Chapter Seventy
The Last Trip
The first full day of spring was a day filled with substitutes as several of the staff members suddenly switched what they were teaching. Mr. Willowby was teaching both of Jennifer's Items classes, while Professor Snape was busy teaching Dabblers and Willowby's Potions class. Professor Scribe was teaching all of Mr. Chance's Music classes, and Professor Ravenclaw was teaching History, while Essie Brim took over his Divination classes. And while the Journalism class didn't have a substitute, Anna had picked up an assistant; for Ron Weasley was pitching in to help with the growing number of subscriptions the Veritable Wizard was getting.
"Believe it or not, this isn't the first time something like this has happened and the school has decided to extend subscriptions outside of the school," Anna was explaining to the student editing staff. "In fact, the entire reason this paper was started in the first place was to give the Daily Prophet some much needed competition."
"Ironically enough," Ron said, nodding at that. "In fact, that's how I got into journalism in the first place."
"This time, along with family subscriptions, we also have some agreements in place with several Hogsmeade shops to sell multiple copies for a share of the profit, so don't be surprised if the amount we're printing goes way up. We're going to organize some of the beginning journalism classes to help with that part. As always, profits will go back into funding this department, or towards other programs if there's an excess. So with that, let's get going! We need to make sure that all of the students get a copy of the newspaper on Friday this week, and outside deliveries early Saturday morning."
"So everyone's getting a copy a day early? Isn't that normally not allowed?" Harvey asked.
"Not normally, no, but there's an article about Keki's Grove rules and some other information about the last Hogsmeade trip so we got special permission to get it out early this week," Anna said. "Anything else? If not, let's get started."
Even with the extra help, it had taken a great deal of effort to get out the extra copies on time, but somehow or another, they managed to get them done. In Hogsmeade, Corey pulled bundles of newspapers off the cart in the tunnel and took it upon himself to run the first stack of newspapers to the Three Broomsticks, Honeydukes, Zonko's, Pitch Plus, Lasting Impressions, and even the Pig's Pannage, each owner curiously taking the top one off for themselves. Rosmerta then put one on each of her guests' morning trays and handed one to her brother who, along with Minerva down the street, took special delight in sitting down for their morning tea with all of the latest news from Hogwarts. In the circus yard, only John had been given the courtesy of a subscription, and he couldn't help but be eager for his morning break so that he could finally sit down and take a look at it.
April was just around the corner, and while it was still brisk in the early morning, the biting memory of an especially cold winter was losing its grip. A hot cup of tea in a thin paper cup was the very thing to warm his hands, and he decided to pull out the newspaper to read a page or two while he had the time. He had just finished the first page and gone onto the inside when the newspaper was plucked out of his hands.
"Just what is this, then?" Spanx asked, staring at it.
"A newspaper, what else? I have three more minutes..."
"The Veritable Wizard... does one even exist?" Spanx mocked. "Oh, it's a school newspaper! Why are you wasting your time on this?"
"Don't you read the Oracle on the weekends?" John pointed out.
"That is a real paper, with real news. What is this Keki's Grove place they're going on and on about?"
"I'll happily tell you all about it for an Information Credit..."
"Don't be daft, it was a simple question! I think I'll read it myself, especially since you're nearly out of time... just enough to take care of your cup," he pointed out. John sighed and got up.
"Can I have the sickles for you keeping my paper? Not that it's likely to have anything interesting to you..."
"I don't see how it could be interesting to you either, John," Spanx cut him off, glancing at the price before shoving at him.
"To keep informed of what's going on at the school while I'm away, of course," John said. Spanx looked up from the paper and stared on him.
"Do you honestly have some strange notion that you'll ever return to that school?" Spanx asked in disbelief.
"After I've paid off my debts, aye, I plan to do just that," John replied, turning to get rid of his cup. Spanx grabbed his shoulder and turned him back around again.
"You are never going back to that school," Spanx told him in a dark, quiet voice. "You're mine now, and there's only one way you'll ever leave my side. Do you understand me, Johnny Boy?"
"Yes, Spanx," John replied dutifully. Spanx pushed him towards the bin, glancing at the paper again. "Get back to work practicing for the matinee. I think I'll take a few more minutes to read this," he said, then began walking in the direction of Mirage's tent, reading as he walked. John allowed himself a long slow exhale, closing his eyes to steady himself a moment before finally turning and walking towards the practice tent, warmly greeting everyone as he passed them.
Spanx gave the door to Mirage's wagon a quick knock before going in to find Mirage and Hardy going over that day's performance schedule.
"Yes, Spanx? Please don't tell me you dislocated your partner's shoulder again. You know how many performances we have on the weekends," Mirage said critically.
"No, nothing like that. I was careful last night," Spanx assured him, glancing at the paper one more time before handing it out. "But I did catch him reading this thing a few minutes ago."
"Oh?" Mirage said curiously, pushing the schedule at Hardy to take before taking the newspaper thoughtfully, going over to his desk to read it. In fact, it was almost as if he had forgotten the two men were there, pouring himself a cup of tea. He read it all the way up to the Announcements page, squinting at one of the entries.
Toby Tinker would like to announce that Toby's Trinkets will be open this weekend for those students and faculty members that successfully find where his shop is hidden. * Void where Prohibited.
"Him again," Mirage growled.
"Him who?" Hardy asked.
"Never mind. What is this place Keki's Grove they are speaking of that the centaurs are allowing them to go to?" Mirage asked.
"I have no idea, but considering it involves centaurs, I'd guess it has something to do with the Dark Forest," Hardy said.
"Then have one of the pitchmen watching our tables in Hogsmeade today find out about it!" Mirage snapped. "And tell all of them to use every trick they can think of to get merchandise and tickets into the hands of those students!"
"Yes, Mr. Mirage," Hardy replied, juggling the schedule to make some notes for the Odd Jobs board. "I'll get on it straight away."
"Do you want me to poke about as well, Mr. Mirage?" Spanx offered.
"No. You stay here and keep that partner of yours as miserable and bereft of hope as you can!" Mirage snapped.
