CHAPTER 16: ALBUS AND THE NEW POTION MASTER (PART 1)
EXT TO INT. CORRIDOR, POTIONS CLASS, THE DUNGEONS, HOGWARTS CASTLE - MORNING (SEPT. 2ND, 2018)
The next morning, Albus and his cousins prepared themselves for a new year at Hogwarts. As was normally the case every year at Hogwarts nowadays, the day would start off with breakfast in the Great Hall which was than followed with the morning classes, which included among other classes: Potions (Spell Writing class would be the first class every two weeks), Herbology, Flying (morning DADA class occurred at the same time), Dueling/Spell Casting and Maths. Than a 1-hour break at mid-day for snacks, visiting the School Library and for other needs, followed than after by the afternoon classes, which included among other classes: Transfiguration, Divination (Hogwarts/Wizard History occurred at the same time), Spells/Charms, Quidditch Practice (every other day, afternoon Potions class occurred at the same time), Ancient Ruins, Care Of Magical Creatures, Elemental Magic and Magical Archery. Morning Potions class would usually be the first class of the day, while Astronomy class would be the last, followed by dinner in the Great Hall. Every Saturday was for homework and extra studies, as well as for the Quidditch matches, while Sunday was for resting, games, extra credit activities and going to Hogsmeade every other week for supplies. It was a cycle that Albus and the others were all to familiar with.
"First Potions class of the year, Albus. Aren't you excited?" asked Rose, as she walked next to Albus and Hugo down into the dungeons, cradling her new Potions book. "I can't wait to make some of the Potions that they've rediscovered."
"Yeah, like the Invisibility Potion. I heard it uses a special rare magical herb the renders the potion invisible to Muggles. Whenever a Muggle sees a potion bottle with potion in it, the bottle will look like its empty, when in reality it isn't. Isn't that amazing, Albus?"
"Yeah, if you say so, Hugo," said Albus, who was sounding as though he was preoccupied with thought as he walked, nestled between Rose and Hugo.
"Oh don't say that you're still on about the new Potions teacher? She's just a teacher, she isn't anyone special. And Severus Snape is dead, he's in a portrait, end of..."
"You wouldn't be saying that that, Hugo, if you knew that she was the wife of Severus Snape. And not only that, the mother of his children. You didn't have the dream on the train, Hugo. You wouldn't know."
Hugo scoffed as Rose continued, "Albus is right about one thing, Hugo. Professor Witchazel is indeed married to someone."
"Now how do you know that, Rose?" asked Albus and Hugo together.
"Oh come on, you two. Didn't either of you look at her hands?"
"No, we were to busy looking at her cold and sneering face." said Albus.
"She had a wedding ring on. From what I could see, it had a gold band with little emeralds in it. And they looked like they were set in an elaborate vine pattern...and there's something else. I looked up the design and the ring type in a wizard's jewelery book while we were having breakfast in the Great Hall. It's an heirloom femalia wedding ring, a ring that is often passed down from mother to daughter, or in this case the daughter-in-law. So my guess is that the ring once belonged to the mother of the husband, which he than gave to his wife as a wedding ring. If it was an heirloom malia wedding ring, it would have been passed down from father to son or son-in-law, but that isn't the case here since she's not a man."
"And you're telling us this why now?" asked Hugo.
"Because I believe that Albus might be telling to truth, Hugo. If Severus Snape is indeed Professor Witchazel's husband, than his wedding ring would be an heirloom malia wedding ring, a ring passed down to him by Professor Witchazel's father. One ring can't be a wizard's heirloom wedding ring while the other one isn't, Hugo, they would both have to be, it's tradition."
"Thanks, I'm glad someone believes me." said Albus suddenly butting in.
"You're sounding just as mental as Albus's thinking, Rose. Sometimes I think you know to much about certain things." said Hugo as he turned into the room where Potions class was taking place, followed by Rose.
"Sometimes I think Rose thinks to much period, but at least she believes me." said Albus as he walked into the room after.
