The Fire Wand

The Fire Wand

Chapter 13; The Last Storm

'From where does fear spawn?
From the older ingrained scorn.
Cuz I've made up my mind...
Won't cry.
And I can't believe that you're happy to bleed
From your cold eyes.'
George - Spawn

'Holy freakin' God,' Siana swore as she bolted up the stairs. Despite the fortress like walls of Sibilant Stow, the wind still penetrated, gusting around the house, the blows of thunder were so loud it sounded as though they were coming from inside. 'Some storm.' She half shouted to herself as she wrenched the blankets off Snape's bed and then ran into her own room and grabbed those too. She also took her cloak, which would keep herself at least a little warmer down in the kitchen, where Snape lay.

She would not leave his side, and she would not under any circumstances use her wand again. She didn't want to touch it until she could find out what was wrong with it. Bloody Ollivander probably won't even let me take the stupid thing back now. Its weight against her leg was a constant reminder that she had caused Snape's current situation. She was the one who had knocked him unconscious.

Please be alright Severus. Please. Don't get worse.

Her bare feet lightly moved down the now almost frozen stone steps, reminding her that she hadn't put on shoes that morning. She didn't care. At that point someone could announce the next ice age had come, and she still wouldn't stop until she knew that Snape was both warm, and not going to die on her. He can't die. Despite her determination a lurking voice deep inside her stomach told her quietly that he very well could die. She had no idea what was wrong with him, and why he wasn't waking up.

She had never heard of someone's health declining under the Stunning spell, and downstairs he was doing just that...getting a fever, getting worse. She was almost tempted to break the forcefield and use her own wand again to contact Dumbledore...if only she had her old wand which was if not powerful, trustworthy.

Outside the rain beat against the walls, heavily hissing and thudding down. The thunder boomed regularly and it was lucky that Siana wasn't scared of thunderstorms, because this one would have her cowering under the bed. The sheer volume of the thunder alone made her ears ring. The lightning flared so bright that her eyes burned with streaks of it. Every time she looked out of one of the small windows she seemed to see forks of the powerful stuff cleaving patterns out of the sky.

As she reached Snape's side she started flicking glass away with the corner of one of the blankets, creating a clean space. Then, to his left she lay the first thick blanket down. She didn't want him lying against the stone floor any longer. Meanwhile, as she was doing this, the sound of his breathing rasped painfully against her ear, the small sounds in the back of his throat, indecipherable, wore away at her heart. She had done this, somehow, some part of her had done this to him. No. It was the wand Siana, it wasn't you.

She wasn't sure.

It was hard work turning him over so that he lay on the blanket, her arms strained against his weight. Though he didn't seem to weigh all that much, it was evident when she turned him that most of his wiry body was composed of muscle. She wasn't so strong anyway, and any dead weight exceeding forty kilos meant a lot of effort on her behalf. In the tower after all, the heaviest thing to carry had been the buckets and mop, and her Mother used to bewitch it so that it was lighter a lot of the time.

I'm not surprised he seems so strong, he did pick me up and throw me against a wall the other night using only his arms. Granted I don't weigh all that much, but it's still an achievement. She straightened his robes and her fingers knocked against something thin and hard lying near his hipbone. Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully and then she gasped, her other hand flying to her forehead.

Tentatively she moved one of her small, tapered hands down into his pocket, blushing as she did so. For some reason this intimate action flustered her, when turning him hadn't seen her bat an eyelid. Her fingers grasped the wand and she took it out carefully, staring at it as she did so. Time to find out if it was just me or if it was my wand. No. Maybe I should cover him up first, he still doesn't sound too good.

The wind outside howled frightfully and gusts of it still wormed there way in under the door. Siana pulled her cloak around herself and secured it, and then gently tucked two more blankets around Snape. He didn't seem to mind the feeling of the blankets on him and she used to opportunity to move to the door and place one of the last spare sheets against the crack, effectively stifling some of the cold chill drafts of air.

She stood and faced him, her face serious. Composed. Her arm moved out in front of her, in a straight line, and her mind concentrated on reviving him and only reviving him. There was no room for fear, she wasn't using her own wand after all, she was using his. And I've been using other people's wands all my life. She inhaled deeply and held her breath, then:

'Enervate!' she commanded, and a bright jet of light shot from the wand and hit Snape.