"Delighted," Spanx said, and followed Hardy out the wagon door.
Viorica and Apollo thought that this last trip of the year would probably be the lowest number of students yet. But as it turned out, they were both rather surprised when quite a number of students that were nervous of going back still ended up bolstering themselves up to get on the bus.
"Part of me is still screaming not to go," Harvey admitted to them with a shiver. "But I really need new goggles, and I have to go myself because I need to make certain that the straps fit, because a lot of them don't. But to be honest, I'm a bit worried about running into someone from that circus."
"How about sticking with us, then, Harvey?" Charles offered. "My sister Hope is going with Chris and I, so we'll have an Auror there to watch our backs. And we're going to go to the Grove after our initial shopping for a picnic. I've been aching to get back in there ever since those school rules went out concerning visits there."
"Apollo and Viorica are taking me around town today, but I'm not sure I can get in the Grove. I wrote to my father about it when I asked him permission for the trip, and he said that the Grove didn't let him in until he was out of school and married," Harvey said.
"Is it that hard to get in as all of that?" Mari asked. Harvey shrugged.
"I guess we'll find out, won't we?" Harvey said.
"It'll be okay, Harvey. I'm sure you'll be able to get in," Charles said. "The Grove is inundated with Light Magic because of Keki's Horn being buried at the center of it. It mostly just keeps dark and evil creatures out."
"Oh. Then why couldn't my father get in?" Harvey wondered.
"I really don't know," Charles shrugged. "It's not entirely uncommon for it to keep some students out, but why some and not others I haven't worked out yet."
"I wouldn't mind seeing that place myself, Mari," Polly ventured beside her.
"Sure, why not? I admit to being curious," Mari said.
"Good luck getting in," Charles said. Mari glanced over the seat.
"And just why do you sound doubtful that we can get in?" Mari said.
"I may not sure why some students can get in and some can't, Mari, but I can tell you that the nastier students usually can't," Charles said, Mari squinting darkly at him. "You can't even get to Toby's Trinkets, so I doubt you have a chance."
"Fine. We'll go just to prove they're wrong," Mari said.
"Great! I'll run to the Deli for our lunches while you get in line at Honeydukes," Polly offered.
By the time they began getting off the bus, all of the students were making plans to visit the Grove at some time during the visit.
"My father has told me all sorts of stories of Keki's Grove," Viorica told Apollo excitedly. "In fact, I know that he and grandmother are going to be the escorts standing in the Grove today."
"Let's go to Pitch Plus first, since Harvey needs to go," Apollo suggested. "We'll hit Honeydukes on the way out today, just before it's time to meet the bus, that way it's not too crowded."
"And then we won't be tempted to eat what we buy in there until we get back to the school," Viorica grinned.
"Fine by me. I wasn't all that interested in going to Honeydukes anyway," Harvey admitted. Viorica smiled.
"You really have been earning the Owl Feathers lately, keeping up on your diet. More than that, I think you've lost some of the weight you gained over the holidays," Viorica commented.
"Thanks. I have," Harvey said.
"Just in time, too," Apollo decided. Harvey glanced at him thoughtfully.
"Why do you say that?" he asked.
"Aelfred Finch-Fletchley is coming to next week's game," he explained.
"Really? He's a Quidditch player, right?" Viorica asked.
"You're probably thinking of his older brother Justin," Harvey informed her. "Aelfred only played three seasons and decided to retire early, but he did have a stellar rookie year."
"Yes. He's a scout now," Apollo said, and Harvey stopped in his tracks. It was so sudden that it took a few seconds for the other two to realize that he had, glancing around questioningly.
"Is he coming to see you play?" Harvey asked.
"Why would he be coming to watch me play? He already knows what I can do," Apollo said. "Madame Brittle said that Professor Craw invited him, so I expect he'll be sitting in the teacher's box."
"That'll be fun, won't it? A real scout at the game," Viorica said. "Not that I'm interested in going into Quidditch, of course."
"He comes more than you might think... once a year, typically to watch a Hufflepuff game," Apollo said. Harvey slowly caught up and they went towards Pitch Plus again.
"Are we playing Hufflepuff?" Harvey asked. "I could have sworn we were playing Gryffindor next."
"We are," Viorica confirmed.
"Which means he's here for other reasons," Apollo concluded as they went inside the shop to look around.
It took several different pairs before Harvey could find one that worked, but fortunately the lines weren't nearly bad as they usually were and they didn't have to wait long.
"Did you want to go ahead and put in our order at the Deli?" Apollo asked thoughtfully, glancing at his watch. "It's still pretty early, but better now than when they get busy."
"Well, if you're going to Zonkos or Divine Vision today, I'm going to skip out. I really don't want to get anywhere near that circus booth," Harvey said.
"I'm good on incense at the moment," Apollo said.
"Same," Viorica said. "And there's nothing in the joke shop I'm all that interested in. I've quite grown out of that sort of silliness." Apollo nodded approvingly at that. "But if you two don't mind, could I take a peek inside Lasting Impressions? You don't have to go in yourselves if you don't want to. You can wait by the door."
"Alright, as long as you don't get lost in there," Apollo said.
"I don't have enough money to get lost in there," Viorica grinned. "I just want a quick look around."
"Okay," Apollo said. He and Harvey leaned against the wall as Viorica stepped in.
The moment that the door opened, Madame McGonagall reached for the smelling salts. Seeing that is wasn't Jennifer, she sat it back down again.
"My nerves are going to be shot by the end of the day," Minerva declared.
"Maybe you should make a big sign warning her not to come in," Laura teased Minerva.
"Perhaps I should," Minerva said seriously.
"Pink!" Viorica said, completely pleased. In fact, the entire spring selection, it seemed, was either pink or had pink accents in some way. "How lovely! This shop hardly ever has any pink in it. I'm so glad this is the spring collection!"
"You really ought to have warned her about this weeks ago," Laura decided.
