章節 3: Chapter 2 A Glimpse into the Past
Time is my ally. I fear not death.
She is my guardian, my protector.
She whispers to me in the dark. I hear her in the wind. I taste her in the rain.
She is my guide. I feel her in the air, in the water, in the earth.
She leads me, shows me the way, and never leaves my side.
She is my dearest friend, my most trusted confidant.
She sends shivers along my bones and brings comfort and peace.
Time is my ally. I do not fear death.
A glittering, blue amulet lay nestled amongst dead leaves. The stone at its center ebbed and flowed like water, and it shimmered through all the imaginable shades of blue with the occasionally hints of green and purple. A metallic design encased the stone, a shimmering bird with unfurled wings.
A gentle breeze stirred the leaves, uncovering the artifact.
"What is this?" asked a soft voice as a man bent down. "Hm… some kind of amulet? I wonder what it is doing here." Emerald eyes studied it intently, even as he fingered a holly wand in his right hand.
"Maybe it is some kind of trap? I should most definitely check it out."
He paused for a moment before casting spells with a flick of his fingers. However, the results only seemed to puzzle the man, and he raised his wand.
"Best use my wand just to be sure. I might need the extra power boost." The mage pointed his wand at the talisman. His lips didn't move as he silently cast several incantations, searching for any hint of evil or ill intent.
The blue stone showed no reaction. It merely continued to swirl.
"No trace of malice nor of danger. It must be benevolent or at least neutral," the man commented. He continued to examine the object, taking in every detail and lightly ghosting his fingers just over the surface. "But why is it here?"
The breeze tugged strands of black hair into his face, forcing him to brush them back behind his ear. Leaves on the surrounding trees swayed and whispered in the wind, and the sky burned the pink of an approaching sunset. Yet, he still continued to observe the object in question, not noticing any of the rest. A pale hand reached down to touch, and two fingertips connected.
The amulet began to glow.
Pure light surrounded the man as beautiful music filled the air. Comforting warmth spread from his fingers throughout his body. The sweet feeling of magic permeated the area and entered inside him, filling his very being. The music gained in intensity, and the man sank to the ground, legs no longer supporting his weight. However, his fingers were still connected. The melody reached a crescendo and faded, taking the light, the warmth, and the magic with it.
The man let out the breath that he had not been aware he was holding. Surprised eyes opened, and he began to chuckle, his warm laughter filling the air. The wind picked back up and swirled around him in a dance. The artifact glowed once again but not nearly as bright.
After a few moments, he silenced. The man removed his hand from and shakily climbed to his feet. He dusted off his dark robes and brushed back his hair. He glanced back to the amulet and watched as it glittered innocently on the forest floor. The metallic bird on it yawned and flapped its wings, as though in the process of waking up.
Hesitantly, the man bent and tentatively touched the artifact
Nothing happened.
He picked it up and placed it in an inner pocket of his robes. The confused man turned, looking up at the darkening sky for a minute before walking out of the forest and toward a distant castle.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Faculty Lounge: Early Autumn, 962 A.D.
Two women were staring over a chessboard, occasionally stealing glances at each other. One inattentively ran her fingers through her honey-colored hair before moving her knight. The second frowned, eyes narrowing and forehead creasing. In response, she moved her bishop, taking the other's knight with a smirk of triumph.
Nearby, a third woman sat by the fireplace and cooed to the small infant in her arms. She softly kissed the infant's upraised hand, her hair falling about her face as she lowered her head. The baby giggled, and the blonde looked up momentarily from her game. Nonetheless, she soon grinned and returned her attention to the board, only to belatedly notice that her companion had already made another move and was even then smugly grinning at her.
She shook her head, contemplating her next move. Her bare feet absentmindedly toyed with the worn but still colorful rug underneath her chair. As she thought, her eyes unfocused and drifted nearby, over to the numerous and completely filled bookshelves. Her gaze roamed over to the countless candles, most of which were already lit despite the fact that there was still some daylight streaming in through the windows.
