The Muggle

CHAPTER 4

BLACK DOG

After dinner, the members of the Order seated at the table moved forward to acknowledge Morgan and relate to her their memories of her mother and the other members of her family. Moments later she felt the dizziness again.

She warily placed her head between her hands. The kitchen was nearly empty except for a few people talking to Dumbledore. She needed to lie down for a while.

As her eyes closed, she dreamed of her soft bed upstairs but was jolted back to reality by the sudden noise of something dropping in front of her. It was another goblet containing the disgusting substance that Snape had been making for her.

"You must drink it now," said the same waspish voice that was beginning to annoy her.

"Severus, right?" Morgan asked, looking up at him. The Potions Master stiffened to his full height, as if she had insulted him. It seemed that addressing him on a first name basis had been a mistake.

Now that he was standing so near her under a decent light, she could examine him more closely. Dark, long, greasy hair hung at the sides of a smooth pale face; stern lines etched the sides of his thin, pale lips. Snape's long, crooked nose made him resemble a rapacious bird.

The only thing about him that seemed alive were his eyes, which glittered with loathing. She was careful to stare steadily back at him and address him as politely as possible. "You may call me Morgan, and thanks again for your help."

The man glared angrily and left the kitchen without uttering a word. This is fun, she thought. Making acquaintances like him is really worth the accident and the other inconveniences.

Morgan hastily swallowed the disgusting liquid, feeling nauseous. Her left arm and shoulder were experiencing intermittent pain now, so she decided to try to get some sleep. She approached Dumbledore to bid them good night.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm feeling tired and I would like to get some sleep. Can someone show me the way to my room?"

Sirius was about to answer her, but Mrs. Weasley abruptly interrupted him. "Of course, dear. Remus, would you escort Morgan to her quarters?"

"Certainly. Morgan, this way," Lupin said, grabbing her elbow.

Sirius frowned at Mrs. Weasley as she waved her wand to clean up the table.

"What the hell is her problem?" Sirius whispered under his breath.

Dumbledore heard him and smiled. He'd hoped Sirius and Lupin would take care of Morgan. She was very important, not only for what she could do to help them, but because she was Seward's granddaughter.

A few minutes later he left the house and walked towards a side alley. He saw a hooded figure hidden in the shadows. Dumbledore quietly walked towards it. The man was clad from head to toe in long black robes, and as Dumbledore approached him, he saw a reflection under the hood. A white mask.

"We have to be careful. You know what to do. Try to focus his attention on to his primary target so we have time to acquire whatever is inside the cave."

The man nodded, but said nothing; his dark eyes glittered in the gloom.

"Be careful," whispered Dumbledore, as he extended his hand to place it on the man's shoulder, but the hooded figure quickly withdrew from his extended hand.

"Do not touch me," hissed a cold voice under the mask.

Dumbledore lowered his hand. His concern had made him forget Snape was now preparing himself to face Voldemort. He was stripping his mind and heart from all feelings, except for hatred.

Dumbledore nodded and walked back down the alley. He turned his head to look back, but the black figure was gone.

***************************************************

The house was quite beautiful. Corinthian columns adorned the front, imparting a grand elegance.

Imported French furniture filled the rooms, and luscious oriental carpets and tapestries covered the walls and marble floors. There were crystal chandeliers, and silk screens with painted birds of paradise. Several Fwoopers lived silently in their great domed, silver cages.

Marble Grecian gods adorned the gardens and beautifully painted Chinese vases decorated the mantelpieces.

An antique harpsichord sat in a corner, silent, dust covering its surface for decades.

At the sides of this magnificent house, vast windows let in the sun to bathe all these treasures. It was a beautiful house, indeed.

It appeared deserted to the naked eye, except for the nightly visitors and the coming and going of hooded figures in the dark.

Sometimes it was possible to see some movement inside the house; frequently a white hand would appear, clutching the magnificent velvet curtains.

Voldemort stood in front of the long windows. His tall, thin frame was illuminated by the moonlight, and a velvet robe covered his body. His face was phantom white. The only trace of colour in that reptilian face was his eyes: Those bright red eyes that were glaring down into the gardens, waiting.

They were late.

Voldemort hadn't been like this all the time, he had been a man once; but even now, in his weakened physical state, he was still a powerful wizard.

