Thankfully, the entrance hall of Hogwarts was empty as I dragged the man in black through the large oak doors. I had to figure out his name because I was sick of thinking of him as 'the man in black.' I looked around the empty hall as he cradled his injured hand. No one was to be found, but talking and noise could be heard in the dinning hall. Apparently people were still eating dinner. My eyes fell on a half-opened classroom door on the left side of the hall. I never knew there to be classrooms on the first floor; perhaps this room was an old closet or office converted into a classroom.
I moved swiftly across the hall to the classroom and disappeared into it. I slammed the door behind me and threw the man in black into one of the desks. He groaned as he laid across the desk top. He sat up slowly, clearly in deep pain, and looked at me with bitter dark eyes.
"Why are you asking about Savanna?" he questioned as he peered at me. I placed my dagger on the front desk before putting my hands on my hips. I looked at him sternly as I debated internally if I should tie him up or let him lay on the desk. His question meant nothing to me. I was going to ask the questions, once I figured out exactly what I wanted to ask.
I stepped forward, ignoring his question, and grabbed his hands. He cussed as I snatched his bleeding palm and held it against his good hand. I tapped my wand against his hands. Bright blue rope shot out from the wand tip and wrapped securely around his wrists. He rolled his eyes as he sat back on the desk top.
"Really?" he lifted his hands in front of his face. His tone was dripping with sarcasm which only antagonized me more. I had to rely on every strand of restraint of my being to not hit him over the head with the hilt of the dagger that lay on the desk.
"I'm not taking any chances," I replied as I pointed my wand at his feet and bound his ankles together. Once they were tied tightly, he lost his balance and fell over onto the ground. He groaned with deep discomfort as he lay on the stone floor of the classroom. I remained silent and moved to stand next to the teacher's desk at the front of the room. I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the desk as I watched him remain motionless on the floor. His eyes were glaring up at me with loathing, which warmed my heart.
"What is your name?" I asked very calmly.
The man in black didn't move or say a word. I sighed with some annoyance before standing up straight and turning to the desk. I picked up the dagger that I had laid on the desktop and crotched down in front of the man.
"Listen," I said still calm. I waved the knife in front of his face carelessly as I talked. "You've threatened my life and my daughter's. You nearly killed my husband and are responsible for the death of my ex-partner. You're also being a real pain in my ass. So, answer my questions and maybe you'll walk out of here with both of your knee caps."
The man laughed softly as he rolled onto his back. "Really? My knee caps?"
"Is there something else I can remove for you?" I asked as I placed the tip of the dagger against his jaw line, right below the ear. I pressed the blade up against the lobe of his ear. The smile fell off his face and he glared at me again. Perhaps he would take me seriously now. "Now, let's start with simple questions. Who are you?"
The man in black hesitated, considering his options as he closed his eyes to not look at me. He opened his stone cold eyes to glare at me within a moment, and then he spoke.
"My name is Demetri Devonshire," he said very carefully. I nodded as I heeded him, but there was no doubt in my mind that the name was an alias.
"And who is Savanna Snow?"
"My partner," he responded shortly. "Listen, Princess," he said as he rolled towards me and grabbed my hand holding the knife against his jaw line with his bound hands. My eyes flashed with hatred when he called me 'princess.' The nickname always caused a fire to light in my body that built up a rage so ravage that I wanted to kill Mr. Devonshire with my bare hands. "You can threaten me all you want, but you won't get anything else out of me. I answer to more powerful and dangerous people then you. You don't scare me, they do. And there is no way in hell I will betray them because of that fear."
"Are you referring to my father?" I asked easily because his words didn't shake me much. I knew it was going to be a trail to get him to talk. I didn't think he'd spill his heart out to me if I pointed a knife at him…and if he did, well, I would seriously question the validity of this words.
"He is one of many that I serve," Devonshire said as he laid back.
"Your life has to have some value."
"Not if it means betraying my masters."
I rolled my eyes as the classroom door opened sharply. I stood up from where I was crotched and watched as Albus Dumbledore entered the classroom, with Severus Snape closely on his tail.
"Hello, Albus," I said calmly.
"Cadence," he sighed with mild disapproval. "Please tell me you weren't planning on skinning our guest here on the classroom floor."
