Shadows of an Evil Past

CHAPTER 2: The Auror.

The Chariot: Torn between two directions

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Cassandra Blackthorn started from her sleep. She opened her eyes, unable to recall at first where she was. The flickering light of her laptop screen guided her back to reality. She was at home. She tried to move to her side and then realized she was not alone. The sleeping man beside her growled in his sleep, shifted lightly and a huge palm landed on her buttocks.

Oh, for Merlin's sake! Why is he still here?

She pushed away his hand and turned her back at him, fighting back the urge to kick him out of her bed and out of her house. Sex was one thing. But when it came to sleep, she always preferred to have her bed to herself. She pressed a soft pillow over her head, trying to block out the soft snoring sound. For a while, it worked. And her mind drifted back, reliving the painful moments of her past.

~*~

Queen of Wands

: The day she had returned from her fifth year at Hogwarts, proud she had made it to the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. And her joy had been shuttered in a heartbeat, when she found out that both her parents were dead. It was the years of Voldemort's reign of terror. But still, it made no sense. Her parents had no special powers, no important places in the Wizarding World.

Queen of Cups

: The day of her graduation, holding the Quiddich Cup as the Captain of the Ravenclaw team. She had been living with her aunt Malvina the last two years, and she had come to cheer for her as well. She missed that warm-hearted woman... She had died peacefully in her sleep a few years ago, on her fiftieth birthday, while Cassandra was abroad. Cassandra knew she had never recovered from her twin sister's death.

Queen of Swords

: The day she had left the Wizarding world and joined the Muggle military. She resigned eighteen months later, finally accepting the fact she was not good in following orders. And for the next three years she traveled the world as a mercenary, until she grew tired of this too.

Queen of Pentacles

: The day she had returned to the Wizarding world, applying to be accepted as an Auror by the Ministry of Magic. Her grades were excellent, as always, but her social 'skills' were not favorable by all. However, it had come to her attention that the wizard in charge of her application had a bad habit of cruising the dark streets of Knockturn Alley at nights. This had some influence in his decision and she got the job. And she loved every minute of it, giving no reason to her superiors to complain.

And last but not least, the day the Power had been awakened: The Wheel.

~*~

Cassandra turned over and studied the sleeping man beside her. Perhaps she shouldn't kick him out... not yet. She searched with her hand under the covers, until she found what she wanted. He opened his eyes and stared back at her.

"Hello, Justin," she whispered. "I believe you're happy to see me".

He smiled sheepishly and closed his eyes, letting her have her way with him.

~*~

A few hours later, Auror Cassandra Blackthorn crossed the gates of St. Mungo's Hospital. After having sent a very happy Justin out of her door, she had spent the morning studying the file of the new murder victim. That was a Dark Mark on her chest, no doubt. And she knew of another person that had a similar sign.

Cassandra walked through the white corridors making her way to the restricted section. The personnel here knew her, since she had been visiting that inmate from the beginning. She was still nameless; her fingers had been burned, so no print search could be made. She had never had any dental work done and the DNA search came out negative. Neither the memory charms could trigger something in her mind to give them a clue of her identity. Both Muggle and Wizarding World had no name for the woman. Cassandra called her simply Jane.

She was in one of her good days. She was sitting quietly, gazing at the empty space before her, singing softly to herself. Cassandra removed her leather glove and touched the young woman's face. The image of a man in a white mask appeared in her mind right away. She shook her head to clear the vision. Nothing new there. And then she reached out in the inside pocket of her leather jacket and took out a photograph of the murdered woman.

It was a Muggle photograph, one that stood still. It was a close up of the woman's face, looking at last peaceful. She held it out to the tortured creature before her.

"Have you ever seen this girl, sweetie? Do you remember her?" It was a long shot, but she had to try.

At first, Jane was unable to focus on the photograph. But from a strange twist of fate she looked at it. And after a moment of silence, she screamed. She screamed as only a lost soul can, howling with every cell in her body. She then entered another fit of violence, attempting to sink her teeth in Cassandra's throat. She quickly left the room, as the medi-wizard whose shift was on came running to pacify the crazed patient.

As she walked away from the hospital, she wrote down the name the unfortunate creature had howled before reaching out to bite her.

Severus Snape

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