#7 ~ The Ghost and Lady Snape

Disclaimer: All characters belong to JKR (except Marcus Delaluci). All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 2 ~ A Dragon Lifts His Head


The next morning after breakfast, Hermione returned her and Severus’ rooms to retrieve the strange book. She intended to apply a translation spell to it for easier reading. When she entered the bedroom, she shivered. It was very cold, several degrees colder than the study. She didn’t think it strange however, the castle was full of cold spots. She’d ask Filch about it later on. He served as the castle’s caretaker since forever. He could probably figure out what was wrong and have it fixed. It was probably some magical glitch that a quick heating spell could correct. She picked up the book, noting that despite the coolness of the room, it was rather warm. She tucked it under her arm and carried it to the lab.

Hermione laid the book on the counter and opened it. She took out her wand and made several intricate passes over the tome, and watched for the results. The red lettering quivered on the page, then ran together in one splash of crimson, before separating into English words and sentences. Hermione waited a few moments, then gingerly turned the page to see if the spell had taken throughout the book. It hadn’t. It should have, however, and that led Hermione to believe that the book had magical properties of its own. She began the task of translating the book one page at a time. It took a couple of hours to complete the task. As she worked, she noticed that the lab had also grown a bit cooler, but not unbearably so.

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Above Hermione, floated the slight ripple. It shifted when she applied her wand to the tome, became more condensed, then expanded, yet remained invisible to the human eye.

The woman is applying magic to my tome. I feel my blood move. It feels good. I condense then expand. I am stronger. I want to touch her. To feel her warmth, her emotion, her darkness. Her emotion will strengthen me. Her darkness will give me form. I must make her feel me. I need to taste her darkness. I am stronger now. She must apply more magic to my tome. Then I can come to her. Touch her. Wake her darkness and her need,

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The translation done, Hermione turned to the first page of the book and read the first entry.

Four great wizards are building a school to train witches and wizards properly and have hired many to work. It is to be a great castle. We must hide it from the muggles, who would destroy it like they try to destroy us. It appears as a ruin.

I met the great Salazaar today as I was levitating rubble away from the foundation. I almost hit him with a stone. He is dangerous looking, very black hair and eyes. I have black eyes too. He looked at my eyes and gripped my hand. He held it and was quiet for a time. Then he smiled and said if I come to the school I will be in his house. I tell him I am almost seventeen and too old for school. He said he would take me anyway.

My mother is pleased. My father is not. He does not like Salazaar. Says he will lead us to war with the muggles. I say the muggles deserve to die. He slaps me. I leave and spend the night in the foundation of the castle.

Hermione closed the book excitedly. It was older than Hogwarts Castle. She was amazed that it hadn’t turned to dust or at least hardened with age. There had to be magic with this tome. That is the only thing that could explain it. She had to know what kind. An anti-aging spell? No, more likely a stasis spell. It wouldn’t fade because an object in stasis is literally removed outside the effects of time. An anti-aging spell is used on living things, and really does not stop aging, only slows it down. After a thousand years an anti-aging spell would have disapated, because time would still work on the spell itself. Amazing.

Reluctantly, Hermione took the book and put it on her desk. She had work to do. She would read more of it later. The ripple floated to the desk, settled over the book, and disappeared.

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Marcus was sitting at his desk, filling out the class schedule for the upcoming month, when his violet eyes suddenly telescoped involuntarily. Startled, he looked around. That only happened when there was some magical and potentially dangerous presence somewhere near. He stood up and took a precursory tour of his office, his rooms and the classroom, looking for any object or presence that would set off the involuntary telescoping again. Nope, his area was clean. But something was going on somewhere in the castle. Something that shouldn’t be.

This ability of Marcus’ was like a sixth sense, and did not apply to the usual mundane types of magic, or alert him to witches or wizards with ill purposes, or he would have known Snape was coming when he was at the club with Hermione, or Hermione was coming to the infirmary to break his nose again. No, this ability detected magic out of the ordinary, subtle, hidden, dangerous magic, with the potential to do great harm. It didn’t kick in often.

Marcus was excited. Since Hermione was married off to the Potions Master, and was now a respectable Lady clearly in the cocks-off category, his only diversion had been catching up with women he met at the clubs, and having multiple one-night stands. It was good, but got old quick. There was no challenge once they realized his very special talent. He hadn’t been turned down yet, and there was only so much pussy a man could stand. Something interesting was going on at Hogwarts. Something he doubted anyone knew about. Something potentially dangerous and life-threatening. Right up his alley. He’d find out what it was, and handle it. Hopefully it would turn out to be a life or death situation.

Dumbledore had really chosen well when he selected Marcus Delaluci to become the DA teacher, despite his Eradicator background, and penchant for looking for (and finding) trouble where there was none. His ability to detect dark magic was a good one. He was about to prove invaluable to two people he’d rather not even see, much less help. Only his almost insane desire for challenge, adventure and diversion made his participation even remotely possible. This was going to be a most unlikely and uncomfortable alliance.

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A/N: Ok, Marcus is back in the mix. This ought to get interesting. Please review. Thanks.