Professor Vector thought the tulips in the wild garden behind the greenhouses could be doing much better. So she made a wish, as she liked to call it, and the tulips grew three inches taller.
"You've a green thumb, Septima," Dumbledore remarked, coming out from the shade of the high hedges.
She greeted him with an anxious smile. "Have you attended to Boris Vlaud?"
"He was whisked away to St Mungo's early this morning, just before the breakfast bell," said Dumbledore. "I had to disspell an Imperius curse which, unfortunately, young Vlaud knew nothing about. His memory is a blank from the time he returned from his nocturnal hunt until the disspellment. Who it was that cursed him remains a mystery."
"It must've been Sanguino!" said Vector, her face flushed with outrage. "I've felt all along that he's been playing his own game. I was foolish to trust him. Thank heavens for Leon mumbling in his sleep, and Poppy there to hear it! Otherwise we'd have never known that his son was a vampire! How fare the villagers?"
"The man and woman whom Boris attacked? The man remains in critical condition. The woman, who's a cousin of Rosemerta of the Three Broomsticks tavern, is expected to recover."
"But they'll be vampires! Oh what a fool I was not to see this coming!" Vector wrung her hands in frustration. "I should've known that Sanguino would not stop at just draining the vitality from the portraits. He would want to taste the blood of real people, and apparently he has! Through Boris!"
"There now, Septima, don't be so hard on yourself," said Dumbledore, patting her hands. "It is only through Sanguino's diabolical scheme that we can discover the details of the Malfoy plot to gain control of Hogwarts. There is more to the plot than just that, I'm quite sure. There is the desire to win the Death Eaters away from Voldemort's lingering influence, which would simplify matters for me, but in all likelihood will merely result in strengthening Voldemort's resolve, once he has returned."
Vector shuddered. "I dread to think that such a thing could happen! But yes, better to deal with Lucius than a resurrected Voldemort."
Dumbledore saw in Vector's eyes that momentary gleam of wistfulness. It was the look of a woman who had lost the man she wanted; lost him to a despised rival, Narcissa. But the gleam quickly became a glint of vengeful determination. In some ways it reminded him of Snape.
Vector noticed Dumbledore's thoughtful appraisal. "Tell me you haven't informed any of the other teachers about what I've been doing!"
"I haven't told a soul, not even Minerva. Our investigation remains a secret. And with luck it will be concluded tonight."
Vector looked skeptical. "That idea Severus has about linking the caves in the forest to hidden passages in the castle walls? Well, that sounds like something Sanguino would generate. He has grown almost as powerful as I, as a real living witch or wizard, thanks to his assaults on the portraits. It won't be long before he will equal my power, and then! And then the servant will become the master! Oh, I do hope that the Barrier spell I placed on that painting of Governors Hall doesn't weaken! Should Sanguino be able to enter it, he will have access to the Malfoy mansion and find out that Lucius has no knowledge of my involvement in his plans! Lucius knows only what I have hinted at to Hexaba. Sanguino will then know that I've been deceiving him!"
"Not to worry, Septima, I have reinforced your spell," Dumbledore said, "and, furthermore, the fact that you have been in contact with a fugitive whom the finest Aurors have not been able to apprehend, is what gives Sanguino and Lucius a certain faith in you."
He looked back at the lawns where groups of students could be seen heading for the gates and on to the village. "Mrs Dursley will be leaving us on Monday," he mused.
"Yes, Albus. I heard from Charity Burbage that Petunia encountered Lily Potter inside a painting in her room! Bumbling Argus! That's TWO paintings he's failed to take down!"
Dumbledore smiled wryly at her. "It was providential that he missed those two works of living art. Mrs Dursley found her sister through one, and, through the other, Giselle McGonagall discovered that Lily is held captive by Sanguino and Hexaba. For what purpose? Severus might find out tonight."
Coming out from lunch, Hermione seized Harry's arm and gave it a tug. "I've something private to ask you," she said, leading him down from the castle porch toward the lake.
When she saw his suggestive grin she slapped his arm, "Oh don't be funny," she said. "It's about tonight. Snape's project. I'd like you to come with me."
Harry made a face. "Like I don't get enough of Snape in Potions class, I want to hang with him in the evenings?"
"That's silly. Of course I know you don't like to be on the same planet with him, but it's for a good cause. And besides, I'd feel safer with you along."
"If Dumbledore's letting this project go forward, well, it can't be all that risky. Anyway, Charlie's going. And Giselle."
Hermione picked up a stone and threw it skimming across the dark waters of the lake. "I wouldn't THINK of going if Charlie wasn't. Giselle has some good skills, but she's not exactly a wand warrior." She turned to Harry and gave him a stern smile. "Come on, Harry, you KNOW you want to go. Just never mind Snape and think how grateful I'll be if you're there with us."
