The Fire Wand

Chapter 3: Placement

'Black the sun, oh no, look at what we've done
Go away...
Oh no.
Won't you please stay.'

Alex Lloyd, Black The Sun.

Siana ran blindly, distracted by her emotions. Her mind was whirling. Change then. Become the fox! Calm down for fuck's sake! She screamed at herself as she belted through the castle blindly towards the Great Hall. She heard footsteps behind her and ignored them. Change! Apparate! Do something!

She made a noise in the back of her throat. Wand broken, she was never good at Apparating anyway, no use... She couldn't do anything except for transfigure. It was only on her transfiguration marks that she'd passed school in the first place. And it was close. And sometimes Siana painfully entertained the thought that her father had a lot to do with it. Get out of here. Get away from anything that reminds you of Dad! Go to Voldemort! Get it over and done with you stupid coward! She told herself angrily.

The whole damned situation reminded her of Dad after all.

'If he ever comes here, you offer yourself Siana. You offer you. He'll take the Basilica blood, and the tradition can keep on spinning. You'll be a part of the circle then Siana. Remember that. If You-Know-Who wants your blood, you give it to him.'

And I ran! Her mind screamed. Like I'm running now!

'Siana!' She heard Dumbledore shout behind her. Breathlessly she turned to face him and saw that he was running alone. An old man. Suddenly she felt a flash of guilt go through her and she sank to her knees, feeling the guilt rush through her like a demon flapping its wings and settling. Pain also flared. Her hands reached for her wand, she'd kill herself now, she wasn't a strong person, better to give it all up. The melodrama of a Basilica, a small part of her mind whispered.

Dumbledore ran up to her, his face stern, grim, serious. He was going to yell at her, she'd messed everything up, again. She hadn't offered herself, she'd ran. He'd know. He was going to blame her. He should, she'd yelled at him, yelled at a respected male!

She turned her head away from him in shame. Her head throbbed in protest at the simple movement.

'I don't want to erase anything your father said,' Dumbledore said grimly as he knelt down at her side. 'I do disagree with his treatment of females, but I wouldn't disrespect his memory. Siana, you are the last survivor of his progeny, the very last. You are the carrier of his memory, therefore by respecting your courage to come here, I respect his memory. But respecting you I respect him,' he said firmly and Siana choked on a dry sob. Her eyes had no tears, but she felt she was breaking all the same.

'I'm not worthy. It should have been me. Should have. You don't understand how much it should have been me! Macnair even knew it was supposed to be me!' she shouted hoarsely and she started when Dumbledore reached out to touch her. He withdrew his hand, his gaze was piercing.

'You have mild concussion, you have been running for days, you are delirious with exhaustion and head trauma, and probably shock and grief. A Basilica is headstrong enough without having such irrationality cast over himself. Come back to the castle with me and we'll discuss your protection when you have rested,' he ordered softly, standing and holding out his hand as he did so.

Siana looked at the old hand, and then up at the kind face of the man in front of her. It was all so confusing. All of it. And she was so tired. So very very tired.

She reached out her hand but she was falling backwards at the same time. Strange. She thought. Her eyes were clouding with stars again, and it was the urgent lullaby of her name that she passed out to.

* * * * *

Pepper and sandalwood.

Siana woke up very suddenly. She felt as though someone had just prodded her awake, and her eyes flew open.

'I knew it was true,' said a disgusted and quiet voice to her left hand side. She turned her head - a lot of the pain had gone. Someone smells nice, like pepper and sandalwood. There was a man standing with his wand out, a look of revulsion on his face, contempt. His hair sat lanky and limp around his angular face, his eyes burned into her own. 'A Basilica,' he snarled.

'Snape,' she said coldly, clearly. Her mind was her own. She looked around and noticed that it was day time. How long have I been asleep for? She sat up quickly and then glared at the wand still pointing at her.

'Do you mind? I've had enough wands pointed at me to last a lifetime thanks.' Her voice was bitter and harsh. She clenched her fists at the sound of hatred inside of her own voice and then winced. Her hands and feet had been bandaged by the feel of things, and the material was chafing her scratches and blisters. She noticed at the corner of her eye Snape lower his wand and then put it away.

'I'm going to be keeping a very close eye on you,' he whispered softly.

She looked at him in shock. That was definitely a threat.

'Excuse me? You're going to be keeping a close eye on me? That's rich considering you nearly killed my father you cold hearted soul sucking bastard,' she said vituperatively and Snape didn't even flinch. His breathing didn't even change. He looked smug almost, as though this was the way it was supposed to happen.

'Strange the way he kept only you alive. There had to be a reason for it. Voldemort doesn't kill an entirely pureblood family that disliked Dumbledore, without intent.'

'You must be out of the loop. It was your buddy Macnair. You remember Macnair don't you Snape? Tall, lanky, muttered Avada Kedavra a lot?' she growled and he chuckled to himself.

'I'm out of the loop? Dear Siana who is kept locked up in a tower with only pictures of the outside world to entertain her. You can barely maintain a conversation with anyone who isn't a Basilica. Last night you proved that,' he said contemptuously and Siana shook her head.

