A/N Finally, the part-time job is out of my way, and I'm full time working on my alt fiction, blog, and other online content. I just got done uploading 20-37 for typos and other fixes in case you want to update any copies, and new chapters should be more consistent from now on. Thanks for your patience! DQ

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Permission

The next morning bright and early, Quintin got dressed and met Jeremy in the main common room.

"So you said we were going for a book hunt today?" Jeremy prompted him. "I hope that comes with breakfast."

"Our quest starts in the Owl Room, so yes it does," Quintin said. "We need to consult some experts."

"On to the Owl Room!" Jeremy declared heroically, and the two of them marched out and over to the Doorlift and through to the corridor outside of of the library.

It was still sleepy and quiet inside, with no one in the main library at all except for a student aid who was busy sorting the periodicals desk.

The only ones inside the Owl Room were Jay and Dawn, with Dawn sitting on one end with a book and Jay at the other having coffee as he went over some class notes.

"Are these your experts?" Jeremy teased Quintin.

"One of them," Quintin replied. "Thanks for coming in early for me, Dawn. Where's Boulderdash?"

"He went home for the evening, but told his aids he would be back before noon," Jay informed him. "How did your meeting with Sinistra go yesterday? Did you learn anything new about the box?"

"Yes and no," Quintin replied. "We learned that we need to do more than look for what books he wrote. We need to find the books he illuminated... in other words, it has to be the originals or complete copies of the originals," he explained. "As a Symbologist, it's highly likely that we can find out more about what might be etched on the box by studying his miniatures. The problem is that he's not the only one who illuminated those books. All of the monks and scribes who lived at Hogwarts also had a hand in creating them. So we not only have to find original text books, we need to figure out which ones he made specifically."

"I get it... that's why you wanted to see me, right?" Dawn concluded.

"Part of the reason. If we showed you his work, would you be able to tell from comparing it to something else whether or not it's the same artist, Dawn?" Quintin asked.

"Easily, I should think. But what did you mean by 'partly'?" Dawn wanted to know.

"There's a glass case filled with old books in the Ravenclaw Common Room. I want you to see about going through them," Quintin said.

"With permission, I hope," Jay said sternly before Dawn had a chance to reply.

"Of course with permission. What do you take me for?" Dawn asked him indignantly.

"Your mother's daughter," Jay retorted.

"Asking permission was why we found out so much from Sinistra yesterday. Not asking only got the Maxens and Villins into trouble," Quintin informed her.

"Okay, okay, I'll ask," Dawn promised, putting put up her hands in protest. "But first we need a book that we know with one hundred percent accuracy that he illuminated."

"Well, if there's anyone who can authenticate who wrote a book, it's Boulderdash," Quintin said.

"Sounds like we have plenty of time for breakfast then," Jeremy said, going over to the stand.

"We should probably go ahead and try to finish all of the projects due before Christmas holidays," Quintin suggested. "It'll free up more time to work on the research."

"Give me a break! I'm not spending my whole Sunday doing homework when I'm technically all caught up," Jeremy protested.

"Just until Boulderdash gets here, that's not going to be all day," Quintin coaxed.

"I think I'm going to spend the morning writing an article on time management. I'll call it, "Tips about Time: What I learned from Spending Too Much of My Time With Quintin Snape," Jeremy said.

"Very funny," Quintin said, then went to get his breakfast.

Boulderdash didn't even have time to take off his coat before Jeremy and Quintin were asking him questions about a book.

"Before that report of yours, we knew very little about the wizard other than the fact that he was a founder's apprentice and taught here for many years ago. What makes you think I have anything like that?" Boulderdash challenged them.

"Because you're a book expert, and I know for a fact that Professor Snape has been asking questions about Bedivere. He would have consulted you at some point," Jeremy concluded.

"What the Headmaster does and doesn't consult me about is really none of your business, young man," Boulderdash informed him. "What gives you the right to ask?"

Finally catching on, Quintin reached in his cloak and pulled out his mother's permission slip, handing it to Boulderdash.