"I was going to," I responded dryly to his sarcastic comment. "But I've discovered that it won't do me any good. He insists he'd rather die then betray his…masters."
"Why are you interested in this man?" Snape asked as he passed Dumbledore like a sticky shadow creeping out from the corners of a dark room. I studied him as he approached Devonshire and me. He was greasy looking as ever, with long black straight hair and pale, waxy skin. His beady dark eyes locked on Devonshire, and I cringed. What if he and Snape were in on something? It was no secret that Snape was a double-agent of the Order, and my father thought he was a double-agent for him, how could I trust which side he was on?
"First of all, he threatened my daughter in a public place," I hissed. "Secondly, he's responsible for the boom that put Gabriel in a comma—"
"So, this is a personal grudge?" Snape questioned looking up at me.
He set my body on fire with anger. "No, Severus! This is a matter of principles. This man," I pointed ruthlessly at Devonshire on the floor. "Has been following and hunting me for information, which I know nothing about. Now, it's my turn to get some information."
"His name is Rickon Form," Severus said standing up straight.
"Traitor!" Form shouted from the floor abruptly. "I always knew you were a bloody traitor! The Dark Lord will know of your betrayal, Snape—"
"Forgive me, Form," Snape interjected as he glared down at the Death Eater. "But you won't ever see the Dark Lord again."
Form cursed up at Snape loudly and spat on his feet. I lunged forward and kicked Form in the face, knocking him back away from Snape. Dumbledore remained silent as Snape's cold words hung in the poorly light classroom. I didn't move from my position over Form as I looked over at Dumbledore. He didn't look happy, but obviously didn't know what else to do in the situation. He folded his hands behind his back and studied Form with his baby blue, crystal eyes.
"What was it you were looking for?" Snape asked directing the question at me. He reached his hand into his pocket and produced a small clear vile. I stared at it with raised eyebrows for a moment as he extended it to me.
"A few things," I whispered easily as I looked into Snape's dark eyes and took the vile.
"This should help," he said sternly. I nodded and turned my attention back to Form, who was cringing on the floor from the kick in the face I had delivered. I crotched down and grabbed his jaw and squeezed tightly to force his mouth open. I popped the cork of the vile off with my thumb and flipped it upside down over Form's open lips.
"It should only take a few moments for the veritaserum to start working," Snape said. "If that is all, Headmaster?"
"Yes, thank you, Severus," Dumbledore said quietly. His eyes hadn't left Form. I looked over my shoulder at the two men behind me as Form relaxed on the floor. His eyes were rolling back easily, as if he were given a sleeping potion, not a truth serum.
Severus Snape made his leave with a swirl of black cloak sailing behind him. Once the classroom door was closed I looked directly at Dumbledore.
Where is Carrigan?
He looked at me with raised eyebrows, it was first time he had stopped looking at Form. He probably thought it curious that I was using Legilimency to speak to him, but I didn't want Form to hear us speaking, especially about Carrigan.
I instructed her to wait in the hospital wing for us to return. Madame Pomphrey is looking after her.
Is she alright?
Yes, just shaken up.
I turned away from Dumbledore with deep concern. A year ago, Carrigan wasn't shook up by anything. Since my near-death experience last June she had been like a baby-dear that was easily scared by any sudden change of events. Of course her fear and discomfort was justified; we lived in dark and scary times; but how did I make it better? How could I help her manage the stress our life caused?
Rickon Form was looking straight up at me with an angry expression. I sat back on my bottom and crossed my arms over my chest while still holding the dagger in one hand. Form was now alert and seemed aware that he had been given a truth serum.
"What is your name?" Dumbledore asked because I didn't say anything.
"Rickon Form," Form answered instantly. After he spoke, he groaned in annoyance. Obviously, he was trying to fight the potion, but it was no use. Dumbledore and I had to move quickly to get all of the answers we needed before the potion wore off.
"Who are you working for?" Dumbledore questioned before I could begin to ask every question that was burning on my lips.
"Voldemort," he responded.
"So, fearing your masters was all a bunch of talk?" I retorted sarcastically.
"Yes."
Dumbledore gave me a cross look, which caused me to frown and look away.
"What is Cepheus?" I asked before Dumbledore could ask another question. I figure this was the most important question of them all.