The blonde spotted the lone man of their quartet sitting in a darkened corner. He was scowling at the page of his book, apparently unhappy with what was there. And he stomped his foot, nearly stepping on one of the other spell books that littered the floor around him. He glanced up unexpectedly, and she gifted him with a warm smile before turning away, missing the dark glare he gave in return.
Finally, just as her opponent was beginning to become cross with the delay, she moved her pearl rook in an unexpected position. "Check," she called, beaming wickedly at her friend, who was surprisingly smiling back. "Why so happy, Rowena? I dare say that you are losing." She tilted her head and carefully studied the woman across from her, even as her rook was captured.
A pair of blue eyes looked up. "No reason in particular." Rowena shook her head with dismay and pulled at her curls when her friend took her ebony knight. "I'm just happy today." She smiled slyly as she moved her pawn to the end of the board and it turned into another queen.
"Humph, no reason! You are glowing with happiness!" intoned the third woman, joining in the conversation. Her face practically sparked with mischief. "You're up to something, Ravenclaw. I just know it." She gently rocked the infant in one arm, while managing to shake her finger with the other.
"Honestly, Helga," Rowena answered, "I'm just happy. Am I not allowed to have a good day?" She shifted in her chair, twirling a fiery curl around her finger as her other hand tapped the chessboard.
"Joy is coming off you in waves," added the first woman. Her crystalline eyes continued to gaze at Rowena, candlelight dancing across her skin. "A pleasant class perhaps. A sudden discovery. Or perhaps some naughty time with Quinn."
Rowena blushed, making her peach complexion look ablaze. Embarrassed more by her reaction than her friend's suggestion. Honestly, she should be used to it by now.
"Siobhan…" She paused and looked away. "There's something I need to tell you."
"Yes?" Siobhan leaned forward a little. Her gaze bored into Rowena, eyes reflecting the candlelight and seeming to glance into her friend's very soul. They looked eerie in that moment, so light a blue as to be almost white.
"Well, I…" Rowena hesitated. Her eyes flickered from Siobhan to Helga and back.
The blonde reached across the chessboard and gently took Rowena's right hand in her left. "You can tell us, my friend." She lightly squeezed, feeling a tremble and rubbing circles on her skin. "You can tell us anything. Is it a problem with Quinn? With your sister?"
"No, to both." Rowena's lips twitched, and it was very obvious that she was excited. "I know I can tell you anything. It's just difficult to say. I-"
An odd looked abruptly crossed Siobhan's face. Her fingers went limp, and Rowena's hand slipped out. She glanced to the open windows on the far wall, noting that the sky was the faint pink of an imminent sunset. She could see the swaying trees of the forest in the distance, the leaves just beginning to change to their autumn colors.
"Salazar?" She whispered more to herself than to her companions.
The other three glanced at Siobhan. Worry etched Helga's face, even though she continued to rock the infant, and she all but stared at the younger woman. Rowena rose and stepped over. She lightly placed her hand on the blonde's shoulder, shaking her gently. Godric merely sneered and returned to his reading, his pyrite eyes glittering dangerously.
"What is it? What's happened?" Rowena asked in a fierce whisper. Her face was filled with concern. "Are you all right? Has something happened to Sal?"
"I don't know. Something has happened to him, but it's not bad. I feel light… and warmth." A dreamy expression crossed her face. "It is so wonderful!" Siobhan continued to stare at the now shadowed forest, seeing the sky turn a deep red.
Rowena glanced questioningly at the oldest woman but was met with the same confused expression. She raised an eyebrow, but the brunette merely shook her head and shrugged carefully, trying not to jostle the now dozing baby.
Suddenly, Siobhan inhaled, causing the other two to jump at the unexpected sound. "It's gone now," the youngest stated sadly, voice heavy. "But I can sense that he is fine." She paused for a moment, smile tugging at her lips. "He is returning to the castle."
