Swept From the Past

Chapter 50: The Emerald's Heart -- part three

Padfoot stood a few meters from Harry in front of a big wall of red curtains. The dog transformed into a wizard with black hair that Harry knew well. Sirius Black, his godfather.

"Sirius!" Harry cried. He couldn't believe it! Sirius was alive? He felt so happy that... Wait a minute... why was Sirius wearing a Death Eater's mask on his face?

Harry gasped. "Sirius?" he asked.

Harry's godfather laughed. His laughter sounded like a dog's bark... a dangerous bark.

The wall of curtains opened. Harry felt pure terror. There was nothing behind the curtains, just a void. A big hole of darkness, which swallowed up the floor.

What was happening? The floor was about to collapse under Sirius' feet, but his godfather didn't move. Soon, he would fall into the void. He would disappear again!

"Sirius!" Harry called again, moisture coming in his eyes. "Why?"

Sirius laughed harder. He took his mask off and Harry discovered with horror that Sirius' face was now just a skull with eyeballs. Sirius' eyes. Those eyes had the same expression as they'd had the last time Harry had seen his godfather alive... when he'd been hit by Bellatrix' spell...

"Haaarrrrryyy," a voice whispered from far away. "Doooo noooottt follooowwwww thiiiissss waaaayyyyy."

Harry heard the voice, but he was too focused on Sirius to listen. Soon, the whisper ended. Sirius extended his arm. Then his body curved in an arc, falling backwards into the abyss.

"Noooo!" Harry yelled. He jumped forward and grabbed Sirius' hand. He couldn't let him die again! Never! He would do anything to save him!

Sirius' hand closed on Harry's with the strength of pincers. Harry felt an electric shock cross his body. He suddenly remembered all that had happened to him. The run in the forest... Hermione... Ron... Luna... Neville... His parents... Ginny... Burns... They all had abandoned him. He was all alone now. Harry felt his temple, neck, leg, and arm ache. All the wounds linked to his flight hurt him like hell. His friends had refused to help him. Worse, they had attacked him. They had wanted to kill him. They hated him... Even Burns, who was meant to protect him... Who had never wanted to take care of him...

"He's too stupid to pass his exams," Hermione's voice said.

"The worst Seeker in the whole history of Hogwarts," Luna replied.

"It's his fault if my parents died," Neville responded.

"He attacked my father," Ron continued.

"The day he'd transformed himself into a snake," Ginny added.

"Maybe that's why his parents became mental?" Burns said. "When they discovered he was a snake..."

"Why did you do that to us?" Harry's mother asked. "Why did you kill us?"

He heard her shriek. The cry of his mother when she had died. Or was she insane now? Harry didn't remember.

"I've always known that you were not a real Potter," Harry's father said. "Filthy snake!"

The voices echoed all around, harassing Harry, making him feel as if he was going mad. And still the rough contact of Sirius' grab, crushing Harry's hand.

"Why did you kill me?" Sirius asked. His voice was stronger than the other ones. His lips didn't move, but Harry kept hearing his godfather's voice hissing words in his mind. Sirius' eyes fixed him intently. An awful feeling of guilt invaded Harry's heart.

"I didn't kill you!" he exclaimed. "I didn't! It's Bellatrix! She..."

"Why did you kill me?" Sirius asked again. "Why did you go to the Ministry? It's your fault that I died. Why didn't you stop Bellatrix when she aimed her wand at me?"

"I wanted to!" Harry yelled. "But it was too late! I'm sorry! I wish I could have done something for you! I promise I'll save you this time!"

Harry pulled on his godfather's hand as hard as he could, but his efforts didn't work. Sirius' body arched more, pulling Harry forward. The boy felt he was not strong enough. Tears dropped on his cheeks. What could he do? He couldn't abandon Sirius! Lose him again! The hole frightened Harry, but nothing could compare to the terror of seeing Sirius fall again.

"Come with me," Sirius whispered. "Be courageous. Like James. Don't let me fall in the hole alone."

"I... I can't," Harry replied. "I must save you."

"You'll save me if you fall with me," Sirius replied. "You're a real Gryffindor. Fall with me. You're like me... all alone. Your friends threw you away. Prove to me that you regret what you did to me..."

"I..." Harry said.

"Aren't you ready to give your life for me?" Sirius asked. "I gave mine for you. Because of you."

"Because of me..." Harry whispered. Yes, it was true. All was his fault. Sirius had come to rescue him, but Harry hadn't done anything. He had killed Sirius.

"Will I save your life if I fall with you?" Harry asked with a weak voice. He had caused so much pain around him... Would this repair what he had done??

"Yes," Sirius replied. "This is the only way."

Hope abandoned Harry. Deep inside, he knew what he had to do. His life was nothing compared to Sirius'. It was a fair sacrifice. He stopped fighting and fell forward into the void with his godfather, his heart beating so hard that it hurt. It was the only way to save Sirius...

A terrible laugh which sounded like a hiss echoed all around.