What did I say last night?

'I wasn't too well last night.'

'So you confess to not remembering? That's a nice scapegoat. Perhaps you can blame your amnesia on Basilica psychosis. Basilicas, the Aurors that like to kill as much as the Death Eaters do.'

'Then you and Dad had more in common than I thought,' she spat angrily, ignoring the way any mention of her father made her flare on the inside.

Snape's lip curled unpleasantly.

'The only things your father and I had in common were our hatred of each other, and our hatred of Basilican women. I will be keeping a close eye on you and the people that are attracted to you.'

'It's nice to know that you care about the tragedy of me losing my family,' Siana said as a last resort. She didn't even care about the tragedy. It felt far away from her, as though it hadn't even happened.

Snape's lips now curled down into a mean frown.

'It wasn't a tragedy Siana. The troublesome Basilicas with their melodramatic attitudes and their yen for murder are gone. Gone. Don't you realise that some of us are celebrating? Not many, but a few.'

'You no doubt,' she said painfully, acidly. He grinned then, it was a cruel and completely heartless grin.

'Why would I celebrate when they're not all dead yet?' he whispered maliciously and then turned, sweeping out of the room.

Siana swallowed.

Was that just a death threat? I don't understand why he hates me so much! I wasn't the one that tried to kill him. God, he and Dad have more than their hatred in common, they have their grudge holding skills too. Just what I need. A Snape holding a grudge against me for something I didn't do. Stupid, embittered old man. Just what I need. God what did I say last night?

'What did I say?' she wondered out loud and then jumped when Madam Pomfrey poked her head in through the curtain. 'God sorry, I didn't know you were there.'

'Last night you were delirious child. There's nothing to be done for what you said.'

'So what did I say? I have the right to know,' she said softly and Madam Pomfrey sighed.

'After telling the Headmaster that you needed his help, and then insulting him, running away and passing out. After that, you woke up again, you saw Professor Snape and obscenities flew from your mouth dear. I have little more to say than that. Professor's Snape's attitude is rarely warranted, but I can understand that he was more than a little provoked this morning,' she said softly as she placed her hand gently to Siana's temples.

Siana scowled.

'It's really nice to know that you stood there and let him insult me like that,' she snarled and Madam Pomfrey's eyes widened with shock.

'Child, I would sooner let a flock of bees nest in my mouth than irk Professor Severus Snape.'

'Why are you scared of him? A pathetic Death Eater?'

Madam Pomfrey sighed absently.

'Unfortunately your concussion is gone. Which means your current temper seems a permanent affliction. I thought perhaps the Basilicas had change with the times, let go of old hurts.' She patted the sheets on the side of Siana's beds and then moved away when someone knocked at the door. The door of which Siana had a plain view.

Oh dear. She thought to herself in dismay as Professor Dumbledore entered looking tired and calm as ever. Did I really insult him? I hadn't meant to do that. He's looked after me, I'm feeling so much better. Oh god! I didn't try to be a submissive female did I? Oh no, don't tell me I was Dad's pawn. He would have loved it. He had me trained specifically for moments like that.

'It's nice to see you lucid.' He smiled at her genially and then sat down at the proffered chair next to her bedside.

'And quiet no doubt,' she said softly and her eyes narrowed. I have to know now. 'I insulted you on behalf of Dad last night didn't I? His feminine ideals?' she muttered and felt a blush creeping up her face.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

'Are they your own?'

'Not in the strictest sense. One cannot live in a tower for more than a decade as a servant and not pick a thing or two up. I'm sort of, I'm conflicted about some things. Still sorting myself out. I didn't pick up like a book or something and throw it at you did I?' she said, cringing. She'd once knocked out her Uncle doing that very thing.

'Last night dear you told me you weren't allowed to touch them. You seemed horrified at the very thought.'

'I was in rare form then. Dad would have been proud.'

'From your delirium last night, your state of mind, I'm going to hazard - and correct me if I'm wrong - that your father continued with his illegal hypnosis experiments?' His voice was grave, and his eyes were concerned. She couldn't help but respond, if a little fearfully.

'Well. Yes. It was inevitable. He proved that people could be conditioned really. Nathan was perfect, a perfect model of a Basilican Archivist, and Dad just had to look at me and move his hand...and I remembered that nothing made me feel happier than being a servant. It's a really twisted form of the Imperius. But you knew that didn't you? He loved the Imperius curse. He knew that if applied differently it could have longer lasting effects, with no energy drainage on behalf of the, of the...' Siana trailed off. She knew she was incriminating her father, but so what? He was already dead.

'It was the main reason why your father and I conflicted. His archaic way of seeing the world was not the problem then, it was his treatment of others that were and are rightly his equal. I don't think that explanation is going to make Severus feel any better though,' he added with a wry and somewhat pained smile. 'You rubbed wounds raw last night child. I don't usually say this, but best not to actually confront him for a few days. Now onto issues of your being protected.'