"Playing your trump card already, are we?" Boulderdash noted, but didn't have to think about it for long. "Very well! If your mother is going to intervene on your behalf, who am I to argue? As it happens, Mr. Carnegie found quite a number of volumes, scrolls, and even loose sheets of work when he was clearing out the Scribes Quarter. The Headmaster sent the ones that needed conserved to my brother's wife, and the rest came here. While Gemshard still has most of ones he personally scribed, I do have one authenticated work that you may have a gander at... drinks off the table, if you please," he added as he went to the back shelves.

There was a scramble from the Owls who had come in since breakfast; Kitty, Agatha, Olivia, and Joey were just as curious to see the ancient book as Quintin and Jeremy were. The goblin set down a very large leather-wrapped book with delicate golden embroidery. He tapped it twice, and much to their surprise it opened like a box rather than a book, revealing a tome resting inside.

"Wicked!" Olivia said with appreciation. "Is that cover original?"

"Yes, and it was why this particular volume was so well preserved," Boulderdash explained, gently lifting it out and onto the table, opening it. "No ungloved hands please, let's not spoil the ink. It hasn't been fully preserved yet."

"Apparently it hasn't been translated yet either," Kitty noted.

"That's alright. It's the miniatures we're interested in... the pictures in the margins and within the letters," Quintin explained to her. "I might be able to translate some of the iconography even if my Old English isn't the best."

"Do you know how to read some of it, then?" Kitty asked curiously.

"I know a little... Janus has taught us a few of the basics, hasn't he, Jay?" Quintin said.

"Yes, but the alphabet changed over time due to different influences... invasions and the like," Jay explained. "At the time Janus was writing, there were twenty-four letters... two of which we don't use today and others that simply look different than what we're used to. It isn't just translating the words that's the trick, you have to translate some of the letters as well. It's almost like learning a foreign language. But that's exactly why Bedivere's use of Symbology proved to be so important when it came to the four items they gifted to the school; language had changed even over his own lifetime, but the symbols remained the same. He was betting that even if we didn't have a way of understanding them, he could communicate their wishes through the symbols themselves."

"Yes, yes, and aided us during the Second Terrors, we had that in a history lesson already," Agatha said impatiently. "But what is this book about?"

"It seems to be a catalog of Augury beliefs, sectioned off by villages, kingdoms, and regions," Quintin replied. "This entry mentions birds flying south... and that word must mean summer or solstice. And here is a reference to black cats."

"Wait, I thought that black cat thing was a myth... just a superstition. That's what Sagittari told us in class," Jeremy said.

"I don't think there were really distinctions between Augury devices and superstitions back then," Jay explained. "We have standards now about proving and disproving what is magic and what is not, where most people back then thought it was safer to assume all of them were true unless proven otherwise."

"He does seem to give them an equal amount of respect," Dawn observed. "I may not be able to read this other than guess some of these town names, but the miniatures do it for me... I can guess from the pictures of these robed figures what the Augury is just based on those."

"You can definitely tell when they're in a bunch of distress or if they're happy about it if nothing else," Olivia said, amused by their exaggerated expressions.

"What do you think, Dawn? Do you think it's enough for you to distinguish his art from someone else's?"

"I'll have to study it for a while," Dawn said.

"I need to work out some of the hidden symbols in here myself," Quintin said.

"Whatever you need to do, you will have to do it here; I am under strict orders not to let this particular book out of my sight when it's not in its protective covering," Boulderdash warned.

"Does that mean only Owls have access to it?" Jeremy asked brightly.

"Don't get your hopes up. If Stephen asks me for assistance on this matter, I will give him the access he needs, but he has yet to ask," Boulderdash said.

"I think it's because they haven't figured out what I did yesterday... that there might be clues in the margins," Quintin said. "Of course, the best book to get our hands on would be a book that he might have written for one of Rowena Ravenclaw's classes, since she was the one who gifted him the box."