Harry dug up a large stone and tossed it in a looping overhand out into the rippling water, where it made an impressive splash.
"That's called a hook shot in basketball," he said.
"Yes I know. Are you coming with us?"
He grimaced. "I really ought to get some homework done tonight."
"Oh right. So it's settled, then. You're coming?"
Harry was looking past her. "Yeah," he said absently.
"Great! Now, shall we go into Hogsmeade, or visit Hagrid?"
Harry was still staring past the strands of her hair waving in the breeze off the lake. "Ron's on his way now, to Hagrid's, with Neville.... and Seamus..."
Hermione laid a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "Ron just needs time to get over it."
"And Lavender..."
Hermione dropped her hand. "But if he wants to keep us as friends, he had better stop acting like a child."
That night at dinner Charlie sat at the Gryffindor table.
When Hermione saw the look of disappointment on Giselle's suntanned face, she said cheerfully, "Come and eat with us, Gee," then had to skip to one side as Giselle rushed past to get a seat next to Charlie.
Charlie Weasley the Dragon Tamer was the focus of attention. Giselle noticed how all the boys bunched around him, asking questions and expressing awe as he told of his adventures in the wild lands where dragons were confined, but from which some had escaped from time to time. When the desserts popped up, boys from the Ravenclaw table came over and stood listening to the tales as they munched cakes and got frosting all over their faces.
But the girls were looking at Giselle with their sly, knowing smiles. This made her self-conscious, sitting so close to Charlie; so close that she and he kept bumping elbows as they ate.
Giselle decided to just ignore the looks. She gazed up at the faculty board.
Only a few teachers were having dinner there on a Saturday night. Auntie, Dumbledore, and Snape were conspicuosly absent, along with Trelawney and Burbage. But Hagrid was there, of course, and Kettleburn, Vector, Sinistra, Flitwick... and Mrs Dursley.
For once Petunia Dursley was glancing over at the Gryffindor table. Giselle could've sworn that Harry's aunt was staring at the back of his head. The muggle woman was no longer in that state of awe and bewilderment. Now she seemed resigned to all the things about magic that had bothered her before. She wasn't happy about it, just accepting of its strangeness.
Rumor had it that Mrs Dursley was leaving after the weekend. No more muggle assistant in Muggle Studies class. No more coming upon Mrs Dursley having a scare over sudden displays of ghostly antics, or seeing her trying to do a spell of some sort and everyone calling for Madame Pomfrey. All that kind of thing was over, and Giselle wondered what Harry thought about it.
She noticed something odd that no one else around her did. Professor Trelawney came into the Great Hall with her shawl hanging down from her shoulders, her eyes magnified by her thick lenses, her hair all frazzled out as though she was on the verge of panic. She gestured to Mrs Dursley.
Petunia set down her fork and steak knife, her brows raised. She dabbed at her mouth with a napkin, dropped it on the table, and got up in a leisurely way, as if the summons didn't interest her much.
Giselle watched her going out into the Hall with Trelawney speaking in her ear.
In the main cavern of the cave complex, Hexaba LeStrange stood in her torn black gown and watched the twilight fading behind the dark forest.
She looked back at the Roc lying in an ensorcelled sleep, its feathered wings folded alongside its immense body; the serpentine eyes closed, its beak breathing out a reddish mist.
Near it were four dragoneers lying on their backs, stiff as a rod.
Satisfied, Hexaba looked back out at the forest. A flash of gold caught her eye. Alarmed, she flourished her wand.
"Revealo!"
In her mind she saw it quite clearly: a phoenix soaring just about the treetops.
"Damn that Dumbledore," she muttered, her beautiful face contorted by hate.
She cast a Confundus spell over the cavern entrance. Hopefully this would confuse and disorient Fawkes if it tried to enter the caves. But it was a highly magical bird, and Hexaba couldn't be sure that the spell would have any effect on it.
She went hurriedly to the rear of the cavern, where the Malfoy house-elf, Minx, stood shivering and bowing before her.
Here, and in all the passages, the darkness was diminished by the eerie glow of blue crystals embedded in the walls and ceilings.
Hexaba said to the elf, "Go into the passage and keep watch."
"What you say, I do," said Minx in a grovelling manner. He went quietly through an archway that was carved in odd hieroglyphics.
Hexaba turned and stared down at the hibernating Roc.
With a smile that did not mask her twinge of anxiety, she lifted her wand, and, pointing it at the monster, whispered in B-flat minor,
"Awaken."
No comments:
Post a Comment