INT. POTIONS CLASS, THE DUNGEONS, HOGWARTS CASTLE - MORNING (SEPT. 2ND, 2018)
After a few minutes, everyone began settling down at their places at the class tables. Scorpius Malfoy was in his usual place, snickering and laughing at students as he usually did while he sat with the rest of the Slytherin students at the front left table of the classroom. Ever since the castle was damaged in the Battle of Hogwarts 20 years ago, the rooms were now twice as large as before and the classroom tables twice as long. The classroom was set up as it normally was now, with long wooden tables set in rows horizontally next to one another on either side of the classroom and with a walkway set between them. In front of the tables where the students sat, there was a raised portion of the floor with a small table and a chair sitting on top of it and in the center where the walkway ended. The table was covered with a couple books, some parchment, an ink well and quill pen and a couple unlit candles. Each student had their own small cauldron set up in front of them, set atop small racks with a gas flame burning underneath them. Pretty soon, the air in the room was cloudy and filled with smoke and stream rising up from the cauldrons which were already filled with liquid, ready to be used to make any potion or elixir imaginable. The walls were lined with shelves full of glass jars, vials and potion bottles, which were filled with either some form of strange, glowing mixture or something slimy or eerie something that Albus didn't know the name of.
Albus than suddenly remembered the book that Cyrus had given him earlier and pulled it out of the carrying bag that he had lashed over his shoulder. Albus lied the book on the table in front of him, and ran his finger down the spine as he was supposed to in order to free the key to open it. Albus had yet to get a good look into the book, so he was curious as to what lied within it, other than the fact that it was a copy of Severus Snape's potion book. He placed the small sliver key in the hinge lock, turned it and opened the book.
Once he opened the book, Albus quickly hung the key around his neck and hid it underneath his robes. One of the first things Albus saw in the book were these strange and elaborate black markings, which were written upon some of the pages upon the empty corners, along the edges of where the writing was. Some of the markings were written on the empty outer edges of some of the pages, while some were written on the empty inner corners and the inner edges, where the pages connected to the binding. On some of the pages, the markings were written along the empty top and empty bottom of the pages, either above or below the writing. However, these markings were only found on some pages in the book, while most of the other pages remained as they were. He also noticed that a few of the markings were written in red, which Albus suspected were markings of great importance. Suddenly, Albus realized that he had saw such markings before, showing and embedded on the trunk of The Tree of Ancient Memory, and began to wonder if the Tree and the book were somehow connected in some way or another.
"What sort of book is that, Albus?" asked Hugo, glancing over at what Albus was looking at.
Albus quickly closed the book before Hugo could see much of what was in it and replied, "It's nothing, just a special potions book I burrowed from my dad to help me in potions class. He only wants me to look in it and use it since it's rather old."
Suddenly, the side door to the Potions class to the left slowly opened, creaking ominously. Everyone looked up and saw that it was the new Potions teacher, Professor Witchazel, stepping into the room and than closing the door behind her. The room suddenly went quiet as Verena silently stepped up onto the raised portion of the floor and turned to face the students, her blue robes breezing behind her as she walked.
After a brief pause, Verena soon spoke softly, with a dangerous and contemptuous look upon her face that was all to reminiscent of how Severus's face once looked while he was talking, "I'm here to tell you all here and now that I will not tolerate any cheating, note passing, foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class..." - Verena placed her hands into her robe pockets and began to slowly and ominously walk down the walkway between the tables as she continued, "You will all remain quiet and in your seats while class is in session, you will not speak unless you are spoken to and if you wish to speak to me you will raise your hand and I will answer you. If you have anything to discus with me you will wait until after class has ended, if you have notebooks you may write down notes in them and if you have potions books you may read from them when needed or when I ask you to read from them..." - Verena reached the end of the walkway, than turned around and walked slowly back up it again, keeping her hands in her robe pockets - "...Your classes with me will be rigorous and unyielding, you will not be favored over any other student, you will all be treated just like any other student in my class. While in this class, you will not question me or my methods nor will you complain or protest without adequate reason. While in this class, you will all maintain respect and good behavior and remain focused on your lessons without fail, there will be no slacking while you are in my class. Any rule breaking, foul language, foul nature or back talking in this class will result in punishment, which will be given in a manner consistent with the severity of the student's transgression. There will be order and discipline in this class...is that understood?"
"Yes, Professor Witchazel..." said the entire class together, who were already glaring strangely at Verena and showing signs that Verena was not going to be at all easy on them. And indeed, Verena wouldn't be easy on them. As the class commenced and continued, the students began to see and follow Verena's laid down boundaries of behavior as well as the extent of Verena's ruthless, cold and seemingly cruel treatment of them, ever reminiscent of how Severus Snape use to teach the students long ago. Verena was indeed throwing her weight around and proving to everyone in her class that she was someone not to be trifled with. Several times, she took away points for the pettiest of transgressions, while more sever transgressions resulted in Verena bullying the student or embarrassing the student in front of the whole class in some way or another, but very rarely ever going any further than mental and verbal torment.