"If I had, she would have attempted to talk me out of it, and you know how persuasive she can be. She's talked me out of doing my spring collection in pink many times before," Minerva explained. "But I've had so many requests from all of my other customers, I thought I'd take a chance and do it this year. It isn't as if anyone is forcing her to buy anything out of here, is it?" Minerva said. The door opened again and she grabbed the smelling salts once more, but then relaxed when a pair of girls from Ravenclaw came in. "Still, this trip is likely to be hard on my nerves as well."
"If you're worried about my grandmother coming in here, Madame McGonagall, don't be," Viorica said, holding up one of the dresses. "She and my father are in Keki's Grove until about one in the afternoon. He told me about it in case I needed him in an emergency."
"Oh, thank goodness!" Minerva replied.
"That's right! I forgot all about that," Laura admitted. "I didn't have to work security this trip, so I didn't look at the schedule. But I am supposed to go secure the Professor's table."
"Apollo, Harvey, and I are going to have a picnic in the Grove for lunch. Do you want me to drop a hint to Professor Craw so that she knows what to expect?" Viorica said with a grin.
"Thank you, I think that'd be most helpful... but I'll keep the smelling salts out... just in case you forget," Minerva decided. Grinning at that, Viorica put the dress back and stepped back outside so they could walk to the Deli.
As they were getting their lunch order, Polly and Mari were there getting thiers as well.
"So you're about ready to go down there? Do you want to come with us?" Viorica asked. Apollo and Harvey stared at her as if wondering what had possessed her. "After all, it is down the hill a ways from town, allowed our not. Bigger groups are going to be safer."
"Sure, why not?" Mari said, and this time it was Polly's turn to stare. "Can we avoid that wretched circus booth on the way?"
"We were avoiding it already," Viorica agreed. "Since when have you been avoiding it, though?"
"For a while now, actually, since before that cursed word thing," Mari admitted. "I've seen enough that I've come to the conclusion that this circus is as bad as everyone says it is, and my Father is wrong to support them. It was hard to accept, because I've never known my father to be wrong about anything until now." She glanced over to find Apollo, Viorica, and Harvey was listening intently to her. In fact, she didn't recall them ever listening to her about anything before.
"Nobody's perfect," Apollo explained to her evenly.
"I suppose that's true," Mari said. "I tried to warn him, but he wouldn't listen, nor does the rest of the family. Well, no, that's not entirely correct. Eben agrees with me, but then he usually does."
"No he doesn't," Polly countered. "In fact, I hardly ever hear the two of you agree about anything, as much as you defend each other from other people."
"Well, he agrees with me on the big things, and this is definitely a big thing," Mari snapped.
"Let's cut down the side street so we can go around," Harvey suggested and they followed him, cutting over near Haven's Row and down the hill.
Surprisingly enough, several large picnic blankets had been scattered about, and a number of students were sitting there eating, while Madame Brittle and Rose Willowby stood near the path with warm cups in their hands.
"Aren't any of them going in?" Viorica asked.
"These are the ones that couldn't get in," Danny explained with a smile. "So if any of you can't get in, don't worry! We've got you covered."
"Now I'm nervous," Viorica admitted.
"Me too," Harvey replied.
"I'll go first," Apollo offered, then walked towards the path, stepping under the trees.
"That's one," Danny said with amusement. "These other students didn't get that far."
"Honestly, is it really all that hard?" Polly asked, deciding to go next. But as she approached, several trees by the path suddenly moved and blocked her way.
"You were saying?" Danny inquired.
"It's alright, Polly," Rose said. "Why don't you grab your lunch and have a seat?"
"I see some more of your fellow classmates over there," Danny said, pointing her towards the green picnic blanket.
"Shall we go over there, Mari?" Polly asked.
"Wait a minute! I haven't tried yet," Mari snapped, walking over.
Viorica and Harvey gazed at her dubiously, having already decided that if Polly hadn't gotten in, Mari wasn't likely to. But much to their surprise, Mari walked straight in and stood by Apollo.
"What! That makes no sense!" Viorica exclaimed from sheer surprise. "How is it that she can get in?"
"I'm not sure I'm qualified to answer that question," Danny said with an apologetic smile. "Ask Professor Craw or Auror Snape, they might have an idea. They're guarding the Grove itself," she explained.
"Well, I suppose if my father can get in, I surely can," Viorica reasoned and walked inside confidently. But Harvey was more unsure as he stepped forward, and was more than a little relieved when the trees let him pass.
"Wait for me, Polly!" Mari called out.
"It looks like I'll have to," Polly said dryly, going over to the green picnic blanket.
"Have fun, you four! Don't forget to follow the rules!" Danny reminded them, and Apollo led them down the path.
"What were the rules again?" Mari asked reluctantly.
"Stay on the path, don't bother the trees, and don't pick the flowers or plants," Apollo informed her.
"Don't cast any spells, especially ones involving fire," Viorica added.
"And if we happen to see any centaurs, Unicorns, or other Magical Creatures, have the sense to keep our distance and leave them alone," Harvey recited.
"Is there really any danger of seeing such things here?" Mari asked. "I thought someone told me this place was protected in some way."
"You didn't read the article, did you?" Viorica said.
"I wasn't originally planning on coming in here today, so I didn't see any reason to. I don't read the newspaper just to get a history lesson," Mari replied indignantly. "Although I must admit, there is something rather... uncomfortable about this place."
"Uncomfortable? It's glorious!" Viorica protested.
Buds and tiny leaves had begun to emerge, and there was a heavy peaty smell in the air and a cool fresh breeze drifting through the trees. The path was hard, dry, and free of mud, for the moisture had been taken by the trees that were graciously making room for each other to either side of them.
"I suppose it is pretty," Mari replied. "But don't you get the feeling we're being watched?"
"I do," Harvey agreed. "But I haven't got a clue where it's coming from. It's almost as if the trees themselves are watching us."
"It's a shame Eben isn't old enough to come," Mari admitted. "I'm more fond of moors than forests, and rolling grassy hills. I'm sure he'd love it in here, though."
"Mari, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were reluctantly impressed with the place," Viorica teased her, Mari grimacing slightly.
"I wonder if we're going towards that clearing straight ahead," Apollo asked out loud.
