Before Harry Met Sevy

Chapter 24: Tracker

Severus behaved himself to a point over the next month, spending his free time between the beech tree by the lake with Lily and observing the first years with Lucius. His observations had taken up so much of his free time, however, that he'd barely had a chance to read the Occlumency book his uncle had given him before term.

A letter from Sebastian at the beginning of October brightened his spirits somewhat, and spurred him to pick up his book again.

Severus,

I am pleased that you have not received any further disciplinary actions this term. Perhaps my last letter was a bit too harsh I have spoken to Professor Melison, and he has agreed to go on with the extra lessons as planned. I trust I need not remind you that this does not give you license to resume your feud with either your dorm mates or those Gryffindor boys.

Steven continues to ask why you have not written him you should expect a letter from him soon. Everything at your house is fine. Your mother is happier than I have ever seen her, and Sabine is growing larger nearly every day. We all look forward to seeing you again at the holidays.

Yours,

Sebastian

A few weeks afterward found him once again beneath the beech tree with his friend, his nose buried in the Occlumency book. Lily sat next to him, silently observing the other students milling about. Her hand shot into the air suddenly, breaking his concentration, and he looked up agitatedly to see who she was greeting. Remus was returning her wave, but as Severus met his eyes, the other boy looked away and ran to catch up with his group. Severus snorted derisively.

"Ingrate - he hung on to our robes just long enough to get attached to theirs," he muttered as he turned back to his book.

"That isn't fair," Lily responded, causing him to glance up again. "He's made friends who accept him, same as you. It's been good for him, you know. He seems to smile so much more -" Severus sniffed in disdain.

"Of course he's smiling - he misses nearly a week of classes every month, without so much as a reprimand, he's attached to the two most popular students in his house, and he's got you to stick up for him."

"Sounds a bit like you, actually," she mused.

"I am nothing like Lup-"

"Aren't you?" she broke in. "You've latched on to the most - well, sought after, anyway - members in your own house. You don't miss classes, but you enjoy most of them - and you have me as your best friend." She paused, and then, "Come to think of it, you have it pretty good. Why don't you smile more?" He shook his head as she grinned at him, and returned to his book, intent on finishing it before the end of the evening.

---

Two hours later, Severus was on his way to speak to Professor Melison. He'd finished the book as he'd hoped he would, and he was anxious to get started on the practical portion of the lessons. As he arrived at the dungeon classroom, he was surprised to find two of the first year Slytherins he'd been observing scrubbing cauldrons in the corner of the room.

"You're doing it wrong, Samantha!" the smaller girl whined.

"I'm doing it the same as you are, Remi!" Samantha shot back.

"He'll make us do them over again," Remi grumbled, turning once again to her own cauldron. Severus held back a snicker as he approached the open door to Melison's office.

"Come in, son," Melison greeted warmly, looking up from the papers he was grading.

"What'd they do?" Severus asked, closing the door behind him.

"Attempted to turn in the same Potions essay, which neither of them wrote." Severus arched a curious eyebrow.

"A black market essay? Interesting. Whose was it?" Melison chuckled.

"No one you would know, son. Needless to say, I recognized it for what and was, and the girls were punished accordingly." The professor now arched an eyebrow and inclined his head towards the closed door. "Something you wish to discuss, son?"

"I've finished the first book Uncle Sebastian gave me," he relayed with enthusiasm. "I thought we could get started on the lessons now." Melison nodded his agreement.

"About time," he goaded. "We shall begin tomorrow evening, after dinner. Be in my office at six o'clock."

---

At dinner that evening, Severus relayed the girls' antics to the rest of the group.

"Wow," Walden breathed. "It takes a lot of courage to try and cheat in Melison's class." The others looked at him with disdain.

"Or stupidity," Lucius sniffed, voicing the opinion of the rest. "That takes the two of them off, then, which leaves only -" he looked at Severus expectantly.

"Jonathon Minch and Pandora Pemberton," he responded immediately, nodding his head in the general direction of the two students he named.

"Narcissa, go and invite them to sit with us," Lucius instructed. "We'll probe them during the meal and see which values they hold dear," he muttered to Severus as Narcissa returned with the bewildered looking students.

"Here it is, a month into term, and we've yet to be properly introduced," Lucius drawled in response to their raised brows. They sat immediately, introducing themselves as prompted. Minch seemed to be in awe of the group which surrounded him, while Pemberton was eyeing Lucius warily.

"Minch," Lucius mused. "That name does ring a sort of bell. Tell me, Minch - what does your father do?" The boy across from them puffed out his chest proudly.