Voldemort had personally seen to that. Humanity meant death and he had fought with death for too long, now. His new body was growing stronger and some day it might again resemble the form of who he once had been: Tom Riddle.

That name meant nothing to him now. Perhaps anger and distrust, but that man didn't exist anymore; he had been eaten away by Voldemort. Riddle had been swallowed whole by the dark power.

Now, there was only Lord Voldemort, the most powerful and feared wizard of all time. People could not even say his name without choking with fear.

The single obstacle that stood in his way of attaining total and absolute glory was a boy; a pitiful young boy, who had been saved from death by a careless mistake on his part.

He knew the reasons. He knew why, and he knew who was responsible for the destruction of his human body. His powers lay intact, though. When he finished with the Potter boy, he would have to destroy that person also.

Destruction. He enjoyed that word. It was a means to and end. Destruction meant rebirth, and this world would be reborn into a new era, an era in which he would rule forever.

Voldemort would eventually become human again; he could manage that any time he wanted, but he was investing his energies elsewhere, at present. There were things right now that he desired more - some things he needed to make certain of before his next move.

A black hooded shadow appeared at the side of the house followed by another. They both looked up, reflecting a flash of white under their hoods.

His Death Eaters had finally arrived.

**********************************************************

Snape Apparated behind some trees. A man dressed entirely in black wearing the hood over his face waited for him.

"You are late," said an angry, aristocratic voice under a mouthless white mask.

"Your summons was weak. I wasn't sure if it was you or your House-elf playing with your ridiculous mask," Snape snapped, approaching the other man.

"Come Severus, he is most impatient to speak with you." The man ignored his rude answer and started walking towards a large manor hidden by the tress.

Snape walked quickly, eager to put this chore behind him. He felt nothing now. Detachment was not difficult for him. Any residual feelings left in him were easy to master and hide from the eyes of the Dark Lord.

Snape's emotions had never been complicated anyway: hatred, anger and bitterness - they were manageable and quite familiar to him.

They stopped in front of a massive oak door. The man pulled back his hood, releasing long, platinum blond hair that poured over his shoulders. He then took out his wand and said, "Rakbu."

The door opened silently, and they passed through the stately entry hall and ascended a coiling staircase. When they reached the last landing, they hurried to the door at the end of the dark corridor.

The door opened without being touched, and they entered a long room with heavy velvet curtains. The candlelight flickered over the exquisite furniture and ancient mirrors.

They knelt and waited.

"You are late," said a cold voice from a dark corner near the window.

A tall figure with a long black robe emerged from the shadows. Voldemort gazed down at his Death Eaters as they kissed the hem of his robes.

"I believed that having you inside Hogwarts, was an advantage over our enemies, Severus, but it seems that I was wrong."

"My Lord, I am your servant," Snape said quietly.

"Hmm... Indeed, my servant, well you see Lucius just brought information that is... let us say, valuable. I expected to receive this information from you."

Snape remained silent. Although frightened, his respiration and heartbeat remained steady.

"Stand up," Voldemort commanded, taking out his wand.

Malfoy smirked under his mask as he regarded Snape rising to face the Dark Lord.

"Remove the mask." The red eyes bored into Snape's face.

Snape slowly withdrew the hood and removed the grotesque white mask. His face remained as expressionless as a statue, completely detached from all feeling. His eyes were as dark and lifeless as a snake's.

"Now, a Darken has returned, which is impossible since you and Karkaroff were appointed to destroy them." Voldemort probed Snape's emotions, but found nothing but hatred, as always.

"My Lord, I disposed of the servants as I was told. Karkaroff and the Lestranges were to destroy the family."

Voldemort's lipless mouth smiled, "Yes, that is true, but I also asked you to make certain that it was done."

Snape fixed his cold eyes on that horrible reptilian face, waiting. Voldemort smirked unpleasantly.

"A Darken," he said moving towards the window, "you know what this means."

"Yes, my Lord," Snape answered, still awaiting punishment.

"Unlimited power," Voldemort murmured greedily. "The power of the Goddess purified for centuries. I wonder what they will think when I corrupt it." he laughed with malice. "Centuries have been wasted, but it will not be much longer now."

He slowly approached Snape again. "Where is this Darken hiding?"

"I do not know my Lord, not yet..." Snape replied obediently.

Voldemort probed his mind again and felt satisfied. "I see. We must find her and prepare for the ritual, Lucius!"