***

Severus and Burns stood alone on The Emerald Star's upper deck. Severus was worried. Had Burns planned to go down with her ship? It was out of the question!

"What do you mean you won't leave the ship?" he asked reproachfully.

"What didn't you understand?" Burns asked. "This is a ship. I'm on the ship. I'll stay on the ship." She smirked.

Severus scowled. He hated when she made fun of him. "I mean why? Irritating girl!"

A rock flew in the air. Severus aimed his wand at the stone. "Destru--!" he yelled.

"No!" Burns shouted. She grabbed his wrist.

Severus stopped, astonished. The rock fell close to the foredeck, landing with a loud bang. The ship pitched with the impact.

"Why did you...?" Severus asked. Did Burns want her ship to be destroyed by those dangerous boulders?

"I want them to believe that the ship has been abandoned," Burns replied. "So no magic. No sign of life. Don't even approach the right edge of the ship. The giants must be convinced that all their enemies are in the castle."

"And why do you want them to think that?" Severus asked.

"Because when they see no one is here, they'll stop damaging the ship," Burns replied. "I need a place to solve this Apollo's Arch riddle. And there'll be too much agitation in the castle. I'll return there later."

"Why don't you try the Room of Requirement?" Severus asked suggestively. "I think it's the best place to sort out the most complex riddles..."

Burns screwed up her eyes. "I prefer my ship," she snapped. "And I will certainly not abandon the remaining cannons. The giants avoid most of the cannonballs because they foresee the attacks. I'm curious to see the result after an unexpected attack from the ship." She smirked.

Severus frowned. Although Burns' idea was clever, he didn't like it. Those flying rocks scared him. What if a stone crushed her?

"What?" Burns said with irritation. "Another bloody attempt to make me leave the ship?"

"I didn't say anything," he replied.

"You don't need to," Burns responded. "You disapprove of my decision. It's written all over your face. Here is the key to Severus Snape. A scowl; a nasty comment. You scowled, so I'm waiting for the nasty comment."

Severus raised an eyebrow. Burns knew how to hit him where it hurt.

A rock hit the quarterdeck, making the ship tremble again. Severus spun around and saw a big hole in the deck.

"The password to leave the ship is 'Bat's blood,' Burns said. "I thought of you when I chose it," she said mockingly. "Leave now."

"Certainly not!" Severus replied with irritation, turning to her again.

Burns didn't wait for his response. She stepped to the foredeck and stood in front of the left edge of the ship. Severus followed her. She stared at the horizon and caressed the wood of the ship with the tip of her fingers. She appeared to be lost in thought.

"Why do you always leave when I want to talk?" Severus asked with anger.

Burns stared at him and screwed up her eyes. "I don't have time to talk," she replied. "Go away."

"Your crew is taking care of these giants and trolls," Severus hissed. "And you stand with me on an empty sh--"

"What do you want exactly?" Burns interrupted.

Her question surprised Severus.

"I want you to return to the castle with me," he replied. "You're not safe here."

Burns laughed. "Because you think I'll be safer within the castle? No one is safe." She paused. "Four giants left. Although three giants will be killed eventually, the Gurg will not. I'm pretty sure that his armour protects him from most spells. And the trolls..."

"Most of them are dead," Severus replied.

"They are just sacrifices," Burns responded. "Like the giants, whose services Voldemort managed to buy. He used their hatred of wizards to rally them against Hogwarts. It's the symbol of magic, where children, the future of the Wizarding Word, are studying."

"I'm well aware of that fact," Severus whispered under his breath. "Since last year, we've known that the Dark Lord had made an alliance with them."

"He hasn't made an alliance just with them," Burns replied. "And I'm pretty sure that some of his other allies will come soon."

Soon? So tonight's attack was far from over? The Dark Lord's allies were numerous, but having planned an attack with all of them... When Severus had attended the Death Eater's meetings, he had never heard about such a plan. But things had probably changed since he had been considered a traitor. He swore he wouldn't leave Burns for a minute. He kept thinking of Lord Grindelwald's warning. No, Katarina wouldn't die...

"I don't know how they did it," Burns said, "but Death Eaters put Portkeys in the Fores..."

She stopped and stared at Severus suspiciously.

The Potions master felt infuriated. "I didn't put anything in the Forest, if it's what you mean!" he hissed. "When will you trust me?"

"Never," Burns responded.

"Just give me a chan--" Severus said.

"Enough!" Burns snapped. "I need to think. So either you'll try to help me with this riddle about Apollo's Arch or you'll shut up."

Severus' fists clenched with anger. He wanted to shake Burns until she realised he loved her desperately. No... actually, he wanted to kiss her until she realised she loved him desperately. But something in her speech was right. The Gurg was dangerous. The sooner they understood how to get rid of the creature the sooner Burns would be safe.

"All right," he hissed, "but we'll continue this conversation when the battle is over."

Burns snorted.