At the time he mentioned it, it was still a ways off. But as they got closer, they were quite certain he was right, for there was a handful of other students there who had transfigured items from their pockets into benches and tables to keep off the rugged forest floor.
On one of the benches sat Jennifer, looking much improved after her ordeal the week before, and Aurelius, who was relaxed in a way that Viorica had never seen off the greens. They looked over at them as they walked up the path, and Aurelius stood.
"I've been waiting for you," Aurelius told Viorica, while Jennifer smiled enigmatically. "Why don't you three set up a table or something? I need to borrow my daughter for a few minutes."
"Okay," Apollo shrugged unconcernedly, pulling a textbook out to make a table as Aurelius led Viorica in the woods.
"Where is he taking her? Isn't that against a rule or something?" Mari asked.
"Normally, yes," Jennifer agreed. "But don't worry, Auror Snape has permission to take her further in." Mari sighed with exasperation, then noticed something else peculiar.
"And what is that over there? Why does that tree look different from the rest?" Mari asked.
"Why don't you three go over there and investigate while you're waiting for Viorica?" Jennifer suggested with an enigmatic smile. "Just don't feed the bears," she teased as they walked over to investigate.
"Are there really bears in this Dark Forest?" Mari asked as they wandered over to that side of the Grove.
"No, of course not," Apollo said. But as they closed in on the strange tree, Harvey rolled his eyes.
"I get it now," Harvey said. "What in the world is Pooh's Tree doing here? I'm sure it's a joke."
"The sign hanging under the doorknob says, 'Open'," Apollo pointed out. "Let's check it out."
"Really, how juvenile," Mari complained but followed Apollo and Harvey over.
Apollo opened the door and the three of them went in, staring around the wooden shop with its built-in wooden shelves and long case clock. Several other students were inside, some of them gawking at the tree just like they were while others were excitedly looking at the items within. Behind the counter sat a familiar figure with wisps of hair around his slightly pointed ears and small spectacles covering his bright blue eyes.
"It's Toby's!" Harvey said with surprise.
"Yes, it would seem to be," Apollo agreed.
"What! Really? This is Tobys?" Mari said in wide-eyed surprise.
"Come in, come in! Welcome to my shop," Toby called out, gesturing for them to step out of the doorway. "Good morning, Apollo, Harvey, and new friend!"
"This is Mari Maxen," Apollo introduced, stepping over to the counter with Mari not far behind, gazing at the man behind the counter speculatively. She couldn't read him at all.
"Oh, yes! You're Eben's older sister. The one he bought the game for," Toby said with a thin smile. "Do you like the game?"
"Yes, my siblings and I play it a lot," Mari answered impatiently. "But why is it that I can get in this shop now and I've never been able to get inside it before?"
"Well, outside of this Grove, who I allow in constantly changes. But as I am in this formidable tree, I've decided it'd be in everyone's best interest if I followed the Grove's rules, and allow in whomever the Grove chooses to allow in, and that includes you. Feel free to look around, You never know what you're going to find in here," Toby suggested. Mari nodded thoughtfully at that, turning her attention to the shelves.
On the other side of Keki's Grove, Viorica followed her father through the forest, and she too, had questions of her own about Mari.
"Do you know much about how this Grove works?" Viorica asked her father.
"As well as anyone, yes," Aurelius agreed.
"I can't help but wonder why the Grove let Mari Maxen in, especially after keeping Polly Fetterly out," Viorica admitted. "Mari is known to be... well, quite horrid to people, actually. She's critical and unkind. Maybe I'm biased because she's always resented my becoming a Snape, but I just can't fathom why the Grove would let her in if it's supposed to be so filled with Light Magic that it keeps Dark Beings out."
"Probably because despite what you think, Mari isn't any sort of dark being. And the reason she can get inside is probably for the same reason that Don Coventry could get in when he was younger," Aurelius said. "See, Mari doesn't realize she's doing anything wrong. In her mind, everything she does and says is perfectly acceptable, because she's behaving as she was taught to behave. She has been going out of her way up until this point to do everything her father expects of her because she truly believes in her heart that's what's best for the family."
"Up until this point?" Viorica repeated.
"Well, as children get older and begin to develop their own sense of right and wrong, they start to challenge their parents' belief systems and begin to question what's right for them... not based on what they were taught, but based on their own experiences with the world," Aurelius explained. "But everyone is different. Some children are forced to learn those lessons early, and others learn them a lot later. Mari is just starting to question it. Right now, she's still rather immature, really. She's an innocent," he explained. Viorica stared at him in open disbelief.
"I have never heard anything so ironic in all my life. She's a beast to students outside of her family, you do know that, don't you?"
"Yes, I know, but she's not acting in any way other than how she was taught to act. I'm not saying it's right, Viorica. I'm saying it's not her fault. And as the oldest, I'm sure she's under a lot of pressure to act in her father's place while they're at school. Eventually, though, that innocence will wear down, and she'll have to start asking the hard questions... similar to the ones that you had to ask when you first got your Hogwarts' letter and realized your birth parents wouldn't accept it," Aurelius pointed out. Viorica looked away. "You were forced to grow up early, and had to challenge your parents from the start because you didn't have a choice. But since then, you've made the right choices with your life. You've learned the difference between right and wrong and have chosen the right path," he explained. "My guess is that the reason Polly Fetterly didn't get in is because she's matured enough to understand the difference between right and wrong... only in her case, she's chosen to go along with certain things Mari does despite knowing they're wrong. Keki's Grove, being born of Unicorn magic, can easily tell the difference."
"I think I understand," Viorica pondered. "But it can work in reverse too, can't it? Harvey said his father couldn't get in when he was younger, but he could get in as an adult."
"Well, he must have learned not to do things he knew was wrong then," Aurelius shrugged. "Of course it goes both ways. When Don got to the age he realized what he was doing was wrong, the Grove didn't let him in any longer."
"I wonder if that will happen to Mari too?" Viorica said with a frown.
"Let's hope not," Aurelius replied. "Personally, I'm hoping Eben sees her through it. But we'll just have to wait and see, won't we? In the meantime, I think I've probably told you more than I should have about those two by explaining the Grove to you. Fortunately, I know the perfect way to keep your mind off of it."