EXT. HOGWARTS CASTLE, THE BACK COURTYARD BEHIND HOGWARTS - AFTERNOON (SEPT. 2ND, 2018)
But when it came time for Magical Archery class, the bullying seemed to escalate, being light at first, than becoming more sever, but very rarely ever going any further than a shove or a crack on the back of the arms or the shins from the limbs of Verena's ebony wood longbow. But Albus remembered from his dream that Verena had done the same thing to Cyrus and her other children while she was teaching them how to shoot an arrow and soon began to wonder if it was actual bullying or if it was her own way of teaching the students something that the students didn't seem to comprehend or realize, though Albus was still unsure.
"Ouch!" cried Albus as Verena cracked Albus firmly on the back of his head with her bow.
"Focus, boy! Focus!" hissed Verena at Albus and walked on. But every time a student would set himself or herself up to fire an arrow with their bow, Verena would do something to distract them, either hitting them with her bow, flicking their ear or slapping them on the back of their head in some way, not necessarily to hurt them, but to make it string a little. But for some unknown, unforeseen reason and much to the surprise of Albus, Verena would be particularly harsh to Scorpius Malfoy, which made it clear to Albus that Scorpius was not a favorite student of Verena's.
At one point in class, Scorpius was delighting in mimicking Verena by using his own flatbow to crack Albus on the back of the legs repeatedly while Verena wasn't looking. Verena soon caught sight of what Scorpius was doing and swiftly walked over and up behind him, grabbing onto the back of his robes and pulling him away from Albus, "You think these lessons are amusing, boy? We'll see about that."
Pretty soon, Verena was turning Scorpius into target practice, dressing him up in a costume with a bull's eye on the front of it and with an apple placed on top of his head, placing him under a tree in the center of the back courtyard. Scorpius was trembling with fear and whimpering uncontrollably, while the rest of the class, unable to stop themselves, were laughing hysterically. At least in this instance, the students were actually delighting in Verena's treatment of a student, particularly one as troublesome and mean spirited as Scorpius Malfoy. However, Scorpius's siblings were far from being amused as they watched. Albus was of course greatly amused to no end by how Scorpius was being treated by Verena, since Scorpius was now getting a taste of his own medicine. Soon, the first class of Magical Archery had ended and everyone went on to the next class.
INT. TO EXT. VERENA'S STUDY TO THE BACK COURTYARD - EVENING (SEPT. 2ND, 2018)
A couple hours later, within the dungeons underneath Hogwarts Castle, Verena was quietly settling into her new study for the evening after a busy day teaching the students. This was but one of two studies she would dwell in at Hogwarts, with the one in the dungeons having been the very same study that her husband Severus had once inhabited in. Her other study lied on the 5th floor, near where she, Severus and their children were staying at while at Hogwarts during the week, in the in-resident rooms. As it was when Severus had inhabited it, the dungeon study was cold and drafty, with the walls covered in shelves of jars full of strange somethings and other weird things that seemingly had no name. However, it now included a small fireplace, which was lit and providing the only source of light and warmth in the room, other than the candles that were lit on Verena's table. The room also included Verena's desk, some chairs and a pair of small wooden tables in the center of the room, which had upon them various items for making potions and other strange elixirs. Though potions class was being taught in the room next door, this study would also be used to teach potions when the other room was occupied. But at the moment, all the tables that were normally used to sit the students were being stored in yet another room, leaving the room virtually empty for only Verena to enjoy. Sitting at an armchair at her desk and near the lit fireplace behind her, Verena was reading an article in the book titled Severus Snape: Scoundrel or Saint?, including a short bit about an incident that had occurred in 1980, two years after Severus had graduated, including all the side notes that Verena had written in ():
'Former Headmaster of Hogwarts and Potions Master, the late Severus Snape (My wonderful husband...Late? Who wrote this?), who was still a member of the Death Eaters and loyal to Lord Voldemort at the time (I wasn't...not anymore...), had discovered the plot to kill fellow Hogwarts student, Lily Potter nee Evans, her husband, fellow Hogwarts student, James Potter, and their only child and presently an Auror of the Ministry, Harry Potter (An Auror? How embarrassing for you, Mr. Potter...They are clearly laughing at you...). Severus Snape originally went to ask Albus Dumbledore, the late Headmaster of Hogwarts, to beg for the safety of Lily's family and son. But Albus Dumbledore felt that Severus Snape was acting selfish about Lily Evans, (much like I had been acting selfish with my husband...now I feel guilty!) Never the less, Severus Snape was trying to save the woman that he loved, even though this love remained unrequited. (I regret fighting with Lily now, more than my husband realizes).
