Chapter Twenty-Five
Problems and Solvers
The book was quite advanced, but Griselda Maxen nearly had it memorized.
She had begun looking for that book the day that Ravenclaw had possessed her and had gotten away with it, and delved deeper into it every incident since. As far as she was concerned, his interference when they were combing the Scribe's Quarters and assigning them double detention was the last straw, and being sent to their common rooms was the perfect excuse to do something that she had been plotting for months.
"Let's play a little game," Griselda said in a tone that caused the rest of her family to gaze at her unsurely. "A fun Halloween game... quite traditional, as a matter of fact. We will have a séance."
"We're not supposed to have séances on the school property, most especially at Halloween," Moira reminded her. "It's even posted on the House notice board as a reminder."
"But this is a special case," Zelda said unconcernedly. "We are going to use the spectral energy that happens only on Halloween to help a ghost ascend, thus putting him to a peaceful rest... and getting rid of the blighter at the same time. Close the door so we can get started."
"I hope you're not thinking of doing this to Professor Ravenclaw," Moira said sternly. "It can't be done, you know. A condemned ghost can't be put to rest in that way. You'll probably get expelled for trying."
"But if we succeed, we'll be rewarded for cleverness, and we won't have to deal with him meddling in Maxen affairs anymore. Shut the door and gather around the table. That's an order... or do I need to force you to cooperate?" Zelda threatened.
"If anyone asks, we will tell them you forced us do it... and they'll believe us," Bonnibel said critically. But the two girls went over to the table any with Broc reluctantly following behind.
"I won't hold it against you if you do," Zelda said with a shrug. "Come along! Gather around while we wait for Douglas to confirm that stupid spirit is in the Great Hall. I'll explain the technical magic involved."
"Can you make the instructions simple? I'm not into all that Divination stuff you're into," Broc protested.
"The one thing you must remember is that whatever you do, do not let go of everyone's hands. We need a full circular connection to contain him here while we're doing this," Zelda told him.
"That much I can do," Broc said, sitting down next to his sister.
"Then let's get ready," Zelda said. She showed the spell in the Advanced Divination book to Moira and Bonnibel and immediately began talking about things well over Broc's knowledge level.
By the time Douglas informed Zelda that Ravenclaw had arrived at the Spectral Ball, they were ready. Soon they were all grasping hands and listening to Zelda chant, the lanterns in the room all going out leaving only the weakly flickering candle on the table as magic began to build and swirl as both their magic and psychic energy combined.
Speaking in an ancient tongue, Zelda then called out the name of Icarus Ravenclaw, and they started to hear a scream of alarm... distant at first, until the spirit finally manifested in the smoke of the candle itself, squeezing the top half of his body out until he could force his arms out of the flame so that he could cross them.
"You are in a lot of trouble this time, young lady! You have gone a step too far!" Icarus snapped, his incorporeal form letting out sparks of flame in agitation.
"I am only trying to help," Zelda said with deadpan innocence. "We are here to make you ascend... or descend, as the case may be."
"You have not the power, Griselda, no one has! And if you truly think you can do anything of that magnitude, I really think that ego of yours has truly gotten out of hand. It is time you realize that you do not know everything, nor are your powers as superior as you think they are! Stop this at once! Moira, Bonnibel, break the link this instant!" Icarus ordered.
"I'm a bit afraid of what might happen if we do," Moira admitted. "Zelda put something of her own in there that I didn't completely understand, but I'm pretty sure that if one of us does let go, something even worse will happen to you."
"Ancient magic of some sort," Broc realized.
"Wait, was that part of the spell aimed at Ravenclaw, or at us?" Bonnibel asked in surprise.
"Both," Zelda said primly. "Shall we continue?"
"Continuing will do nothing but cause injury to all of you! You have no choice but to cancel the spell at once!" Icarus demanded.
"Sorry, I don't know how. There's only one way this ends. You either ascend, or you get banished. Anything else will backfire at this point," Zelda said, unconcerned about her sister and cousins' worried expressions. Let us end this, she thought at them, then opened her mouth to speak the finishing phrase.
But before she could utter another word, she heard different words in her head from the same language she had memorized. Unfortunately, she didn't know enough of it to understand any of it...
It was beyond her conscious thoughts... beyond her understanding... time within the room had gotten slower and slower... almost as if there had been a Freeze Frame in the room.
Standing at the door was Severus Snape.
Albus Dumbledore stood right next to him, watching as Severus put a time field around the room and slowed things down to a crawl. Erik Dalance stepped inside, taking it all in as everything became incredibly quiet.
"They've made a proper mess of it, haven't they?" Erik said when he noticed the strands of Dark Magic swirling within the Ancient Divination strands surrounding the students. The flaming manifestation of Icarus Ravenclaw was focused in on the younger girl, apparently scolding her as she opened her mouth defiantly. The other three children seemed appropriately terrified of the situation.