Malfoy sprang to his feet. "My Lord."

"You must find the correct entrance to the cave. Search the Forbidden Forest again, and the lake, if necessary."

"Yes my Lord," he said, hurriedly withdrawing from the room. Voldemort approached Snape and moved his mouth near his ear.

"Now, my loyal servant, it is time for you to receive your reward."

Snape knelt agian, waiting. Voldemort waved his wand at Snape's left arm and a bloody gash appeared on his flesh as the fabric slit open. Snape did not move. He concentrated on the luscious oriental carpet, his eyes following the complicated pattern.

"I will find Karkaroff and he will be punished," Voldemort said, laughing mirthlessly. "I didn't have the urge to find him before, but now...I do."

He sent another severing charm to Snape's arm, and the carpet underneath him became stained with blood. The cuts were very deep.

Snape placed both hands on the carpet, panting, his face moist with sweat, but no sound came from his lips. He had learned how to withstand pain a long time ago. He smirked, thinking that he should be grateful for his grandfather and the Marauders for making him immune to corporal pain.

"And, you will come with me when I find him. I want you to kill him," Voldemort informed him angrily, waving his wand to send yet another severing charm at Snape.

This time he almost collapsed to the floor, as he pressed his forehead on the carpet and waited.

"Everything will go as planned. You may go now, and remember - I am always watching."

Snape rose from the floor, shaking. "Yes, my Lord."

He picked up the white mask stained with his own blood and placed it on his face. He left the house as quickly as he could.

Back at his private chamber, he tried to stop the bleeding before reporting to Dumbledore. The Dark Lord was growing desperate and irritable, and ever since Snape went back to him he had had to endure what the Dark Lord liked to call his "reward". The Cruciatus curse was his favourite way of rewarding him, but this time, he got carried away.

**************************************************

Lupin guided Morgan up the stairs and she took advantage of his silence to ask him about the stuffed heads. Lupin calmly explained all about the House-elves and why they were displayed as trophies on the walls.

"You must not judge Sirius for any of this. He ran away from this place because he couldn't stand it; he was strongly opposed to the way his family behaved," Lupin said, attempting to leave her with a favourable impression of Sirius.

"So, this is his house?" she asked, observing the peeling black paint and the accumulated dirt on the floors.

"Yes, but it had been empty for years. A House-elf lived here, but he was...well, he didn't do much and now that we have moved in, we are attempting to clean it up."

"Try to trust us, Morgan. We are your kind, even though all you knew was the Muggle world. You might think of us as a separate race, but we stick together and protect our own."

She nodded, still not completely certain that she could trust any of them. "One more thing Remus, if you don't mind. What does Draconigenus mean?"

Lupin's eyes widen as he pondered her question for a few seconds. "Dragon born."

Morgan didn't dare ask anything else, not tonight anyway. "Good night Remus, and thank you for everything."

Lupin's face warmed into a small smile, "Don't mention it. Molly will come tomorrow early to wake you up so we can go to Diagon Alley. Dumbledore thinks it would be a good place to introduce you to our world."

Morgan entered the room, changed into her long gown and slipped under the covers, feeling exhausted. Her mind reflected back to all that she had learned. She had a twin brother? That was just so preposterous!

She felt her head clear, as she fell into a deep sleep.

*************************************************

She walked trough a thick dark forest, the trees were nearly shadows in the mist. The grass was wet with it, and it dampened the hem of her long purple cloak. A cool gentle breeze caressed her face. She had reached the end of the forest and began climbing a small hill. Reaching the summit, her eyes fell upon a massive stone circle below.

It was very large and stood in the middle of a great plain; ageless, majestic, and somehow magical in a quiet field of green.

Just the sight of it struck her heart with awe. It had been rebuilt by the man she loved.

The place had crumpled down in a few parts when he had been requested by the High King of Britain to repair it and now it rose magnificently on that empty plain once more.

She raised her eyes. A round moon hung low in the sky, pale as the face of death, smudged with shadow. Small-scattered stars burned white. The breeze rustled the trees and the sound comforted her like the whispered chants back at the temple.

A worn pathway through sprouting fern and nettle lead the way to the plain. She drew back her hood and released the long cloak, which dropped at her feet as she continued walking out of the path and into the stone circle.

As she entered the first circle, she felt as if the ground or the stones that she touched, though still warm from the sunlight, were breathing cold from somewhere deep inside. It was as if the entire place were alive with magic.