'Let's sort this riddle out,' Severus thought... What had the ship said exactly? Ah yes, that all men couldn't use the bow. That only a good archer who served a great cause could pretend to this honour. That he had to be a servant of fire, under the protection of Jupiter.

"Apollo is the son of Zeus..." Severus said softly, "And Zeus is Jupiter in Latin. So Apollo is under the protection of Jupiter. And his powers are linked to the sun... which means he's a servant of fire."

"Brilliant," Burns replied sarcastically, "Do you have a Greek god in your relatives, because I don't have any..."

"I'm just trying to decipher the message," Severus hissed. "You're driving me mad, silly girl."

Suddenly, a big stone hit The Emerald Star's figurehead. The wooden statue blasted. Fragments of wood and stone burst all around. Severus clasped Burns in his arms and fell on the deck to protect her. He felt projectiles hitting his back but he didn't care. Burns' face stayed on his chest for a few seconds. Her body trembled. Severus felt she had a rush of panic.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"The figurehead," she said, breathing hard, "that's the only thing he had... It was his only treasure after he had lost her... How dare that bloody giant destroy her? How dare he kill her again?" She took a deep intake of breath. "I'll kill that creature!" she exclaimed angrily.

She pushed Severus away and got up, but fell back on her knees. She shrieked from pain and clenched her fist on her breast.

Severus felt terrified. He knelt and held her in his arms again. She stirred, but Severus was stronger.

"Don't fight me," he said. "You need my contact to feel better. Accept it. I'm the cure for your illness."

He kept one of his arms around her waist. He cradled her head in his other hand and placed his face against hers, so that they were cheek to cheek. He could hear Burns' panting breath. She stopped fighting him.

"It will be okay," he said in her ear. "You'll feel better in a few seconds." Then he kissed her neck slowly.

Burns moaned slightly, and it didn't sound like a moan of pain.

"I need you, stubborn girl," he said. "As much as you need me. We still love each other."

She pushed him away again. "Bastard!" she exclaimed, a furious expression on her face. "Good acting performance," she said. "You almost sounded sincere."

"I am sincere," Severus hissed. He sighed in frustration. She was as obstinate as a mule! "Did you notice that your crisis has passed?" he asked softly.

"Coincidence," Burns replied. She snorted.

"Lots of coincidences," Severus commented.

Burns threw him a cross stare.

Suddenly, the ship shook again as if under shock. The jolt knocked Severus from his kneeling position. Severus and Burns lost their balance. Severus fell on top of Burns.

"Get away from me!" Burns exclaimed.

"I'm trying to!" Severus hissed.

But the ship shook again. Severus' attempts to get up failed. His hands accidentally landed on the wrong place.

"Bloody Slytherin!" Burns shouted. "Get your hands away from my breasts immediately!"

"I didn't do it on purpose," Severus replied. He removed his hands from where they had settled, trying not to compress Burns under his weight.

"You're crushing me!" Burns yelled.

"Is it another way to say that you have a crush on me?" Severus asked to provoke her.

"One word more and I load the cannons with your balls!" she retorted.

"Is it an invitation?" he replied softly. "I think we should return to my quarters then."

"Cretin!" Burns snapped. She pushed him away for a second time, making him roll on his side. She got up on her knees, then crawled on the deck to the cannons. Severus did the same thing.

"Leave the ship," Burns hissed.

"Not without you," Severus responded.

Burns didn't reply. She got up on her knees again. She cast a glance above the cannons, then hid again.

"Three giants left, I guess," she said. "I don't think they saw me. They're busy with the castle."

Burns pulled her wand out of her cloak. She pointed it at one of the cannons. But she lowered her wand suddenly.

"Bloody shit," she said.

"What?" Severus asked.

"If I load the cannons the normal way," she replied, "the giants will notice that there's still someone on the ship."

Severus was surprised and even amused. "Why didn't you think of it?" he asked mockingly.

"I had something else to think of," she hissed.

"Really?" Severus asked. "I thought that before staying on the ship and risking your life because of four stupid giants, you had thought of everything."

"I had," Burns replied. "Almost..."

Severus felt suspicious. Had she really wanted to stay on The Emerald Star because of the giants or the Apollo's Arch? A few minutes ago, she'd been ready to kill the giant who had destroyed the ship's figurehead. Her impulsive reaction had nearly spoiled her plan. And she had given Apollo's Arch to one of the pirates... telling him all that she knew about who could use the bow. Telling him to ask the teachers for the solution of the riddle...

Severus gasped.

"You weren't planning to return to Hogwarts, were you?" he asked. "That's why you gave the bow to that man..."

Burns didn't respond. She looked away.

Severus understood with horror that his first impression had been right. She had really planned to go down with her ship.

"But you hadn't planned that I'd stay on the ship with you..." he whispered under his breath, still in shock.

"I'm the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," Burns replied ironically. "Not the Divination professor. Although I suppose it wouldn't make any difference, judging from Trelawney's talents."

"Why?" Severus asked. Why did she want to die so much? Didn't she understand he could offer her the life she had always wanted?

