Slytherin Forever! Book Two: Shadow

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Chapter Four: Dark Arts.

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Sulkeutuu maailma kerran

Ihmisen eestä

Laulunsa viimeinen

Taivaisiin soi*

- Matkan Lopussa, Moonsorrow.

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The Academy For The Dark Arts, Moscow, Russia.

"So you have found the second Heir to Slytherin at Hogwarts."

It was not a question. The head in the fire looked only mildly surprised; for she knew that the man pacing in front of her could find things out that others could not. The man stopped dead in his tracks as she continued with the words:

"She is a part of the Weasley family. Gudrun told her something about her heritage when we were all called to Hogwarts but she does not know everything. Loki, she is not only the Heiress but also the child of the one who has been defied by members of The Zeppo."

"Please tell me that you are joking, Shan."

Loki Romanov's words were nothing more than a whisper as he looked at the woman with fear visible in his dark eyes. Slowly, however, Shanna Malfoy shook her head.

"How is this possible?" Loki asked finally. "I do not know a woman mad enough to be with him after all that he has done!"

"He had a girlfriend in the past, didn't he?" Shanna asked. "We think that he might have found a way to keep their child alive."

"What do you want from me then?"

"I want you to call for the one known as Laura Seideira, I want you to search for her in the masses," was the reply. "She will know things we don't."

"I won't do it," Loki said abruptly. "Searching in the masses for someone I have met is already difficult. If I try this I might be lost forever!"

"So be it," Shanna said softly. "At least we will have tried something."

"You," Loki hissed with rage, "are an absolute psycho just like the rest of your family."

Shanna's eyes flickered with hatred for a moment before she replied:

"No, Romanov. I am a psycho in a way that is entirely my own."

***

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Britain.

The Slytherin common room was usually deserted after midnight; but today was different. Despite the fact that Natalya had told everyone that she did not want a birthday party her friends still thought that it was a necessity. So now, on the twenty-second of September, there was a party going on for everyone, even the people who did not know Natalya.

"We needed a break," Zeynep explained to a frowning Natalya. "You are the only person whose birthday falls in this week of September so we decided that this would be a perfect opportunity."

"You could have done it a week later," Natalya grumbled. "That is the start of the Quidditch season, isn't it?"

"When are the Quidditch try-outs?" Ginny asked Zeynep. "There was no notice on the message board."

"Tomorrow," was the reply. "Draco's father has bought us another Nimbus for the new team member and we will let everyone try out on it."

"Can I try out too?"

"Of course you can," Draco replied. "Millicent wants to fly too and I'd pick you over her any day."

Millicent Bulstrode was easily the largest girl in the school, and also the ugliest. Ginny would not be surprised at all if Millicent would try out for Chaser and then start to whack Bludgers at everyone, though she did not tell anyone about her suspicions. Some things are better kept quiet...

"I am afraid of heights," Natalya said softly. "Always have been and always will be."

"Thank the Stranger for that," Zeynep muttered. "I would want to smash Bludgers at everyone who dares to look at you with more than normal interest already."

Only Ginny heard his words and she smiled ever so slightly. Natalya threw her a look of contempt before she continued:

"This party is the weirdest thing ever. Last year we celebrated our loss, this year my birthday... What will be the case next year, Zabini? A party because the Flobberworms have died?"

"I was more thinking along the lines of me being Head Boy then," Zeynep sighed. "I won't have the time for this silliness anymore when I have to act like I am a grown-up person."

"You? Grown up?"

Blaise nearly choked on a peanut as she said it; making Alisha shake with silent laughter. Zeynep looked at his younger sister with something that could have been intense dislike, but Blaise did a pretty good imitation of McGonagall and fixed him with a stern glare that shut him up.

"The Zabini temper," Marita tutted. "Fame has been made through their eyes and their words have killed their opponents..."

"Their blood ties run deeper than the scars given by their enemies," Draco added. "Once family, always family. Amor vincit omnia, love conquers all."

"Omnia vincit amor, all conquers love."

"Didn't know you planned to marry a Malfoy," Zeynep said to his sister when she finished the sentence. "You shall have to wait with the love bond rites until I have spoken them."

"I will be dead and buried before you have," Blaise replied. "Dad also spoke the rites before uncle Julien did because uncle never wanted to marry. The heritage does not have a meaning nowadays."

"But we have to honor it," Zeynep added. "And as for uncle Julien: he died peacefully with his Sasha by his side."

"So he married after all," Alisha said with a grin. "That's good."

"Sasha was the dog," Blaise said a moment later. "A chihuahua."