She slowly approached the centre feeling her body trembling with anticipation, and placed her hands on a long flat stone. Two Kings were buried here as the prophecy foretold.

The stone was massive, oblong, uncarved, simply a great natural stone onto which the moonlight poured and made a huge sword shine.

She caressed the silver scabbard, which was carved with two entwined dragons. It had been forged by the most powerful wizard of all time. He had bestowed all of his healing powers into it so it would forever guard the purity of the blade. Power resided there, she knew - ancient, pristine and absolute.

All of her life she had guarded it, purified it, and now it was time to release it into the hands of a mortal. Would it be wise? she asked herself, as she grabbed the jewelled hilt and released the blade from its magnificent sheath?

The blade hummed with power, as she pointed the sword to the sky. The moonlight smouldered in the jewels of the hilt; emeralds, diamonds and sapphires shimmered as she uttered words that were ancient, words that hadn't been spoken for centuries.

"Entulesse beleg ainur varda envinyatar."

After a few moments she placed the sword on the stone again. It was time.

*********************************************************

Morgan heard an insistent sound, and then light shone on her eyes, forcing her to open them. She found Mrs. Weasley watching her with a worried look on her face.

"Good Morning, Mrs. Weasley," she whispered, but the woman didn't answer. "Is there something wrong?"

Mrs. Weasley blinked and smiled warily. "I'm sorry dear, it's just that... well, you said a few words and you surprised me."

"What did I say?"

"I didn't understand you, but let's forget about it, for now. Remus is waiting for you downstairs," she said, walking towards the open door. "You should eat something before going to Diagon Alley," she added, closing the door behind her.

Feeling famished, she rose and changed into a faded pair of jeans, a comfortable white turtleneck and her old trainers. As soon as she finished brushing her hair, she started out the door. The dark corridor was empty, but still she felt as though someone was watching her. She closed the door carefully and ran for the stairs. This place gave her the creeps!

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw a huge umbrella stand, which resembled what appeared to be an elephant's leg. She avoided it, and then moved past a pair of long, black, moth-eaten curtains.

Old-fashioned lamps lined the pealing walls. The gloomy hallway made her feel uneasy, as if she had mistakenly entered some abandoned house. She raised her eyes to a cobwebbed chandelier that hung over her head. Spider webs hung like curtains from it, the crystals blackened with ages of dirt.

The threadbare carpet covered the passage completely. Old portraits hung on the walls, some crooked, others about to fall. It seemed as though Sirius' family had been obsessed with snakes: The doorknob, gas lamps and candelabra were all shaped like serpents.

Walking towards the stone steps leading to the kitchen, she heard raised voices coming from inside. Silently, she descended the narrow stone stairs and stopped outside the door to listen.

"I can go without raising any suspicions," she heard Sirius say in an angry, urgent tone of voice. "Please Moony," he pleaded to his friend, "I'll go mad inside this place if I don't get out of here. Please!"

"Dumbledore is going to kill me," murmured Lupin softly.

"Remus! You are not actually listening to him now, are you?" said a scolding woman's voice which Morgan recognized as Mrs. Weasley's.

"Don't tell me what to do. I'll do what I bloody well like in my house!" screamed Sirius loosing his patience.

"Sirius that is enough!" Lupin said meaningfully.

There was a hard silence followed by Sirius' voice, which was calmer, but laced with anger. "Look Molly, this is my choice; it has nothing to do with you or Dumbledore."

"If anyone sees you again, you will never be able to leave this house!" Mrs. Weasley said, almost shouting at him.

"Fine," Lupin said in a conciliatory tone, "let's just not argue. Please, Molly do try to understand. Sirius has been in hiding for so long, he needs to get out of here at least for a few hours."

"Suit yourselves," said Mrs. Weasley shortly, "but don't you dare say I didn't warn you both."

Perfect time to go inside, Morgan thought. When she opened the door, she heard a faint noise, and as she pushed the door open, she saw a huge black dog moving towards her. Morgan gasped with surprise and moved backwards.

"It's all right, Morgan, he won't hurt you," said Lupin petting the huge head. "You can pet him, he doesn't mind."

Morgan would never touch that frightening animal. She was not much of a dog person and that dog was just too huge and too black for her taste.

