Signings
Lauren went to work that very night, from dinner to curfew, walking into the Room of Requirement in its storage guise on her own. She went through it systematically, looking for the small cabinet in which the book had been hidden, whenever she had free time and did not have to watch the exits of Sev or the Guard.
On Friday, when they met for their usual training, for which Sev put on the warrior clothes she had given him, she told him that she still hadn't found it. "It's huge, Severus, you can't imagine it.And the amount of things in it, a thousand years of people hiding objects there, is a real mine.Tomorrow I will watch over meals and dedicate all the remaining time to it.I have only covered less than a quarter of it just by walking for hours."
"Booah... then we're going to have a hard time finding the Red Magic one."
"Well yes. You are going to have to dedicate yourselves to it, all the older Slys of the Guard who are in on the secret, because it is convenient that you find it before Dumbledore finds out that you know the Room of Requirement and that you have the Dark Magic one. Otherwise, he will keep it for himself."
"If you don't find it tomorrow, we'll both go on Sunday," he proposed.
"Yeah. I will project the image of the closet to you."
"If you want, we can start tonight after dinner."
"No, rest. Tomorrow you have to be in shape, you have an acid test," Lauren refused.
The next day, Sev headed alone to the chestnut clearing in the Forbidden Forest, and this time he dressed in the clothes Lily bought him at Cokeworth. Just in time to look like a warrior, finally, now I have plenty. He was listening to his radio, which did work in the Forest, the station that his Mum listened to, news and good music of all times. He arrived first, warded it and took the opportunity to warm up.
He knew that in the meantime, Lauren was in the Room of Requirement looking for the dark book and the three Gryffs would train in the afternoon in his small glade.
The rest arrived a quarter of an hour later, the two new Slys already earned, whom he only knew by sight, and two other boys, also from Jack's year of the Defense NEWT, another Sly and one totally unknown, came at the rear with him. He must be Rave, Sev thought.
The couple who were Jack's friends immediately approached him, holding out their hands. "Nice to meet you, Prince," the girl told him. "I'm Valerie Rush."
"Nice to meet you, Rush."
"Call me Valerie."
"All right."
"Nice to meet you, Prince," the boy told him. "What a relief that you're on our side, I'm Andrew Covet. Call me Andrew."
"Nice to meet you, Andrew."
He glanced at Jack and the other two, who were waiting behind. Jack with his arms crossed and a smirk, and the new Sly and Rave, stunned.Poor guys. He turned to them with a smile and waited for Jack to speak.
"Prince, this is George, Sly, and Lorenz, Rave, from my NEWT year," his friend said, and to the others. "I guess he needs no introduction. But here he is not called Snape, but Prince, his mother's last name."
He has told them everything and he also knows that I am famous, Sev thought.
"I should have imagined it was you, you were always with the Gryff girl," George said, holding out his hand, which they shook firmly. "Nice to meet you."
Again, Lily, the key. We're both famous at school, what Lauren says, friends from enemy Houses. Too bad she can't attract the Gryffs at the moment, but she and Remus will next year, when they take the Defense NEWT.
The Rave also shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Prince."
They are already in my pocket, Sev thought.
"Do you want to train with him for a while?" Jack asked them. "I assure you it's worth it."
"Yes, of course," the Sly said.
"I want to too," said the Rave.
"Perfect, Organize the morning training, Prince," Jack ordered.
Sev thought, I already have everything planned. I've been doing it for almost two months, but now we are four more older, twelve in total. Luckily the Gryffs aren't here, we fit right into the clearing, we should have thought of leaving the little ones in the castle. I'll put them together, at one end of the clearing. Ariel is taking it upon himself to teach his best friend just like I did Lily, having learned how to do it from me.
As I plan to form a group of three with the two new signings, two against me, I have to make another group of three. Anthony with our two classmates, he is best than both of them, they will be balanced, they have an affinity and he will also teach them.
I'll suggest to Jack and Deborah that they organize themselves in pairs with the Sly couple or better two against two, to make better use of the space, looking for balance.
At last he was left alone with the Rave and the Sly. "You alone against the two?" the one from his House asked him.
"We'll try," Sev replied.
"Okay, if you dare."
These guys have never seen me, they're going to find out. "Without disarming, non-verbal, legal and without Protegos, how about?"
"Without Protegos?" asked the Sly, surprised.
"Of course. To learn to dodge."
"Okay… If you dare, you rule."
Bow and they began. I have come a long way since the Guard tried me, taking advantage of the training with the weakest so that it also served me, and although these two are good, as good as Jack or better, the two against one fight is almost even, a little more for me. Ha! I even have time to consult the watch that Jack has given me.
At twenty to twelve he proposed, "Well, if you want to return to the castle, it's time, in time for lunch."