"Say no more! I'll speak to Aunt Laura or Grandmother and see if there's one in the glass display case in the Common Room," Dawn said.

"Great," Quintin said and then moved next to Dawn so he could get a closer look at the book.

Laura and Dawn stood in front of Rowena's bookcase, staring through the glass with awe despite the fact that Laura held a very large silver key to open it with.

"I hope you understand exactly what a great honor it is. I've never once opened this case before," Laura admitted. "I don't think even your grandmother has even opened it. I had to borrow the key from my uncle, and even he wouldn't give it to me without the Headmaster's permission."

"I guess that just proves that this case hasn't been opened recently," Dawn said with appreciation.

"Definitely not, except for making sure the charms protecting the books from dust and damp are firmly in place," Laura confirmed, carefully turning the key and opening the cabinet. "The oldest books are likely at the top, Dawn. And as much as I'm aching to look at them, my magic is out and I'm certainly not getting on a ladder in my condition. You'll have to do the honors."

"Gladly!" Dawn said, and they worked to set up the ladder, making certain it was secure before Dawn climbed up to the top.

"Oh... be careful... not so high... must you stand on the top rung like that?" Laura scolded her.

"It doesn't bother me. I'll put on a spell to lower my mass if you're so worried about it," Dawn said unconcernedly, looking over the books. "A lot of these books have covers and are unmarked. Most of the others have runes rather than letters," she reported.

"Yes, some witches and wizards used old runes as a type of shorthand back then," Laura confirmed. "Have you taken Runes yet?"

"I hadn't planned on it," Dawn admitted. "But now I admit this has got me curious. This one here has the same book wrapping as the one Boulderdash has! Maybe this is one of Bedivere's?"

"Bring it down then, and any others that might be it. We'll spread them out on the table... be careful!" Laura insisted again.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Dawn said with exasperation, managing to hook three of the books under her arm before bringing them down.

They laid them out side by side and Laura put on some gloves, gently opening the one that was covered with a charmed cloth that was embroidered with daffodils.

"Ah, I see now. This is a book of Welsh poetry," Laura said.

"Are you sure? Can you read it?" Dawn asked curiously.

"A little... enough to recognize this first poem because it was recorded in the Book of Taliesin. It's about King Arthur traveling to Annwyn," Laura replied, gently looking through it to confirm her suspicions. "It's all poetry, and well worn as if it's been read a lot. But I'm betting most of these poems have been retranslated over time."

"It doesn't sound relevant," Dawn shrugged. "What about the next one?"

Laura turned her attention to a book carefully wrapped in leather.

"This one is on the medicinal properties of herbs... it's an instructional copy. In fact, I've seen this book before; it's a collaboration that Hufflepuff and Rowena did for their classes. Completely outdated, really, but interesting just the same. There's a newer copy of it in the Restricted Section, actually," Laura said.

"Why was this up there? Is it just because it's the original?" Dawn asked.

"No, I don't think it is the original. It doesn't have any mistakes or notations from the different authors, and it's extremely worn as if it is a used copy... ah, this explains it, there's a name on the front," she said, revealing it under the leather. "Icarus. This was his book, likely from when he was a child. And this last one..." Laura said, tapping it so that the protective cover opened up into a box, revealing its contents. "Just as I suspected! It's Bedivere's first book on Symbology!"

"Wait, really? How are you sure it his first? You haven't really looked at anything except the title," Dawn said, but Laura opened the book knowingly, revealing a highly illuminated book. Laura pointed to the first page.

"In honor of Rowena Ravenclaw, for her enlightenment and encouragement," Laura read to Dawn. "I'm not surprised in the slightest. Wait until Hermione gets back from New York, she's going to flip out when she sees this! Anyway, can you guess what all three of these books have in common?"

"I don't know," Dawn said at first, looking them over with a frown. "They seem almost personal."