There was a momentary stillness, where her heart seemed to beat in her throat, where even the thunder patiently stilled for enough seconds.

Severus Snape seemed to calm for a second, and as her heart leapt with joy his back arched, strained against the blankets. His hands flapped out spasmodically and a short bark of a scream issued from his throat. A second later, another scream followed it, longer, weaker...immediately followed by breathing that neither seemed healthy nor steady.

'Oh my god,' she whimpered, her fingers loosened and the wand clattered out of her grip. 'No. No. No. No Severus.' Her voice was broken even before it came out of her throat. Horror seemed to strike itself like a bell inside of her, her breathing echoed his own, laboured, frightened...desperate.

She walked over to him and looked at his face, twisted it seemed into a coil of repressed pain. Her hand tentatively moved to his forehead, and her fingers seemed to jerk at the heat she sensed there. She ached to smooth the lines away, he had aged terribly in the hour, and it was rasping at her to know that she had caused it. Not the wands. Me. But I don't understand, I never wanted to hurt you, I'm trying to help you.

When he screamed again Siana jumped away, frightened by the sheer force of it, he seemed to be in agony.

Anxiously her mind raced. She couldn't stay there and do nothing, she just couldn't. But was it worth breaking the shield to get a message to Dumbledore? Would he even get it? She supposed that he'd...yes...he'd get it if she used the Calling spell, it was one of the few spells she knew she could do. But that spell, it would have to be performed outside of the shield...and if anyone else at the time was around Dumbledore - they'd know he was being contacted.

That was dangerous, but in the scheme of things Siana knew that Snape was just as important as she. He couldn't die now, he wasn't meant to die now, and he'd die now if she didn't do anything about the situation that he was currently in.

Her mind tumbled over doubts, certainties, questions and possible answers. She was loathe to break the shield, but if worst came to worst she could still transfigure objects and protect herself that way. She knew that it would tax a good deal of her energy to have to turn something into a shield, but she also had full confidence in her transfiguration capacities.

I have no choice. Look at him, he's so pale. He's in pain! He'd do the same for me, wouldn't he? Would it make any difference? I can't stand by and watch everyone I know...everyone. I'd rather I died now, then see someone else I trust be slaughtered, or pass onto another life unfairly.

'Right,' Siana said with determination. She looked at him, and then at the heavy door. It had to be done, she couldn't watch someone die - how would she explain that to Dumbledore anyway? Better to do something about it. She grasped her wand, the one she had sworn mentally never to use again, and kicked the sheet away from beneath the door. Immediately the wind swept in again, bold and fearless, howling.

She opened the door gingerly and then had to jump out of the way as it was forcibly thrown back by the gale force winds. It bounced against the granite, and the noise was drowned out by another loud explosion of thunder. So loud with the door open that Siana jumped, her very core vibrating from it's strength. Ice cold rain drove itself into her eyes, stinging her face, and cold zephyrs of wind streaked along inside the sleeves of her robe, freezing her bones.

She ran outside, blinded momentarily by her hair, and she tugged the door closed by leaning backwards with all her weight. Slowly it groaned shut. As soon as it was closed, she looked around frantically.

The storm was so heavy she could barely make out the forest. The clouds were almost black, so dense they were, and lightning seemed to be crackling down everywhere. No wonder it's so loud, the storm is literally right on top of us. By Artemis, if I get struck by lightning I'm going to have a bone to pick with Hephaestus. Siana started to run away from Sibilant Stow, leaning against the wind, pulling the hood of her new cloak around her. The new cloak which she had never imagined she'd be using for this purpose, during this weather.

She felt the warmth of the forcefield as she went through it and looked behind her immediately to see if she could now see Sibilant Stow. Her eyes widened with shock.

She still could not see it, it was still protected by the shield. Magical shields normally broke when moved through from the inside, but here she was - definitely outside of the shield, and behind her - all she could see was the dim, blurry outlines of trees.

