Elsbet carefully gathers up the wands, save for the Hickory, and places them back inside the teak box, making certain the antler wands are on opposite ends. Once in her room, she stows the box securely under her bed, then wonders vaguely why she's thinking of it suddenly as hers. Well, really...since Therion is with them now, they can't all sleep in this little bed. Not like they're going to make him sleep alone. And besides, she reasons, the wizards are going to want time to themselves, as well as with her, and anyway, a woman needs to feel that she has her 'own space'.
As she leaves her room, Malfoy catches her up and kisses her sweetly, whispering to her, "and I can sneak into your room and make প্রণয় to আপনি all দ্বারা myself." She looks at him, a hot blush rising in her cheeks, and asks in a hushed voice, "you heard me thinking?" He kisses her again, grey eyes gazing into her as if to seduce. "You were thinking quite loudly, my dear." He reaches passed her and grabs his walking stick, then laces his arm around her waist. "Severus and I are going to have to teach আপনি Occlumency!" Together they head back into the dining room and she looks toward the back door. "He'll be along, Ellie," Therion says, then holds the front door open for them. Remus and টঙ্কস্ are already outside, waiting patiently, and together the five of them head off to The চকোলেট Cat, and Elsbet's pear-flavored ice cream.
***
"You understand, I hope, that if we tell আপনি this, আপনি may not see him again?" Snape meets Dance's gaze and asks him why, his voice strained. "Because he is afraid of what আপনি will think of him if আপনি know." Snape sighs and sits down on the largest rock near the little pond Elsbet made. "Your opinion means a great deal to him, Severus." He watches the tadpoles swim in the clear water and wonders where they came from. He thinks it's likely they hatched from eggs that may have lain dormant in the soil for many years, perhaps since the last time this মহাকাশ was occupied. Is this little park of theirs a memory? The recreation of what was here before, and the house hungered to have it back? It doesn't really matter, Snape decides finally. It's beautiful, and he loves it.
"You know the path I've walked, the things I've done," he says at last, "do আপনি think what আপনি would tell me will change my opinion of him?" Shiver sits down in the grass, and Dance sits on the smaller rock near Snape. "No," Shiver says softly, "we don't." He rubs the Hickory wand between his hands, then tucks it safely into his coat. "You are correct, brother, when আপনি say that we leave a bit of ourselves behind when we heal someone. This আপনি know quite well, আপনি are enlightened, I would say, to most of the effects of this. Perdurabo is a very rare case." Dance nods and watches the tadpoles for a few moments, then says, "it is ব্যক্ত that Albus Dumbledore was the only wizard Tom Riddle ever feared. That's only because very few people, Magical অথবা Muggle, know how powerful Brother Perdurabo truly is."
Snape looks at them, a mix of emotions playing across his face. "He has gone places in Magic that not even Riddle has, not for power, but simply for knowledge. He made certain sacrifices of himself to attain some of that knowledge, and the consequences of that are manifesting now. There are also the effects of his chemical experiments that are impossible to reverse. Things even the most powerful healer that has ever existed in our race would not have been able to cure. Our bodies are simply unable to totally mesh with his. It is almost like a bird attampting to land on a slanted, slick surface. It slides right off." Shiver reaches out and flicks the surface of the pond. "He is dying, and there is naught we can do but delay the inevitable. I think আপনি know how sorry we are about that."
Snape nods and watches Dance as he plucks a tadpole out of the pond. He drops it into the palm of his left hand and they watch it as it flops around, then slowly disappears into his body. The Silhouette closes his eyes and focuses himself, and after several minutes, he holds his right hand over the pond and the squirming tadpole drops into the water, swiming away to যোগদান its siblings. "These eggs were in an aquarium that was dumped on this spot, when the পূর্ববর্তি resident left. The spores of the aquarium plants may sprout and grow...time will tell, of course." Dance rises and and walks slowly to the table. "You've promised Perdurabo you'll keep him alive until the Dark Lord is dead," Snape says, and Dance sits down, looking appreciatively at the lovely little park.
"Yes." He says evenly, and Shiver rises. He stretches and yawns, then sits down at the টেবিল beside Dance. "Sometime after Riddle left Hogwarts, late in '48 অথবা '49, certainly he was still employed at Borgin and Burkes, he sought out Brother Perdurabo. Remember that Perdurabo had taken his leave of the Muggle world in December of '47; he had faked his death and dropped out of sight. And since most of the Wizarding world believed him to be a brazen Muggle, which was how he wanted it, virtually everyone believed him dead. Very few knew the truth. Perdurabo was planning a secret expedition to Everest when Riddle found him." Snape goes a little white for a মিনিট অথবা two; Dumbledore never guessed that he knew about the Dark Lord's interest in horcruxes. Snape knows too that in Perdurabo's younger days he was reputed to be a Dark Wizard himself.
