Nick Cleveland and the Coven of Lancre

Nick Cleveland and the Lancre Coven

Chapter 02

by Technomad

Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, Scotland, United Kingdom, Earth

"Disappeared?" Professor Dumbledore's voice developed a distinct edge. "How could they have disappeared?"

"Mr. Cleveland was working on an improved Portkey, sir," explained Professor Flitwick. "He had received my permission; I had looked over his proposal, and his ideas made sense."

"He had derived some unique conclusions from some anomalous Arithmentical equations," put in Professor Vector, "and if he was right, his improved Portkeys could easily be used for trans-oceanic transport."

"The trouble is," Professor Snape said, his voice like a valentine wrapped around an ice pick, "it seems to have worked far better than Mr. Cleveland, or you, anticipated. Mr. Cleveland is very persuasive when he wants to be. Could he have persuaded you to do something against your better judgement?"

Vector and Flitwick looked at each other, opened their mouths...and shut them. That was all the answer Snape needed. "I see. Since you, Filius, are his Head of House, you shall have all the fun of explaining things."

"To whom?"

"Miss Lovegood's father will be here directly," Dumbledore explained. He suddenly looked distinctly weary. "She is all that Mr. Lovegood has in the world, since his wife's...demise. I do not look forward to how he will take the news of her disappearance."

Flitwick paled. Snape gave him a smile that would not have looked out of place under a blue fin cutting the water toward an unsuspecting swimmer. "And Mr. Cleveland's parents shall also be here; they were a little hard to contact, what with the Mexican jungle being so ill-supplied with Floo points. Still, watching you explaining just what happened to her eldest to Madame Cleveland should be...amusing." He sat back and steepled his fingers. "I knew her, back when we were in Slytherin together. Grace Forrest, as-was, had the whole House goose-stepping. I rather think you'll be nothing but a tasty morsel for her."

Lancre, the Discworld

Nick Cleveland slipped through the bushes, making sure to keep downwind of the deer herd. Slowly, carefully, he raised his wand.

"Avada Kedavra!" A flash of green light, and a fat young buck fell over, dead. The rest of the herd looked around; they couldn't see Nick, who had attached leaves and twigs to his cloak, but they knew something was very wrong. With flicks of their tails, they took off, bounding away, leaving the dead buck behind. Nick came out, kneeling by the dead deer.

"Forgive me, forest-brother. I kill for need of food, not for fun. Run free in the gods' woods and do not think ill of me." The ritual completed, he pulled out his pocket knife and got to work. When the deer was gutted, he put the heart and liver aside, and levitated the carcass into the air with a flick of his wand, along with the heart and liver. With the dead deer floating behind him, Nick headed back to where he and Luna were camping.

Nick had found them a sheltered spot in the lee of a very large rock. Between a natural "cave" formed by the rock, some long straight wooden poles made from the trunks of trees, and some sod Nick and Luna had dug and transported, the two exiles now had a rather cozy little house. It wouldn't be suitable for a real winter, which Nick judged was some months away, but for now, it would do. A fire-pit near the opening provided plenty of warmth; the nights were still cool, but Nick didn't want a fire inside, fearing lest it get away while they slept.

Nick hung the deer by its hind legs from the bough of a sturdy oak, and looked around. "Luna? Where are you?" he called. No answer. Nick began to worry. He had told that girl not to go wandering off..."Luna!" Still no answer. He looked out over the water; the lake looked distinctly inviting, but no sign of a blonde witch. Nick pointed his wand at his throat. "Sonorus. LUNA!"

A head broke water out in the lake, as Nick felt slightly weak in the knees with relief. "Oh, hi, Nick!" he could hear her call. "Isn't it a lovely day for a swim?"

Nick's fear was replaced with exasperation. Leaving the deer carcass hanging, he ran down to the water's edge. "Luna! Didn't I tell you to stay in camp while I was gone? Anything could have happened!"

Luna gave her friend a beaming smile. "Oh, nothing could have happened, Nick. I did have my wand, and I cast a few charms to see what was about. Nothing dangerous - I was hoping for a Crumple-Horned Snorkack; Daddy would be so pleased if I could tell him I'd seen one - so I thought a swim would be very nice." She swam toward a large rock that stuck out into the water, and clambered out on to it, naked as a seal and unconcerned about it.

Nick was flabbergasted. He was no stranger to the female form, thanks to Melinda, but this was unprecedented; Melinda was normally very modest unless they were someplace completely private. Melinda would no more have stripped off and gone skinny-dipping in the open than she'd have streaked the Great Hall during the Sorting. "Luna! What do you think you're doing?"