***

Vuori College For Witchcraft, Savonlinna, Finland.

"Why did you want to steal the supplies, Marie?"

"Do you honestly think that I am going to tell you?" the girl replied. "If so, Miss Halonen, you are more stupid than I thought at first."

"You did not steal them for yourself, did you?" Gudrun asked as if she had not heard the girl. "You stole them for somebody else... perhaps for somebody known as Tony?"

The girl did not say anything this time and merely shrugged, but it was enough for Gudrun. She kneeled down next to her student and said:

"I shall have a word with Tony when I see him. I will tell him that Rakkaus caught you stealing some Potions supplies and that I do not want him to use students to do his dirty work. Okay?"

"Will I get expelled? Madame Tuovinen said I would be if I stole something again..."

"Not today, Miss Raakinen," Gudrun sighed. "It was not entirely your fault."

Marie Raakinen got up and inclined her head to show her gratitude. She walked towards the door and was just about to open it when she turned around and said:

"Rakkaus is not who you think he is. His future is not clear and both sides can use his powers. Do not let his kin stray to the paths of the dead, Miss Halonen, for then the world shall be lost forever..."

She left then, slamming the door shut behind her. Gudrun's eyes narrowed slightly as she rose to her feet and locked the door.

"The paths of the dead..." she whispered to herself. Then she realized what the girl had meant, and exclaimed: "Shanna!"

***

The Academy For The Dark Arts, Moscow, Russia.

The large room was barely lit; and the two persons standing in it were nothing more than shadows thrown on the wall by a single torch. On the floor, however, a circle glowed faintly with ancient runes imbedded in the markings set within.

"I have to rest now," Loki said to his companion. "The Draw took more energy out of me than I had expected and I do not want to start the Calling without any defenses."

"Very well then," Jaime Volcanov replied. "We should Call for the one known as Laura Seideira only if we are certain of safety and enough defense."

"There is no safety to be found in the Art of Necromancy," Loki whispered. "Raising the dead among chants of the Divided Kingdoms is not something to be attempted by fools. Searching the masses like Tuomas Sevenwater once did is dangerous and even for me nearly impossible."

"Why are you doing it then?"

Jaime's cool green eyes met Loki's dark ones briefly, and in that moment all that could possibly be a reason was understood. When Jaime spoke again his voice had dropped down to a whisper, making his American accent stand out clearer than ever even though he spoke Russian.

"So you are doing this because of Shanna Black, maiden name Malfoy, because she tells you that the second Heir to Slytherin is at Hogwarts. She wants you to search for Laura Seideira because she believes that the Heiress is a child of the Dark Lord. Am I correct?"

"What do you think?" Loki asked sarcastically. "There is only one person on this planet who can tell me what to do and that is a woman known as 'The Wife Of Black' to everybody else."

"Unfortunately, yes," Jaime sighed. "I never had that problem with Katarina."

"Katarina and you have an understanding," Loki said. "Shan and I don't have such a thing. She tells me what to do and even though I refuse I still end up doing it."

"You know," Jaime replied seriously, "I think that the last sentence does not make any sense."

***

Hogwarts School For Witchcraft And Wizardry, Britain.

"Funnily enough Flint thought that nobody of the boys would come in handy this time. His exact words were: 'we need a small weapon this time, not somebody who looks like a solid rock'," Draco said to Ginny who was paying rapt attention. "Millicent Bulstrode, no offence, is worse than Crabbe and Goyle put together."

"What about Indira Montague then?" Ginny asked. "She was pretty good."

"Too slow on the uptake," Draco sighed. "What I am trying to say here is that the entire team agreed on one thing. You've got the job, Red!"

Ginny stared at her blond friend for a minute before she let out a squeal of joy. She threw her arms around Draco then, starting to crush his ribcage, and he patted her head awkwardly. When she had finally calmed down a bit she let him go and exclaimed:

"That is the best news I had in ages!"

Then, however, Natalya came running, slipped, and banged headfirst into the doorway. People triggered the spell used to repel unwanted visitors constantly, Draco told Ginny as he walked over to Natalya and started to examine the black-haired Slytherin, and hadn't been in use properly for years. Everything seemed to be okay so Draco flopped back down onto his bed and continued:

"Flint gives you one warning: do not pity your family members when we are playing Gryffindor. Things will get tough, no doubt about it, and the last thing we need is a so-called traitor."

"I can handle that," Ginny said brightly. "I haven't forgotten about how they treated me last year, you know."