Albus Dumbledore agreed to do what he could to protect Lily and her family, on the condition that Severus Snape would become his spy and change sides (I changed sides to, but long before my husband did. My husband did not know of this until I told him a few years back...). Severus Snape agreed and soon he applied for a position at Hogwarts, namely Defense Against the Dark Arts (My husband's favorite subject, The Dark Arts, though Potions would be considered an equal liking of his. My favorite subjects have always been Potions and Herbology...), but Albus Dumbledore, in fear that Severus Snape might be drawn back to the side of Lord Voldemort and The Death Eaters, denied Severus Snape this position and instead gave him the job as Potions Master at Hogwarts...(I disagree. My husband would have remained loyal to Dumbledore no matter what class he was put in charge with...). This incident occurred prior to the clearing of Severus Snape's name and prior to the murder of Albus Dumbledore...'
"Are you still reading that foul and insufferable load of tosh, Belladonna?" said a cold and familiar voice silkily behind her.
Verena looked up from her book and smiled softly, then closed the book and hid it back inside of her desk as she spoke, "Forgive me, my dear husband. But I was curious as to what was being said about you in this book. You know how defensive I can get about you..." - Verena pushed back her chair and turned gracefully towards the large portrait of Severus Snape on the wall behind her. Severus was sitting on a sofa in his portrait and glaring out at her, "...and this was such a busy and exhausting day for me. Teaching two different classes two times a day is not what I call easy."
"Quite so, Verena. I myself have been in your place many a times in the past, and it has always left me in an insufferable and most disagreeable state afterwards."
"I wish you would take over Potions class for me, Severus," said Verena, staring alluringly up at him, "I delight in teaching Potions certainly, but having to do two classes twice a day in one day can be stressing for a woman like me. I would much rather focus all my energy and attention on one class and not on two."
"You know perfectly well that I can't do that, Verena, since I am still a wanted man with a bounty on my head," said Severus in a mischievous tone and smiled, "And besides, you seem to be handling things quite well from what I can see, so you don't need me. Sorry, but you're going to have to do this on your own."
Verena gasped, then narrowed her eyes at Severus and hissed at him, "Why you...! I ought to come in there and slap you!"
Severus's smile grew even larger, noticing that he was getting Verena roused up, which was amusing Severus to no end, "You applied for the positions, Belladonna, so it is your problem to deal with. Maybe you should have chose the classes you wanted to teach more thoroughly. A class that involves no magic at all perhaps, like Muggle Studies..." - Severus than giggled quietly.
"Why you...! How dare you!" hissed Verena once more, "You know I absolutely despise that subject, Severus!"
"Well, I rather liked Muggle Studies when I was in school, since almost my whole side of the family were nothing but Muggles. It seems that I was ten times better at Muggle Studies than you were. Shame, shame on you!" said Severus, grinning and glaring on.
This was the last straw for Verena. She stared angrily at Severus, than turned and ran out the door, going towards the 5th floor corridor. Knowing it wouldn't take long for Verena to reach him, Severus prepared himself for what was to come. A few minutes later, Verena appeared in the very same portrait that Severus was in, only to find that Severus was nowhere to be found.
"I know your still in here, Severus! I'm going to find you! Come out and face me!" hissed Verena as she looked around. Unbeknownst to Verena however, Severus had sneaked up right behind her and followed behind her for a few moments while she was looking around for him. Severus than playfully grabbed Verena from behind, wrapping his arms around her and falling down with her onto the sofa. Verena squeaked gleefully and flailed her limbs playfully, realizing what Severus had done. Severus had purposely roused her up so that she would come running to him, intending on having an intimate moment on the sofa with her. Verena then stopped flailing her limbs and than grabbed and held onto Severus, who shifted Verena up and onto his lap.
"Oh you're a fiend, Severus. You delight in teasing and tormenting me like this sometimes now don't you?" whispered Verena in a gleeful, playful tone, lying her head on Severus's shoulder and staring alluringly up at him, "Oh, why do I love you so much?"
"Because I love you so much, Belladonna. Are you going to kiss me now?" whispered Severus and looking alluringly at her with a smile in return.