"Because Trelawney doesn't know anything about Divination," Burns responded as if she hadn't understood the question.

"I mean why do you want to go down with your ship?" Severus replied with irritation. "Not that I'll let you do it. I just want to understand your reasons."

Burns looked away. "I've had enough of my life," she said. "Enough of feeling empty and miserable. I've had enough of feeling that ache within me. I'm dying. This is my fate. I want to die with my ship. I don't want to become insane and harm more people... or agonise in the Hospital Wing, losing the last dignity that I have. I want to be freed."

Severus' heart tightened. That ache within her... That emptiness and misery... Because of him. He could fill up that void within her. He had the power to change everything. But she wouldn't let him do it.

"What if you could be healed?" Severus asked.

"I don't deserve to be healed," Burns replied.

"Rubbish!" Severus exclaimed furiously. "Do you think that I'll let you say this, idiot girl? You don't know what you deserve or not. I do. Stop being so proud and stubbor--"

Suddenly, a loud ringing filled the air, as if an alarm had been activated.

"Shit!" Burns swore. She closed her eyes for a few seconds. Her jaw clenched.

"What is this?" Severus asked.

"What I feared," Burns replied. "Either Dementors or vampires. Or both."

***

Remus Lupin stood behind a window on the third floor of Hogwarts, his wand aimed at a troll. A ray of light escaped his wand, shooting the creature. He wished he could do more to defend the castle, but he couldn't do much except go after the trolls. The giants were more dangerous with their boulders, but out of reach.

Another stone hit the castle, making the walls and the floor tremble. How long would Hogwarts resist these attacks? Remus didn't know. But judging from the loud bangs when the rocks crashed into the walls and from the blocks of stone that fell from the façade, the castle wouldn't last long.

Suddenly, a rock flew in the air straight onto to Katarina's ship. Remus saw the top of one mast collapse. Someone fell from the ship. Katarina? Was she still on board? Remus had noticed that the cannons had been transferred from The Emerald Star to Hogwarts, which meant that Katarina's crew had retreated.

The person -- probably a man -- who had fallen from the Galleon flew back up to the ship. A couple of seconds later, he left the ship and flew to the castle, landing on the third floor close to the room where Remus stood...

The werewolf wanted to know what was going on. Surely this man could explain to him what Katarina had last decided. Remus ran out of the classroom and reached the place where the man had landed.

He opened the door and saw the man, a dark-haired pirate of approximately forty-five years old with piercings on his temples and nose. The man, busy observing a strange bow, raised his head and stared at Remus suspiciously. The werewolf felt he had to gain the man's trust if he wanted to learn something. Maybe introducing himself was the best way to start.

"Remus Lupin," Remus said. "Former Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

To Remus' great surprise, the man's features relaxed.

"I know you," he said. "You're the protégé of the Capt'n."

The protégé of Katarina? Remus smiled slightly. It was good to hear that. His little sister still cared about him, although she didn't show it. Somehow, it reassured him.

"You're a werewolf, right?" the pirate said.

Remus felt a little embarrassed, but he nodded.

"My cousin was a werewolf too," the man continued. "A great boy. Bitten when he was eight. The Death Eaters killed him with the rest of the family," the pirate said with bitterness. "He was eleven. He dreamt to enter Hogwarts one day, but at the time, it was not so easy."

Remus remembered how difficult it had been for him to enter the school. He felt sorry for that boy who hadn't got the same chance as he, and had been killed so young. And he felt sorry for that man in front of him who had lost a part of his family. The Death Eaters had taken so much from so many people.

"I'm Joachim," the man said, holding out his hand to Remus. They shook their hands.

"Maybe you can help me with this," Joachim said, designating the bow. "I must watch over this object. The Capt'n gave it to me. It's a weapon against the Gurg. Impossible to pierce his armour with usual weapons. Must use it if she doesn't come back before half an hour."

"Where is Professor Burns?" Remus queried.

"On The Emerald Star," Joachim replied.

"I thought that she had evacuated the ship..." Remus commented.

"She has," Joachim replied. "She's alone there... I mean, almost. She's with a man. Black hair... dressed in black robes. Seems to have a big crush on her."

'Severus,' Remus thought. But why had Katarina decided to stay on her ship while her whole crew had retreated to the castle? And why hadn't Severus brought her back yet? What was Katarina planning? Whatever it was, he had big problems of his own. A dangerous giant wanted to destroy the castle. It was more urgent.

"Can I see the bow?" Remus asked.

Joachim nodded. He handed it to Remus.

Remus stared at the weapon. It was a golden bow with a single arrow. He remembered having seen an image of that bow somewhere, but...

"What it is?" he asked.

"Don't know exactly," Joachim replied. "The Capt'n said it must be used by a good archer, male, servant of fire, under the protection of Jupiter. Says we have to find out. Told me to ask the teachers."

Another stone smashed the castle, making Remus jump. The floor trembled.