He read them as they answered him. "No way, Prince," George, the Sly, told him. "I'm staying, I'm not going to waste this opportunity, you're an exceptional fighter, I want to learn from you. What do you say?" he asked Lorenz, the Rave.
"I copy you," the eagle replied.
I have read that they are to the death with me, but it would not have been necessary to read them, Sev thought.
Jack had also stopped his group from fighting when he realized they were talking, and gave him a questioning look. Sev gave him a thumbs up and Jack smirked. The other two boys caught the exchange and laughed.
"Shall we continue then?"
"Yes of course."
They are enjoying. And me, finally fighting at my level.
By half past twelve, the two boys were exhausted. "Let's stop for a while, Prince, what a stamina you have…" the one from his House was laughing.
Poor guys, they are not used to fighting for so long. The eagle looks nice but doesn't say anything, he must feel a little uncomfortable among all us snakes.
"Of course, but we don't usually have lunch until one, we'll take the opportunity to chat for a while." Sev addressed Jack's group. "How are you?" he asked the Sly couple. "Are you tired?"
"Ugh... yes..." the girl replied. "You are in very good shape."
"Then rest a bit too until lunch, so Deborah and Jack continue and the five of us can talk for a while. We do not know each other."
"Sure, Prince. Good idea."
And of these two she is always who talks. The boy is reserved.
The five sat in a circle on the grass, while the other seven continued training. He let them be the ones to start talking. I don't know how far Jack has told them and I can't slip about the secrets.
Valerie, the Sly girl. started, "Jack told us that you separated from the Gryff girl because the malefics blackmailed you. What bastards."
Okay, he hasn't told them that I wanted to become a Death Eater myself, very good, nor that I'm still with Lily, he leaves it to me, Sev thought. I can tell them, they are not going to tell. "We have continued to meet secretly throughout the year, she has participated in the training of the Guard, and also two of her friends."
"Alliances with the lions?" said George, the Sly alone, almost screaming to heaven.
The favorite phrase of snakes... You'll see the cut I give him. "Well yes. Love can do everything, and they had to train to be able to protect her. We have spent Easter together, we are neighbors."
"Oh…" said Andrew, the Sly boy of the couple, understanding.
HJackhasn't given them too many details about my childhood. Better. "But now and until the summer we must cut off all contact."
The couple look at me sympathetically, they already know about the letter I'm expecting from Malfoy, but the other two are puzzled, they don't know. I'm going to explain it to them, to give them the opportunity to back down, because in theory it could arrive this very week. Next Saturday there is a Hogsmeade trip.
"You see," Sev turned to the Rave and Sly he had fought, "I'm waiting for a letter from Lucius Malfoy in which he'll probably invite me to become a sympathizer and start training in the summer." Understanding and scared at the same time. "I don't think I'll get it this month, I would have found out something from the other snakes, who have seen him on holidays," Sev continued. "But I'll do by May, and at that time, the Guard will reveal themselves to the whole school to protect me," he finished with a sad smile.
"Ugh, Prince, what a mess..." George said. "Did you know?" he asked the couple.
"We did," Valerie answered. "Jack told us everything at Easter."
"We have to be more," Lorenz said, the Rave, very sure of himself. "I'll talk to my House, also with the seventh-years. May I have permission, Prince?"
Wow... He hadn't opened his lips until now, to offer to put all the Raves on my side, that eagle with initiative... But I have to stop him. "Ugh... It's dangerous for it to be disclosed if you're not sure they'll keep the secret," Sev replied. "I have told you so that you can back off if you are not willing to take a risk."
"Of course…" replied Lorenz, somewhat disappointed.
He trust in the Sly cunning.
"Thank you very much for doing it, Prince," George answered. "But count on me too. I am sure that as soon as everything is known they will not dare with us."
He knows what people think of me at home and how happy Sly is going to be when I'll reveal myself. "As I calculate that there is still a month ahead, it is better that we do it little by little," Sev said. "You the six of sixth year choose two other people who can understand it and are as reliable as possible, and we will do as today. You see how well it has turned out."
"Cunning Slytherins," Lorenz told him, grinning widely.
"Ravenclaws who know what they want," he smiled back. I am going to make this one Commander of his House.We're going to get along great.
They continued chatting, and at one they had lunch listening to the news on Sev's radio. Resting lunch they chatted another while among the twelve. Sev proposed to Jack, "Jack, if next week there are two other candidates, we should leave the little ones at home, we won't fit in the clearing anymore."
"Jo… Sev…" Ariel complained.
Of course, he doesn't know about the damn letter. "Ariel, honey, you have to understand," Sev embraced his shoulders, "It's more important that the older ones train. It will only be a short while."
"Ariel, Sev is right," Jack told him. "We have to be more people so that he can finally be with us. It will only be a short season."
"Okay, Jack…" Ariel said, sad.