"Oh, what's that?" Viorica asked, and Aurelius nodded over to the open meadow.
She gasped in surprise as she noticed a Herd of Unicorns in the distance, lifting their heads curiously as they walked over so that Aurelius could introduce her.
"What is it?" Mari asked in confusion. Among all of the carved companions was a small glass tank with an open lid. Inside was a large stick attached at an angle to the longer sides of the tank an a wooden carved lump dangled from it.
"A cocoon. Or a chrysalis. I'm not quite sure, really," Toby replied. Mari sighed at the strange old man with exasperation.
"Didn't you carve it yourself? Don't you know what it is?" Mari asked critically.
"No, I have no idea," Toby admitted. "I suppose it depends on what wooden creature is inside of it. I carved it from one I saw on a passing tree, and then charmed it to hatch like a real flying insect. But since I'm not sure what was in it, I haven't the foggiest idea what will come out of it. It could be a butterfly of some kind. It could be a moth. Wasps. Some magical insects have a similar stage too. I suppose whoever buys it will have to take care of it and take their chances. Life is just like that sometimes," he added, wandering back behind the counter. "Even in the magical world, you don't always know what's going to happen. We do our best to make the right choices... just like in the card game... and then you suddenly pull out a card that's so unexpected that it makes you doubt every single move you've made up until that point."
"I don't understand what you're trying to say," Mari said bluntly.
"That's quite alright. Most people don't," Toby replied, making Mari stare. "Whoever buys it will simply have to take their chances, I suppose."
"Well, how long do you think it'd take for that thing to come out of there?" Mari asked.
"No idea," Toby said, then became distracted when one of the other students came up to put coins in the cup. Apollo walked up to Mari.
"I think I'm done looking around," Apollo decided. "I don't see anything interesting today, and I'm getting hungry, so I'd like to go ahead and find a spot for our table so we can have lunch. I'm sure Viorica won't mind if we start before she gets back."
"Oh. Alright," Mari said, frowning at the tank again.
"Are you thinking of getting that?" Apollo asked. "I have Viorica's shopping bag here, so if you're worried about getting it back to the castle, we can put it in there."
Mari frowned of it. Was she considering buying it? In truth, she only stopped and asked about it because she was curious. But it wasn't lost on her that it was the most unique thing she had found in the entire shop, and if nothing else, Eben would probably have some ideas of what was in it.
"Fine, why not?" Mari said at last, carrying it up to the counter. "I hope you don't expect me to pay a lot for this, considering you don't even know what's in it," she said to Toby.
"Quite alright. Pay whatever it is you think it's worth," he said. She threw in a couple of Sickles. "Thank you very much. Shall I put in a bag for you?"
"We've got it," Apollo said, and held open Viorica's bag so they could work the tank inside. "Ready, Harvey?"
"Sure," Harvey said, paying for a book he had found, and the three of them made their way back outside.
By the time they got a table set up and sat down, Aurelius came back with Viorica, who seemed quite excited as they came over to them.
"There you are," Apollo said questioningly.
"Dad just took me to see the Unicorns!" Viorica said happily. "There were so many of them! And they were so beautiful! The centaurs are letting former Unicorn Riders and their families come visit them, and that includes me, isn't that brilliant?"
"I guess," Apollo said, wondering why Aurelius was smiling like that.
"He's going to take me again too, especially over the summer when I'm home. And as often as I like."
"Sure I will," Aurelius agreed, stepping to the other side of the table and leaning over to Apollo's other ear. "And if she stops being interested in going, I'll know why, won't I?" he murmured dangerously to Apollo, patting him on the shoulder in a friendly manner. Aurelius stepped back over to where Jennifer stood, who looked quite entertained by it all.
"What did he say?" Viorica wondered as her father walked away.
"Nothin'. He was just breathin' down my neck again," Apollo said, getting out his sandwich with a shrug. "It's what he does."
"I hope whoever I end up with doesn't have father as paranoid as hers is," Harvey decided.
"Who would ever be interested in you?" Mari asked.
"You're one to talk," Harvey told her curtly, eating his eggplant sandwich without further comment.
When John finally got a break again, he knew better than to go down among the students. Instead, he sat on the roof of the Three Broomsticks and watched glumly from a distance, while Ember sat with him companionably and kept him company. Finally he got up and returned to get ready for the afternoon performance, turning into a monkey and climbing down the back so that he was less likely to be seen. But when he got to the camp, Spanx was standing in front of the wagon with his arms folded.
"Exactly what is going on between you and that bird, then?" Spanx asked dangerously.
"Are you looking for information?" John said pointedly.
"I could always get it out of you in other ways," he threatened.
"I'm still a member of the circus and would still be owed a credit, even if you do decide to use me as entertainment," John replied. "Might I go change?"
"After you answer me, yes," Spanx snapped. John shrugged.
"Ember belongs to Rosmerta, the owner. Ember noticed me in a terrible state once and offered her tears to heal me, and she's been friendly to me ever since," John explained. Spanx squinted.
"Does Rosmerta know why her familiar's taken to you?" Spanx asked.
"I have no idea, but I doubt it," John replied. "Rosmerta can be a bit nosy and she's never mentioned anything about it when I've gone in there to pick up lunches for one person or another."
"I've been wonderin' how you've been comin' away from town as clean as a babe no matter what punishments you had the night before. Well, that's enough of that! I expect you to own up to your mistakes, not run to magic birds for pity heals! If I see you anywhere near that bird again, I'll catch it and throw it in a nice, vacuum sealed box, and that'll be the end of that," Spanx warned. "And while we're at it, there will be no more trips to that alchemist, either! If you got an injury that'll effect your performance, you can visit Doctor Cusp like everyone else in this camp."
"I go to the alchemist to get balms to cover my bruises, Spanx..." John protested.
"Then use the clown makeup!" Spanx warned. "Now, take your knocks like a man! I've had enough of you trying to get around me. And your performance better be perfect today, or you'll be paying the price."
"And what excuse will you have to beat me if I am perfect today?" John asked defiantly.