"Well, we have an enigma to sort out," Remus said. "And not a lot of time to do it. The castle will be destroyed entirely if we don't find a solution."

"What do you suggest?" Joachim asked.

"First, find someone who can tell us what the bow is," Remus said. "Maybe Professors Flitwick, Sprout or McGonagall would know? Let's find them!"

Joachim nodded. Remus gave the bow back to the man. Then they both left the room.

***

Hermione stood with Ron in the boy's dormitory. The girl couldn't remove her eyes from the window. She had witnessed the whole attack. The boulders thrown at the castle, the rocks piercing The Emerald Star's hull... She had felt the shocks when the stones had smashed into the walls, and heard the screams of the terrified Gryffindors coming from the common room. She was so scared that she hadn't managed to utter a word. Facing a single Mountain troll was an awful experience, but being attacked by an army of trolls and a few angry giants? No books could describe the terror Hermione felt.

She cast a glance at Ron, who had stopped talking for a while too. His face was pale and he was staring outside with a blank stare.

"Ron?" she whispered.

Ron looked at her.

"I'm terrified," she said with a quavering voice. "Really terrified. What if...?" She stopped, unable to utter the words.

What if they all died this evening? What if the giants were too strong? What if Hogwarts was destroyed?

Ron didn't reply at first. He looked back at the window and appeared to be deep in thought.

"We shouldn't be here," he said at last.

"What?" Hermione asked, confused.

"We're in sixth year," Ron replied. Hermione perceived contained anger in his voice. "We shouldn't stay in the Gryffindor Tower when the castle is under attack," Ron continued. "We should help the teachers and Burns' crew... we should help Harry!"

"Dumbledore is--" Hermione said.

"Yes," Ron exclaimed, "Dumbledore. But what 'bout us? We're Harry's friends. Why can't we defend the castle at least?"

Ron was right. But what could they do? McGonagall had ordered them to return to their dormitories. The girl sighed, trying to calm her fear.

"I'm sure Burns would like us to fight," Ron continued. "She said we had to prepare ourselves for any situation. That we always had to be ready for a fight."

"I know," Hermione admitted. "But we're just students. And the teachers are responsible for us. They're trying to protect us."

Suddenly, a terrible bang burst above Hermione. She shrieked. The last thing she saw was the ceiling of the Gryffindor Tower collapse on Ron and her.

***

Remus ran in the corridors, followed by Joachim. Then the werewolf found Professor Sprout in a room on the second floor.

"Pomona," Remus said. "We need your help."

The squat little witch turned around. "Remus," she said, "I'm glad that you're here. Do you know what exactly is going on? How did those creatures manage to enter the Hogwarts grounds?"

"Not much, unfortunately," Remus replied. "I just know that we're under attack." He paused. "But look at this," he said, designating the bow that Joachim held. "Do you have any idea what it is? It's important."

Professor Sprout observed the bow for a few seconds. Then her eyes opened wide.

"Apollo's Arch," she whispered.

"Really?" Remus asked. So that bow really existed? He'd thought it was a legend.

"Yes," Sprout replied. "Apollo is a god of the harvests. I saw a picture of his Arch in one of my books."

"Do you know how the bow works?" Remus asked.

Sprout shook her head. "I just know that the arrow has the power of light. Its purity can pierce through anything."

"That's good," Remus replied. "But we must find someone able to use it. There's an enigma about that bow. Maybe you could--"

"Come with me," Sprout interrupted. "Minerva is watching the Great Hall to prevent anyone from entering and bothering the Headmaster and Harry. Let's go and ask her--"

"Harry?" Remus asked. He frowned. Wasn't Harry in his dormitories with the other students? "What do you mean?"

"You don't know?" Sprout queried.

"What don't I know?" Remus asked anxiously.

"Harry is lying unconscious in the Great Hall," Sprout replied. "He's victim of a very powerful curse. The Headmaster is taking care of him. But no one must enter the Hall or it could have awful consequences."

Remus gasped. Harry was in danger? He had thought that the attack had caused all the agitation in the school. He hadn't guessed that Harry...

"What sort of curse?" Remus asked.

"Dark Magic," Sprout replied. "A strong Binding Spell." She paused. "You-Know-Who's work," she whispered.

Suddenly, the castle walls trembled again.

"Excuse me," Joachim interrupted, "but I don't think it's the moment to worry about Harry Potter. There's a mystery about a bow to sort out..."

"You're right," Remus said, staring at Joachim. Then he looked at Sprout. "We should go and see Professor McGonagall."

"I'll stay here with the bow," Joachim said. "Now that you know what this weapon is, you don't need my presence. I'll shoot a few trolls while I'm waiting." He smirked. "Hope the Capt'n will come back soon," he added. He went to the window, his wand at the ready.

Remus and Sprout left. A few minutes later, they met McGonagall in front of the Great Hall. The old witch looked worried. Remus feared that something had happened to Harry.

"Minerva," Sprout said, "How are things going inside the Hall?"

