บท 1006: Purgation Ⅴ

The cogs within Rowan's mind clicked as a picture began to appear in her mind. As the Hive and the Horcruxes continue to multiply, they unwittingly take on the characteristics of their own or possibly that of their vessels much like the hairy heart of the Warlock did. The Horcruxes have a will of their own much like the hairy heart of the Warlock and their interests may not align with the main core much as the hairy heart refused to obey the will of the Warlock.

However, the Heart is the second apprentice, the main original core. With the Horcruxes gaining attributes perchance the main core much slowly being affected each time the main core repossesses a body. Its soul may be immortal, but its body most certainly is not. With each possession, the main core is slowly being withered away so much so that the second apprentice fears that he has already begun to lose himself.

"Great Mother Snake!" Rowan blurted out enlightened. Paresltongue can be read, but cannot be spoken, it is a genetic magical trait that can only be passed down. This is why Hydra sought out Nadira's egg!

Most serpents cannot speak the human tongue, but ancient magical creatures can develop the ability such as Aragog, (Hagrid's Acromantula)! Great Mother Snake was a powerful and ancient Great Horned Serpent. Over the ages, Great Mother Snake had gained the ability to speak the human tongue. Yet unlike Aragog, she did not conceive for many years until later in life. But any offspring born and hatched from Great Mother Snake would surely be powerful and carry the traits of the mother and sire.

If the original creation of a Horcrux was written in parseltongue, the magical creation of a Horcrux would have also originally been cast and created in parseltongue by Herpo, the Foul. The very existence of a Horcrux or Hydra is flawed as the original creation was in parseltongue. And it would certainly make sense why even Voldemort's Horcruxes would also be flawed. Herpo, the Foul trusted no one and would have been zealous in protecting his secrets, especially the key to immortality.

In fact, whatever magical works Herpo, the Foul created would have retranslated to the human tongue in order to record any changes only known to him. His two apprentices would have not been none the wiser if there had been any alternations made. Neither did they have any other choice but to trust Herpo, the Foul's instructions as neither of them were parselmouths.

"That is why the second apprentice needed Riddle," Rowan mused out loud. She abruptly sat up in her seat. If Voldemort was needed, then why was the knowledge given to Voldemort to make a Horcrux? Her eyes widened in understanding and confirmation of her suspicions.

There existed conflicts of opinions between the Horcruxes (the created vessels), and of the main original core (the second apprentice). The Horcruxes had not hesitated to sabotage the plans of the second apprentice. This also explained why after Voldemort lost his usefulness, why the main core had not permitted the vessels to destroy Voldemort. There was a widening schism between the desires of the Horcruxes and that of the main core.

Rowan releases a breath she had been holding and leans back into her seat. Even if that was the case, she could not easily exploit the weakness of Hydra without making herself a target. The tallest tree is always the first to be struck down.

Tapping her fingers against the armrest of her chair, Rowan backtracks a bit. She had just read in the paper that Linus Gamp was dead in a fire, and Devante Nott had been pronounced dead during the giant attack at the Ministry of Magic. That only left Murtgaugh Burke as a confirmed vessel of Hydra and that of Mary at Hogwarts.

Pensively Rowan strokes her chin with one hand. She had been working on the premise that all the Horcruxes would perish when the heart, the main core of Hydra is destroyed. Yet she had yet found not a single means to confirm the location of the Heart. And nor she had considered the aspect that when she did and destroyed the heart what would occur to the vessels? What would happen to Mary?

For the first time since the start, Rowan found herself hesitating over the outcome. Would Mary die with the Horcrux, or would she continue to live? Because, unlike Potter's Horcrux, the creation of a vessel tied the fragment of Hydra to the actual magical core of a witch or wizard. There was no guarantee that a vessel would survive the destruction of Hydra.

Rubbing her temples with one hand, Rowan sighed and pushed the problem away for now. Once she got closer to a possible solution, she would address the immediate problem at hand. She instead turned her attention to how to trace Hydra.

With her Prefect duties, Rowan couldn't exactly go about following Mary all day and find out who she was meeting. And even if she did that did not guarantee that she would find any connections to Hydra. Surely there must be a way to track Hydra or rather identify other vessels, but the question was how? (And for the time being and foreseeable future she would not be unsealing the ability in her left eye. Nor could she use Nadira, Nadira was far too young for her existence to be exposed without deadly consequence).

"Murtagh Burke," Rowan muttered with a frown. All things started and ended with the wizard. And there was still the owed debt by the Burke family, yet how to use it to her advantage? She couldn't blatantly order Burke to reveal all Hydra vessels to her. Then pretty much guaranteed her death and she didn't desire to die in such a foolish fashion.

Unless… Rowan pursed her lips at the train of thought. She could hand over the genealogy book to her grandfather. She had been planning to during her summer break, but if she handed it in earlier, she knew for a fact her grandfather would be displeased and be certain to punish her during the summer holidays.

Rowan sighed and glanced at the fairytale book in her lap, before loudly slamming it shut. She would hand over the genealogy book to her grandfather and in exchange for requesting the free use of the Prince information houses and for Sanderson to track and report Murtagh Burkes every movement. Not that wouldn't arise a set of questions on its own, but her grandfather would be more discreet about it.

Rising to her feet, Rowan returned the children's book and took the shelf, before wandering over to her laboratory. With a grunt, she hauled the genealogy book from the vat, where she had stored the great, thick, impossibly heavy volume. Still, at least she didn't have to cast any spells to open it and close it this time. Her grandfather should be safe….

"Tadbey," Rowan loudly said knowing full well the employed house elf was going to be annoyed with her.

A loud pop is heard when a house elf wearing crisp overalls and a white ironed shirt appears. Tadbey stares down his long nose at Rowan and adjusts his spectacles with one hand. His hairy-toed foot impatiently taps against the cold stone floor. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?" He crisply inquired.

"Probably," Rowan confessed knowing full well she was going to have detention since her free period was over and she had gobbledegook next. Not that she cared. It had been bloody well worth it.

Tadbey snorted and unfolded his arms from his chest. "Well, do get on. Some of us have busy lives, you know."

"Ah yes, straight to the point," Rowan gestured to the enormous volume that was nearly the size of Tadbey and by far heavier. "I need this delivered to grandfather."

"Why?" Tadbey drily inquired.

"The genealogy contained within will prove that Lily Evans is also a descendant of Salazar Slytherin and that of the witch, Morrigan (and related to the Sayre/Gaunt line). The marriage between Lily Evans and Severus will not bring to the family but likely increase the powers within the family," Rowan said with an innocent expression.

Tadbey lips twitched in disbelief. "And I presume you are doing all of this out of the goodness of your heart, Miss Prince?"

"Not entirely, I am a Prince," Rowan said with a bit of a wolfish grin. "In exchange for an intact genealogy volume directly descended from Salazar Slytherin's hands, I request all information on Murtagh Burke including continual surveillance at grandfather's discretion."

"Very well is that all?" Tadbey impatiently said.

"I wouldn't use much magic on it," Rowan warned. "It was bobby-trapped the first time I tried to open it."

Tadbey's face twisted in a sneer seeing Tadbey's expression Rowan quickly added, "Sir Knight Prince will be needed to command Salazar Slytherin's legacy. The tome will only respond to orders in parseltongue."

Tadbey's expression hardened as he cursed under his breath. "Blasted wizards," before gingerly reaching to touch the volume with one hand before vanishing away. He would demand higher pay after this. He could call it mental and emotional collateral damage. Yet he had missed on a vital clue, if Sir Knight Prince was needed to open a tome, then just how had Rowan done so? It would be something that Tadbey would regret missing in the future.