Both Rowena and Helga breathed heavy sighs of relief. Godric simply continued to read, not bothering to look up from his book and completely ignoring the others.
The infant stirred. He opened his blue eyes, which were so much like his mother's. He gazed drowsily at the person holding him and squirmed.
"Ah," Helga murmured. She turned to grin cheekily at Siobhan. "I believe that this youngling wants his mother."
Siobhan walked over, bare feet avoiding the cold stone and remaining on the various rugs. She gently took her son into her arms with a wink at the older woman. She bent her face forward and lovingly kissed him on the nose. In response, he cooed sleepily at her, little face alit with pleasure.
Rowena watched with a rapt expression, eyes all but glowing as she watched. Helga caught the hungry glance, giving an appraising raise of her eyebrow in return.
Siobhan didn't notice, too involved with her son. "My sweet little Tristan-"
"Sweet? That he is, my dear. And such a gentleman!" Helga grinned and winked at Rowena. "Of course, he is scarcely more than two months old so he couldn't be too much trouble." She sighed dramatically, taking on the aspects of someone remembering the past. "I remember when my youngest was that age-"
"It was only five years ago," Ravenclaw intoned drolly. "You make it sound like it was a century. And so wistful about it. Surely, you can't want more. You've driven your husband mad with the ones you already have."
Siobhan nodded in agreement before pausing and looking around suspiciously. "Where is Edmund today? Better yet, where are your children?" the blonde asked curiously, glancing back to her own son. "I would have thought their lessons over by now."
"The lot of them are visiting your mother in Hogsmeade," Hufflepuff answered absentmindedly, attention still focused on the past.
Siobhan studied Helga, even as her lips briefly quirked at the thought of Amia, Edmund's mother and her foster parent. Nevertheless, the smile quickly slid off of her face.
"At the village? Even with all the attacks lately?" she questioned nervously. "I know that so far it only Muggles have been attacked, but still, they might choose to retaliate." She worriedly nibbled her lip.
In the corner, Godric Gryffindor stiffened, color draining from his face. The man continued to look at the book in his hands, but his eyes were not moving. He began to sweat, barely resisting the urge to wipe at his forehead.
"I know," Helga answered calmly, "but wards protect the village. No Muggle can see it, let alone attack it." However, she didn't sound entirely convinced.
"But what about when they are going, or when they are coming back?" Siobhan's eyebrows knitted together in concern. "The wards don't extend that far, so part of the journey they'd be exposed." She continued to watch Helga.
"Edmund and I talked about it." The oldest woman blinked slowly. "That is why he took Quinn with them."
Hearing this, Siobhan eased somewhat and turned to her other friend.
Rowena nodded in agreement. "With two fully-trained wizards, the children should be safe enough."
"Besides they kept begging to see Granddame." Helga quipped good-naturedly, "They absolutely adore her. I suspect that they might love her more than me!" She laughed, but it sounded almost forced.
Siobhan shook her head but decided to play along. "I highly doubt that," she replied, glancing back at Tristan before lowered her head and gently rubbed his silky skin with her nose.
"As do I." Rowena tapped her fingers on the chessboard. "Anyone can see that they absolutely adore you. Or more specifically, your cooking."
Away from them, Godric momentarily relaxed. He rolled his eyes at the exchange but said nothing. Feeling safer now, he returned to his reading.
"You're an excellent mother," Ravenclaw carried on without missing a single beat.
Helga flushed. "I'm not the only one." Her brown eyes flicked pointedly at Siobhan, who began to softly sing to her son. She looked back at Rowena. "And I suspect that you will be a great one as well." She grinned, crinkling her nose. "But first, you have to actually have children."
Rowena smirked wickedly, looking to all the world like she was privy to something incredibly important that no one else knew. In that moment, she very much resembled the cat who had eaten the carnary.
"That might be sooner than you think." The redhead bit her lip, fighting the urge to laugh.