Spanx grabbed him and pulled him inside, throwing John so hard against the wall that he crumpled on the floor.
"Do not defy me. You have no idea how close you are to pushing me over the edge," Spanx warned him.
"Kill me if you like, then. I'll die before turnin' into your puppet again," John dared him.
Spanx glared at him with the look of of someone who really did want to kill him in that very moment, his fists shaking with rage. Why he turned and went back outside instead of finishing the job, John wasn't quite sure, but one thing was perfectly clear from the look in his eyes; John's time was about to run out. Pulling out the small blue phial from where he had hidden it, John drank the Liquid Mercy and glanced at his watch. Outside, Spanx had strode straight over to Mirage's tent to have a word about his rebellious partner.
When Jennifer arrived at the Three Broomsticks, Severus was sitting with Albus and Bael at the Professor's table, along with Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Sirius.
"Harry, are you and Albus coming to help teach a class too?" Jennifer teased, Bael giving up his seat so that she could sit down next to Severus and taking the one next to hers.
"Funny, Severus said the same thing when we came over," Harry said.
"His humor has a way of rubbing off on people," Albus replied. "Although I wouldn't mind a guest speaker sort of thing if you need one."
"I do that myself, typically once a year, although I show up more for Auror's Club," Harry replied.
"Why don't you come visit my class on Tir Na Nog culture, Albus?" Bael suggested. "I'm certain my students would love to hear what it's like living over there from a human point of view."
"What a splendid idea. I'd be delighted," Albus agreed.
"And how do you like teaching, Ron?" Harry asked.
"I don't teach, exactly. I'm just helping them scale up the publication," Ron said with a sigh.
"Well, it is very much appreciated," Albus replied. "While I can often glean out the facts from stories that the Oracle puts out, it does take some effort. I will be glad when the day comes when the Daily Prophet can return once more."
"I don't think that's ever going to happen," Ron replied, shaking his head. "Which means that once I'm out of castle arrest, I'm going to be hard pressed to find another job."
"Hard pressed. Funny," Sirius commented.
"No puns intended," Ron replied.
"There is one obvious solution, of course," Jennifer said calmly. "Why don't you start your own newspaper? You can run it out of Hogsmeade... call it the Hogsmeade Herald or something."
"The name's a bit plain, isn't it?" Hermione commented while Ron was still staring at Jennifer.
"The Daily Vision!" Sirius suggested, Severus rolling his eyes at that.
"Chronicles of Hogsmeade?" Jennifer asked.
"That sounds like a book title," Hermione said. "How about the Evening Star?"
"I rather like that..." Jennifer admitted.
"Wait, wait, wait. Aren't you getting a bit carried away with this idea?" Ron protested. "Do you know how much money that'd take to get started? Where would I get that kind of money?"
Harry raised his hand. So did Sirius, Severus, and Albus.
"I think I'll raise mine as well, on behalf of the Craw family," Jennifer said with a smile. "Because I can guarantee either Father or my brother would want in on this."
"Once everyone decides what a fair share is, I would like to have it set up to cover any unexpected expenses through my vault," Albus offered. "I certainly don't have much use for it anymore considering where I live. And I'm also certain the Lunette Vallid would be more than happy to help us with the legal work involved in this."
"Perhaps Fortuna could help with the paperwork also. I'd like this angel investment to be set up so that it is easy for Ron to pay it off through a small percentage of the profit margin," Severus suggested.
"Of course, that is a splendid idea," Albus agreed, Sirius and Harry nodding as well.
"You're all assuming there's a profit to get a payment from," Ron said skeptically.
"That's not the point, and I don't care if you never make a profit as long as it gets you up and running," Sirius said, Albus and Severus nodding in agreement.
"Ron, I think you missed an important detail in what they're proposing," Hermione nudged him. "What they're saying is that it's going to be your newspaper. As in, you don't just run it, you own it."
Ron stared at his wife. Then he stared at everyone else involved at the table.
"Ah, I do so love Weasleys," Albus said with a mischievous smile. "They're so bold and daring, and yet they can be so humble at times too."
"I don't know anyone else who remotely fits into such a description," Severus said so dryly that his wife squinted at him. Fortunately, he was rescued when Rosmerta came over with a drink tray.
"It's about time," Sirius complained as she sat down his tea.
"Come now, Sirius, you know how busy it is here on Hogwarts school days... although not so much today," Albus noted.
"It's not about that, something happened just a moment ago," Rosmerta said, quickly dropping off drinks, including one for Jennifer.
"I haven't ordered yet," Jennifer pointed out, staring at the red wine curiously.
"Minerva paid for it. She said it was an apology for her spring collection," Rosmerta explained, Jennifer sighing in annoyance at that. "But never mind that. I just had a clown come to the door carrying a handful of invitations, and there's one for Sirius, Harry, and Severus in here."
"Did you check those before you brought them in here, Rosmerta?" Severus asked with alarm.
"Of course I did, who do you take me for? They're not magic at all, not even residual," Rosmerta said. "But right suspicious in any case. What could they be sending you invitations for?"
Severus put on gloves and then opened the invitation, a pair of tickets falling out as he did so.
"It appears to be an invitation to the last performance tomorrow evening," Severus said.
"Maybe he's trying to get rid of all of us at once or something," Harry suggested, glancing at his own ticket.
"Then why is he asking me to go?" Sirius pointed out. "I doubt he's forgotten Aunt Viviane's threat."
"I wonder who else got these invitations?" Harry pondered.
"Well, I don't know, but I don't feel comfortable with both of us going under the circumstances, Jennifer," Severus admitted. Jennifer sighed.
"Then you're the one that'll have to go, Severus. I invited Aelfred Finch-Fletchley to come watch the Quidditch game tomorrow," Jennifer pointed out.
"Oh, yes, the game," Severus said.
"But do me a favor and take another family member with you," Jennifer said.
"Since when am I not family?" Sirius protested.
"You'll be busy watching Harry's back. I want someone there to watch Severus as well," Jennifer said firmly.
"How about Alex? I know she's been dying to have a legitimate excuse to go up there and see the place for herself," Sirius suggested.