As she raised her wand she felt a prickling sensation run down her back. Her eyes widened with fear and she swallowed. She could pick that sensation everywhere. The Locarius spell. Shit. Shit shit shit. Just ignore it. Call Albus Dumbledore then get behind the shield. As the Locarius spell increased in intensity, Siana pointed her wand at the violent skies.

'Advocus!' she shouted. The wand sent out a ball of blue light. 'Dumbledore!' she completed, her voice swept away by the terrorising winds. The blue light circled her once and then shot away, up through the clouds, where it would race to who she was contacting.

That's if the spell works...and in the meantime ...in the meantime, the Locarius spell was not only increasing in intensity, but was becoming almost painful. She knew that if she did not answer it, she would become paralysed eventually, the weight of the call bearing down on her limbs. In some ways she was very grateful that the Locarius spell could only be performed within an old family who had strong and carefully maintained bloodlines. It was not exactly the nicest of spells.

Siana blinked when she saw the blue ball returning...that was quick. She jumped to catch it with her wand, and immediately a voice sounded around her.

'What is it Miss Basilica?' His voice was concerned, stern...comforting in its strength. Strength that she did not possess.

'I think Professor Snape is dying. I cast a-' she shouted against the sound of another boom of thunder.

'I'll be right there,' he said quickly and the blue ball flared once, then smoked away into nothing. Siana's back bent under the Locarius spell and then she gasped in shock at a close blow of lightning. I really have to get out of here. As she forced her body into a turning position to move back through the shield, to escape the effect of the spell - or at the very least be protected from being found, she heard a distant manic laugh. A very familiar manic laugh.

Snape's inside...Dumbledore wouldn't be here yet...and that laugh only belongs to one person.

Her insides crawled, her wand dropped to her side. She didn't want to use it to hurt someone again. Just in case she was wrong. Just in case. Very slowly she turned to locate the laugh and as she did, the force of the Locarius spell increased tenfold. It has to be him, no one else would know how to use the spell in such a Goddamned brutal way.

And she was right. There, not more than a few feet away stood Frederick Basilica, his wand outstretched. He had a grim smile on his face, his shoulders were heaving with laughter. The wind seemed to quiet around him and Siana blanched white as she remembered something he'd said a long time ago.

'Your Dad's strength is with Unforgivable Curses, your Mum does charms brilliantly, you can transfigure and I...I rule the weather child. Doesn't do good to stir a storm up against me, because I'll just stir back.' He'd said so long ago, but she'd never seen him use weather magic, so she had just believed he was gloating, as he often did.

'Hiding in the forest were we?' he said with a grin, no longer having to fight over the sound of the wind. Siana whimpered and then groaned as the Locarius spell forced her body closer to the ground. You think I'm hiding in the forest...ugh...spell...dammit. If you can get your wand up and ready you can...no stand! She crumpled to her knees, gasping. The invisible steel band along her spine was ruthless in its pressure, Siana felt as though it wanted to press her right into the ground, never to be seen again.

'Your potions professor isn't here to save you. What a pity. What a surprise he even tried considering all that you've done to destroy him. And oh sweetheart, don't give me that look - you know exactly what I'm talking about.'

'Dad!' Siana gasped in denial and Frederick shrugged.

'Suit yourself. Your memory is your own after all.' He grinned. 'Except when we decide to do our own thing to it.'

His hand started a gesture which Siana knew would put her under his control. Desperately she closed her eyes. A few seconds passed and when she opened them again Frederick was stalking towards her...his face holding an expression of loathing. His wand was still out, and she knew what was coming now. Her body tensed and she rolled away even as she heard him shout: 'Imperio!'

However with the breaking of the Locarius spell came the opportunity she'd been waiting for. Gasping for breath she flung her arm out sideways and focussed on a tree. Her mind seemed to bend under the pressure of her focus, and her forehead hummed with it. A few seconds later the tree had disappeared, and in its place stood a huge, horrible winged monster - it stood almost as tall as the tree itself, and bore no resemblance to the plant it had originally been.

Its paws and feet ended with wickedly hooked claws, its teeth curved down sharply. It had a long snout and terrible green eyes which seemed to flash with knowledge. Siana knew that this transfiguration would not be so easily forgiven by the Ministry of Magic. To transfigure something like this was forbidden. It was magic which after all, could easily lead to the death of another person. However with self defence in mind, Siana was ready to try just about anything.

