Slytherin Forever! Book Two: Shadow

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Chapter Ten: See And Believe.

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No one was born to be a slave

Seek the past and place the blame

Tell me the color of the rain

No one was born to be a master

- The Power Of One, Sonata Arctica.

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"Thirteen Heirs, fifteen Slytherins, one legacy, one prophecy, three Era's."

Loki stared at the pages in front of him in awe. Here it was: the proof that The Zeppo had been right all along, that Virginia Weasley was the true Heiress of this age.

"Salazar was only the father of Taigan and holds no power over the Heirs living today. The true beginning was created with Taigan and therefore she should only be considered as the mother of all Heirs and not as an Heir herself. She was Salazar's Heir, certainly, but so were Josselin and Jored in blood, though they were not so in name.

The Heirs since Taigan are: Desdemona, Cristina, Elizabeth, Elyon, Josephine, Rhonda, Catherine, Leila, Sarah, Amariyah, Gwendolyn, Tom, and Virginia."

She was already present on the list. There, amidst the greatest witches of all time and a powerful wizard, her name was written, showing her destiny and the things she would have to deal with at the end of this year.

If only he had not made that promise.

"The final ruler shall be born out of love and raised by her blood's biggest enemies. Two have gone before and none will come after. She shall defy and defeat him until all that is left is a shadow. She holds the power of her blood."

How was he supposed to tell her?

Loki looked up as somebody knocked upon the door. He shoved the papers out of sight, strode over to the door and opened it. He blinked slowly for he had been expecting anyone to be standing there, but not her.

"I need your help," Natalya Cruz stated. "Can you let me in? I don't want anyone to overhear this."

"Certainly," Loki said and stepped aside to let her enter.

She started to speak as soon as he had closed the door.

"What do you know about my mother? I know that she was related to the Tsar of Russia in some way or other, though not as directly as my father, and I know that some members of her family were Seers."

"I do not know much about her. My brother only took her to our home once before my family decided to break all contact with him. I remember that she was a beautiful woman, quieter than most, with a good heart. I also remember that her smile always lit up the room, especially when she looked at my brother."

"Do you know anything about the Seers?"

"Little to nothing," Loki admitted. "I recall that your mother talked about it briefly when she came to us but I never had the chance to ask her more about it. But why do you search for this knowledge now?"

"I have only recently discovered that I have somewhat of a connection with the Seers."

"To put it in less difficult terms: you had a vision."

Natalya looked only mildly surprised, which Loki appreciated, but she soon recovered herself. She nodded silently and whispered:

"I saw both Ginny and you, standing near a mirror. There was another girl present but I did not recognize her face, and there was a second Ginny as well.

Then there were images of murdered people lying on the streets of London, Muggles by the look of them, and in the middle of all that there walked tonnes of hooded figures. They tortured people, killed little children... They were walking towards a person but I couldn't see who it was.

That person's laugh, however, was something that I remember from my childhood. It was the first thing that pointed my Seer history out. That laugh came from Lord Voldemort."

"Are you sure about this?" Loki hissed. "Lya, if this is true, then you are truly heaven-sent."

"Why would I be sent from heaven?" Natalya shrugged. "I do not see this as a gift, you know. It is more of a nuisance for now I also have somebody who talks to me whenever he feels like it. His name is Gabriel."

Loki stared at the girl for a full minute, giving her a very uncomfortable feeling, before he dared to speak up. When he finally did, however, his voice sounded strange.

"So you have met Gabriel. I can imagine that he came to you, particularly after that vision of yours, but it does not explain why he should make himself known now. Unless... but no..."

"What is it?"

"It is something that I cannot tell you, Natalya. Not yet, anyway. I daresay that at the end of this school year both you and your friend Ginny will have to deal with unexpected things."

"Does it have something to do with the turning of the tide? Gabriel said that he would come to me when the time was right for it."

"It is too soon," Loki whispered. "The turning of the tide, Natalya, indeed, is something that has to do with what I have to tell you at the end of this school year. I cannot tell you anything else."

"Cannot? Or 'will not'?"

"Cannot," Loki said quietly. "Not even with all the power our blood holds present inside of my veins. Not even with the will to speak up and tell you what you should know. It is too soon. Aye, indeed, too soon."

***

Headquarters of The Zeppo, London.

"Well, I am glad to see that the year is drawing to a close successfully and that you are all still here to tell the tale. I have been afraid of strange business happening at Hogwarts ever since Sirius Black's escape of Azkaban and I express my gratitude to you for standing as strong as ever in these hard times."