"Fine, I'll start there. But I suggest we all be ready for anything," Severus replied.
"I had better warn Mitch, too... not that it'll make much difference," Sirius said. "He hasn't missed one single performance since they started up last month, and I doubt he'd be deterred no matter how much I tried to talk him out of it."
"You can't really blame him, can you?" Jennifer said. "After all, it's the only time he gets to see John now."
"True, but think about it from John's point of view too, Jennifer," Sirius said quietly. "If I was in such a position, I'm sure I wouldn't Anna out there every night." He glanced as Severus. "You do have a handle on that situation, I hope?"
"Yes, I've been keeping informed by multiple sources," Severus confirmed.
"Good," Sirius said. "Because if you ask me, we should be a lot less concerned about who's got our backs and more concerned about making sure that we have John's instead."
John was incredibly relieved when Spanx finally fell asleep, carefully slipping out of the wagon and over to Doctor Cusp's office to have one arm reset and blood drawn out of the other for his payment of services. The vampire even gave him a balm to reduce the swelling on his face as well, but no mention was ever made of anything to ease any pains associated with his injuries. In fact, Doctor Cusp couldn't help but marvel at John's tolerance, not even flinching at the procedure. It was almost as if he hadn't felt anything at all!
When John came out of the wagon, it was late enough and early enough that no one was working in the cookhouse. But since he had come to help out once a week, he let himself in and went over to the coffee pot to make a full one, ringing it up on the register himself before downing a few cups, having no intention of going back to Spanx's wagon again.
Tolliver happened to notice the lanterns lit and went inside to see who was up.
"Oh, it's you, John," Tolliver said. John jumped slightly, then relaxed.
"Aye. How's the form," John asked tiredly.
"Better than yours, it would seem," Tolliver admitted.
"I fell during practice," John replied.
"Uh huh. Do you mind?" Tolly inquired, and John gestured towards the coffee pot. Tolly put a coin on the counter and helped himself to a cup, going over to sit with him.
"I take it from the dirt under your fingernails that you're coming back from burial detail," John said. Tolly glanced at them thoughtfully before going over to the pump sink to correct it. "How many were there, if you don't mind my askin'?"
"Just three," Tolly replied. "Pretty slow for a Saturday night."
"Aye," John agreed. "Are you on detail tomorrow night as well?"
"I doubt it's been picked off the board yet. Why, did you want to do it?" Tolly inquired.
"No, I was just wondering," John said, taking a sip of coffee. "Actually, it'd mean a lot to me if you did do it tomorrow, even if I have no way of repaying the favor." Tolly gazed at him searchingly.
"Why me?" Tolly asked.
"Because, Tolly, despite the circus' attempts to strip it away from you, I think you still have a kind soul," John replied. "And you're one of the few here who truly knows that kindness is more than just a fairy tale."
"I think there are more of us who realize it than you might believe, John," Tolliver told him. "And definitely more than there were before you started working here for certain. I expect that's why Spanx has turned against you."
"Aye, I expect so," John agreed, staring in his coffee. "But I have no intention of yielding to him regardless."
"I see," Tolliver said, sipping his coffee. "Alright, I'll do the next detail. I'll grab it off the board the moment Hardy opens up this morning."
"Thanks a mil, Tolly," John said with a smile, going over to refill his cup before walking to the practice yard to warm up. Tolly gazed in his coffee for a few minutes before finally tossing it and heading to his wagon for a few hours of sleep.
It was after the early show that John had a good look at his hands with a frown. While the Liquid Mercy had saved him from pain, it didn't necessarily make up for flexibility and strength, and after an incredibly long hold during the last 'rescue' from the wire, John found himself staring at his hand to see how much damage had been done, especially after feeling his grip slip a bit near the end. Spanx suddenly came up behind him and put his arm around John's shoulder, looking at it.
"Have a bit more wire burn on the hand, do you? Not going to try to whine your way into hand wraps, I hope? You know how I feel about that," Spanx said.
"Of course not, Spanx," John said evenly.
"Glad to hear it!" Spanx said cheerfully. "You know, if you're really having trouble, you could always try switching to dangle by your off hand instead of your business hand."
"Well, I know I'd have the strength to dangle, but putting on a show is another thing entirely," John said.
"You have an hour to practice," Spanx shrugged. "I'm going to get something to eat."
John watched him go, then reluctantly went to the practice yard to try different hand grips with both hands to see which one was going to serve them best from the last show. As he worked, he could hear the sound of the carnival rides and even the muffled echo of people running sides shows. From that, he thought that it sounded like there were a decent amount of natives coming to the show this time. Without time to eat, he went to the wagon to get ready for the show. He was dutifully standing at the back of the bigtop by the time Spanx had gotten back after dinner for a quick stretch.
On the other side of the tent, spectators were being let in to find their seats.
"It's not all that different from the last time we came," Harry commented to Alex as the four of them walked in.
"Except for the fact that it's far from a sold out show," Sirius said, then cut over to the stands and waved his hand to get Mitch's attention. "Hey, Mitch! Do you want to come sit with us?" Sirius asked him.
"No, thank you," Mitch replied.
"Fine, but no leaving by yourself. I'd rather we went back to the Black Mansion together," Sirius told him.
"Yes, alright," Mitch agreed, and Sirius went back over to where Severus, Alex, and Harry were finding seats.
"I take it Mitch comes here a lot," Alex murmured.
"He never misses," Sirius agreed. "Why do you suppose we're really here?"
"Expect anything, and keep your keys handy," Alex advised.
"Yes, I quite agree," Severus said, waving the candy butcher along when she went by them.
As the lights came on and the clowns and Clockwork Menagerie came out, John found himself watching the procession hazily. It was almost as if he was having one of those nightmares that repeated itself as you tried to escape it, replaying over and over again. When would he wake up? Or would he ever wake up, he pondered, testing his hand again thoughtfully, clutching a juggling ball to see how hard he could grip it.
"All right, there, thief?" he heard beside him.
"Grand," John replied without even looking down at where Balderdash stood. Balderdash frowned at him skeptically, then glanced out in the audience.