"Cepheus is the code-name of a research operation for Voldemort," Form spoke softly as he lay on the stone ground before me.
"What sort of research?"
"The Dark Lord has been interested in immortality," Form continued. "He asked us to perform spells and research on his granddaughter, Haiden Drake. He believed that her blood was key to discovering a way for him to live forever because of her divine lineage. He performed a blood bond on her to ensure that her blood was in his system, then ordered us to test and mutilate her blood to make sure she was in fact immortal. If the spells worked on Haiden, we would then apply them to the Dark Lord. But he was mistaken. Nothing we have done has proven that Haiden is immortal. Her mother was not a goddess, she was an American whore and her father just happened to be blessed with the gift of foresight that passed to her."
My entire body froze. My blood curdled and turned to ice. I thought my heart might actually stop beating. Form's words were too chilling for me to fully comprehend. They enraged me. I turned away from Form because every inch of me was shaking with anger and itching to punch his snide face in.
He and Savanna Snow were responsible for performing the spells and potions on Haiden that had corrupted her and turned her into a schizophrenic with multiple personalities. They were the reason she was trapped, fighting to take control of her own body. Them and my father, of course.
"You believe Haiden is not immortal?" Dumbledore continued.
"It's not a belief. It's a fact. She is not immortal," Form replied honestly, because he didn't have the choice. "However, the spells we performed slowed her aging process. She doesn't have immortal divinity. She can die. And she will, but not for a long time. She will live for ages…the Dark Lord wanted us to perform the spells on him. They brought him closer to immortality…but Savanna convinced him not to do it. Haiden is broken now. She is ill and mentally deranged. The spells and magic we used demented her. Savanna did not want that to happen to the Dark Lord."
I turned back around as my entire body shook with anger and slammed my fist into Rickon Form's face. He cried out and rolled away from me, covering his face with his bound hands, and nursed his bloody nose which was now broken. Dumbledore grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back.
"Cadence!" he scolded. "We must remain calm!"
"She was an innocent little girl!" I screamed in rage. "You destroyed her! You took away her life and her freedom!"
Form laughed easily despite the pain he was in as he withered on the floor with blood pouring down his lips and chin. "Her life would have been taken either way. If Braven hid her any longer the Dark Lord would have killed them both in frustration."
"Who is Savanna?" Dumbledore asked, still holding my shoulder with a tight grip.
"She was my partner," Form said sadly. "The Dark Lord asked her personally to take on the responsibility of his granddaughter. He believed her to be a guardian of sorts and thought she would be able to teach Haiden while studying her."
"Where is she?"
"Dead."
"When?"
"Sometime this past spring or summer. I haven't seen her since early May. The Dark Lord told me she sacrificed herself to ensure his return."
I looked sharply at Form, who was holding his shirtsleeve against his nose to absorb the blood, as my mind took in his comments.
"What did she look like?" I whispered with a shaking voice.
Form didn't answer right away. I was afraid suddenly that the potion had worn out and we were out of time.
"She looked like you," Form replied after a moment of silence.
My heart dropped into my stomach. Penelope Talon was Savanna Snow. That was why Mitchell Scott was investigating Rickon Form. He probably didn't know what he was getting in to, or that his sister was such a sinister bitch.
"Who is the man and boy in this locket?" I asked picking it up from around my neck.
"She never said," he said softly. "She never talked about her past. I only caught her looking at those pictures once. When I asked, she said they were the reason she was with the Dark Lord now."
I frowned deeply. Form's information confirmed that Penelope was Benjamin's mother. I pulled my shoulder out of Dumbledore's grasp and moved to lean against the desk at the front of the room. I set my feet flat on the ground, with my knees bent in front of me, and propped my elbows on my knees as I held my head.
My mind was reeling…Penelope Talon was Savanna Snow. Penelope was Benjamin's mother. Cepheus was the code name of the research performed on Haiden Drake, my niece. Penelope had led the research on Haiden and completely damaged her.
"Cadence," Dumbledore called my attention.
I blinked and looked up at him, in a fog because of everything that I had learned.
"Please alert Gabriel," he said. "I need his assistance to take care of Form. I would prefer that you and he remove Form from the castle as quickly as possible."
"Of course," I replied. "I'll send a letter when I get up to the hospital wing and check on Carrigan."