"Father is head of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes," he announced with a grin. "He's always got loads of messes to deal with. Just last week-"

"And you, Pemberton?" Lucius interrupted. He already knew about both of their families - he'd told Severus early on in the year about the backgrounds of all the families of the new Slytherin recruits. "I don't recall hearing your surname in the upper circles. What do your parents do?" This last was asked with a slight sneer, and Severus braced himself for what appeared to be a confrontation between his friend and the tall brunette glaring at him. Her parents were not regarded well amongst Braden Malfoy and his friends - apparently, they'd shown great promise before becoming enormous failures.

"Father yells, and Mother likes her scotch," she retorted evenly. Severus smirked - she obviously wasn't afraid to speak her mind. Lucius, however, scowled.

"I was referring to their occupations," he snapped. Pandora rolled her eyes.

"Lucius Malfoy, you know very well what my parents do - you know everything about almost any family in this school. Now get on with the reason you asked us to sit!"

"No reason," he replied smoothly. "I've finished with you now. You may go." Pandora stood and bowed mockingly before returning to the far end of the table. Jonathon remained in his seat until Lucius noticed him.

"I said I had finished with you," he snapped at the younger boy. Jonathon rose immediately and returned to his dorm mates' side. When he'd gone, Lucius turned again to Severus. "I want you and Narcissa to trail Pemberton," he said quietly. "See who she interacts with, and what she does when she's alone." After designating Evan and Antonin to trail Jonathon, Lucius rose from his seat and left the hall. A hand on Severus' arm prevented him from following his friend, and he looked over to see who it belonged to.

"She hasn't left yet," Narcissa muttered, inclining her head towards Pandora.

"What, we're starting now?" Severus asked.

"Best to do unpleasant things sooner rather than later," she advised. Severus glanced over at the younger girl, but turned his attention back to Narcissa as she sighed in exasperation.

"I forget you're only a second year sometimes," she explained in response to his questioning stare. "Discretion, Severus, applies to more than just wand work. There is so much you've yet to learn," she muttered, shaking her head. Severus frowned and looked down at his plate, trying to watch Pandora from the corner of his eye. He saw her stand up, and then at Narcissa's sign, the pair rose to follow her.

"The most effective way to follow someone without their knowing about it, Severus, is to use the Stealth Charm on yourself. Furtimi Ingressious!" Severus felt as though he'd gone deaf for a moment - he couldn't hear his own footsteps on the stone floor, nor could he hear even the rustle of his robes as they continued to walk. It wasn't until Narcissa began explaining the second step in tracking that he began to breath easier.

"Of course, the Stealth Charm works to a point to mask your movements, but to ensure that you don't lose the target in question, you must also cast a charm on them."

"I know what we could use!" Severus offered excitedly. "The Foetidus Curse!" To his surprise, Narcissa shook her head.

"She'd know something was up as soon as she caught a whiff of herself," she countered.

"Not if we impair her sense of smell, too!" Severus argued.

"I've got an easier idea," she explained. "The Tracking Charm - it emits an invisible trail to follow her by."

"If it's invisible, how will that help?" Severus asked scathingly.

"It won't be invisible to us," Narcissa retorted. "We're the casters. It shows only to the casters."

"Oh."

"Abdo Insequorum!"Narcissa muttered, waving her hand towards the retreating form of Pandora. The two Slytherins hurried to where she had stood, expecting to find footprints, but there was only stone.

"It didn't work," Severus pointed out.

"She may have a talisman on," Narcissa commented, her head tilted to the side. She stared down the hallway at the girl, her eyes narrowing. "We'll need to try something a bit more advanced. Perhaps we could bewitch her shoes to leave a trail. A talisman wouldn't have any effect on her clothing. Infigo Crurius!" Severus grinned as they saw a luminescent trail of footprints appearing behind the first year.

"How do you know so much about tracking?" he asked as they rounded the corner of the stairwell.

"Bella and I often follow -" her eyes darted to him, then back onto their target, "- Father taught us," she finished as they reached the third floor. Here the footprints ended, but there was no sign of Pandora Pemberton. Narcissa let out a frustrated howl.

"This ickle firstie will be a trickier opponent than we thought," she muttered, looking behind every tapestry in the hall. "We'll try again tomorrow after dinner," she suggested as her search proved fruitless.

"I can't tomorrow," Severus objected. "Professor Melison's going to begin giving me advanced potions lessons," he amended at the arching of her eyebrow.

"Then meet me in the library afterwards," she instructed. "We need to come up with something this girl won't be expecting."