"Yes, yes I am," whispered Verena, bringing an arm up and placing her hand on the back of Severus's head, bringing her lips up to his and kissing him passionately. A few minutes later, Severus and Verena had undressed one another and now had their naked bodies covered over by a blanket on the sofa. They would spend the rest of the evening in intense love making, passionate kissing and consummating on the sofa.
INT. THE GREAT HALL, HOGWARTS CASTLE - MORNING (OCT. 5TH, 2018)
Some weeks later, all the students gathered in the Great Hall for breakfast as they always did everyday. After breakfast, Professor Titch stood up from the staff table and started to make an announcement, "As you all know, the Halloween Banquet has always been a tradition at Hogwarts for over 700 years. This year however, it has been decided that we will not only be having the Holloween Banquet, but we will also be celebrating The Hogwarts Masquerade Ball." - the sounds of indistinct voices suddenly filled the air as the students watched and listened to Professor Titch - "...now The Hogwarts Masquerade Ball has been a tradition of Hogwarts since its Founding over 1000 years ago and gives the staff and students a chance to express their imagination as well as their raw artist talents. However, as the Hogwarts Masquerade Ball is a large and extensive affair, we are going to need some of the older students to help us with supplies, food preparation, organizing and in the set up. If anyone here wishes to volunteer in the preparations, you will come to my office after classes and I will assign you to a task."
After Professor Titch was finished with his announcement, Albus went back to looking at the Potions book that Cyrus had given him weeks before, looking at the strange markings that were written within it. Rose was sitting next to Albus, her nose buried in a book about ancient and lost wizard writing. Though Albus was getting better in Potions class by studying from the book, he was no closer to figuring out what the strange markings in the book were and what they meant. Albus had gone to the School Library several times since receiving the book and had yet to find anything remotely similar to the markings in the book or those he saw on the Tree of Ancient Memory earlier. Frustrated, Albus closed the book and went back to eating his breakfast. But as he was eating his breakfast, his eyes glanced over at the pages of the book that Rose was looking in and caught a glimpse of some markings that were similar to the ones in the Potions book.
Albus began to stare excitedly and spoke, "What sort of book is that, Rose?"
Rose looked up from the book and replied, "It's Mallowin's Book of Ancient, Lost and Extinct Wizard Languages. I checked it out weeks ago to help me in Ancient Ruins class."
"Can I look at it after classes are over?" said Albus.
INT. THE HOGWARTS SCHOOL LIBRARY, HOGWARTS CASTLE - EVENING (OCT. 5TH, 2018)
After classes, Rose gave the book she had been reading to Albus. He than took the book to the School Library and sat at a table in the far corner, placing the books on the table in front of him. Albus than opened the Potions book once more and compared the markings to the markings he saw in the book Rose had given him. To his surprise and astonishment, the markings matched and he now finally had a name for the writing, the Aeyuel Language.
"Wait, the Death Eaters have their own language?" said Albus, questioning himself.
"Indeed they do, Mr. Potter. It is a very old and elegant language. It sounds like something crossed between Latin and an Asian dialect. I'm not sure which Asian dialect though," said the voice of a woman. Startled, Albus instinctually closed the potions book and then looked up. Standing and leaning over the table in front of him was Professor Amphoria Beeblewing, the temporary Herbology teacher at Hogwarts. She was holding a couple rare Herbology books as well a book on rare wizard illnesses and wizard poisons close to her chest.
"Professor Beeblewing! I'm sorry, how long have you been standing there and listening to me?"
"Not long," said Amphoria, wearing her usual serene smile, "Forgive me for looking over your shoulder, Mr. Potter, but I couldn't help but look at the page of that book you were looking at. From what I could see, it looked like the late Professor Severus Snape's potions book, or rather the Half-Blood Prince's potions book."
"What makes you say that, Professor?" said Albus, "I didn't think you knew anything about Professor Snape."
"On the contrary, Mr. Potter, I know a great deal about him. I even went to school with him back in the day. And if I recall, he was a rather quiet and reclusive boy, didn't have many of what you would call 'friends', they were more like acquaintances really. Lucius Malfoy and Verena Witchazel on the other hand, they were his friends and I knew him through his friendship with Lucius and through a boy named Victor Scabior as well. I know that book you have belongs to Snape, I recognize his style of elegant cursive, so aggressive and angular, a handwriting quite descriptive of one who has had a lonely, isolated, tormented and neglected childhood. Is this the book that has been helping you to the top of your Potions class all this time? Wherever did you find it?"
"Forgive me, Professor, but I really need to get back to studying for my Ancient Ruins Exam," said Albus, trying to get Amphoria's attention off of the potions book, though it didn't seem to work much.