Luna looked at her friend, and smiled. "Nick...you're blushing! Are you embarrassed?" She shook her head in mock sadness. "And after all the times you've gone swimming naked in the lake at Hogwarts! Melinda always thought you'd catch your death that way!"

Nick rolled his eyes. "Look...Luna, sweetie, that's different. I'm a guy, you're a girl. The rules are different."

"Why?"

"Because...because they are?" Nick really never had thought about it. "Now, if I were a girl, it'd be all right. But you're not supposed to let me see you naked."

"Why not? I've seen you naked." Nick gaped in utter shock.

"When was this?"

"Marlie, my cousin, had borrowed a Tarnhelm from her mum. I got her to loan it to me for a night. She told me about using it to see what went on in the boys' showers. She called it 'checking out the scenery.'" Luna smiled reminiscently.

When we get back to Hogwarts, Nick promised himself, I am going to have a very long talk with Miss Marlene Lovegood, about "things not to do." The Slytherin fifth-year was very ingenious, but not always as prone to thinking things through as Nick would have preferred. Of course, when he'd lured her into accepting a "peace offering" that got all of Slytherin fighting among themselves, to stop a prank war by the Slytherins against the Ravenclaws, that had had its uses, but still...Nick had a sudden flash of inspiration. "Look, Luna, swim back and get into your clothes. I want to teach you how to butcher a deer. I got us one, and it'll be dinner tonight. Sound good?"

Soon, Luna was back in her clothes, bouncing along at Nick's side back to their camp, chattering happily about the apparent lack of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. Nick smiled down at his friend. "Luna, what would you do with a Crumple-Horned Snorkack? What if it was carnivorous and decided you were good to eat?"

Luna gave Nick a sunny grin, and sang:

"Hagrid thinks a Snorkack

Would eat me up, but then

Daddy says the Snorkack

Is a veg-e-tar-ee-an."

When they got back to the camp, Nick showed Luna to a place where she could sit and watch him work, before he stripped to his undershorts.

"Nick...weren't you just lecturing me about that sort of thing?"

"Maybe I decided you had a point," Nick answered, taking up his knife and considering just where to begin. "Or maybe I don't want to get blood and other stuff all over my clothes. Once this is over, I can go down and go in swimming myself, and clean it off. I could Scourgify my clobber, but I'd just as soon not. That wears the cloth out more than washing it does, and I don't know how long we're going to be here. Now, watch and learn..." He began to remove the deer's skin, explaining every move as he did, while Luna's gaze never wavered.

When he was done, he had a deerskin and a good deal of meat, as well as a skeleton and a bunch of inedible parts. "Now, we put this stuff aside, and I'll Transfigure it into useful things, later. I'm going to put a preserving charm, and an insect-repelling charm, on this meat, tie it up, and hang it from this tree to keep it off the ground. Then, when I've got some oak bark, I'll show you how to tan a hide." He winked. "Since we've got magic, we can do that a lot faster than Muggles can, but it's easier if I've got oak bark."

Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, Scotland, United Kingdom, Earth

"You mean to tell me my little girl's gone?" Mr. Lovegood stared at Professor Flitwick in horror. "Gone?"

"I'm afraid so, sir," Flitwick bowed his head. "She was caught in a magical vortex caused by an experimental improved Portkey. I had given Mr. Cleveland permission..."

"Oh, he's with her?" Mr. Lovegood brightened slightly. "I've met him. If they're alive, he won't let her come to harm." Then sadness returned. "Still, I do want her back..."

"And we want our son back," put in Asgeirr Cleveland. He and his wife, Grace, had arrived from Mexico, where they had been investigating reports that a rogue Chonchon from Peru had taken up residence in the Sierra Madre Oriental. "Find him. Or I shall figure out who caused this, and I shall carve the blood-eagle on their bodies while they still live."

When they left, Professor Snape was waiting. Grace Cleveland gave him a smile. "Sevvy! So good to see you, but I'm not in the mood to give you a 'Sevvy-smooch.'"

Snape clasped his old friend's hand. "Everything that can be done to locate your children is being done, Grace. The second we find out anything, you will be notified."

"Good. We'll be staying in Hogsmeade. Mr. Lovegood, will you join us for dinner? Our son's told us about 'adopting' your daughter, and we're eager to hear what you think of the deal." Mr. Lovegood nodded, and they went out toward the main gates.

Snape shook his head. He had known Grace Cleveland before...when she had been Grace Forrest, bright particular star of Slytherin, authoritarian Prefect and then Head Girl, star student, and ruthless enforcer of good study habits and proper English in essays. She had kept her self-possession well; she was a Slytherin to her bones. Still, he had seen into her eyes for a second.

And he knew she had been screaming inside.

END Chapter 02