"They have their Soul Strands tied to everyone and everything. It's tangled even worse than we were the night the Mallus Craw painting invaded," Severus snapped, struggling to hold up the field.
"Oh, I remember," Albus replied, pulling up his sleeves. "You must hold the time field steady for me, Severus. This may take me a bit."
"Isn't this Time spell only supposed to be used for a few seconds at a time? Humans make bad anchors," Erik said with alarm.
"So good to know you read my last Temporal Magic article, Erik," Severus said briskly. He concentrated on the spell, realizing he had lost a second of time in the exchange.
"Erik, do be a good chap and fetch the Sorting Hat off of Quintin's head. We are going to need him," Albus suggested. Erik scrambled out, glad that he could at least be of service in some way.
Little by little, Albus worked at freeing each strand in turn, the three other children being the easiest while Zelda's was much more complicated, having tied herself around both Icarus and the rest of her accomplices and knotted in a way that made it obvious that she really didn't know the extent of what she was doing. Working at the edge of the time field put Albus in a state of flux that reminded him of traveling through the Otherworld portal; he was grateful for that experience. It was the experience of finding order in extreme chaos; it was the experience of crossing from a world favoring Fate to one favoring Choice.
But now, it was Fate aiding him... Fate who guided him across the portal so that he could be at the right place at the right time... Fate that smiled with mischievous irony, calling him to perform such a task. Perhaps it was time he passed on these skills to someone capable of performing them, he mused, freeing the last strand of Zelda's line from Icarus. Then he heard a hollow voice as Erik pushed his way back into the room's field.
"I brought the Hat," Erik announced.
"Do be good Gryffindor and pull out the Sword for me. I doubt Harry will mind," Albus said.
Erik reached in and pulled out the Sword of Nuatha, admiring it as he handed it to Albus. Albus then became stern and serious, taking the sword with both hands before striking the candle holding Icarus hostage, severing it in half.
Icarus came flying out of the candle, manifesting as far away as he could from the table and looking more than a little shaken. As the others gazed at him in concern, he immediately became aware of them.
"I think I need a cup of tea," Icarus said faintly and faded away.
"Alright, Severus, you may let go now," Albus said once Icarus was gone.
Severus released the time field, attempting to steady himself as the students jolted back into the correct time stream, dazed and confused.
Gasping in surprise, Zelda whirled around to see the stern expressions of Albus and Erik.
The Headmaster was leaning against the wall, too exhausted to be outraged. But his thoughts were indeed outraged, and aimed at Zelda for what she had tried to do. In fact, it was the first time that Zelda recalled ever reading the Headmaster so clearly. Before she could grasp the significance of that, the room trembled with a hollow rumble.
"Damn. I think I broke the outer security seal," Severus realized with a groan.
"Are you certain that's all? That tremble seemed more structural in nature," Erik asked in concern.
"We need to check on Icarus, and then inspect the foundation to be safe," Albus advised.
"Erik, would you and the Sorting Hat be so kind as to take these students to my Study, and ask Armando to fetch me an expulsion scroll," Severus said. Albus looked sideways at Severus, while Zelda, still fighting for composure at having her séance ruined, pulled up her chin defiantly. Erik also looked troubled, glancing at the young girl warily and back again.
"Put me on your head, Erik. I work best that way," the Sorting Hat advised. Erik acquiesced, putting the Sorting Hat on his head before turning to the students.
"You heard the Headmaster! Up to the Study, all of you! As soon as they check the castle to see what sort of damage was done, we are all going to have a serious talk about all of this!" Erik said sternly.
Albus waited until the students had left the room before finally turning to put a hand on Severus' sleeve.
"Are you all right? Perhaps you should sit down a moment," Albus suggested quietly.
"I would no more sit down than you would in a similar situation," Severus told him, turning for the door. "I have been learning a new technique to help me manage the stress caused by such time spells, but it would seem that I do not yet have the hang of it." He glanced up at the painting on the wall. "Devon, go find Janus Craw and tell him to look after Icarus, he may be in his office. Damon, ask Aurelius to take over security for Janus, and ask Hermione to continue as if nothing is wrong but tell her to stand by for further instructions."
"Yes, Headmaster," the Platt Twins said, hurrying out of the frame in two different directions. "We should split up as well. I'll check the lower half for structural damage and meet you in the Study," Albus said, checking for cracks in the Slytherin common rooms while Severus took the stairs.
In the Great Hall, many people heard Icarus' loud protest, turning in time to see the Headmaster dash out of the room with Dumbledore and Dalance on his heels. Hermione didn't miss a beat, asking Andrew a soft question before he left the room and then smiled fiercely as she suggested to Danyelle and the Spectral Band to start with a country dance to get things started.