Both Siobhan and Helga abruptly froze, a suspicion in their minds. Tristan made an angry noise and glared at his mother. He lifted his tiny fist and tapped Siobhan in an attempt to make her continue singing. The blonde recovered after a moment but did not continue. Instead, she turned her gaze to Rowena.
"I have suspected for a while. I confirmed it this morning with a spell." Rowena beamed, face open and delighted. She twirled around, causing her skirt to float in the air. "Quinn was ecstatic when I told him; he just cannot believe that he is going to be a father."
Siobhan giggled. "This is so wonderful!" she added truthfully, excitement at her friend's good fortune building.
Rowena and her husband had been trying to have a baby for several years. It was good that they were finally able. Siobhan had long feared that one of them might be barren.
Helga finally recovered, and she hastily jumped to her feet and hurried to her friend. She threw her arms around Rowena and tightly hugged the younger woman.
"I am so very happy for you," Helga whispered in her ear. She pulled back and looked directly into Rowena's eyes. "I know that you have wanted this for quite some time." She fought the urge to cry.
Siobhan continued to beam. "This truly is wonderful. I…" She paused. Her attention flicked to the door. Her smile grew even wider, if that were even possible.
A few seconds later, the door burst open. A slender, dark-haired man hurried in, his robes billowing behind him.
"Siobhan! Rowena! Helga! Godric!" Four sets of eyes instantly looked towards the man. "You'll never believe what I have found!" the man put in excitedly, almost forgetting to breathe.
"Calm down, Salazar!" Gryffindor ordered from his corner. He abruptly rose from his seat and marched over to the other man.
Sal held out his hand. "But look!"
A small, blue amulet glittered on his palm. The metallic design around its edges glinted and shimmered from silver to gold, and the watery stone flowed through various shades of blue.
The other four adults stared at it in awed silence. Even the infant, still held firmly in his mother's arms, appeared amazed.
"What is it, Sal?" his wife murmured after a few heartbeats, she was bursting with almost uncontrollable excitement.
"I don't know," he replied softly. With his free hand he brushed a loose lock out of his face. "I found it in the woods. When I first touched it… I don't know. Light. Music. Warmth," Sal added with awe.
His wife tore her gaze away to look up at her husband. "So this is what I felt-"
"You felt it?" he interrupted with amazement.
"Yes," she murmured back, "such light…"
By this time, the other three adults were recovering from their shock. They shook their heads but continued to stare at the artifact. Tristan, who was still enthralled by the stone, lay quietly in his mother's arms. A covetous look suddenly appeared on Godric's face. He swiftly reached over and snatched the amulet out of Sal's hand. A blinding light filled the room, followed by a wave of heat and a muffled scream.
An instant later, the light cleared. Godric lay stiffly on the floor, four feet from where he had been previously. His red robe was pooled around him, the firelight causing it to look a little too much like fresh blood. He clutched at his burned hand and moaned in pain.
Roughly a foot away laid the talisman. It gleamed innocently.
Helga gasped, "What… What was that?" She gaped at the artifact, face very tight as she gaped in shock.
Sal made a neutral sound, and he deftly sidestepped the three women and kneeled next to Godric. He took his friend's hand and examined it, running his fingers along the edges. The palm of his hand was charred and red, and the design of the amulet was branded onto his flesh. Godric noticeably winced as Sal ghosted over it but didn't make another sound.
After a moment, Sal laid his palm over the burn and quietly mouthed a spell. Slytherin's hand glowed and design slowly disappeared, the char and the redness following. Godric sighed in relief and clambered awkwardly to his feet. He glanced at the amulet, face spasming dangerously. Godric pulled out his wand and viciously pointed it at the object, a curse upon his lips.
Sal, noticing what his friend was about to do, rose from his kneeling position. He placed his pale hand firmly on Godric's shoulder.
"No! At least, not yet."
Godric glared at the other man but relaxed. He slowly lowered his yew wand.
Meanwhile, Siobhan handed her son to Hufflepuff. She took cautious steps toward the artifact. The others looked at her with alarm, but she disregarded them.