"I don't know," McGonagall replied. "The doors are magically locked. And I think it's better that way. I'd hate to think how big that serpent has become."

Serpent? Remus' heart beat hard. What was happening inside the Hall?

"A serpent?" he asked.

"Yes," Sprout replied. "A part of the curse."

"Professor Burns said the serpent was a part of Harry's mind," McGonagall replied. "That killing the snake would kill the boy. This is why no one must intervene."

Everything went too fast in Remus' head. Harry... He was in danger. He was... And the snake... Remus felt panic. But suddenly, he realised something important: Dumbledore was with Harry. If someone could find a solution, it was the Headmaster. And Remus' role was not to intervene. He had to trust Dumbledore's abilities...

"I... understand," Remus said with all the strength he could muster. 'The bow,' he thought. 'Focus on the bow... You can't do anything for Harry... but at least you can do something useful... The bow...'

"We have something to sort out," Sprout said. "About the Apollo's Arch."

"Apollo's Arch?" McGonagall asked. "What are you talking about?"

"In short," Remus said, trying to control the quaver in his voice, "Katarina gave the Apollo's Arch to one of her crew. We must use the bow against the Gurg, but the only person able to use the weapon is a male archer, servant of fire, under the protection of Jupiter."

Sprout and McGonagall took a moment to think. Remus thought too, or at least he tried not to think of Harry...

"Hmmm," McGonagall replied, "This is confusing... I really don't see who the person could be."

"Neither do I," Sprout replied.

An awkward silence followed.

Remus didn't know the answer either. He couldn't think properly. His brains refused to follow his will. He was obsessed by what was happening in the Great Hall.

"Maybe a Divination teacher would know?" McGonagall suggested.

"Sybill?" Sprout asked.

McGonagall and Sprout looked at each other with the same unconvinced expression. Remus was not convinced either. Trelawney was Trelawney. Her tricks only worked on third year students. Clearing a riddle up would be beyond her competence.

"Firenze," McGonagall asserted. Remus and Sprout nodded.

"Where could he be?" Remus asked.

"I think he's on the third floor," Sprout replied. "Filius said he saw Firenze bring a few wounded men to the Hospital Wing. Maybe he's still there?"

"I'll check immediately," Remus responded.

"I'll go with you," Sprout replied.

"Good luck," McGonagall said.

Remus and the squat little witch left McGonagall and reached the third floor as quickly as possible. When Remus entered the Hospital Wing, he saw a few pirates lying on the beds, their head or arms bandaged. Madam Pomfrey moved all around, her arms full of healing material.

Then Remus noticed Firenze near one of the men. The centaur had blood on his fur, as if he had carried a bleeding person on his back not long ago.

"Firenze," Sprout exclaimed.

The centaur turned his white-blond head to Remus and Sprout.

"Yes?" he asked, moving forward.

"Glad that you're here," Sprout said with relief, "we were searching for you."

"We need your help," Remus said. "We must find who can use an object called Apollo's Arch. Your expertise in Divination could help."

Someone cleared her throat behind them. Remus and Spout turned around.

Sybill Trelawney stood in front of them, an upset expression on her face. But what was she doing here? Remus blushed from embarrassment.

"Someone talked about Divination?" she asked in an offended voice.

"Er," Remus replied awkwardly, "yes." Of course, Trelawney was upset that they hadn't been searching for her. Anyway, it was too late to correct what they had said.

"What luck that you are here too, Sybill," Sprout said. Remus repressed a smile. Professor Sprout knew the art of diplomacy.

"This is not luck," Trelawney replied. "Dear, I knew that you would be searching for help. My Inner Eye told me."

"Fine," Sprout said, "because it's really important. Do you know the Apollo's Arch?" she asked.

"Of course I know it," Trelawney replied. "I had a vision of it."

"And you, Firenze?" Remus asked, not believing a word of Trelawney's speech.

"I've heard of it," the centaur replied. "It is an ancient weapon."

"There's an enigma about who can use the bow," Remus said. "The person must be a male, good archer, servant of fire, under the protection of Jupiter. Any idea of the meaning?"

"I think so," Firenze replied quietly.

"This is obvious," Trelawney responded with a condescending attitude.

Remus raised an eyebrow.

"Obvious?" Sprout repeated. "So, what is the answer?"

"My dear," Trelawney replied, "To prove to you how great my competence in Divination is, I'll keep my response for myself and let Firenze reply first. Then I'll compare his answer to what my Inner Eye saw. I bet it will be the same."

Remus bet it too. If the situation hadn't been so tragic, he would have found it comical.

"Sybill," Sprout said with irritation, "we don't have time to--"

"A Sagittarius," Firenze interrupted. "An archer. A sign of fire, whose planet is Jupiter."

Trelawney snorted. "Obvious," she said.

"A Sagittarius?" Remus asked. He stared at Sprout with a puzzled look. The Herbology teacher seemed astonished too.

"Where can we find a Sagittarius?" Sprout asked.

