungle Book."
"Well I like Kipling too... and let me mangle one of his poems….
Oh life is life and death is death and never the twain shall meet
Until love conquers the secret veil with the sound of the true heartbeat"
"That's so clever!" squealed Myrtle and kissed him again.
Abraxus kissed her back; and smacked her backside gently.
"Get dressed and go home" he said "We'll meet again soon enough, and not necessarily on the Road to Mandalay…"
He listened, when Myrtle had left, to a whispered shouting match between Madam Pomfrey and Severus about letting children take part in such a dangerous ritual, and how could he experiment with their lives like that just to see if some wretched potion worked.
Severus let her rant and said coldly,
"Try getting all your facts straight before you start making excessive and inaccurate accusations, Poppy; now let me see Abraxus."
"Have you no feelings at all?" demanded the school nurse. "why you seem to care nothing even for your own children, letting them take part in this – this - risky and uncalled for business!"
Abrax knew that would have hurt Severus, and started to get up.
Severus was, he knew, regarding Poppy Pomfrey with glittering black eyes his face wiped of emotion as he always looked when people said something hurtful.
"You are offensive Poppy" he said.
"I would say this – ceremony – was offensive Severus" said madam Pomfrey "And almost dark magic!"
"Indeed" said Severus flatly "Then I suggest you take up your complaint with the head, whose sanction I had to perform the ritual and who attended the whole. Good day to you."
Abraxus was almost dressed when he came in.
"I'm sorry you're getting flak for me Scales" said Abraxus "Shall I go and tell her?"
"Oh I shouldn't bother… Poppy Pomfey isn't interested in any facts, she's already made up her mind" said Severus sarcastically. Abraxus was almost certain that he was aware that she had followed him in and could hear his comments. She sniffed loudly, indicating her disapproval of not showing a solid front before a student as much as for Severus himself.
Abraxus wondered if half her disapproval of Severus was jealousy that he could cure some cursed wounds where she herself could not.
He held out his new hand to Severus.
"Look, isn't it fine? I thought I'd have a stump!" he said.
"It is beautiful….far more so than the cursed thing poor Peter had when he gave his hand to restore Voldemort" said Severus softly "Albus is a man of er, infinite resource and sagacity; I had never thought of it. I was going to fit you with a magical prosthetic later, but this is so much more apt. Come with me down the stairs; the ghosts have been holding an indignation meeting and some of them want to haunt you. I fancy your new hand might be able to discourage that; but while you're a little shaky I want to escort you."
The ghosts were out in force; though Sir Edward left the group and walked at Abrax's side as the others hissed and booed.
"How could you, Abraxus?" demanded Nick, his head flopping uncomfortably.
"With a great deal of thought, debate, consideration of the rights and wrongs; and with the sacrifice of this" he held up his hand.
"It is inappropriate" said the Grey Lady.
"Why? Jealous? I'm sorry, but life's not fair and I guess nor is the sort of half-life you types are condemned to either" said Abraxus. "You at least were all adults when you died; now grow up and get a – er death I suppose" he finished lamely.
"And quite right!" bellowed Sir Edward. "He loved; he trusted; and so did Myrtle and if any of us had been capable of doing that, we'd not have been in the state we are now. YOU!" he pointed to Nick "ought to support your house man; and YOU" pointing at the Hufflepuff fat Friar "Should be glad for one of your house and wish her all the best!"
The fat Friar looked sheepish.
"You are right, Sir Edward" he said "Quite right of course; sheer jealousy. Yes, you are right; and I wish you and Myrtle all the best, young man, even if she has picked her boyfriend out of House; you showed integrity and dedication worthy of a Hufflepuff!"
"Thanks" said Abraxus, managing a smile.
Nick was obviously deciding to sulk; but Nick could sulk very well when he chose to. Some of the rest resorted to muttering; some looked as sheepish as the fat Friar and drifted off guiltily.
