บท 1004: Purgation Ⅲ

Halfway through the library, Rowan comes to a halt in a hidden alcove. Carefully setting down her bookbag into the alcove, she removes her outer robes and shoes. She neatly sets her clothing articles onto her bookbag, before proceeding to do some light stretches. She was out of practice; she had not snuck on tippy toes since they had departed Spinner's End and returned to Prince Manor.

Taking a deep breath, Rowan adjusted her senses and began to slowly put her weight on her foot before placing her next foot forward toe to heel. At all times her feet are close to the ground to keep her body compact and distribute her weight evenly so as to not walk noisily. She keeps her arm close to her sides so as not to cause her clothes to rustle. She breathes slowly and in measured breaths from her nose to not risk inhaling or exhaling too loudly and pauses if she feels her breath quicken.

Occasionally the footsteps of other students are heard through the bookshelves and Rowan will match her gait to theirs in order to mask her movement even more. Patiently she continued to move until she slowly crept to the bookshelf directly behind Mary. For a moment, she hesitates but she could not ignore her suspicions.

Mary fit all the criteria of a vessel of Hydra. That did not mean Mary was not the only one nor did it exclude the possibility that Mary was under the Imperius Curse. Rowan also had strong reservations about Barrett Boone. However, he could be a vessel under the Imperius curse or even possibly be a vessel in transition. But it had only been over a month and a half since her eye had overexerted itself again and she would not risk checking Barrett Boone.

Normally, Rowan would have waited, but there were far too many coincidences to leave her at ease. She had already concluded that the vessel of Hydra was a female Gryffindor similar in age, and most importantly a friend of her and Lily. In retrospect, Mary had changed quite a bit since their first year at Hogwarts. Some might even say a little too much.

Furthermore, the Mary that Rowan had conversed with in the library seemed far closer to the Mary she knew from her 1st year. That Mary seemed far more natural than the bold Mary that was on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Not to mention the worries and concerns that Remus had expressed earlier in the year to her.

Rowan simply could not afford to drag her feet on the subject. Closing her eyes, she double-checked her mapscape to ensure that there is no one around her, before slowly creeping around the edge of the bookshelf. She halted just at the edge and breathed slowly to calm her heart. She cocked her head to listen and waited to hear the turning of pages.

Wordlessly, Rowan cast "Reveal," to remove the seal upon her left eye. She barely managed to suppress a hiss of pain. It was as though she was stepping on a sprained ankle. She could technically walk, but it would not be pleasant at all and most certainly not painless.

Rowan kept her left eye tightly shut until she peeked just around the corner of the bookshelf. Tranquil, warm yellow magic surrounded Mary. A trace of disappointment flashed through Rowan, and she almost turned away until she saw it. Hidden in the depths of the sunny magic is something dark and twisted worm-like, an insect part of a great hive.

Narrowing her eye, Rowan focuses for a closer look when the hairs on the back of her neck abruptly stand up. Immediately she shuts her eye and teleports back to the alcove without even having sealed her eye. Feeling rather nauseated and in pain, she seals her eye again and crumbles to the floor panting. At the last second, she had seen the dark worm-like insect move and begin to turn in her direction as if sensing her presence.

Rowan's hand shook as she rubs the back of her neck only to feel her skin covered in goose pimples. It had only been a few seconds, but it had sensed her gaze. If she had been even a second late, it would have seen her. If she used her magical sight, she would be able to see it, but so could it. And far worse, so could, Severus!

Rowan instantly sits up. Severus's ability was locked for now, but a curious boy like Severus might be tempted to peer at his friend's magic. However, there was no telling Severus to not do something. He was just as stubborn as a mule! Not to mention, he wasn't talking to her right now.

Furrowing her brow, Rowan frowns but is unable to come up with a genuine solution. The only silver lining to the entire situation is that Severus wouldn't have full access to his magic for some time. He needed to grow into his magic but that didn't mean she had much either. Possibly a year or more if not less. That still put her in a bind. It was just one more problem to deal with.

Sighing, Rowan rubs her pulsating aching head. There was a raging headache behind her left temple. She knew she wouldn't be able to unseal her sight for good this time. She had to let her left eye heal or she would truly incur damages.

Feeling her body shiver from the cold, Rowan rather clumsily puts back on her shoes and robes as she is rather distracted by her thoughts. She knew now that glancing at every student's magic was not an option. If she could see Hydra, Hydra would also be able to tell that she could. It wasn't a feasible option more like a last resort.

Still, at least she confirmed one vessel at Hogwarts, and based on what she saw that was not the Hive Queen. It was not the heart of Hydra. The magical-like parasite within Mary was barely noticeable. It could not be the main body; it was far too weak. And if her suspicions were true, Mary had somehow managed to take control of her body. It was not an impossibility considering that one other had done it, Bertie.

The Hufflepuff, Bertie had been possessed while at Hogwarts during the First Headmaster's time, Marcellus. Yet in the end, Bertie lost the fight and would have succumbed if not for his friend, Beedle. Despite their best efforts to bind Hydra in the end, the binding did not work, and Bertie eventually killed himself in front of Marcellus.

Rowan's eyes narrowed pensively. She needed to read the Tales of Beedle the Bard again. The original Beedle and friend of Bertie were either Beedle the Bard or his descendant who had refashioned the tale. There had to be something much more than a mere children's fairytale. After all, the Tale of the Three Brothers had been true. There must have been a clue that she originally missed.