"I rather not, thank you," said Morgan walking away from them and sitting next to a half eaten breakfast, "Where's Sirius? I believe I just heard him."

Mrs. Weasley turned around and busied herself with a cup of tea. Lupin looked at her in surprise.

"Well, he...err...had some things to do, so he won't be coming with us."

"Oh really?" asked Morgan looking at Lupin so intensely that she saw him blush a little. How did Sirius get out of the kitchen she wondered, if there was only one door? Perhaps he just vanished; after all, he was a wizard. "So, where are we going again?"

"Diagon Alley," he said, sitting back at the table. Mrs. Weasley placed breakfast down for both of them, and then seated herself next to Lupin with a cup of tea.

"You will enjoy this Morgan, dear. It is a good place to see our world." She smiled at her, but was careful not to look her in the eyes.

"I'm really looking forward to this excursion. It will help me clear my mind," Morgan said, devouring her breakfast.

They ate quickly, and Lupin gave small bites from his plate to the dog, as it sat motionless next to him. Morgan was amazed by how well mannered the animal was.

When they finished, Lupin put on an extremely battered cloak over his shabby robes, and the dog silently walked towards the fireplace.

"Aren't you going to use a leash?" she asked, pointing at the dog.

The dog turned his head to stare at her as if he had heard her. Lupin moved towards the fireplace, "It's fine, really, he is extremely well mannered, right Padfoot?" he said, petting the dog again.

Morgan looked at them doubtfully; fine she thought, it's his hand that's going to be bitten off, not mine.

"So are we going?" asked Morgan.

"Yes, we're going by Floo."

"By what?" Morgan asked, confused. There were so many unusual words in this world that she wasn't certain if she had heard him correctly. "Floss?"

"Floo," Lupin repeated, smiling at her and taking a small vase from the fireplace. He grasped a handful of a greyish powder and tossed it into the fire. The flames roared high and turned emerald green.

"We will enter together. The Floo is Large enough to accommodate all of us." Lupin extending a hand towards her, but Morgan did not move. Was he insane? She wasn't going to step inside a roaring fire!

"Trust me, its safe... see?" He demonstrated placing his arm on the fire.

"NO!" she screamed. The big dog barked, scaring her further; she had quickly moved beside him and was staring at Lupin's unharmed arm.

"It's fine," said Lupin showing her his hand. She touched him tentatively. His hand looked intact - the skin wasn't even warm!

"You must learn to trust us." Lupin patted her hand. "Come along, now."

"I'm scared," she said, searching his eyes.

"I understand, but nothing is going to harm you. I'll help you so you won't fall down," Passing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her towards the fire, Lupin heard Padfoot growling at him and then the animal barked, causing Morgan to jump and recoil from him.

"Be quite, Padfoot, show your manners," Lupin said to the dog. Morgan watched as the animal entered the flames. She closed her eyes expecting to feel overwhelming heat, but it felt quiet comfortable.

"Leaky Cauldron," Lupin directed, and Morgan felt like she was going down a roller coaster. She closed her eyes tightly, then she felt as though she was falling down a hole. She clung to Lupin's neck and after a few bumps and turns she felt a big pull and heard his soft voice on her ear.

"We're here."

Morgan risked opening one eye as she raised her head from Lupin's chest. She was inside another Floo in what appeared to be an old pub. Lupin walked out and extended his hand to help her. She began brushing off ashes, then watched as the dog shook itself. Lupin took out his wand and waved it toward himself. "Evanesco!"

All the ash that had covered him disappeared. He hesitated, then moved towards Morgan, "It won't hurt you. It'll take the dust away. Evanesco!"

Nothing happened. Morgan was still covered from head to toe in white powder.

"Oh, it's all right, I'll brush it off," Morgan said, wiping the dust from her hair and clothes. Lupin stared, incredulous. Every time Morgan brushed the dust off, instead of falling to the floor, it vanished.

She raised her eyes just in time to see the perplexed look on his face. Just as she was about to ask what was wrong, a man wearing a dirty apron approach them.

"We will need two rooms and supper please," Lupin said smiling.

The man looked at him, taking in the shabby cloak and unsightly appearance of his clothes. He then turned his attention to Morgan. He guessed that she was a Muggle, but at least she looked more prosperous than Lupin.

He eyed them suspiciously for a few moments and then turned his gaze to the huge dog beside them, and narrowed his eyes into slits.