"That's it, of course," Laura agreed. "These aren't books Rowena was saving for the school or anything like that. These were sentimental books to her, so she was protecting them... likely to retrieve them someday, if only her life hadn't been cut short... well, short for a Half-Fae, anyway. I'll bet the rest of the books on the highest shelf are like that... they're all books she was keeping for herself. They're not really up there to preserve them for wizardkind or anything, they were up there because they were her personal books and she didn't see any reason that any students would even been interested in what books she collected... these down here at the bottom of the case are all books originally used in the school's medieval curriculum. My guess is that these books were originally here for reference and some Headmaster down the line decided to preserve them and built those other bookcases students use for reference materials today."

"Then on Quintin's behalf, I would like to request this book as reference for a research project," Dawn declared. Laura couldn't help but let out a short chuckle.

"As much as I'd love to just hand this over to you, this big of a discovery needs to go to the Headmaster's desk," Laura informed her. Dawn's shoulders slumped. "Look, I'm sure once its evaluated for charms, if it's possible to make a copy of the book so that students can use, your grandfather will make sure that one is made."

"With the images, I hope. Quintin was very firm on needing to see all of the images," Dawn added.

"It would make sense to leave them in there. After all, this is a Symbology book, which means the miniatures are probably crucial to the lessons," Laura decided, glancing at it with appreciation before a mischievous smile crept across her face. "One thing is for sure. Professor Weasley is going to totally lose it when she hears we found one of Bedivere's Symbology books."

Sure enough, when Hermione came in for their typical Monday morning conference, Severus nonchalantly pretended to read the book and caused Hermione to immediately descend on his desk.

"What is that? I haven't seen it before. Why are you trying to both flaunt it and hide it? You always have a reason to taunt me, what did you find? Is that original?" Hermione demanded impatiently as he held up the book at an angle that she couldn't see the contents.

"It is. I'm evaluating it to see if it can be copied," Severus said nonchalantly.

"Oh? What is in it? You know it's something I'd be interested in, or you wouldn't trying to hide it. Put that book down on the desk so I can see it as well, or I'm waking Jennifer up," Hermione threatened. Severus glanced up from the book with an accusatory expression.

"That is hardly a fair tactic, is it?" he replied flatly, but set the open book down anyway. Hermione's full attention immediately went on the book, tilting her head a moment before spinning it around.

"This is one of Bedivere's. Wait... is this one of his actual Symbology books?" she asked, her voice growing louder with every word spoken until she was nearly shouting at the end. "Where did you find it? Do you know how long I've been looking for this?"

"Since the year before you started teaching, when you were writing the proposal for a Symbology class," Severus replied in a calm voice. "Please do not drool on the pages. I have yet to check whether or not it is protected from that or not."

"That's very funny," Hermione said, but instinctively checked to make sure that she wasn't anyway. "Where did you find it?"

"Really, Hermione, I never find anything in this castle, you should know that by now. A student found it, of course," Severus explained. "Quintin asked Dawn to check the Ravenclaw rooms to see if there were any of Bedivere's works hidden among her books. Laura and Dawn opened the old case and found this among Rowena's personal collection on the top shelf. They have requested that I look into making a copy for their research."

"Have you evaluated it yet? Can it be copied?" Hermione asked fervently.

"So far I have yet to find any charms that will get in the way, but I'd feel safer if Jennifer and Boulderdash both evaluated it in case I've missed something," Severus replied.

"Well, if it can be copied, I want my own copy too. And if it can't be copied, I'd formally like to borrow the original, please," Hermione said.

"You know perfectly well how expensive it can be to have books like this copied considering the charmed components, the charms themselves, not to mention some one skilled enough to correctly duplicated a book this illuminated. I don't even know if Gemshard is up to the task... if she isn't, I'll have to send it to Webstring, you know. I doubt I'll be able to afford just one even if it can be copied. But I assure you that if there is only one copy, it'll be available in the Research Library," Severus informed her.

"Can I at least take it home during the holidays? After all, it would only be a copy," Hermione suggested.

"An expensive copy," Severus reiterated. "Sorry, you're out of luck. Quintin and Jeremy have already requested it."