"What...did he want?" The Silhouettes both chuckle in an almost sinister fashion. "You can't guess? Riddle never bought the stories that Perdurabo was a charlatan; he suspected Perdurabo was a wizard and quite powerful, and reasoned he must be quite Dark because of Dumbledore's reaction on the one occasion he inquired about him." Snape sighs and rubs his head, then rises and joins them at the table. "He wished to ascertain Brother Perdurabo's power and alignment, no doubt." The Silhouettes both nod and Shiver says, "exactly. If he was all that Riddle suspected he was, he would test the waters, so to speak. Could Perdurabo be an ally, অথবা perhaps a potential rival? As it turned out, the Brother was far আরো powerful than he had thought. Not only that, but he was already aware of Riddle and rejected him outright."
Dance nods and continues Shiver's narration. "We've never been told exactly what happened in their one and only meeting, but we do know that Riddle never spoke of it, and never spoke of Perdurabo to anyone except Ivan Vassily, who was one of his first Death Eaters." Snape gives them a puzzled look. "I've never heard of him..." Dance and Shiver grin, their eyes and teeth glinting, and Snape is suddenly reminded that his beloved বন্ধু are terrifying assassins. "Ah..." Dance's grin softens. "Yes. He made the mistake of crossing us many years before the beginning of the First Wizarding War; আপনি would have been quite young, Severus. From what we learned from Vassily, we were able to gain a unique insight into Riddle, and so were able to boost the White City's defences."
Shiver sits back and shakes out his hair. "What it boils down to, Severus, is that Riddle is aware of our city. He doesn't know where it is for certain, but he suspects. He is aware that Perdurabo is alive. After their meeting, Perdurabo abandoned his plans for the secret bid for Everest and came here. He gave himself to the City. It wasn't easy for him; many people here believed what the জনপ্রিয় Muggle media had ব্যক্ত about him, but he proved himself worthy of their trust. Protecting Sanctuary City is his purpose in life. The moment he dies, Riddle will know, and we will be at a distinct disadvantage. Unless..." Dance touches his arm and Shiver falls silent. Snape looks at them and takes a deep breath. "What must I do?"
They both reach across the টেবিল to him, touch him and tell him, "no, Severus, not what you must do. What Ellie must do..." He swallows and feels his হৃদয় flutter. "My Oddbit?" He whispers it, but they hear the waver in his voice. "She must rediscover who she is and accept herself, and she must reclaim her power. Only then will she be able to do what she must. Only then will she survive the battle to come." The Silhouettes rise and come 'round the টেবিল to him, and Dance places a friendly hand on Snape's shoulder. "Come now, brother, we've talked enough. আপনি have loved ones waiting for you, আপনি know. আপনি should be with them now."
As she leaves her room, Malfoy catches her up and kisses her sweetly, whispering to her, "and I can sneak into your room and make প্রণয় to আপনি all দ্বারা myself." She looks at him, a hot blush rising in her cheeks, and asks in a hushed voice, "you heard me thinking?" He kisses her again, grey eyes gazing into her as if to seduce. "You were thinking quite loudly, my dear." He reaches passed her and grabs his walking stick, then laces his arm around her waist. "Severus and I are going to have to teach আপনি Occlumency!" Together they head back into the dining room and she looks toward the back door. "He'll be along, Ellie," Therion says, then holds the front door open for them. Remus and টঙ্কস্ are already outside, waiting patiently, and together the five of them head off to The চকোলেট Cat, and Elsbet's pear-flavored ice cream.
***
"You understand, I hope, that if we tell আপনি this, আপনি may not see him again?" Snape meets Dance's gaze and asks him why, his voice strained. "Because he is afraid of what আপনি will think of him if আপনি know." Snape sighs and sits down on the largest rock near the little pond Elsbet made. "Your opinion means a great deal to him, Severus." He watches the tadpoles swim in the clear water and wonders where they came from. He thinks it's likely they hatched from eggs that may have lain dormant in the soil for many years, perhaps since the last time this মহাকাশ was occupied. Is this little park of theirs a memory? The recreation of what was here before, and the house hungered to have it back? It doesn't really matter, Snape decides finally. It's beautiful, and he loves it.
"You know the path I've walked, the things I've done," he says at last, "do আপনি think what আপনি would tell me will change my opinion of him?" Shiver sits down in the grass, and Dance sits on the smaller rock near Snape. "No," Shiver says softly, "we don't." He rubs the Hickory wand between his hands, then tucks it safely into his coat. "You are correct, brother, when আপনি say that we leave a bit of ourselves behind when we heal someone. This আপনি know quite well, আপনি are enlightened, I would say, to most of the effects of this. Perdurabo is a very rare case." Dance nods and watches the tadpoles for a few moments, then says, "it is ব্যক্ত that Albus Dumbledore was the only wizard Tom Riddle ever feared. That's only because very few people, Magical অথবা Muggle, know how powerful Brother Perdurabo truly is."