As soon as we find the Red Magic book we can use the Room of Requirement, maybe next week, and we won't even have to leave the castle. In fact, it is not convenient that we are already missing so many warriors for lunch, the malefics could realize it.
They organized again for the afternoon training. This time Sev fought against the Sly couple, Valerie and Andrew. At three-thirty they took another short break and the four new ones decided to leave now, since they were exhausted. "We'll train on our own during the week too," George told him. "Otherwise, we won't resist your pace."
"I think it's great."
The time that was left until six o'clock he fought against Ariel so that he would take away a bit of the desire to be with him if they couldn't do it the following week, and they also got back together when they finished.
As usual, Sev and Jack stayed in the small clearing chatting until it was time to go to the castle for dinner.
"Very well chosen, Jack, it would not have been necessary to read them," Sev said. "The Rave is great."
"It was Valerie and Andrew who did it."
"A great team."
"There are two other Slys from our year," Jack said. "Then we would have to recruit Raves or seventh-year Slys."
"You can meet here tomorrow to discuss it, coordinating with the Gryffs."
"Good idea. How well the Room of Requirement would suit us. Could you read teachers, in case they know where it is?"
Buf... Luckily he asks me, because he could do it perfectly, Sev thought. "I will. But we must be very careful so that they do not find out that we use it. The book of Red Magic may be there, too, and if Dumbledore finds out we've discovered it, he could take it out of our reach."
"Ugh… you're right, Prince. Then we will wait. We'll leave the little ones at home next week, it wouldn't be strange. Dumbledore must be realizing that it have been short of warriors in the Hall and that we no longer fit in the Forest."
"That is, and leave the Legilimency part to me. Surely they are deep thoughts," Sev looked at him significantly.
Jack understood. "Of course, Prince, ninth instruction, you rule in Mental Arts. You are knackered. How was your week?"
"Very intense."
"Rest tomorrow."
Yes, my desire. To spend all day looking for a bloody Dark Magic book with which Voldemort has become immortal because of the big mouth Slughorn slipped his tongue.
At dinner Sev projected to Lily, "Hello, honey, how was your day?"
"Studying in the morning, and in the afternoon in the clearing until six. Do you need it tomorrow?"
"Not me, but maybe the Guard will. Communicate with them at breakfast."
"Okay. What about you all?" she asked.
"We are already twelve. There is a Rave."
"Wow… wonderful. I feel you tired, sleep well and rest tomorrow."
"I'll try that, don't be surprised if you don't see me in the Library, I'll probably spend all day in bed," he lied.
"Sure, Sev. You can also do your homework by dictating to the quill. Take the opportunity to rest, honey."
"I have to leave you for a while. I must speak to Lauren."
"Okay, do not worry. I'll wait for you to finish," Lily said.
"Hello, Lauren. How about the search?" Sev asked her.
"Nothing yet, but I've already covered more than half," Lauren replied.
"Whoah... how tired you are."
"And you. We'll get it together tomorrow, Severus. Sleep well tonight. Have you won over the new ones?"
"Yes, it would not have been necessary to read them. To death with me," he answered.
"Who are they?"
"George, sixth-year Sly, and Lorenz, a very nice Rave."
"Well, connecting with the eagles. Sailing wind. Are they good?" she asked.
"They are, but I'm best than both of them."
"You are one in a million."
"Thank you, gorgeous. You too," Sev said.
"I'll wait for you tomorrow after breakfast in front of the portrait of Barnabas. We don't know if we can enter separately."
"Sure. Be Disillusioned and show up when I arrive. We will try it."
"Well, I have not told you that all is in order," Lauren said.
"Yeah. Work is piling up."
"Relax for a while, come on. And talk to Lily if you want."
"The truth is that I don't even feel like that," he admitted.
"Okay, then I'll do it, I really feel like it. We have already done it during lunch as well."
Excellent.My girls love each other, Sev thought. He had to force himself to finish both courses and drink his cup of milk tea. He went straight to bed, before anyone else. I will do part of my homework at dawn.The first thing I'm going to ask Dumbledore for is a Time-Turner.
Meanwhile, the girls chatted. "Hello pretty, how was the afternoon?" Lauren projected to Lily.
"What a surprise, Lauren. I was not expecting you."
"It's just that I noticed Sev very tired and I told him that we would talk."
"Sure, poor boy. But you are too," the readhead said.
"Yes, but mine has been for pleasure, I have spent the afternoon walking through the Forest," the brunette lied. "He has spent the entire day fighting two against one against four good sixth year warriors."
"Oh... he hasn't told me."
"Me neither, but knowing him I imagine it."
"Make sure he rests well," Lily said. "If you see him hanging around the House tomorrow, project to him to go to bed to do his homework, that's what he told me he was going to do."
"Sure, pretty, don't worry, we'll take care of him."
"And you rest too."
"Yes, of course, I'm going to go to bed as soon as I have dinner."