Catherine, Mel, and Gudrun stared at Colin Damaro for quite some time before they started - yes, even dared - to believe what they were hearing now.

"Then... you are not angry with us?" Catherine asked.

"Why would I be?" Colin grinned. "You have taken the matter concerning Loki Romanov into your own hands, Mel has recently discovered the Wolfsbane potion, Shanna and Gudrun have put Loki on the case of the Heiress... no girls, this time around I can only say well done to all of you."

"And what about Visae Ancanté?" Gudrun asked. "What about Ginny hearing all kinds of things from Loki she should not have been told yet? What about her nightmares?"

"Visae Ancanté is, for the people who have not understood my fiftieth explanation yet, not dangerous and is not considered to be a Dark Art," Colin sighed. "Loki's actions were, this time, justified and I want you to stop acting as if it was all his fault because you had given him orders in the first place. He has also promised to tell her everything and he shall..."

He stopped briefly as Sam Lannister poked his head around the door and said:

"Loki Romanov is here to see Gudrun Halonen. He begs her to hurry up for he has not got much time and he really needs to get back to Hogwarts early tomorrow morning."

"Thank you Sam," Gudrun said and rose to her feet. "Do I have your permission to leave, Colin?"

"Certainly," Colin nodded. "Greet Loki from me."

"And so I shall," Gudrun nodded. "Be safe, my friends."

"Be safe," the other inhabitants of the room murmured as she closed the door behind her.

"Has he said anything about his business here?" Gudrun asked Sam as she caught up with his fast paces. "I had given him strict orders to stay where he was!"

"He has said nothing that could be of remote interest to you, my lady," Sam sighed. "You know the Death Eaters. Always unwanted at some point... always the same..."

"Loki is not a Death Eater anymore," Gudrun hissed. "He has changed."

"Ah yes, but for how long?" Sam asked. "Once tainted, always tainted. Once a servant, always a servant. Once your opponent... always your opponent."

"I cannot believe that you think in such a black and white way!" Gudrun exclaimed as they hurried along the narrow corridor. "He is different from everybody else, I tell you, Sam, and I want you to promise me that you shall treat him with as much respect as you treat me."

"Then I shall leave you here, my lady, for I shall not face him while bearing such a promise. Be safe, will you?"

He hurried off, back to where they had come from, before Gudrun could say another word. She stopped and stared at his retreating back. The nerve of such people...

She shook her head and walked down the corridor as she had intended to do in the first place. She did not exactly know where the visitor rooms were but she also knew that Loki would never seat himself in one of those so she went to his room on the third floor directly. And sure enough, there he was...

"I thought that you would stay at Hogwarts," Gudrun said to him as soon as she had closed the door behind her. "What brings you here now?"

"I cannot stand it anymore," Loki whispered. "I have to help Ginny for I don't think that I can bear her eyes filling themselves with tears once more. I have to make her realize who she is but now I do not know what is right anymore."

"The year has almost ended," Gudrun said and seated herself next to him on the bed. "Wait and tell her before she goes home for then she shall be able to deal with everything in familiar surroundings."

"It's not just Ginny who troubles me," Loki sighed. "Natalya Cruz, once called Romanov, came to me last night with something that will make things even more difficult. She is a Seer, Gudrun, just like some of her family members."

"But what does that have to do with Ginny?"

"She has Seen something from Visae Ancanté. She has Seen the future as it will be if we don't tell Ginny everything she needs to know."

"And you have promised to tell her at the end of this school year," Gudrun whispered in understanding. "Knowing that you would be able to consult me about it before that. Knowing that she shall be able to support Ginny afterwards."

"With that in mind, yes," Loki nodded.

"You could have written me about it."

"I wanted to see you," was the reply. "I wanted to hold you in my arms again."

"Why now?"

"Because I love you," Loki grinned. "Should be reason enough."

"True," Gudrun said with a smile. "Still it does not explain why you should come here to the Headquarters. Some people have not forgotten your past nor have they forgiven you for all the things you did."

"I do not care about that anymore. My past is not the present or the future and I know that I have done things wrong. Gudrun, I am weary with sorrow and I grieve when I think about the families I have torn apart while working for Vol - will you stop flinching, woman? - demort."

Loki finished the last word firmly, despite the fact that Gudrun had flinched terribly and was now staring at him in disbelief. He looked back at her calmly but then she spoke up.