Over at the pumpkin-flavored candy floss stand that the Order of the Owls had set up as a fundraiser, Pete and Jeremy watched the commotion curiously. Sissy, who had been filling her plate, made her way over to the booth.
"What did I miss? What was Professor Ravenclaw shouting about?" Sissy asked them in a whisper.
"I don't know. He didn't stick around," Pete replied. "Whatever it was, the Headmaster left to go take care of it. I bet those Villins and Maxens probably had something to do with it..."
"What was that?" Antonio asked. Pete looked up in surprise, blushing slightly. "That was extremely rude of you to say."
"Sorry, Antonio, I didn't mean you. I meant the ones who were already in trouble," Pete explained.
"And because of it, they are confined to their rooms. I doubt they'll get into much of anything in there. Why are you so against them?" Antonio wanted to know.
"Well for one thing, because they're extremely rude to my friends... especially Sissy," Pete said.
"Peter," Sissy said in a scolding tone.
"That doesn't give you the right to be rude in return, does it? We're not all the same, you know. Zelda and I are complete opposites, and we don't always get along. I suppose it was Zelda who's been the most unspoken, hasn't it?" Antonio asked.
"I prefer not to discuss it," Sissy said firmly.
"It is alright. I promise that I will not be rude to you. In fact, I will do my best to be kind and understanding," Antonio said promised. Jeremy and Pete squinted at him suspiciously.
"Thank you very much, but I'd best be going to the library while I can. I will see you later, Pete," Sissy said.
"I'll be there with my first aid homework right after my booth shift," Pete promised, waiting until Sissy had made her way through the crowd before turning to face Antonio again. "You better be sincere about your promise to be polite to Sissy. Because if you aren't, me and the rest of her friends are going to have a problem with it," he threatened.
"Of course I'm sincere," Antonio said with open surprise. "I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it. Being kind to her is the right thing to do. I feel sorry for her."
"What! There's absolutely no reason to sorry for her! She's as capable as anyone else in this school, you know... best Quidditch player too -" Pete snapped, then got elbowed by Jeremy.
"She can also take care of herself," Jeremy reminded him.
"You misunderstand me. I don't mean it in the way you are taking it," Antonio protested, putting up a hand. "I feel sorry for her because she can't see this handsome face of mine," he explained, glancing at himself in the mirror. The two boys stared at him in disbelief. "If she could see me, she'd have known at once that I am quite charming despite my family ties. I will make every effort to make sure she knows that I don't hold it against her. Do you suppose I could get a discount on the candy floss?"
"No discounts," Pete said flatly.
"Oh, well. I'll try again later when there are witches in charge of the stand, they'll give me a discount," Antonio said unconcernedly. He walked over to a group of first year witches and instantly became the center of attention.
"What the hell..." Pete said flatly.
"I'm trying to think of an appropriate word to describe him, but I left my Thesaurus in my house rooms," Jeremy said with a look of disgust. "You know, the worst thing about his childish attitude is that some of the adults around here don't behave any better than he does."
He pointed his thumb over towards the fireplace. Some of the parents had gathered to listen to Gilderoy Lockhart give an embellished account of their time in the cave and their subsequent rescue to a group of curious parents. Professor Heron, for his part, only offered a correction now and again when the story became too outlandish.
It was at that moment that Chairman Dalance dashed into the room, going over to where Quintin and Bethia were lining up for the dance. Then the chairman ran back out with the Sorting Hat on his head. Quintin shrugged at Bethia, then took his place in line.
"All of the sudden, I feel like I'm missing a lot," Jeremy declared flatly. "Think you could watch the stand long enough for me to find a replacement?"
"Only if you find someone to take over for me too," Pete protested.
"Got it," Jeremy said, then hurried off to find some replacements.
Pete concentrated on the customers, not getting distracted again until the ground trembled below his feet. Or had he just imagined that? He looked around and saw that quite a number of other guests were also glancing about curiously. On the dance floor, no one seemed to notice. And did the wind just pick up? Why did it sound so strange all of the sudden?
Jeremy came back with Kitty and Agatha in tow.
"I found some volunteers to take over!" Jeremy announced.
"Sure, I'll do anything to help," Kitty said.
"I have nothing better to do," Agatha said dourly.
"Great, thanks girls," Pete said, showing them the sign and the till and giving them some basic instructions. "And don't forget, no discounts!" Agatha and Kitty nodded sagely.
"Now that that's settled, let's see if we can find out what's going on," Jeremy said.
"I need to get to the library. I promised the study group I'd go over there," Pete explained.
"It's probably a better place to find out what's going on anyway," Jeremy said. "Come on, the back way is closer."
As they worked their way to the back they had to pass the fireplace where Roy was still playing it up for the crowd.
"Ah! I recognize that sound now, don't you, my friend? Mountain Hags! All of the merriment in here must have stirred them up," Gilderoy declared. "Quite indigenous up here, of course... although there was a similar species that I encountered on my trek through the Himalayas..."