"You're letting them have it before me?" Hermione asked with frustration. Severus gazed at her with feigned surprise.

"Students first, Hermione. Isn't that what you're always telling me?" Severus reminded her, and she glowered.

"A fine time for you to agree with me!" Hermione snapped.

"Will I be getting the end of year budget and the end of semester curriculum assessments today?" Severus inquired.

"Before noon," Hermione said, annoyed with his change of subject. With one last eager look at the book, Hermione harrumphed in protest and marched out of the room. Smiling thinly at the display, Severus set the book aside.

Bonnibel, Moira, and Stephen all had gotten an invitation to lunch during their first class that morning, and walked down the Quidditch corridor to the room that served as Aurelius Snape's office. As small as it was, it was actually much bigger than his office at work, and Aurelius found it quite comfortable in comparison. Students, however, weren't anywhere near as impressed, having to pull their chairs all the way in to make room for all three of them at the small table Aurelius had brought out for them to have lunch at.

"Am I assume this is to discuss the progress of our research?" Bonnibel asked when Aurelius seemed more interested in setting up lunch than talking.

"It's more about how you're going about it than the research itself," Aurelius replied, making sure everything was on the table before finally sitting down. "Specifically, I want to hear more about what happened in Professor Sinistra's classroom this weekend. That was very poorly handled. And why did you bring Zelda along when you knew she wasn't allowed to participate?"

"She was there just to carry my books," Moira replied.

"You know that's perfectly well that's not going to work with another Truth Seeker, Moira. Was it her idea to go snooping around up there?"

"Well, she might have egged us on a bit," Bonnibel admitted. "And she may have insisted on going. But we all decided together that there was a possibility that the Silver Box might have gotten grouped with the artifacts in the Astronomy Tower so we thought we'd do a quick check while Moira was checking out books."

"I know you're under pressure to do what Zelda asks. But you and Moira graduate this year, and you'll soon be out from under her thumb. If you're smart, you'll also find ways to get out of your family's thumb once you're out on your own and make good lives for yourselves," Aurelius said.

Stephen couldn't help but be annoyed at the reminder. He was going to be stuck at school without any protection once they were gone.

"You have other resources," Aurelius told Stephen without batting an eye, immediately turning his attention back on Bonnibel. "It is important that you stop giving in to her and starting looking after your own interests. And part of that is taking the initiative to ask the staff for help. It is completely unnecessary for you to be going to these lengths to try and work around the faculty when they're committed to helping your research team if you ask them."

"Do you mean in the same way they help Quintin? I highly doubt they would!" Moira suddenly protested. "He has privileges here that nobody else does, him and that ruddy Hat! He has access to places we don't and all of the Professors are more willing to bend over backwards for him because he's the Headmaster's son!"

"That's your sister talking," Aurelius informed her evenly. "I understand the sentiment. I heard the same thing from fellow Slytherin about my siblings and I when we were students, and that was when Dumbledore was the Headmaster. But as a member of the staff, I can assure you that the Headmaster sent out a note to every member of the faculty that they had permission to help you with your research and encouraged them to do so whenever you asked. The main difference is that you haven't been asking for help when Quintin and is team has been."

"He's right," Stephen spoke up. Bonnibel and Moira looked over at him with surprised and annoyed expressions. "Professor Craw always goes out of her way when I'm in the Research Library to make sure I don't need any help with my research. The rest of the Professors who come in there typically ask how I am doing... except for Professor Ravenclaw. He'll just disappear when I come in. I think he's still angry about Halloween."

"Losing his support for your research project is your own fault, and a good example of why you need to stop humoring Zelda's schemes," Aurelius said sternly. "I don't think my father would Re-Sort all of you out of Slytherin to keep it from happening since you and Bonnibel graduate this year, Moira. But he's done it before, and he'll do it again if he thinks its necessary. If you don't listen to my advice for the school's sake, do it for your own selfish reasons. Ask for help instead of taking matters into your own hands, and stop letting Zelda influence your decisions. Tea anyone?" he asked, thus ending the discussion.