It roared, a terrible roar that sounded both wet and low, and Siana cringed and then coughed, weary and exhausted, cold. Frederick, who had been opening his mouth a second time to shout Imperio turned slowly. His eyes widened at the sight of the monster and his wand hand faltered a little. Siana was already moving, taking advantage of his distraction to move back the metre and a half that would get her back into Sibilant Stow.

She felt the warmth of the shield cover her again and breathed a small breath of relief. She blinked rain out of her face and shook it off her hands as she watched the great beast take a few steps towards Frederick and then lash out with a heavy paw. She saw Frederick shout at it, but could not hear what was being said - the further away she seemed to get from him, the louder the storm sounded. A jet of light had shot out of his wand and the creature had flinched and then roared again, a sound which was louder than the thunder.

Frederick looked around then, obviously furious, and Siana held her breath. Please don't let him see me. But he looked straight through her as he turned his head, surprise registering on his features. A few moments passed as the creature lumbered towards him angrily, roaring again, and then he pointed his wand at himself and disappeared.

Siana ran forwards then, deciding that she would put an end to the creature before Frederick came back. As she emerged back through the shield her foot slipped in some mud and she skidded forwards, her hands coming underneath her to support her fall. She grunted downwards and then cried out as a blinding pain shot through her arm and into her chest. She had still been holding her wand.

She struggled upwards, aware that the monster was now slowly heading towards her, and looked at where the pain was coming from. Her left arm...an inch of the wand tip was embedded near the elbow, she had fallen with such force it had penetrated both cloak and robe and then skin. Nausea curdled in her stomach as she worked it loose from her arm, blood pouring down from the wound, pouring down her arm, sleeve and the wand onto the sodden grass.

The beast roared loudly this time, shrieking. Siana looked up, ready to fight it, when she noticed that it was a lot closer than she'd have liked.

Frantically she held up her wand and forced herself to concentrate, willed the focus to come. She knew she didn't have enough energy to change it completely back, but as long as she had enough energy to transform it halfway and make it stationary, or harmless, she'd be happy. Gasping from pain and exhaustion she channelled her energy and slowly the monster twisted into the gnarled shape of a strange tree.

It wasn't what she'd started with, but it would do. Severus. I have to see how he is.

She turned and ran carefully through the mud back to Sibilant Stow.

The door crashed open as soon as she touched it, the wind blew it forward and once more it smashed into the granite walls. The torches hissed in their gutters, some had gone out, darkening the already forbidding lighting of the kitchen. As she wrestled the door closed her shoulders started shrugging off the cloak which was soaked through. Cold rivulets of water streaked down her face and back, and pooled in the hollow of her spine uncomfortably. Her clothes slushed around her as she kicked her wet cloak into the crack of the door. She took the dry sheet that she put there earlier and used her teeth to work at the edge while she moved closer to Snape to see how he was.

Severus Snape was no longer screaming, but the pallor of his face was a lot worse. There were sunken bags under his eyes a deep grey in colour, and his hands were clenched against the floor. He seemed frozen in that position. She looked at him, worried, as she tore a strip of cotton off the sheet and tied it just above the cut in her arm, to stem the bleeding. With that done she started to dry off her hair and face.

The cold, blessedly, had numbed the pain in her arm. It wasn't that preoccupying, she knew that when she had warmed up enough it would be, but for now she was content to let her arms stay cold. As she sat down at the table, gently moving her arm onto her lap, her eyes raked over her body.

The robe was plastered to her, she really should get changed, but she felt too tired. And I've already tied the tourniquet, I'd hate to have to tie another one. I'll be fine, it's not like I'm losing all my blood. It's just bleeding a little. She sighed and draped the sheet over herself, letting it soak up some of the moisture away from her skin.

She noticed then that the thunder was breaking less frequently, the rain was not so much bucketing down as falling down...the flashes of lightning seemed distant, and were few and far between. So Frederick was the cause of the storm. He probably used the bad weather to flush me out...hopefully he's as knackered as I am then. Oh god it hasn't been a good day. Not. At. All.