"Dear," Trelawney said, "My Inner Eye tells me that this handsome man, Alphonso, is a Sagittarius. My vision is clear... Jupiter protects him, it is evident."

Remus raised an eyebrow. Inner Eye? Trelawney had probably heard this information somewhere. Remus had to check the information though.

"Let's find this Alphonso," Remus said to Sprout.

***

Severus sat, his back against the wooden edge of the ship. He gasped. Dementors and vampires? New reasons to worry about Katarina. New risks to lose her... Severus clenched his wand in his hand, ready to utter the Patronus Charm at any moment. Would he manage to produce a patronus? Anyway, he had to. Now that he'd learnt that Katarina was alive and still in love with him, it would be easier to think of a happy memory with her -- without thinking of the awful way their relationship had ended.

"Please leave the ship now," Burns said, anguish in her voice and her eyes closed.

Severus stared at her. He was astonished. Had he heard correctly? Had she said 'please?'

"This is not a game," she whispered, her eyes still shut.

"I'm not playing any g--" Severus replied.

"I'm trying to do my work," Burns interrupted. Her eyes opened. "You're bothering me," she hissed. "I must stay alone on the ship. Now!"

"I won't--" Severus snarled.

"You won't what, cretin?" Burns interrupted again. "There's something I can do against these creatures, but I can only do it alone on my ship. I know a good way to destroy vampires and prevent them from entering the castle."

"Vampires can only enter a place where they've been invited," Severus retorted. He snorted. Did Burns think he was stupid?

"Oh, and you think they haven't been?" Burns replied mockingly.

"It's impossible," Severus responded, upset. "Only a figure of authority in Hogwarts can give them an invitation. The Headmaster..."

"... is not the only figure of authority in Hogwarts," Burns continued.

Severus didn't reply. He raised an eyebrow. Was Burns serious? What did it mean?

"And if you ask," Burns added, "I didn't give them permission to come in. Maybe they got their invitation from someone else? I don't know... Maybe... the dangerous heir of a founder of Hogwarts," she said ironically. "If Salazar Slytherin managed to create the Chamber of Secrets within a castle although no one noticed, I guess his heir can easily invite a few friends for a little fiesta."

So that was it? The castle wasn't protected from vampires? Maybe it was time to abandon Hogwarts?

"What about making the students Floo somewhere?" Severus suggested. 'And what about Flooing with them,' he thought.

"It won't work," Burns said. "Remember the measures of protection taken by Dumbledore and me at the beginning of the year. It's impossible to leave or enter Hogwarts through the Floo Network without the correct password. It works with all the fireplaces within the Hogwarts grounds, including The Emerald Star."

"Then use the password," Severus replied.

"It appears that Dumbledore is the last one who chose the password," Burns hissed. "And since he's a 'little' busy now, I don't think he can help."

"So we're stuck here?" Severus whispered under his breath. He hadn't realised until now that there was no possibility to leave the castle. It bothered him deeply.

"Unfortunately, yes," Burns responded. "We've been trapped. So leave the ship and let me do my job."

"No," Severus snapped. "I won't leave a suicidal woman alone on a sinking ship! I don't care if you can destroy the vampires or not! I will not leave you alone and risk losing you again!"

Suddenly, Severus noticed that the temperature of the air had dropped.

"I can feel the Dementors' presence," he whispered under his breath.

"Well," Burns replied, "Let's show them that the Captain of The Emerald Star hasn't left her ship yet!"

"What?" Severus exclaimed, surprised and bothered with Burns' response.

Burns stood up. She pointed her wand at a cannon.

"Armare!" she exclaimed. The cannon wheeled backwards. A cannonball flew in the air and entered the gun's mouth. Then the cannon wheeled back to the gun port. "Armare!" Burns shouted again and again, aiming at the other cannons.

Severus stood up too, his wand at the ready. He could see the forms of Dementors come from the Forest and sweep in the air toward the castle. A quick glance below showed him that only two giants were alive. Burns had always known that her crew would get by without her. How could Severus have believed that she had stayed for only four giants and a stupid bow? She was really a good bluffer!

"You want to know a secret?" Burns said mockingly. "Dementors don't like cannonballs."

With a flick of her wand, she positioned all the cannons in the same direction, straight on the Dementors.

"Inflammare!" she shouted. A ray of light went out of her wand and lit the wicks of the cannons. The cannons shot with thunderous booms.

Severus followed the cannonballs with his eyes. Some of them hit the creatures.

"Go away now," Burns said. "Dementors could feel your presence. Not mine."

"I won't leave," Severus hissed.

Burns loaded the cannons and shot again and again. But soon, there were no ammunitions left.

"Bloody shit!" she swore.

The Potions master noticed something moving at the edge of the forest. He gasped. Many creatures were quickly progressing on the ground.

"Vampires," Burns hissed. She turned to Severus. "This is time now," she said. "Go away," she uttered, detaching her words.

"No," Severus replied stubbornly.

"Oh, I bet that you'll obey," Burns replied with a smirk.