Snape looks at them, a mix of emotions playing across his face. "He has gone places in Magic that not even Riddle has, not for power, but simply for knowledge. He made certain sacrifices of himself to attain some of that knowledge, and the consequences of that are manifesting now. There are also the effects of his chemical experiments that are impossible to reverse. Things even the most powerful healer that has ever existed in our race would not have been able to cure. Our bodies are simply unable to totally mesh with his. It is almost like a bird attampting to land on a slanted, slick surface. It slides right off." Shiver reaches out and flicks the surface of the pond. "He is dying, and there is naught we can do but delay the inevitable. I think আপনি know how sorry we are about that."
Snape nods and watches Dance as he plucks a tadpole out of the pond. He drops it into the palm of his left hand and they watch it as it flops around, then slowly disappears into his body. The Silhouette closes his eyes and focuses himself, and after several minutes, he holds his right hand over the pond and the squirming tadpole drops into the water, swiming away to যোগদান its siblings. "These eggs were in an aquarium that was dumped on this spot, when the পূর্ববর্তি resident left. The spores of the aquarium plants may sprout and grow...time will tell, of course." Dance rises and and walks slowly to the table. "You've promised Perdurabo you'll keep him alive until the Dark Lord is dead," Snape says, and Dance sits down, looking appreciatively at the lovely little park.
"Yes." He says evenly, and Shiver rises. He stretches and yawns, then sits down at the টেবিল beside Dance. "Sometime after Riddle left Hogwarts, late in '48 অথবা '49, certainly he was still employed at Borgin and Burkes, he sought out Brother Perdurabo. Remember that Perdurabo had taken his leave of the Muggle world in December of '47; he had faked his death and dropped out of sight. And since most of the Wizarding world believed him to be a brazen Muggle, which was how he wanted it, virtually everyone believed him dead. Very few knew the truth. Perdurabo was planning a secret expedition to Everest when Riddle found him." Snape goes a little white for a মিনিট অথবা two; Dumbledore never guessed that he knew about the Dark Lord's interest in horcruxes. Snape knows too that in Perdurabo's younger days he was reputed to be a Dark Wizard himself.
"What...did he want?" The Silhouettes both chuckle in an almost sinister fashion. "You can't guess? Riddle never bought the stories that Perdurabo was a charlatan; he suspected Perdurabo was a wizard and quite powerful, and reasoned he must be quite Dark because of Dumbledore's reaction on the one occasion he inquired about him." Snape sighs and rubs his head, then rises and joins them at the table. "He wished to ascertain Brother Perdurabo's power and alignment, no doubt." The Silhouettes both nod and Shiver says, "exactly. If he was all that Riddle suspected he was, he would test the waters, so to speak. Could Perdurabo be an ally, অথবা perhaps a potential rival? As it turned out, the Brother was far আরো powerful than he had thought. Not only that, but he was already aware of Riddle and rejected him outright."
Dance nods and continues Shiver's narration. "We've never been told exactly what happened in their one and only meeting, but we do know that Riddle never spoke of it, and never spoke of Perdurabo to anyone except Ivan Vassily, who was one of his first Death Eaters." Snape gives them a puzzled look. "I've never heard of him..." Dance and Shiver grin, their eyes and teeth glinting, and Snape is suddenly reminded that his beloved বন্ধু are terrifying assassins. "Ah..." Dance's grin softens. "Yes. He made the mistake of crossing us many years before the beginning of the First Wizarding War; আপনি would have been quite young, Severus. From what we learned from Vassily, we were able to gain a unique insight into Riddle, and so were able to boost the White City's defences."
Shiver sits back and shakes out his hair. "What it boils down to, Severus, is that Riddle is aware of our city. He doesn't know where it is for certain, but he suspects. He is aware that Perdurabo is alive. After their meeting, Perdurabo abandoned his plans for the secret bid for Everest and came here. He gave himself to the City. It wasn't easy for him; many people here believed what the জনপ্রিয় Muggle media had ব্যক্ত about him, but he proved himself worthy of their trust. Protecting Sanctuary City is his purpose in life. The moment he dies, Riddle will know, and we will be at a distinct disadvantage. Unless..." Dance touches his arm and Shiver falls silent. Snape looks at them and takes a deep breath. "What must I do?"
They both reach across the টেবিল to him, touch him and tell him, "no, Severus, not what you must do. What Ellie must do..." He swallows and feels his হৃদয় flutter. "My Oddbit?" He whispers it, but they hear the waver in his voice. "She must rediscover who she is and accept herself, and she must reclaim her power. Only then will she be able to do what she must. Only then will she survive the battle to come." The Silhouettes rise and come 'round the টেবিল to him, and Dance places a friendly hand on Snape's shoulder. "Come now, brother, we've talked enough. আপনি have loved ones waiting for you, আপনি know. আপনি should be with them now."