"Don't worry, he is a good dog and he will behave inside," Lupin assured him.

The man nodded, unconvinced, and walked behind the bar. He quickly returned with two keys, then continued serving the tables.

"Right," said Lupin pocketing the keys, "let's go, this way."

He lead Morgan through the crowded room. She noted all kinds of people sitting around the tables. The dog followed obediently behind them.

They reached a small door, which Lupin opened. It revealed a small, walled courtyard. There was nothing there but empty bottles and trash. He took his wand out, again, and pointed it towards the brick wall, making the bricks quiver.

As Morgan watched, a hole appeared in the wall. She thought it might collapse, but the hole grew wider and wider, and a moment later she faced a large archway leading into a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.

The dog barked happily and ran through the archway, and Lupin grabbed her elbow and pushed Morgan through. She received a fresh breeze on her face and various aromas wafted by her.

The placed was packed with people dressed in robes and cloaks in different fashions and colours; they also wore preposterous hats and spoke in many languages.

She walked open-mouthed, wishing she could press her face against every single window.

"Oh, I forgot my purse," she said, disappointed. "I would have loved to have purchased a few things."

Lupin had a deep blush on his cheeks and looked away from her. "Er...don't worry about that."

Morgan continued walking beside him. By the miserable state of his clothes, she realized that he might not have enough money and that he felt awkward to admit that in front of her.

She mentally kicked herself for being so stupid and that she hadn't realized that before opening her big, compulsive-shopping mouth!

They approached a very large store with a wooden sign above it that read:

The Apothecary.

Then she spied another shop full of birds and owls with a long sign that read:

Ewylops Owl Emporium.

She was amazed that the dog hadn't barked at the birds. The owls were hooting merrily and there were also other big and more colourful birds she couldn't quite name. She absently patted the dog's head as they walked away from the owlery. The animal immediately stopped running about and walked beside her the rest of the way.

At the end of the street, they reached a white building that towered above the other shops.

"What is that place?" asked Morgan, pulling Lupin's sleeve.

"Oh, that's Gringotts." When he saw the blank look on her face he elaborated, "It's the bank, where wizards keep their money."

Morgan gazed at the tall building, lost in thought. Lupin felt nervous. What if she suggested they go inside? He would die of embarrassment if he had to show her his empty safe!

"Do you think my family kept their money here?" Morgan asked him thoughtfully.

"Well...I really couldn't say...perhaps they did," he answered, not knowing exactly what to tell her.

"Do you think it's still here?" she pressed.

"Err...I don't know," answered Lupin feeling uneasy. What was she getting at?

Morgan walked towards the bronze doors. "Well, let's find out."

Lupin ran and blocked her way. "But Morgan, we are not certain of anything!" he said, trying to reason with her.

"It doesn't hurt to ask, does it?" She raised a thin, dark eyebrow at him.

"Well, I suppose not, but Morgan..." She had rounded him and began climbing the rest of the stairs. "Is this safe to do?" he asked the dog helplessly, but Padfoot barked in return, almost as if he agreed with her.

Morgan was surprised to see an odd little man in front of her. Diminutive and very old, he resembled one of those little men in the old fairy tale pictures of dwarfs. The little man was not pleased to see Padfoot and he did not want to allow them inside, but after a few minutes of pleading, he relented.

"Morning!" she chirped, cheerfully greeting one of the little old men that sat behind a big desk with his legs dangling from a tall stool. "My family kept an account here at once time and I'd like to know if you have their records."

Lupin felt nervous. A few goblins were staring at him. He knew, that they knew, that he was a penniless werewolf. He had come to them asking for a loan and had been embarrassed beyond his strength. Lupin had never returned since.

Padfoot licked his fingers in understanding. "Yes I know, we'll be out of here quickly," Lupin whispered to the dog.

"What is your family's name, Miss?" the goblin asked sourly.

"Darken. My mother's maiden name was Brenna Darken."

The goblin evaluated her for a few seconds. "Wait here." He jumped from his stool and crossed over to the door behind him.

Morgan glanced around at the vast marbled hall. The place must have been centuries old. This world never failed to amaze her.

Lupin grew more nervous by the minute; he wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

After a few minutes, the goblin returned. "Miss Stone, I will have someone take you down to your family vault. Shortcut!"

Shortcut hurried over to her. Morgan wondered how they knew her name!