"That was the first time I have heard you say his name," she murmured. "It is good to know that you are no longer afraid of him. I am used to speaking about him but never dared to think that one day the two of us would be able to talk about him without making all kinds of names up so that you do not have to say his name."

"I have always thought of him as Voldemort inside of my mind," Loki admitted. "I was just scared of saying it out loud before because I knew that I'd get strange reactions. Do you remember that all of the Death Eaters call him the Dark Lord? They do not call him by his true name, not now and not ever."

"That's pretty strange," Gudrun muttered and put her head on his shoulder. "But I recall that Severus called him the Dark Lord. He never uttered the name Voldemort. Now I know why."

"We feared him," Loki said softly. "Even when we were among each other and he was nowhere to be seen. It is funny how one person can influence all of your life and all you have learned. It is strange to see how somebody can twist the truth so that you start to act differently and completely change your lifestyle."

"That is all in the past. You've got me now and I don't influence you that much. You are just like I had come to know you back then: silent, yet always present. Giving love, but never needing much in return for it. You were so different from everyone else that it was exactly that which made me see who you truly are. I love you."

"I love you too."

A smile tugged at the corners of Gudrun's mouth and she looked at Loki fondly. He looked back at her, lifted her chin gently so that she would come to look into his eyes, and leaned forward to give her a little kiss. She replied to it gently, never closing her eyes but always looking into his, but then he stopped.

Silence reigned in the room briefly. His left hand slid gently up to her face, caressing her features, and then locked itself tightly in her blonde wavy hair. His right hand then pushed her body onto the bed, though she protested against it. She started to say something but her words were soon drowned out by a long kiss that made all doubts go away...

***

Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry, Britain.

The safety measures were not as drastic as the Slytherins had feared and the few that were present were things that pleased them all. In the Easter holidays, however, everyone seemed to go mad and the common room was filled with people doing revision for the exams, OWLs, or NEWTs.

"I am getting sick of this!" Natalya roared one afternoon. "I wish that I could just fly away from everything here..."

"Even from me?" Zeynep grinned, one eyebrow raised. "Watch your tongue, little bit."

"You know what I mean," Natalya grumbled.

Ginny had to admit that Natalya had a good point. The only exam she was not worried about was Potions, for she had achieved top marks in that subject last year and this year as well. The rest was harder to study and she found herself wishing more than once that the teachers would stop telling them about the importance of their marks.

"Does anyone know the surname of the witches who traveled over three continents because of Muggle-related problems?"

"The Mayfairs," was Zeynep's reply to Draco's question. "They were accused of witchcraft and there were some other problems, too."

"Thanks," Draco sighed. "I honestly did not know it anymore."

"Who cares about such things anyway?" Verice asked suddenly, voicing everyone else's thoughts. "What good will that knowledge be when you grow up?"

"We still have to learn it even if it does not make any sense," Ginny said. "Apparently some people think that it will come in handy for our jobs."

"Some people, yes, but not me," Alisha mumbled. "I want to become a Ministry employee, not an ancient historian."

"It's not just that," Draco said to her. "There are other things that won't be of any use when we grow up."

"Like Quidditch," Emmanuelle said thoughtfully. "Nobody in his or her right mind would become a professional later on..."

"Quidditch is better than History of Magic," Natalya said. "At least I don't have to do anything for that sport."

That Quidditch was very much alive among the students was common knowledge but even the greatest Seer could not have predicted the envy and enmity that existed in the days before the Quidditch Final.

Ginny found herself being closely watched and protected by older Slytherins; to prevent her from ending up in the Hospital Wing like Victor Trent days ago. Many people, even Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, wished her good luck for she was always friendly towards them. Even Lee Jordan, friend of Fred and George, came up to her one day and said:

"Though I would hate to see Slytherin win I want to wish you good luck. You are a good Chaser and you have certainly earned the respect of everyone else."

"Some other people don't seem to think so," Ginny grumbled as she found herself surrounded by the rest of the team one afternoon. "This is bad, people! The House rivalry has always existed among us but never like this. I am worried now for I do not like to play in such a tense atmosphere."

"Stop breaking your head about it," Draco advised her. "Just do what you do best. The pressure is even larger upon my shoulders; don't forget that. We cannot lose from a bunch of Gryffs... we just can't!"

"And we won't," Flint said grimly. "Use any means to take the Quaffle, you hear me? I don't care how many fouls you commit but we are going to win this match!"