'I'm alright now. I was just scared last night, terrified. I should really go back home and start restructuring the library,' Siana said softly, calmly and Dumbledore looked at her and then slowly shook his head.

'You have not even begun to grieve, and the numbness that you currently experience would keep you off guard, which only makes you an easier target child. I do not want to see the last headstrong Basilican destroyed any more than I would want to see a child of my own killed. The bonds between the Dumbledores and the Basilicas have gone back past my time, and it is time to strengthen that which has been severed. You are welcome to remain here, though in what capacity I am uncertain.'

'Let me guess. I asked to serve?'

'You insisted,' he said with a light smile. 'Insistently.'

'Great. Well apart from transfiguration there's really nothing I'm good for. I mean I kill plants accidentally, Herbology is out. The only potion I can make is a Bloody Mary and I don't even like alcohol. I was once bitten by what was supposed to be a gentle baby pegasi...and the subjects with the slightest base in arithmetic get me floored faster than you can say 'bitten by a gentle baby pegasi.' Plus I can't fly. Well I can actually...but not on a broom. I guess I could work in the library here, I could start an inventory of stock that I'll need for the Basilican Archive which will have to be rebuilt. But Madam Pince, gosh she loves her books. She'd never let me.'

'She's looking to go on long service leave dear and maintain her own personal library. We did discuss this last night but I don't expect you remember,' he said gently and Siana half smiled.

'Are you sure she won't mind? She's always loved her books, I can't imagine her entrusting their care to someone else,' Siana said softly and Dumbledore's smile widened.

'She'll probably feel comforted that it is a Basilica that is looking after them. Most likely she'll be grateful. We'll organise it with Madam Pince then. Now another question if you don't mind.'

'No. Not at all,' Siana said softly and Dumbledore smiled.

'How have you managed to be a double animagi?'

'How have you managed to find out that I am a double animagi?' Siana smoothly countered.

'There are rumours, and I wondered how you escaped the Avada Kedavra curse with no wand.'

'Yes because not everyone can be Harry Potter,' Siana said with a smile and Dumbledore chuckled.

'Indeed yes. So tell me then what are your animagi? I'm aware of the protectus...what is the other?'

'You used to be a transfiguration teacher didn't you?'

'It's one reason as to why I'm so interested. The other being that the theory behind the idea of being able to change into more than one animal has always been there, just never proven to my knowledge. And here you are, living proof.'

'Barely living proof. I turned into a fruit bat, that's how I escaped from Macnair. I was lucky though, lucky that I know how to change so quickly. I'm currently examining whether or not one can change into a third animagus .That's quite difficult though,' she finished softly and Dumbledore's eyes widened. 'A third? What animal would you be thinking of trying?'

'Well at first I thought something really challenging, like a horse or a stag. But it's so difficult you know? I've decided that if I can change into a different kind of fox I'll be happy,' she said with a smile and Dumbledore nodded.

'I'd love to hear your theory some time, and how you applied it. It seems you have natural gift for transfiguration.'

'Yeah. That's probably a good thing. Otherwise I'd be utterly useless. In fact, if it weren't for the fact I'm a Basilica, there wouldn't be much use for me in the magical world. Dad was thinking of sending me off to the muggle world to work as a common librarian. Imagine!' she scoffed softly and then shook her head. 'I think I'd rather clean castles for the witches and wizards.'

Dumbledore sighed.

'Basilicas still dislike muggles?'

'We never hated them Dumbledore. Never. Dad just always thought that they're beneath us. I don't know, I've never met any. I try not to be too concrete about my likes and dislikes, but it's difficult. None of my family liked muggles.' 'Well it is no shame to work in a common library with the common people as you so put it. And onto a different matter. I'm expecting that you'll be sleeping in the library quarters? Madam Pince would appreciate someone protecting her personal belongings while she's gone, and though Mr. Filch is very attentive, he sometimes cannot get around to all the castle.'

'I'll stay there. That's a neutral place as any I suppose. I'm rusty though, Archiving, Dad never let me touch to books. It was only when he was away on business that Mum let me Archive. Her and I would go around the many walls of books and...' Siana slowly trailed off to a halt.

And now I'll never see her again. Or hear her voice, or wander around the walls and walls of books joking about Dad's obsession with the Dark Arts. Never again.

Siana's eyes burned again and she stubbornly turned her face away from Dumbledore. She didn't dare speak, she knew trying to say any word would just lead to her voice breaking. Humiliating sobs. I don't cry. I don't do it. And she knew that she was going to do something she never did. Her throat was raw.

Dumbledore sighed.

'It's a start Siana. It's a start,' he rumbled and she heard him stand and move steadily towards the door. When she heard the door to hospital wing close she whimpered softly and tried to swallow down the grief which was threatening to swamp her.

Her hands flew to her face, she felt her cheeks burning from the pressure of trying to hold her sobs in. On her fingertips she felt the wetness of hot salty tears, escaping without her permission.

Quietly she leant back down onto the pillows, controlling her breathing. Her grief needed an outlet. Siana would have to content herself with soaking the pillows and shaking violently with suppressed emotion in silence.

A Basilica never cried out loud.