"Siobhan," Helga said urgently. Her face filled with apprehension.
The blonde ignored her. She slowly knelt and tapped the amulet with her index finger.
It shimmered brighter but did not harm her.
She picked it up gently and stood. "Well, that was… odd," she commented. Her gaze sought out Godric, and she looked at him with concern.
"Maybe it just doesn't like him," Helga quipped lightly, trying to lighten the mood. She turned and winked at Godric before silently returning her attention to the amulet.
He practically growled in return, not amused at all. He looked at them with thinly concealed disgust. No one noticed, however, for they were all too busy examining the artifact.
Rowena slowly approached Siobhan, hesitantly stepping forward. She tentatively reached out and touched the artifact.
Again, it glowed brighter but did no harm.
The redhead gently took it from Siobhan's hand, and she ran her delicate fingers over the metallic design. She softly flicked the swirling stone. It felt odd, not at all like a stone. It was liquidy but was not moist. Puzzled, she turned the talisman over. On the back of the mysterious stone was some form of writing.
"Look at this," Rowena stated softly, running her fingers over the script. "It looks like some sort of inscription."
"Hm… yes, it does," commented Siobhan, studying the writing with a great deal of interest. "But it is not in any language that I am familiar with."
Sal left his place at Gryffindor's side and joined the two. "I didn't notice this before," he said slowly and studied the script as well. "I have not seen these runes before either, though they do resemble ancient Parsel writings."
"Really?" Rowena asked and bent forward. "I guess it does look a bit like Parsel." She straightened up and glanced at the others. "If Salazar doesn't know what it says, then there is very little hope for the rest of us. He is, after all, the best with runes."
Slytherin took the compliment in stride. "I suppose." He shook his head. "This is very peculiar," he put in absentmindedly.
"Peculiar?" questioned Helga. "The whole thing is odd. This is just a day of weird things." Hufflepuff glanced from Salazar to Rowena and back. She added, "And of surprises." Her face took on an unusual and somewhat dangerous look. She snickered; an important thought had just occurred to her.
"Guess what," Helga commanded Salazar, and she moved from one foot to the other, practically dancing with mischief. She didn't even wait for him to reply. "Rowena is with child."
Sal's gaze left the amulet. He turned to glance at Rowena, looking pleased but not surprised by the announcement
Rowena froze. "You have such impeccable timing, Hufflepuff," she stated sarcastically, face twitching somewhat. She glared at Helga and crossed her arms over her chest.
"It is as good a time as any, my friend," Helga defended sweetly. She smiled without a trace of guilt.
"Humph. I-" Rowena started to say.
"Well," Sal inserted, "I think that her timing is wonderful." His lips quirked. "Congratulations, sister of my heart." His smile turned into a full-blown grin. "And may there be many more children after this one."
Rowena blushed and looked away. She shrugged, hair sliding in front of her face to hide her embarrassment. Ravenclaw glanced back to the object that lay in her hand, avoiding Sal's amused eyes.
Gryffindor stood haughtily to the side, ignoring the conversation around him. He simply stared with disgust at the artifact and defensively pulled even further away.
Siobhan looked at her husband suspiciously. "You already knew. How did you already know?"
Sal smirked at her. "I suspected." He winked cheekily at his wife. "Call it Slytherin intuition."
"Slytherin intuition!" Helga commented dryly, "He can sense any subterfuge or secret a mile away."
Sal merely continued to smile. His gaze flickered back to Rowena, who was staring intently at the metallic design on the artifact. He watched as her mouth dropped open and her eyebrows rose in surprise.
"What is it, Row?" Salazar asked curiously, noticing her reaction to the item.
"This design." She indicated the metal pattern etched on the amulet.
"Well, what about it?" Helga questioned, nibbling on her lip.
Rowena inclined her head. "Well, it almost looks like a phoenix."
Converso Graviditas: Dealing with Pregnancy. Verbal and non-verbal. Confirms pregnancy.
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