"I see we have some friends here this evening," Balderdash replied. "It'll be alright."
"Alright?" John repeated skeptically, wondering who Balderdash was referring to. But he didn't have the eyes of a goblin, especially in those lights, and as Spanx approached, Balderdash quickly retreated over to his target rig.
"Here you are! Are you ready for a splendid evening?" Spanx said cheerfully. "I have a good feelin' about our performance tonight, Johnny Boy! It'll be the best performance we've ever had together, perfect in every way," he said so enthusiastically that John gazed at him with a frown. It was like an echo of the younger man he had met all those years ago, before his possessive nature had turned him into a monster. "How's the grip?"
"Good enough," John said evenly.
"Splendid! I'll hold you to it! Then again, I suppose you'll hold yourself to it as well, won't you?" he joked. "A bit clammy, though. We'd best go powder up," he suggested, stepping over to where there was a station to powder his hands, Johnny doing the same. Some of the acts were slightly different on Sunday evenings as some of them were rotated out in favor of ringers. But John didn't have to guess when their act was about to start because he always heard them setting up the Dragon Cage and knew when it was time to follow Spanx out and over to his side high wire, climbing it as Mirage was busy explaining the purpose of the cage and setting up the demonstration.
As he climbed up to the platform and got into position, he finally had a moment to look out into the audience before the spotlights came on, seeing Mitch first, in his normal position, while just below him, closer to the front, sat Sirius, Harry, Severus, and Alex. Perhaps he wasn't the only one that had suspicions that Spanx was going to pull something, he thought, and. He lifted his arm up and smiled when his stage name was called out, and he turned towards the wire.
But as they somersaulted out, John immediately noticed something was wrong, having to overcompensate for the landing.
"Something wrong, Johnny boy?" Spanx said, throwing his arm up again when they met in the center of the wire.
"The wire tension is wrong. It's too loose. Did you do that on purpose?" John asked through his smiling teeth.
"I'm not in charge of the mechanics, am I? We'll simply have to make the best of it," Spanx said unconcernedly, tumbling back for the props.
Of course Spanx wasn't concerned about it; his tricks weren't anywhere near as challenging as his, John thought angrily. The only way he could possibly do his side of the routine without falling was to eliminate all of the intentional shakiness and compensate for the real shakiness caused by the tension being off. So this was his plan, John thought, adjusting his pose for a firmer stance as they did the juggling portion. Spanx was hoping that he'd fall on his own from the less than ideal conditions; and as high up as they were, changing to his animal form would make it even less likely he'd survive the fall. It was something that Spanx didn't have to worry about in the slightest, and that confidence made him less than concerned about falling and performed his routine as if the line conditions were as perfect as ever.
Most people who watched the routine wouldn't likely notice the difference. Even if it was their second show of the evening, they would have thought that John's uneasiness on the wire was part of the act. But Mitch had gone to every show since John had started, and it wasn't long before he scurried down to Sirius with a panicked look on his face.
"Something's very wrong! John's routine is off and I think he's in real danger!" Mitch told them frantically.
"If something's wrong, I don't want you sitting up there by yourself," Sirius said firmly. "Come sit down with us where we can keep an eye at you." The others got up to shift over a seat, making room for Mitch.
"Can't someone do something?" Mitch asked desperately, sitting down next to Alex.
"The Dragon Cage makes it so we can't cast direct spells," Alex reminded him. "Right now, our only option is to watch this play out and see if anyone's able to get to him in time. Maybe he can be saved; maybe he can't. The only way to know for sure is if we sit here and watch. You might want to look away... just in case," she advised reluctantly.
"I'll do no such thing!" Mitch snapped, watching John anxiously.
"Splendid job, John! Quite splendid indeed!" Spanx said after they had passed through to the last half of the routine. "I hope you're not thinkin' of skippin' that dangle, you know that'd be against our agreement... you wouldn't want another life debt right now, dear. It'd pass on to your collateral, although I would adore having the chance to do to him what I did to you."
"Of course I'm not skipping the routine," John snapped. "But if you cause me to fall intentionally, live or die, that'll make us even. I've paid enough in servitude that even an attempt on my life would be enough to lift that curse!" he warned. Spanx laughed at that, almost losing his balance himself as he went back to the platform to toss the props away.
"I've not had a partner yet who's survived a fall at this height! And none of them were as worn or as thrashed as you!" Spanx informed him, watching as John dangled by two hands from the wire, waiting for him to drop to one. But instead of twisting, John concentrated on his grip, only swinging in case he was going to have to help himself back up onto the wire. Spanx made a play at looking shocked at the situation for the audience. "Of course, none of them were stupid enough to keep fighting this long, either," he said, despite the exaggerated expression of concern on his face. "I'm sorry, Johnny, but you've given me no choice. You've made me realize that there's only one way I can break you."
Spanx ran out on the wire, and from the audience's point of view, it looked as if he had run out quickly in an attempt to save his brother. But John knew that wasn't his intention at all; instead, Spanx had run out at a much harder pace than normal so that the wire would shake violently.
Between the shaking and his weakened grip, John lost his battle and fell towards the ground below. As the audience began to stand, Severus and Alex were the first on their feet as John hit. The lights all went out at once and plunged them into darkness, but just before they had, Severus and Alex saw a Brown Cloaked Figure dive through the bars and race over to John.
There was a moment of panicked alarm and confusion that ran through the entire circus. Neither the audience nor those in charge of the circus performance knew what had caused the darkness. A moment later the lights were fixed, and everyone looked around to reorient themselves.
Alex, standing with Mitch grasping her arm, looked beside her to see that her father's seat was empty, while Harry and Sirius were still watching the center ring. The Dragon Cage had been pulled back down, and Mirage, Spanx, Hardy, and a lot of confused circus troupers stood where John had fallen with only a bloodstain to show for it. Mirage looked positively furious.
"What happened? Where is John? What was that man in the brown cloak doing in there?" Mitch asked in a panic.
"He was giving me a stellar headache," Alex said curtly, coaxing Mitch to go with Sirius.