Lupin, on the other hand was flabbergasted, but said nothing to Morgan as they followed the goblin towards one of the doors leading out of the hall. Once outside, they could see narrow railway racks on the dirt floor. The goblin whistled, and a small battered cart rolled towards them.

"I'm not riding in this rickety little thing!" Morgan protested.

"It is the only way," Lupin said, helping her to climb inside.

"But Remus..." There was hardly any room inside the small car, and she was almost pushed upon Lupin's lap. "I'm afraid, Remus!" The little cart began moving and quickly gained speed. She could see a long, vertical drop in the tracks ahead. "I'm afraid of...HEIGHTS!"

Her scream was muffled when she buried her face in his neck and clutched the front of his cloak. Morgan felt his arms brace her shoulders. Her stomach bounced about like a basketball. This was even worse than travelling by Floo! All she needed now was to disgrace herself by throwing up all over him.

After what seemed like an eternity, the cart finally stopped, and Lupin helped her out. Her hands and legs were shaking, and she felt extremely ill.

"Vault 1313," said Shortcut.

They were standing in front of a massive iron gate; it looked as big as the door outside Hogwarts. Two entwined dragons were carved on the doors, and at the front, holding the door closed was a small, bronze jewelled dagger.

"If you are Morgan Emrys Stone," said the goblin, "then you will be able to remove the dagger. But, if you're not, the dagger will cut your throat."

Morgan looked at the goblin in disbelief. Why had he called her Emrys? And, just how certain was she that this vault had belonged to her mother's family?

But, she hadn't just endured a ride from hell to turn around empty handed, so she reached out her hand to remove the dagger, fingers trembling. She could have sworn that the dog was holding its breath!

As her fingers gripped the hilt, she felt a warm heat filling her arm. She removed the dagger and the door opened. The hinges squeaked loudly as if the door hadn't been opened in decades. As soon as the white smoke cleared, they were able to see a huge vault lit by several torches resting on stone dragonheads.

Morgan walked inside, her footsteps echoing the empty hall. The place was divided into small rooms each with a wooden door and a name written outside. Several oriental carpets covered the stone floor.

Ancient banners and badges hung on the walls displaying the same figures that were carved on the door. Purple seemed to have been their favourite colour, for almost all of the banners were in that deep shade. Morgan glanced at the dagger in her hands and her expert eyes recognized it as an ancient ceremonial weapon.

The blade had a few runes carved upon it, which spelled the word "dragon born". The jewels on the hilt denoted royalty and allegiance to the Moon Goodess.

Morgan realised that Lupin had continued walking in front of her, so she ran to keep up with him. They walked on, reading each name written on the doors until they reached the end of the vault and found a small green door with her mother's name written upon it in ornate golden letters:

Brenna Drusilla Darken.

Morgan twisted the knob, which was carved as a dragonhead, and entered the room. As she did so, it became illuminated by torches. Tall perches of gold, silver and bronze flickered in the light, and many strange and rare objects filled the cluttered room.

Lupin followed her, gaping at the sight. The space contained so much money that it was difficult to enter. Shortcut followed them with a brown bag.

"Morgan?" he called, when she disappeared sight.

She stood in front of a rosewood table, transfixed by the dagger she still held in her hand. She then turned her gaze to two crystal balls that rested in purple velvet cushions; each orb had a name inscribed upon it and a sign above it:

Sevarin Emrys Stone Morgan Emrys Stone.

"I think it's yours," Lupin whispered behind her, removing the dagger from her hand, "as well as the gold."

Morgan turned her head to looked at him, "Yeah sure, I...I just wondered... Emrys? I didn't know I had a second name."

"Emrys," said Lupin quietly, "you know what it means, right?"

She ignored his question, taking the crystal ball and placing it inside the bag, then turning towards the tall perches of gold. She had never seen anything like it.

It was like entering Aladdin's cave! She began to fill the bag with all the money she could carry.

"You must explain this to me," she said to Lupin, with a weary smile, "I don't know how to use it."

Lupin nodded, still amazed by how wealthy her family had been.

"You are entitled to all the chambers unless another family member shows up," Shortcut informed her.

"Are you sure?" Morgan asked dazed, "All of them?"

"Yes, all of them and whatever they contain," the goblin repeated, before retreating.

They followed Shortcut and saw Padfoot staring at the wall at the end of the corridor. It looked as if it had been painted and something had been written upon it. The letters had become chipped and faded.