And then Binns turned up.
"Dear me, have I missed a meeting?" he said "Terribly sorry…. Been engaged in important research work you know….morning Mr Malfoy, Severus…. I need to see that temporary replacement of mine, ask him to look up a reference for me…." And he wandered through a wall.
Abraxus looked at Severus; and they both could not resist laughing.
"Good old Binnsey" said Abrax "Entirely unmoved by anything that doesn't involve goblin wars!"
There had been much speculation in the school over what had kept Abraxus Malfoy, normally rudely healthy, in the sanatorium for two nights – he had slept it off longer than he had realised – and caused a row between Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey. Apparently Professor McGonagall was inclined, at least at first, to side with Pomfrey; and Professor Black with Snape, leading to a coldness in Gryffindor tower; but after talking to the Headmaster, McGonagall seemed to drop back to a more neutral stance on whatever fascinating issue it may be.
Abraxus was showered with questions; as was Hawke.
They met the questions in what they felt was a Snapish way by staring at the questioner as though they were a flobberworm and not saying anything.
Derwent and Porteous were most upset that they could not find anything out.
"You'd think when half the school ghosts boo Abraxus Malfoy when he walks past and half the professors are at loggerheads someone would let SOMETHING slip" complained Porteous. "Hey, Davenport, you're in with that soppy crowd now, do you know?"
"I neither know nor do I want to know" said Francis "Because if they had Harry Potter and all those hard people in and it STILL ended in Abraxus Malfoy losing a hand, it was pretty big. If you ask me they found another basilisk and Abrax had his hand bitten off doing something Gryffish."
And that was the rumour that proceeded to circulate!
Sephara meanwhile was delighted to find that being of the bloodgroup boosted her abilities to the point that her spells actually succeeded more times than not; and that her potioneering suddenly went from acceptable to really rather good.
It was a pity she let that go to her head and stirred rather too enthusiastically without putting her wand down and Severus called for a rapid evacuation of the potions dungeon as blue clouds of smoke billowed from her cauldron, changing into psychedelic colours as it rose.
"Oh Miss Yaxley" he sighed "And you were doing so well.. DO try to concentrate when you are stirring; sending us dancing, laughing and puking around the castle on purpose is one thing, but to almost do so by accident is distressingly inept of you."
"I'm very sorry Professor Snape" said Sephara trying not to giggle.
"Sorry? Don't be SORRY, be careful!" said Severus waspishly "I say this many times every year…are you sure you have no Weasley blood in you, Miss Yaxley?"
Sephara did giggle at that.
"I suppose as much as you sir" she managed.
Severus gave her a look.
Poor Sephara had got the giggles now in earnest.
Severus sighed.
"Apparently you caught a whiff of your own unwholesome concoction" he said "Go and ask Madam Pomfrey for…. No on second thoughts, it's not a severe enough hysteria for glumbumble juice, go and get a glass of water and breathe deeply in the cold air outside until your unfortunate affliction subsides. The rest of you, when I have cleared the dungeon air of Miss Yaxley's unfortunate effusions, we may return to work. I will accept no excuses for not finishing on time, this should be a simple enough beverage" and he stalked back in shooing a small wind before him as Sephara went to collapse in Myrtle's loo – Myrtle's no longer - to indulge herself fully in a fit of giggles over the look on Severus' face and his wonderful command of language.
It was hard not to feel like laughing all the time; she was treated like a human being, allowed to make decisions over what she studied, allowed to study, allowed to play with the little ones without having to care for them, encouraged to join in conversations and express her opinions and was treated like she was valued by Severus and Krait. And now she could even feel magic at her fingertips! There was so much to be joyful over….poor Severus, she shouldn't laugh when he worked so hard to teach her….
She whooped again and leaned weakly on the entrance to the chamber of secrets that she now knew the parseltongue to open….
And Myrtle would be in her class soon and they would be catching up together; and that would be good too!