Brothers
Sev was telling Lily, from the beginning, all the maneuvers he had carried out with Lauren, including Malfoy, Bellatrix, his fame at school, the possible plans with Dumbledore, the perspective of the Guard and the possible strategy to follow.
Lily was amazed with each new revelation. "Wow, Sev.You are going to have a determining role in the development of the war."
"It seems so."
"And do you want?"
"Of course," he replied. "I want to beat Voldemort at all costs, even if I lose my life trying. I already asked it to the fir tree for my birthday."
Lily thought, Wow… And just three months before he wanted to be a Death Eater. How I made him change. "I fear for you."
"Me too. And for you, for you both, for everyone."
"It is what we have to deal with. I also want to participate, I will prepare myself thoroughly, I have two years ahead."
Sev thought, Wow… how Lily has changed. In six months she has gone from being a little girl who lived on a cloud of cotton to wanting to be a warrior. "I will suffer, but I understand. I will do my best to keep you in the rear, and Lauren as well."
He also told her that he and Lauren were going to read the teachers to try to find out where the Red Magic book was. And precisely that day, Wednesday, the Slys had class with the two candidates, Slughorn and McGonagall. During the Potions class Sev and Lauren only communicated for him to give her the modifications on them.
She replied, "Thank you very much, Severus, keep talking to Lily.I'm reading Slughorn and it's going to take me time, because he knows something but he hides it partially.I'll explain it to you this afternoon."
Sev thought, In the end it was lucky that she moved to the front row.
He projected to Lily, "Lauren just told me that Slughorn knows something, but she's looking for it."
"Good."
In Arithmancy, Sev spoke to Anthony with the Muffliato. "Can you tell me what the hell Jack has invented to get more people?"
"Obliviate," replied his friend laughing.
"How?"
"His uncle has taught him to do it correctly."
His uncle the Auror, of course… Sev thought. Jack can now use the wand outside of school.
"So we will take the possible candidates to the clearing in the Forest, tell them your story along the way without telling them who you are, you will wait for us there and train them during the morning at the same time that you read them," Anthony continued. "If they aren't trustworthy, they will return with Jack the way they came in time for lunch and he will Obliviate them. What do you think?" He was dying of laughter.
"It is unscrupulous, really."
"Jack has proven it amply," his friend became more serious. "That's why he has waited for the holidays to do it."
"I will try to earn them by myself and not have to get to that point."
"I also think it won't be necessary. Jack wants to talk to you about it in more detail. Can you this afternoon?"
"Yes, tell him we'll meet in the small clearing, as always," Sev answered. Ugh…what a hectic day.
After lunch, in Transfiguration, Sev projected to Lauren, "Can you tell me something now?"
"Later. Try it with McGonagall, you're closer. I will try it too when she approaches me, we'll spoke in Charms."
Sev thought, It's true, I'm in the first row, but she doesn't stop moving throughout the classroom, it's going to be hard for me to follow her, today I'm going to miss class. He read McGonagall and discovered that the books removed from the Restricted Section of the Library were in the Room of Requirement in its storage guise.
He kept probing how to get into the Room of Requirement. It is located on the seventh floor, in front of the portrait of Barnabas being beaten by trolls, and you have to pass three times in front of that wall, mentally requesting what is required.
He continued inquiring and saw what the Room looked like. Whoah… it's going to be impossible to find anything there.Let's see if she knows where exactly they are. He found nothing. She must be occluding it, although I'm surprised, if she doesn't occlude everything else.Perhaps the exact location will be bequeathed to her by Dumbledore when he dies and she'll succeed him.Hopefully Lauren has found something else.
It took most of the class to him, getting reprimanded a couple of times by the strict Deputy for being distracted. If you only knew, dear Minerva, what I have been distracted with…
At last they arrived to Charms and were able to tell each other what they had seen.
"Whoah, Severus… we know where the Room of Requirement is," Lauren said.
"Yeah. What a discovery. How did we not think of looking for it like this before? Have you found where exactly the books are?"
"No, and she does not occlude it. She does not know it."
"I think Dumbledore will pass it on to her," Sev said.
"Me too. Shall we go take a look tonight?"
"Buf… we have to do it with time, and this afternoon I'm going to see Jack. It is inside the castle and in a little crowded corridor. How about dedicating Sunday afternoon, with Lily? We would be three to search."
"Ugh... Severus. You are going to fall behind in your studies," she said.
"Better than at night, Lauren, I prefer to rest, then I pay twice as much. I will resist."
"Made of very stern stuff. Don't tell the Guard yet, and don't tell Lily either, I'll explain why later. Has Anthony given you any news?"
"Yeah." He told her about their conversation in Arithmancy.
She told him, "I dont think it is bad.I would have done it too if some enemy had discovered us, even if I hadn't known how to do it correctly.But if Jack has learned to do it right, trust him.I don't think it's necessary either, you all are going to earn them together.Give him permission to tell them your story."
"Yes of course."
"And train them as you know how. They will find out what a good teacher is and they will not hesitate to join, everyone is eager to fight. Sailing wind, Severus."
"What have you found out about Slughorn?"
"I have inquired about the time you told me about, the 40s, when they withdrew the R.S. books, and I discovered that he had hidden one on his own, without telling anyone, also in the Room of Requirement."
"Oh... And what is it about?" Sev asked.
"He doesn't occlude either, but his memories are blurred, as if he tried to forget them by himself, but he doesn't quite succeed, they are fragmented."