"Intra...magicus..." began Lupin, but he could not make out the rest. "It must be some sort of quotation."

"Well, let's go!" Morgan said cheerfully, nudging him softly, "I want to start spending some of this money!"

Lupin smiled at the impish look on her face. She looked like a child ready to buy Honeydukes.

The ride back was just as hideous as the ride in; she could still feel her legs shaking as they returned to Diagon Alley.

"So, what's your fancy?" Lupin inquired, nudging her playfully in the arm.

She wanted to buy him some new clothes; he looked so dreadful in the ones he was wearing. She didn't wish to offend him, however, so she devised a plan.

"Well, I was just thinking that I could buy some robes like the ones everyone else wears." Morgan winked at him and linked his arm. " They could be quite useful in this foul weather."

Lupin patted her hand, winking back at her, "Well, Madam Malkin's it is."

When they entered the shop, Madam Malkin herself appeared, ready to help them choose from her wide selection of robes and cloaks. Lupin had pleasant memories of this place: Sirius had bought him a beautiful blue cloak here once. Black had always been a bit of a peacock, and indulged in elegant clothes, often insisting that his friends have the same.

Madam Malkin regarded Padfoot with discomfort.

"He is well behaved," Morgan and Lupin said in unison, causing them both to laugh.

Madam Malkin smiled. It was nice to see a couple like that once in a while, she thought, moving away to let them make their selections.

"So, what would you like, Morgan?" Lupin asked.

Frantic, Morgan began to put her pitiful little plan into action.

"Well, I don't know," she responded indecisively, deliberately walking towards the men's section, "Maybe if you try something on too, I won't feel so self-indulgent."

Lupin raised his thin brown eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

"Well, if I'm going to make an ass of myself, I'm not doing it alone, so I'll try one if you try one, okay?"

Lupin stared at her with an odd expression on his face, then reached towards a nearby rack. He selected a moderately priced robe, and moved to the back of the store.

Morgan sighed with relief. "God! I hope I haven't offended him," she said to the dog, "He can't possibly go around with those shabby clothes. I wonder what Sirius would like; I'd love to buy something for him, also."

The dog silently moved to a deep blue robe and cloak that was displayed on a mannequin.

"Not bad," she smiled, "you have impeccable taste."

An hour later, Lupin exited the shop, still blushing. Morgan had insisted on buying him all the clothes that she had insisted he try on, and she had also chosen a few garments for Sirius. Remus now owned a variety of robes, cloaks and gloves, and Padfoot had shamefully "chosen" the most elegant, and expensive ones for both of them.

They visited several other shops. Morgan had particularly enjoyed Flourish and Blotts. She purchased a number of books, including a very rare volume that had to be removed from a crystal box.

Dinner at the Leaky Cauldron had been simple and brief. When Morgan, at last, retired to her room, she laid out her acquisitions on the bed.

A beautiful silver letter opener with emeralds for Minerva, a huge cookbook for Molly, the clothes for Remus and Sirius, a delicate, ancient music box for Dumbledore, and an elegant travel cloak for Madam Pomfrey; as for Snape, a rare book on deadly potions and remedies.

She knew Snape might not care to accept it, but she might as well try. They had told her at the shop that it was a highly valuable book, a rare first edition, only a copy of which was available at Hogwarts. She hoped that the impossible man would accept it.

Morgan laid down on the bed and turned to look at the crystal ball that rested beside her pillow. What could it possibly be?

She reached out her hand and raised the crystal ball against the light. Suddenly, Morgan sprang to her feet. There was something inside!

Not stopping to put her shoes on, she ran barefoot towards Lupin's room. Without even knocking, she flung the door open, causing Lupin to jump from his bed.

"Morgan!" he said walking towards her, "How did you..."

"Remus look!" she said approaching him, holding the crystal ball towards him, "There is something inside!"

Remus received the crystal ball from her with shaking hands and turned it over and over against the candlelight.

"By the Gods! You are right!" said Lupin frowning, "It's a bird."

"A bird?" she asked, amazed.

"Yes," said Lupin his eyebrows knitted, "it's a Jobberknoll."

I gotta roll I can't stand still,

Got a flamin' heart can't get my fill.

With eyes that shine, burnin' red,

Dreams of you all through my head.

Page/Plant/Jones