"Mountain Hags cause it to snow. It is raining," Rhett pointed out to him.
"Astute observation, my good man. It must then be a subspecies of Mountain Hags," Gilderoy decided.
"You must be referring to Moor Hags. Mountain Hags are a subspecies of Moor Hags rather than the other way around," Rhett informed him.
"Ah! Then we have nothing to fear... but fear itself, of course. They cannot possibly be a threat to us in Hogwarts. They survive by leeching off our dreams, you see. And that means they are easy enough to defeat... with a complicated Glamour spell known as Effevescia! A very complicated charm, of course, not everyone can master it, but it can mesmerize the most powerful of creatures! Do you know it, my friend?" Roy asked Rhett.
"I do," Rhett replied. "It's typically used on Windigos, but that's really not necessary in this case. A strong Patronus will ward off any Moor Hag that plagues your bedroom, although it's better to go after them in a group if they're out in the wild."
"A Patronus! How incredibly dull! Really, why does that spell have to always be the answer to everything? I prefer magic with a bit more flair!" Roy protested.
"I prefer magic that does the job," Rhett said bluntly.
"It's amazing those two came out of the same cave together alive," Jeremy murmured to Pete as they kept walking towards the door.
"If those two are going to stand there and try to one-up each other all night, I'm glad we're leaving," Pete agreed.
"Me too, but did you hear what they said about the wind? If we're getting bombarded with Moor Hags again, I bet those Maxens do have something to do with all of the weird stuff going on," Jeremy conjectured as the two of them slipped out the door.
When Severus finally made it up to his Study once more, Erik was leaning against his desk with the four children lined up in front of him; Zelda with a calm expression while Moira, Bonnibel, and Broc seemed a lot more uncertain. The Sorting Hat was back on his shelf, watching intently. Albus stood closer to the curtain and gazed at Severus more searchingly.
"Welcome back, Severus. I'm happy to report there was no significant damage to the foundations," Albus said.
"If only I could say the same about my outer security," Severus said briskly, then gazed at the children sternly. "Do you have any idea of the magnitude of what you just did?"
"Um... Severus... before we have that conversation... might I have a quiet word?" Albus suggested.
"I would like one as well," Erik agreed.
"Fine! Sir Hat, Headmaster Dippet, keep an eye on them! Rasputin, stone them if they try to leave," he added for good measure, the basilisk peeking out from under the Headmaster's desk with a hiss. Neither of the other two wizards commented on it, following Severus to the back room.
"Can you read them at all?" Broc wanted to know.
"Dalance and Dumbledore are worried that Professor Snape is planning to expel us, or at least expel Griselda," Bonnibel informed him.
"I hope he'll at least give us a chance to defend ourselves," Broc said, not liking the idea of going to a different school.
"Let him expel us, it'll keep me from having to endure another day with Ravenclaw still in the castle. Just how did they manage to keep him from being sent to the void? That should have been foolproof," Zelda said.
"Maybe it's because you still have a lot to learn about magic?" Bonnibel suggested.
Zelda glared at her and would have gotten even had the painting not cleared its throat, reminding her that the room was not without witnesses.
A few minutes later, the three wizards came out of the back room wearing serious expressions. This time, none of them could read any of the three wizards.
"You are very lucky at the moment that these two colleagues and fellow educators were with me this evening and that they witnessed what you attempted to do to one of my senior staff. Had it been me alone, Griselda, you would have already been expelled for casting an irreversible spell in an attempt to harm a Professor," Severus informed her.
"I wasn't trying to harm him. I was only trying to help him ascend," Zelda replied calmly.
"Considering the level of manipulation you used to try and enhance that banishment spell, we do not find such a defense remotely plausible. This was an attempt by you and your accomplices to get even with Ravenclaw for getting in your way any time you attempt to break the rules," Severus said firmly. "Not only did you put him in danger, but had it backfired, it would have put the rest of you in danger as well considering just how tangled your souls had gotten into that spell. Since Ravenclaw is a condemned spirit, the chances of that backfiring were extremely high. You have no idea just how lucky you are that all of you are still here in one piece and not in a catatonic state or worse... not to mention that seances have been forbidden at this school for decades, most especially at Halloween, which is pointedly posted out on the boards every single year without fail.
"As it is, I have my hands full and currently don't have time to get into all of the disciplinary measures we will be taking in detail, but what will immediately be done is that you, Griselda, will be moved to Ella Hauk's room so that you will be better supervised, and I assure you her thoughts will be adequately protected. Also, you will no longer be allowed to study Divination for the remainder of your education here."
"Divination is my intended profession," Zelda replied evenly.