'Even though it started with a kiss,' she whispered.

It was strange, but that kiss between herself and Snape seemed years ago now. It didn't feel like it had happened only that morning.

Siana placed her blood covered wand onto the table and looked at it. She was aware that she was trembling violently, the after effects of shock. Sadness, grief was lancing through her and she had no idea why. Oh I know...I know why, just pretend you don't girl. If you started now, you'd never know how to stop. You'd just cry yourself out until there was nothing but a sarcophagus left.

She knew that. She was afraid of that. She would crumple under the power of her grief if she gave into it now. Her family, Athena, Uncle Frederick, the Imperius and Insidious magic that had infiltrated every corner of her life...and Severus Snape, lying on the floor, his condition not improving.

She quelled the rising terror, the rising sorrow by telling herself that Dumbledore would arrive soon. He said he'd be here...I'm surprised he hasn't Apparated yet, maybe he was busy. He probably was. I don't doubt that he'd be a busy man. Especially in the morning on a school day. Maybe he...oh I don't care what he's doing, as long as he gets here. Severus hang on.

'Hang on,' she murmured, turning her eyes away from his pallid face and looking instead at the horrendous book, which was still open.

Her eyes flickered onto the title of that page and she remembered then, the title of one of the pages she had seen earlier. The Fire Wand: Snape vs Basilica. She pulled the book towards her and started turning pages rapidly, searching, her mind racing, her fingers dampening the pages.

She found the page and scowled at the title. She took a deep breath before she started reading, knowing that once more she'd probably be horrified by what she was about to discover...wondering if there could be any more heinous crimes than what her father had already committed.

~ The Fire Wand: Snape Vs Basilica

Charges: The complainants Snape and Basilica lay two different sets of charges viewed in the same trial - as they are caused from the same event. Firstly, one Kirk Basilica wishes to charge Severus Snape with first degree murder of the unborn child of Audrey Basilica, with attempted murder of Audrey Basilica, and with attempting to grievously harm his daughter - Siana Basilica.

Secondly, one Severus Snape wishes to charge Siana Basilica with first degree murder of his sister, Lydia Snape, and the use of an Unforgivable Curse which resulted in murder. Namely a combination of the Cruciatus and the Profundis curse.

Convicted: To the charges laid by Basilica against Snape, Severus Snape has been convicted of Harm caused by Self Defence. There will be no formal sentencing.

To the charges laid by Snape against Basilica. Siana Basilica has been found guilty of first degree murder, and guilty of the use of the Cruciatus Profundis curse. There can be no formal sentencing due to age, this case will be reviewed when she comes of legal age. Until this time Kirk Basilica has been ordered to compensate damages to Severus Snape. Damages awarded; 2000 Galleons.

Recommended Sentence: As Severus Snape cast his spells in self defence (as attested by many witnesses) and as the spells were not Unforgivable, we recommend no imprisonment. A small fine of healing potions will be made payable to the Ministry of Magic

As for Siana Basilica, unfortunately her age prevents sentencing. It is clear that she had malicious intent to harm another due to the amount of times that she cast the spell. The sheer nature of her comments during trial suggest that she is both vindictive and sadistic. Review of her case when she is old enough to be sentenced, will bring about a better sense of justice amongst the magical community.

Personal Comment; Judge Wright: Severus Snape, a renounced Death Eater and now relatively respected member of the community has been done a grave injustice in the past few months, and has suffered. It was clear during trial that he was struggling with both hatred and grief. Once more the Snape and Basilican vituperative hatred ends in grievous injury and court action.

It does disappoint me to know that the Basilican hatred runs so deep that it infects even the younger members of the family. I shall make a recommendation for Kirk Basilica to serve his suspended life sentence in Azkaban, as I sense he is the most negative influence on the family due to his exaggerated domination of them. I personally don't know what to make of his daughter, Siana Basilica, who seemed at some moments hateful, at others confused...however St. Mungos declared her sane and without mental defect. Clearly then we are dealing with a reinforced hatred. Hopefully the death of Lydia Snape will remind us all that such loathing between pure blood families cannot be tolerated. ~

Siana sat frozen, her whole world frozen around her.

I...I...what???