"Yeah…"
"I have not seen the title of the book, but it deals with very dark magic, and also the appearance of the closet where he put it away, but not exactly where it is," Lauren continued.
"Well, we'll look for it too."
"Yes of course."
"Have you found anything else about that?" he asked.
"I have linked to the motivation that led him to do it. Apparently he had a student in the 40s, a certain Tom Riddle, Sly, very prominent, whom he invited to his Club."
"Aha…"
"After one of the meetings, they stayed alone talking and he asked if it was possible to fragment his soul to be immortal," she went on.
"Booaaah... And Slughorn knew how to do it?"
"Yeah. He answered him, but that too is blurred."
"It must be the content of the book that he hid," Sev deduced.
"Of course."
"Booah… there is a dark wizard out there with inconceivable power."
"You can imagine who, right?" Lauren asked.
"Voldemort."
"Sure, Severus. He is immortal, that's why he is so confident. And maybe Dumbledore doesn't know, another piece of information you're keeping up your sleeve. We have to find that book to find out how he did it and if the spell can be broken. Do not tell Lily or the Guard about all this for the moment, they could be demoralized. I'll take care of looking for the book, it won't be that difficult, I know what the closet looks like. I'll spend as much time as I can, I'm sure I'll do it before you reveal yourself so you can let Dumbledore know as soon as he signs you up. Now, yes yes, he is going to form a great dumbbell with you."
"Okay, but don't neglect your studies either, Lauren."
"Well, what a problem, I'm counting on you telling me everything in the exams."
That we have to deal with all this just in the year of the OWLs… he thought.
After school Sev went to the clearing to meet Jack, who was very cheerful. They hugged.
"Brother…"
"Such good news, Jack."
"Aren't them? What do you think of Obliviate?"
"Okay, but only if there is no other choice. I believe that among all of us we will earn them."
"I also believe it," said Jack. "Does the system look good to you? What about them knowing your story before knowing who you are?"
"Yes, perfect."
"It's a bit tricky, but they're going to get a big surprise, and as soon as they find out how well you train, they're going to realize that you're our trump card. Obliviating them is just for security."
"Sure, Jack. I appreciate it a lot," Sev agreed.
"And I will also do it with all the enemies that discover us."
"Brilliant."
"It was the excuse I gave my uncle," Jack explained.
"Cunning Sly…" They smiled wickedly.
"You're going to need to control the time they have to return to the castle if they don't pass the test, so I brought you a little present." Jack took a small package from his cloak pocket.
A clock, Sev thought. "You didn't have to. You could let me know."
"Come on Prince, accept it, come on... This is nothing in exchange for everything you are giving me. Open it to see if you like it."
Sev opened it. A good Muggle wristwatch with green dial background, and silver steel numerals, hands and strap.
"It runs on batteries," Jack continued. "I've already verified that it works in the Forest and in the castle. So you can consult it without stopping fighting."
I'm sure he also bought a magical wind-up one in case this one didn't work.Ugh… Sev thought. "I love it, Jack, thank you very much. I have something for you too, we were in Diagon looking for books." He passed him the notes on the Ancestral Magics, briefly explaining what each one was about and how to ward them.
Sev also told him that the book of Red Magic was probably in the castle, without mentioning the Room of Requirement yet. We must first find the one that Slughorn hid, lest the Guard find it.
"Whoah, Prince. This is the bomb, even better than Druid Magic," Jack said. "What a job your mother has done copying all this, and you didn't want to accept the trifle that I brought you. This is impossible to buy with money."
"I plan to read the teachers, to see if they know anything."
"Sure, but don't neglect your studies. You have two months left for the OWLs and you must take Defense, prioritize that."
The perfect excuse to cover ourselves while we wait to find the Dark Magic book, Sev thought. "I won't, Jack. Don't worry."
They had a little while. Ever since I saw Lauren's Patronus, I wonder what Jack's is. "Jack, I've never seen your Patronus."
"It's true. And you will like it."
"Do we do them together?"
"Brilliant."
They did the passes at one time. Sev thought back to the last night with Lily, and Jack, the first with Lauren. They emerged, the lioness and the panther, from their wands. They came closer, sniffed and rubbed against each other.
"They also do things…" Jack was laughing.
"The connection…" Merlin, how I want to tell him that his Patronus is a twin to Lauren's, but he'll find out soon enough, and he's not jealous of me at all.Will he be able to share her too?I will tell her tonight.
Sev projected to Lauren in the Great Hall, "I have been with Jack.Sailing wind."
"Brilliant. All in order," she replied. "Today I have been the one who has protected my two loves."
How cute... She's going to love it. "We have made our Patronuses together."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah. His is twin of yours, his happiest memory must be with you," he said. "They have shown affection too, although not like ours, they have only brushed against each other."
"Despite what he knows about us."
"Yes, he is not jealous at all. And I have passed the notes of the Ancestral Magics to him, I think that he will accept what you decide when it is time, and so will I."
He saw her smile. I will have to learn to share her. Lauren continued to smile with her eyes closed. She is already dreaming of being the lover of the two army leaders.Of course, the memory of her Patronus will change on the fifteenth of May.
He continued to talk to Lily, telling her that they still hadn't been able to find out anything about the books. That night he went to bed right after dinner and got up early to study in front of the Lake window, alone in the Common Room of the dungeons, as he liked to do so much.