"Not any longer. I have the authority of revoking magical education to any student who abuses a certain house of magic. Furthermore, Professor Ravenclaw also has the right to issue a formal legal complaint with the Ministry, which I am most certain he will do, and that will launch an inquiry that will no doubt ban you from ever practicing Divination in this country. Considering the witnesses, I highly doubt that inquiry will go in your favor," Snape informed her. "All of you are restricted from extracurricular activities for the rest of the term. Instead of free time, you will have scheduled weekends with escorts to and from each one, as well escorts in the halls and to your rooms at night. And before you ask, yes, it's been done before... to my own niece and nephew, in fact. And if there are any more issues with any of you for the rest of the school year, I'll bring the lot of you into this Study and have you re-Sorted so that you aren't all in the same house. I do know with your mental abilities that it hardly resolves the issue, and the entire reason you are still here at all is that one of my colleagues thinks you too young for such drastic punishment and the other believes in second chances. But just because I am willing to give you a second chance does not mean I am willing to give a third regardless of outside opinions, since I do have the final word on who may attend my school. Do you understand?"
"Clearly," Zelda answered primly, while the others seemed more reluctant in their responses.
"Armando, have Aurelius come escort these students to their rooms," Severus told the painting.
"He is already on his way up to speak with you on an entirely different matter," Armando admitted.
Severus opened the doors and was still looking in that direction when Aurelius stepped through the Doorlift, glancing thoughtfully at the students before stepping in.
"All of the guests are safely inside and we've arranged them to safely exit in the same way they came into the castle," Aurelius reported. "There was, however, a slight fluctuation on the barriers that keep the creatures of the Dark Forest off the property, and I think something got inside. Considering their proximity, my guess is it's one of the Moor Hags."
None of them missed the fact that all of the students smiled softly at that.
"Yes, I already suspected that the barrier weakened, thank you for confirming it. We will begin searching as soon as possible, although I have a feeling that it'll be much easier to chase off the property once all of the guests have left for the night," Snape replied. "Gather some of the other professors to increase corridor security, especially around house rooms and professor accommodations."
"It's going to be pretty obvious to the guests that something's wrong if that many members of the staff leave the ball," Aurelius noted.
"Professor Weasley is more than capable of handling the situation. Simply keep her informed of what's really going on and let her do her job," Severus said impatiently. "Inform her that I'll return to make another appearance once I've escorted these students back to their rooms. Please send Professor Brittle to speak with me as soon as she can slip away."
"On it," Aurelius said, and hurried out the door.
"Perhaps we should return to the Spectral Ball so that Severus can take care of these students," Albus suggested. "I'm certain that our return to the party will help waylay suspicions."
"Maybe it'll appease some of the guests, but my wife will be as suspicious as hell," Erik replied, Albus chuckling in agreement.
"Feel free to fill her in, so long as you can do so discreetly... and thank you both," Severus added sincerely.
"We all want what's best for the school, even if we don't always agree," Erik said with a smile. He and Albus then walked to the Doorlift and Severus gave the students his undivided attention.
"Very well, let's head down the stairs. Moira, you lead, if you don't mind," Severus said. Moira, who never got to lead anywhere as often as she'd like, raised her chin at that and walked towards the Spiral Stairs.
"Can't we take the Doorlift as well?" Broc whined, thinking of all the stairs in between.
"You have hardly earned the privilege and you are perfectly capable of walking on your own. We'll take the stairs," Severus said.
"We were just thinking of your own welfare since you're really, really old -"
"March, Miss Villin," Severus ordered Bonnibel, who then turned to follow Moira down the stairs. "Zelda, I suggest you don't push my any further tonight, or you're going to be serving detention straight away and I have other things to do tomorrow."
"I hope you know that I've already complained to my father about our treatment," Zelda said icily, glaring at Broc as if daring him to go in front of her on the stairs.
"Considering the witnesses to what the four of you had done, you'll find that complaints will not go far in this matter. On the contrary, considering that Professor Ravenclaw has the right to press charges for attempted exorcism, any complaints would no doubt be taken into consideration in front of a judge," Severus informed her. "A right turn out of the door, Miss Moira, there's no need to prolong this. The back stairs will suffice for what advise I would like to give you."
"Haven't we been punished enough?" Broc complained, getting a nudge from the Headmaster to follow the others.
"Yes, very droll. You will listen anyway," Severus told them, following behind. "Do you any of you happen to know who the head of Slytherin house was before Madame Brittle?"
"You were," Bonnibel replied without hesitation, looking over her shoulder. "Ella Hauk said that you left because of something her father did."
"That was merely the catalyst. There was much more to it than that," Severus replied as they descended the stairs. "I had a troubled childhood, often feeling cursed and condemned as if Fate had turned her back on me. I felt as if the deck had always been stacked against me, born into the family I was and the misfortunes I had, it was only inevitable that I had gone down such a dark and hateful path. It was only much later in life that I realized that Fate had very little to do with it; yes, I felt her influence from time to time, but in truth, it was my choices alone that took me down that road. I could have chosen a different path and turned away from one filled with hatred and self destruction if I had only made better decisions. I was also certain that my road would only lead me to an early grave; if others had not stepped in and made different choices at a crucial moment, it would have."