"Send Snape back in," Dumbledore ordered.
I stood up slowly and nodded to acknowledge his command. I paused for a moment as I walked away to look back at Form over my shoulder.
"Why the code name Cepheus?"
"Cepheus had a single daughter and two granddaughters: Andromeda, Autochthe, and Gorgophone," Form replied as he looked up at me with a jeer. "The Dark Lord has the same: Kieran, Divinity and Liadan. He wanted to ensure his legacy lasted forever, just like Cepheus' legacy remains forever in the stars."
My blood chilled again as I stared at Form and the desks in the room began to shake around us. Liadan must be the name Voldemort had given Carrigan. Just like he named me Kieran. The thought of him naming my daughter made my skin crawl with loathing. I wanted more then ever to find him and pummel his face in. Dumbledore stepped forward, blocking my view of Form.
"Cadence, excuse yourself now," he said sternly. I glared at Dumbledore's harsh crystal blue eyes before turning on my heel and leaving the room. How did he and Gabriel always manage to make me feel like a disobedient child?
Outside in the entrance hall, I found Snape hovering by the door.
"The headmaster would like you to join him," I motioned to the door that was cracked open behind me.
Snape said nothing to me; he barely looked at me, in fact, before he disappeared into the classroom. I sighed and rolled my shoulders back as I tried to relax. My mind was still racing, trying to comprehend the new information and figure out what my next move was.
Carrigan.
I thought of my daughter almost instantly. She was the next thing I needed to worry about. I needed to make sure she was okay.
When I lifted my head to move forward in the hall, towards the marble staircase that lead into the labyrinth of corridors that made up Hogwarts, my eyes fell on a single figure at the base of the stairs.
My niece Haiden Drake, or rather Divinity Jasper, was standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking at me with dark curious eyes. I frowned as I approached her. She was regal looking; standing up with perfect posture and her arms hanging in front of her and hands folded together. Her hair was pin straight, half-blond and half-black; and as usual, her eyes were mismatching; one a dangerous crystal blue, and the other a dark green, like her father's.
She was not in her school robes. Instead, she wore black three inch heels that covered her entire foot and cut at the ankle, black tights and a thigh length black dress that had a belt, and was buttoned and collared like a blouse.
I paused for a moment as I took in her appearance.
"Good evening," she said very calmly. I felt as if she were expecting me, which gave me goose-bumps. I didn't like that this girl always seemed to know more then me. "You know very well that I am not a girl, Cadence."
I rolled my shoulders back as I stared at Divinity, it was indeed Divinity that was speaking to. If it was Haiden she would have called me Aunt Cadence.
"How long have you known?"
"Grandpapa told me that I was special a long time ago," she said as she stepped down the last step of the staircase to approach me. Her heels clicked delicately on the stone floor of the hall, like icicles cracking softly in a winter breeze. "He promised me that I would live for a very long time, longer then him possibly."
"Voldemort doesn't make promises, he blackmails people into deals," I replied as she continued to approach. "What is the price of you living forever?"
"There is no price, Cadence," Divinity said as if I were stupid. "I love Grandpapa and I will make sure that his legacy lives on, no matter how long he lives."
Her voice made the hair on the back of my neck curl with discomfort. She could give Dolorous Umbridge a few lessons in talking with a bittersweet tone that reminded children of nails dragged on a chalkboard.
"Who do you have in the classroom?" she asked with a sharp glare.
"Ask Persephone," I said side-stepping Divinity and moving for the stairs. I paused for a moment, about six steps up, and looked back because Divinity had not responded. She had turned and was glaring up at me with such nasty eyes I thought that my head would explode if she had powers like Carrigan or I.
I smirked as I read the distress and anger on her face. I moved back down two of the steps and crossed my arms over my chest.
"You haven't had a vision in sometime," I said.
Divinity didn't respond. She simply turned on her heel and marched away from me towards the dungeons. Without a second thought, I turned and headed up the stairs to the hospital wing; a cool shiver escaped my body and I took a deep breath. When I looked down at my hands as I walked, I noticed that they were shaking. I paused for a moment and leaned against the corridor wall before the stairwell that would take me to the seventh floor. For the first time, I realized that my entire body was still shaking; Carrigan wasn't the only one who was shook up after the days events.