What had she planned? Severus was expecting anything from her.

Burns stepped forward and stopped closely to the hatch in the deck. Then she extended her arms horizontally, the palms of her hands up, and closed her eyes.

Suddenly the ship shook hard. Huge flames came from the edges of the ship. Severus gasped.

"What are you doing, insane woman?" he exclaimed. He tried to extinguish the fire with a spell, but it didn't work. The magic which created the flames was too powerful, as if it came from the ship itself.

Burns laughed hard, devilishly. She opened her eyes again and let her arms fall along her body. The fire didn't stop though.

"Here is the end of The Emerald Star and its Captain," she said. "The end of the Grindelwalds' power. The end of my malediction. What a better way to die than perishing in the fight and destroying most of our enemies? I'll go down with my ship, and I'll be devoured by the flames. This is my fate."

Severus was terrified. "I won't let you!" he yelled. "NEVER!"

"Leave the ship now you can still do it," Burns replied. "Hurry up."

"NO!" Severus shouted. "I'LL NOT LEAVE WITHOUT YOU! IS THAT CLEAR, SILLY GIRL?"

"GO AWAY, GREASY BASTARD!" she yelled.

Severus panicked. The fire quickly spread on the deck. The Potions master had to do something.

"Indormire!" he exclaimed, aiming his wand at her.

"Protego!" Burns shouted.

Severus' spell failed.

"Did you think that your little trick would have worked with me?" Burns asked. She laughed. "Do you want to fight against me?"

"I want to save you," Severus said. "Not fight you."

"It's a little late to save me," Burns replied. "Fifteen years and a half too late."

Remorse sprang in Severus' chest. If only he had told her the truth. If only she had known the pain he'd felt when he'd seen her tortured!

"Last time, Sirius rescued me," Burns said. "I should have known that he was Mister Right."

BLACK again? Severus felt enraged.

"After all, he was a better kisser than you were," Burns continued. "And he was a very good lover. The first time we slept together, it was... Oh, I hadn't thought I would feel anything like this in my whole life. And the honeymoon... Now I know why Sirius was so famous at school!"

'A VERY GOOD LOVER? THE FIRST TIME THEY HAD SLEPT TOGETHER? WHY BLACK WAS SO FAMOUS AT SCHOOL?' Severus' eyes became wide. His fists and jaw clenched. He became mad with jealousy. He felt betrayed, distressed, and humiliated. What? That bloody BLACK had touched her? So she had lied? She had slept with Black? They had...

Then the truth hit him. No, she hadn't slept with Black. Kreacher had managed to attack her. No honeymoon. The marriage had never been consummated. Burns was lying to Severus because she wanted him to be furious and leave the ship. Because she didn't want him to die.

"Did you think that your little trick would have worked with me?" the Potions master said softly, repeating Burns' previous sentence. "I know that you have never slept with Black."

"Oh, and how can you be sure?" Burns asked quietly.

"If Black's elf could attack you," Severus replied with a smirk, "it means that you never slept with his master."

Burns frowned. "So maybe I just remember an erotic dream I had about him," she responded with a smile.

Severus' sneer faded. Then he smirked again, remembering what had happened in the Room of Requirement. "Judging from what you saw in the Mirror of Erised," he said, "I'm flattered to hear that you had erotic dreams about us too."

Burns scowled. "Bastard!" she hissed.

The ship shook more and more, ready to sink. The temperature had raised a lot. Severus realised it was too late to reach the fireplace. He had made his choice. Now only Burns could decide to save his life and her own if she Disapparated.

"It's too late for me to leave the ship now," Severus said.

A look of realisation came over Burns' face. She looked around, as if she'd become aware that the ship had almost reached its limits. As if she had an instant of panic.

"Don't you want to save my life?" Severus asked. "Do you want me to die like that? Burnt alive?"

"Do you think that I care about a bastard like you?" Burns spat. "You can die. I really don't care." She snorted.

Did she? Severus was confused and scared. He knew she loved him, but would she choose to save his life? Would her heart win against her inflexible mind? He didn't want to die now. Not like that. But he would never abandon her. Never.

Suddenly, a few blazing spars detached from the foremast and fell close to Severus. Looking up, he saw a burning sail drop from the mast straight over him.

"WATCH OUT!!!" Burns yelled. She jumped on him, making him fall backwards. They Disapparated and landed somewhere on the floor in Hogwarts.

His heart beating very hard, Severus grasped Burns as tightly as possible. She stirred, but he didn't let her go. If he released his hold, she would Disapparate and return to the ship. He would never let it happen.

Then he heard a deafening din. The floor trembled. He couldn't say how long it lasted, but he knew that The Emerald Star had sunk and crashed against the Hogwarts' grounds. He felt Burns' body quaver against his. When he released his grip, he realised that Katarina had fainted. The shock, probably.

He sighed deeply. Then he stared at her sleeping face and caressed her cheek.

"I told you that you still loved me, silly girl," he whispered.

***

18