"If that's true, then I don't see how your choices mattered at all," Zelda said critically, "if others chose to step in, it was their choices that mattered, not yours."
"The fact that everyone has a choice only serves to make matters complicated; often so complicated that it is often mistaken for Fate, since it creates sometimes positive and sometimes negative influences in our lives. Those influences can act together to bring us closer to Fate or further away, but that does not make it the same thing. It took me decades to figure out how all of that fit together, and it is not important for you to understand. What is important to understand is that your choices not only influence you, but it creates ripples out like throwing a stone in the lake. And those ripples travel much further than you realize... far beyond what you can see... even after coming into contact with other ripples caused by all of the other stones being thrown in at the same time," Severus explained. "Will it come crashing to shore? Will it stir up something under the surface? We can't always tell what the effect those decisions will have or if we will come to regret them... a regret that can come decades after a choice has been made or as quick as an instant."
"You seem to know all about regrets. I suppose you must have many of them," Zelda said.
"Yes, more than you can possibly imagine, which is why I do my best to educate in a way in the hope of preventing others of making the same mistakes that I have," Severus informed her. "You have all made a poor decision this evening, one that changes your path going forward, but it is not too late for any of you to choose a different direction. I can tell you that the road you are currently on will not lead any of you to a bright or productive future. Just as my poor decisions lead me to even worse ones for many years of my young life, the same can happen to each of you. If I were you, I would find a way to turn that around before things get any worse... for yourselves, and for everyone else around you."
Suddenly they found themselves on the last landing so abruptly that their feet were in a strange position. They were forced to steady themselves before looking around to see that they were standing in front of the Grinning Grackle.
"I am certain you'll find that your sleeping arrangements will have changed in your absence, especially yours, Miss Griselda," Severus said, opening the door for them.
"I don't mind in the slightest," Zelda assured him, meeting his stern gaze while her siblings ducked inside to avoid it. Finally she followed them and Severus closed the door with a silent sigh.
"Just what we needed! A double helping of lecture!" Broc exclaimed with exasperation, dropping down onto the sofa out of relief.
"It was a bit much," Moira agreed with him.
"Oh, but he taught us just a valuable lesson just now. One that we should all take to heart," Zelda said calmly.
"Did he?" Bonnibel asked dubiously.
"You mean that bit about making choices?" Broc asked in confusion.
"No, I meant about how he has so many regrets," Zelda replied. "It just goes to show you that regrets are nothing but a pointless burden that'll only hold you back. If we can choose our path like he says we can, then I propose we simply choose not to regret anything. That way, we won't ever have to worry about such a weak philosophy."
"His so-called advice did borderline on one of my Mother's 'show compassion towards others' speeches," Bonnibel admitted.
"Except he wants people to show compassion even when we're not getting anything out of it," Broc said with exasperation. Zelda shuddered.
"I'm so glad I was born a Maxen instead of a Villin. I couldn't possibly stomach playing nice all of the time, no matter how effective that tactic is for you," Zelda said. "But I'm too tired to argue about the best way to control people after everything that's happened tonight! Time to get some sleep!"
"We'll be the only ones sleeping tonight," Broc said knowingly.
"All the better," Zelda decided, then went to find her new room.
Rhett wasn't sure when he started to lose focus... probably about the time that he realized how few unmarried witches there were at this party over the age of seventeen. It had made Blair's invitation to her next party much more appealing, despite the fact that he was suspicious of her intentions. He was also rather suspicious of just how much time had past since the Headmaster left the room... he frowned out the window, listening to the wind. Was it his imagination, or was it louder now? Perhaps one of them really had gotten in... he caught the movement of the door in the back swinging open out of the corner of his eye and watched as Albus and Erik came in, making their way over to Hermione along Erik's wife, who had to excuse herself to several of the students dancing as she tried to make her way over to them. Albus went over to Madame Brittle, and after a brief conversation, she slipped out the back.
"Going somewhere?" Gilderoy asked, when he noticed Rhett edging away.
"Be back in a tick," Rhett replied despite having little intention of doing so. His curiosity had gotten the better of him and he wanted to know whether his suspicions about the Moor Hags breaching the castle were correct or not.
"It's alright, you know."
Rhett turned around to see Aurelius was fixed on him. "She's just taking care of a student matter, it has nothing to do with security. We've got things well in hand," the Auror reassured him.
"Perhaps you wouldn't mind filling me in?" Rhett suggested. "Since I too have worked security at this castle, I do know something about procedures here, and since that is the case, it is quite impossible to hide what is going on from me. I am not asking to be informed for ill intentions, Aurelius. I have simply noticed that you are very light on faculty considering the size of the event. It is obvious to me that you've been having to go down the pecking order when it comes to performing certain duties because of some sort of crisis going on beyond this room. I am simply wondering if I can help in any way, and that is all."