"You know, Mr. Potter, I should report you to Professor Witchazel about this. If she knew that you were using that book to get to the top of her Potions class, she would certainly punish you for it. But if I know Professor Witchazel, she already knows, since she was always on top of things while we were in school together and nothing much ever got past her. But I am far from being as non-understanding and insensitive to your wants and needs as Witchazel is, so I won't report you this time. But just make sure that I don't see you with that book in Herbology class, alright?"
"Yes, Professor Beeblewing, you won't. Thank-you."
"You're welcome, Mr. Potter. Now I suggest that you get back to studying for your Ancient Ruins Exam. I will see you in Herbology class tomorrow."
And with that, Albus nodded his head and Amphoria bowed her head respectfully in return. She then walked on with her books in hand, disappearing around the corner. With Amphoria now out of sight, Albus began to read what was written about the language in the book. From reading in the book Rose had given to him, Albus had discovered that the Aeyuel Language or the Ancient Language of the Death Eaters, came into existence sometime after the first Death Eater Order came into existence, over 1000 years ago. It had long been the main language of all Death Eaters, up until Lord Voldemort took control and possession over the Death Eaters sometime in the 1940s. During the First War of Wyvern's One, it was used by many Death Eaters as a form of secret code that was known only to and by Death Eaters, sending secret messages to one another as well as being written in the forms of burn marks and coded images. Albus had finally found a clue and an answer.
INT. THE GREAT HALL TO 1ST FLOOR CORRIDOR, HOGWARTS CASTLE - MORNING (OCT. 6TH, 2018)
The next morning, after breakfast was over, Albus and the other students were soon on their way to their morning classes. As Albus, Rose, Hugo, James and his friends were walking out of the entrance to the Great Hall, Albus soon stopped and glanced over at something. The others soon stopped, noticing that Albus had stopped.
"What are you doing, Albus?" said James, "We need to get to Potions class! Surely you don't want to get into trouble with Professor Witchazel again. I know I don't want to get in trouble with her."
Unbeknownst to James, Albus had spotted Cyrus and Evangeline standing in front of the Great Hall portrait of Severus Snape and were looking up at him and glaring. Evangeline was holding onto Cyrus's left arm and speaking indistinctly to Cyrus, who was speaking indistinctly back at her.
Albus, wearing a sad look on his face, then turned to face the others and spoke, "You lot go on, I'll be along in a couple minutes."
And with that, Albus walked towards Cyrus and Evangeline. James smirked and shook his head, while Rose and Hugo watched a moment before walking on with James and the rest of their friends.
Albus then found his way between Cyrus and Evangeline and stood, speaking to them, "Hey you two, looking up at your dad and comprehending something?"
"It's you that should be comprehending something, young master Albus," said Cyrus coolly, holding his arms and acting distant, keeping his eyes fixed on Severus, "Have you not found out what the markings in the book were, the book I gave you?"
"Yes, I have. They are of the Aeyuel Language, the ancient Death Eater Language. But I'm still no closer to knowing what they are saying. I wish that someone would tell me what is going on and what the markings are saying."
"But we can't do that, young master Albus. It's your clue and your puzzle and it is you who must solve it. The spell on the book dictates this. You're the one who must find the answer, young master Albus, we can't give it to you. Me and Cyrus already know it, but it is your turn to learn it." said Evangeline as she and Cyrus then looked at one another before they looked back at Albus briefly and then looking back at Severus, who was still sitting in an armchair in his portrait, looking away at his glass of wine and smirking shrewdly. Severus seemed as though he was not paying attention to the children and instead appeared as though he was deep in thought, but knew that the children were there and staring up at him never the less.
"But why must I learn and solve it, Cyrus? If you and Evangeline know all the answers, then why don't you tell me?" said Albus.
"We already told you, young master Albus, it is your clue and your puzzle, we can not help you solve it," said Cyrus coolly, looking at Albus, "But if you like, we can help teach you how to speak Aeyuel, but beyond that, we can not help you." - Cyrus than looked over at Evangeline, then they all looked back at Severus, who was now glancing over and looking at them shrewdly.
Cyrus than spoke softly and looked up at his dad's portrait, once again acting distant and deep in thought, "We wish you were walking out among us, Father."
And with that, Cyrus and Evangeline left their father's portrait and walked out the doors to the Great Hall, followed closely behind by Albus.
CONTINUED...CHAPTER 17...