"As long as you don't get the urge to whack a member of your family with a Beater's club it is okay with me," Draco grinned. "Welcome to the team, Gin."

"How interesting this may be," Natalya began, "I think that I have a minor problem." She scraped her throat, sighed, and said: "I'm stuck."

"You're stuck," Ginny deadpanned. "That's... not so good, is it?"

"You're damn right: it isn't!" Natalya growled. "Get me out of here or I'll..."

"You'll what?" Draco asked sweetly. "I don't think that you are in a position to 'do' anything, though it just might be me who thinks that way."

"Shut up and get me out of this mess," Natalya whispered hoarsely. "It tickles like hell."

"That's new," Draco said flatly as he pulled the younger girl out of her awkward position. "Usually the spell rips at least a couple of hairs out and, if you are very unlucky and no one is here to free you, large chunks are taken out of your clothing."

"You should fix it," Natalya mumbled as she checked her clothing to see if everything was all right. "Things like that are dangerous."

"Do I have to remind you of something?" Draco asked. Then, as both Natalya and Ginny looked nonplussed, he sighed and exclaimed: "Don't the spells on the girls' dormitories ring any bells with you people?!"

"Of course they do," Ginny said and rolled her eyes. "Truth be told, Draco, I think that those spells are necessary and these aren't."

"Yes, they are!" Draco said with a slightly raised voice. "To see Flint loom over you in the early morning looking every bit like a troll is not a good way to wake up, is it?"

"Flint always looks like a troll," Natalya said to him before she turned to Ginny and asked: "But Draco's got a point, hasn't he?"

Ginny nodded silently, indicating that she confirmed that fact, and fell back on the previous topic with the words:

"When's the first Quidditch practice?"

Natalya, despite her experience with the doorway, groaned and slammed her head against the doorpost. Draco could not give Ginny a reply for at that very moment Natalya touched the doorpost she let out a shriek, making him sneer and say:

"I think that my room has made it clear: you are unwanted at this point."

***

The Academy For The Dark Arts, Moscow, Russia.

Gudrun and Shanna rushed into the Entrance Hall at the Academy with great speed, startling some of the students. Some of them already had their wands out and were pointing them at the women before a voice cut through the silence that had fallen loud and clearly.

"Move along now, people! They are here to see me. I do not wish to be disturbed by any of you for as long as my friends are here. Is that understood?"

Loki stood at the foot of the stairs, runes marking his face with phrases of old, holding a pile of books in his arms. The students almost ran out of their teacher's reach, for he looked grim and almost diabolical as he continued:

"Now why would Shanna Malfoy come to me personally instead of using the fires? And why on earth would she bring her friend Gudrun Halonen who, more than anyone else, knows what power we all hold here?"

"We need to speak with you," Gudrun replied with one of her characteristical dark grins. "I have heard about certain things and I figured that they need to be stopped before the Forces of Old are triggered."

Loki did not respond with words. He pushed his books into the arms of an unlucky female student (they were quite heavy and she nearly dropped them) and ushered his two visitors into the nearest classroom. He closed the door behind him and hissed:

"What games are you playing, Malfoy? At first you practically beg me to do what I do best, and then you show up here and scare the living daylights out of some of my students while telling me that I should stop before I even started!"

"I think that your students scared us more than we scared them," Shanna replied. "If it had been up to me to decide you would have gotten the chance to continue with your job."

"But...?" Loki asked with one eyebrow raised.

"I have received a warning from one of my students," Gudrun finished for him. "She said that if I let Shan stray to the paths of the dead the world would be lost forever."

It took a while for her words to sink in, and when they did Loki laughed and said:

"Shan would not be the one straying to the paths of the dead, love. I would risk my soul for this, though, and so would Jaime Volcanov."

"That is the point," Shanna replied. "There will not be any more soul sacrificing. Right now we need all the help we can get."

"With what?" Loki asked in confusion. "All you asked me to do was to search for Laura Seideira's soul in the masses."

"We have got a bigger problem on our hands now," Shanna replied. "The Heiress of Slytherin needs to know the truth about her heritage. We cannot wait for you to hear things from the dead, Loki, surely you understand this, and we want to get things over with sooner rather than later."

"What things?" Loki croaked. "And why, pray tell, am I not allowed to practice my Art anymore?"

"Necromancy is not an Art, it is a way of life," Gudrun said to him. "And as for the things we need to get over with: the things involved are right up both your and Jaime's alley."

"What are you talking about, woman?"

"We are talking about the Rising," Shanna whispered. "Find out what it means, Loki."

"But the Rising has already started!"