"Actually, there's a lot more people working here than back when you worked here," Aurelius pointed out.
"There are also a lot more students. Come now, Aurelius, I know you're a Truth Seeker, surely you see my offer is sincere. You're not intimidated by the idea of asking for help, are you?" Rhett said with exasperation.
"Don't you have some sort of artifact or something to find? Just why are you here, anyway?" Aurelius asked.
"Your mother invited me," Rhett replied impatiently.
"She's not here," Aurelius said.
"Which is one of the reasons I thought you might be short-handed," Rhett reminded him.
"Aurelius?"
The two of them looked over as the Headmaster stepped over to them.
"Sorry I was detained. Did I miss something?" Severus asked.
"Nothing, Rhett was just asking if we needed any help," Aurelius said accusingly.
"It would seem you have your hands full," Rhett told Severus directly.
"Yes, I have, and I'd very much appreciate it if you would go to the Library for me. Gather all of the students there and escort them safely back to their rooms. And Rhett... no detours to the Chamber this time," Severus advised evenly. Rhett smiled with amusement.
"Of course not. I will have them back in a flash and report back when I'm done," Rhett said.
"Thank you," Severus said, watching as Rhett slipped out the back before turning to see his son's baffled expression. "It isn't as if he isn't trained for the job, Aurelius. Consider him a friend of the school unless proven otherwise."
"You're not going to make Roy a friend of the school too, are you?" Aurelius asked flatly.
"No, but if he offers to help, I have the perfect job in mind for him," Severus mused. "In fact, I think I'll ask him now, if I can find him."
"How can you miss him? He's over there chatting up the crowd in front of the fireplace. Even Hermione is over there," Aurelius pointed out and Severus glanced over. Severus didn't miss the fact that Hermione had that smile on her expression as if she wasn't really paying attention to whatever it was he was saying and had her mind somewhere else entirely. Even Blair was there with a thin smile of her own. She at least seemed much more engaged in the conversation, putting in a comment now and again. "Do you think we should rescue Hermione?"
"She's in charge of keeping everyone in the room calm and pretend that nothing is going on outside of it, and from what I see she's doing a splendid job. Still, you have a point. Shall we see to it that she has some help tonight?" Severus inquired.
"I hope you don't mean for me to stay. Worley left while you were gone, but I still have to escort Blair out of here," Aurelius warned.
"You're welcome return after you're done," Severus said concernedly, ignoring the suspicious gaze his son was giving him as they walked over to where Gilderoy Lockhart was standing, flashing his rather unnaturally whitened teeth. His eyes went towards the Headmaster even before he finished his sentence, but he focused back on Blair long enough to finish his joke and invoke her polite laughter before turning to great him.
"And here is our good host, Headmaster Snape! Frightfully good party, especially on Halloween. How appropriate," Roy said with a mischievous glint in his eye. Even Hermione remembered to laugh politely this time.
"Thank you, Roy. Forgive the intrusion, but I was hoping that I could have a word," Severus said.
"Of course, of course! A good time for the others to fill their drinks, but never fear! I shall return to haunt you again!" he teased, before following Severus to a quiet corner near the back door. With a glance at each other, Hermione and Aurelius curiously followed behind. "Now, what can I help you with, Severus?"
"I'm glad you asked that," Severus replied, glancing at Hermione and Aurelius before focusing back on Gilderoy. "I wanted to confide what is going on in the school at the moment. We suspect that at least one of the Moor Hags has indeed managed to sneak onto the grounds, and I was wondering if you could step in and help." A flash of uncertainty crossed Roy's face before his smile took over again.
"Oh, but surely such a petty threat is trivial compared to the most powerful wizard of our era," Roy complemented.
"Thank you, but we have to find it first," Severus pointed out. "No, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind staying and helping Hermione," he explained. Hermione's eyes widened slightly. "I was thinking that someone with your charisma and talent for storytelling would be crucial to keeping everyone calm and entertained this evening. I know that with you here, both guests and students will be much too distracted to concern themselves with the howling winds and what might be in them. However, it will require you to stay until the very end of the Spectral Ball until the last guest has left." Hermione thought about that for a moment. Then she glanced back at the pie table and back at Severus and was smiling warmly by the time Roy looked in her direction.
"Severus, I would be happy to stay to the end and help entertain the guests. It is the least I can do in your hour of need," Roy decided.
"Thank you, Roy. We'd best get back to work," Severus suggested.
"I'll be back after I've escorted the next group of guests out," Aurelius said.
"Thank you," Severus said.
"I'll walk you to the back door, Severus," Hermione offered quickly as Severus now seemed quite focused on it.
Roy looked around with a smile before returning to the fireplace to see that the group that had gathered there had dispersed with his absence. Sighing in understanding at that, he went to find another group to entertain.
"That was positively wicked. You know that, don't you?" Hermione murmured at Severus as they strode towards the back door.
"Thank you. I have very little entertainment ahead for me this Halloween evening, so I thought I'd at least insure that anyone staying late would be entertained," Severus explained.
"Yes, I think watching Roy get a pie in the face is going to be very entertaining," Hermione agreed. "I'm going to go find Ron and Rich and tell them."
"Be sure to get a photo I can enjoy tomorrow morning with my coffee. Good night, I'm off to help get those Hags off the premises."
"Good night, and good luck," Hermione said, watching as he slipped out the door before turning her attention back to the ball.
Severus strode down the corridor, glancing in the Library where Rhett was busy lining up students by house while Arcadia, who had been minding the library while the goblin was on security, helped out by checking off names to make sure nobody had been missed. Seeing that matters were well in hand, Severus continued on and was about to check the Service Room when Aurora Sinistra came darting out of it.
"Oh, it's just you," Aurora said, relaxing slightly.
"No sign of the Hag yet, I take it?"
"No, not yet," Aurora explained and joined him down the corridor. "I just sealed the Service Room just in case it wants to take advantage of the acoustics."
"I doubt it would feel the need to go that far when there are plenty of unsettled students to prey on. We need to check on students who decided to stay in their rooms instead of attend the ball tonight," Severus said.
"Any one in particular?" she asked.
"Since Professor Ravenclaw is attempting to recover from what happened this evening and Laura is busy nursing a sick child, I would appreciate it if you check on Ravenclaw house first, especially since I know there's at least one student there who wasn't allowed to attend tonight. Make certain notices get on the board about Moor Hag defense and make certain and any students who didn't go to the Ball are aware of the situation. After Ravenclaw house is secure, use the paintings to check in with the other house masters in case other houses need to be checked on," Severus said.
"I'm on it... oh, but what about Emma Elizabeth? If there's a sick child in the castle, they'd see her as a vulnerable target, especially at that age," Aurora pointed out.
"I'll head there next to get Laura up to date on what's going on and to get a red candle going," Severus said.
"Let her know not to worry about her students. I'll make sure it's safe and secure before I go," Aurora promised.
"Thank you," Severus said, and Aurora stepped out of the landing and down the corridor while Severus continued up to the fifth floor, turning down the corridor.
Suddenly he heard Laura scream and dashed down the corridor towards her room at a record pace, finding her standing right outside the door.
"What's wrong?" Severus quickly demanded.
"She's gone! Emma Elizabeth is gone out of her crib! Someone took her!" Laura said, Severus blinking in disbelief.
"In a room this far in? Hags don't typically capture children, they drain them from their dreams..."
"Hags! There are hags in the castle? Maybe they want vengeance for my defeating them during that fight at my Grandad's house!" Laura speculated frantically.
Severus nudged her to the side and went into the sitting room to look for any signs of entry, more than a little baffled after knowing just how much extra security had been put in Laura's room thanks to Bagman's past efforts to harm her. He hurried into the bedroom and got another surprise, because on the bed next to the empty crib was Lizzy the cat... sprawled out on Andrew's half of the bed to exert her dominance over the room.
Squinting suspiciously, Severus pulled out a pair of glasses and put them on. Rolling his eyes, he stepped back out to get Laura.
"Come here, Laura. I want to show you something," Severus said in such a calm, exasperated tone that Laura uncovered her eyes, staring at him in confusion.
Severus pulled her by the elbow into the bedroom, picking up a baby blanket on the floor and tossing it into the crib. Immediately, the blanket contoured around a small figure standing up in the bed. By the time Severus pulled it away again, it revealed the little girl, tugging on the blanket to keep her grandfather from taking it away completely.
"No," Emma announced, dropping down and putting the blanket over her head. When the toddler covered her head, her feet disappeared.
"Yes, well, we all know who to blame for this particular disappearance, now, don't we?" Severus told Laura evenly, ignoring the fact that Laura was getting redder by the second. "As I had just come up to inform you, a Moor Hag has managed to sneak in and we're working to chase it off. Aurora has Ravenclaw well in hand, but you might want to light a red candle for Emma Elizabeth to be safe. Even so, it would seem that little Emma Elizabeth has her own ideas on how to handle scary dreams now. Have fun with that." Laura stared at the blanket, in no hurry to answer. "Do you have a Night Candle?" Severus asked, and Laura shook her head. Taking one out of his cloak pocket, Severus lit it and set it in a nearby candle holder. "If you need anything else, let the paintings know. They are always watching, you know," Severus pointed out. "See you in the morning, Laura. I can't wait to hear how you incorporate this incident into your Defense lecture tomorrow," he added for good measure.
As Severus left and shut the door, Laura let out a loud groan.