The Artifact

Beta - The Goblet

Part - 6

For the third time in the past hour, Albus Dumbledore looked at the Ministry receptionist and smiled. The rather pretty young woman smiled back blandly. \"The Minister will see you as soon as he can,\" she told them for the third time.

\"He\'s the one that made us come here, he outta be seein us now,\" Hagrid grumbled.

\"I know Hagrid. Something just does not seem right.\" Call it a sixth sense, or perhaps even an affinity for his beloved Hogwarts, but something had been nagging at Dumbledore ever since receiving the summons to come to the Ministry. Something was very, very wrong.


Minister Fudge paced nervously. Davenport had told him that he had to keep Dumbledore and the groundskeeper away from Hogwarts until he discovered the identity of the Chosen. The last thing he wanted to do is actually speak to Dumbledore. The man was too powerful, he could see through any deception.

So Fudge had spent the last two hours hiding in his office.

He almost fainted as his pretty receptionist Delilah was backed into the office by Hagrid. The huge man stepped aside to allow Albus Dumbledore to enter the room. \"Ah, there you are Minister. This young lady was just telling me that you were in a meeting, obviously she was mistaken.\"

\"Uh, I do have a meeting to go to...\"

\"Then perhaps we should reschedule our talk? Hagrid and I have much work to do at Hogwarts,\" noted the older man with a smile.

\"No!\" gasped Fudge. \"I mean, I-I do need to speak to the two of you. Yes, it is of the utmost importance. Very urgent Ministry business just as soon as my meeting is over...\" Fudge attempted to skirt past Dumbledore, but the other wizard blocked his escape.

\"You may speak to us now.\" Dumbledore did not sound like his usual genial self, and his deep blue eyes were not amused. They were hard and cold. \"What is so important?\"

\"I uh, it is a very delicate matter, that cannot be summed up in the time that I have. Please I really must be going...\" As he blathered on, Albus Dumbledore made his mind up to do something that he usually loathed to do: he used Legilimancy to look into Fudge\'s muddled mind.

The story spilled out to him. He watched as Davenport showed Fudge the Womb of Morgana, his breathless words to the reluctant minister. \"It does not matter who the girl is, even a first year! The Avatar must be born! It could mean the very survival of our world!\"

Albus gasped and turned on his heels. \"We are going back to Hogwarts now!\" he announced to Hagrid as he strode out of the Minister\'s office. Had he been the size of most men the startled half giant would have had to run to catch him. As it was his long strides carried him after Dumbledore with relative ease.

\"What is goin\' on Headmaster?\" asked Hagrid as they hurried out the door, and past a number of confused witches and wizards.

\"The Ministry has found a very powerful and dangerous artifact,\" Dumbledore explained. \"We must return to Hogwarts at once before something monstrous is done in the name of the greater good!\"

\"What\'s that?\" Hagrid asked the older wizard.

\"I will explain later!\" Dumbledore said as he stopped short. Hagrid almost knocked him over. The half giant muttered a quick apology as Dumbledore held out his hand. \"I will apparate us, hurry.\" He sensed that they were now outside the anti apparition barriers of the ministry.

The pair disappeared with a loud crack.

---

With several wands pointed at his back, and the eyes of everyone in the room on him, Severus Snape slowly rolled up the sleeve of his right arm. His mind raced as he berated himself for speaking out about his observation. He had stupidly assumed that anyone who cared to look could see the pearl. How could they miss it, the thing was enormous?

Reluctantly he dipped a hand into the warm water. None of the women who had done this complained of the uncomfortable temperature.

As his arm went deeper, the water became painfully hot. He started to remove his hand but Davenport and his men glared with wands ready. They were not going to allow him to stop until he produced the pearl. Gritting his teeth he slipped his arm in almost to the shoulder, as everyone in the room held their breath, Severus felt the tears well up in his eyes from the pain, but finally he felt the pearl.

The pearl filled his palm, a perfectly round sphere grasped tightly in his hand. The water felt as if it was about boil at any moment. Severus quickly lifted the prize from the water, glanced at his arm, expecting it to be red and blistered. It was not even pink, and now that it was out of the water, it felt normal. Only the pearl itself seemed slightly warm.

\"Well,\" he grumbled, with a growl. \"I have the cursed thing, what now?\"

As if to answer his question an intense blue light enveloped Severus\' long black clad form, as the pearl seemed to disappear, sinking into his hand. Everyone, Davenport included, just stood and stared. Then to the absolute horror of the Unspeakable, the water quickly drained away out of the bowl of glass, seeming to vanish into thin air as mysteriously as it appeared. As the last of it disappeared the glow around Snape faded.

\"What the hell just happened?\" Snape demanded.

Suddenly the massive wooden doors to the Great Hall were thrown open, and a very angry Albus Dumbledore stormed in, followed by Hagrid. \"You will stop this obscenity at once!\" he commanded, his voice filling the hall, and causing all eyes to turn from Snape.

\"You are too late Dumbledore, it would seem that we have our Chosen.\" Davenport announced proudly.

\"This is preposterous! Snape is a man!\" babbled Lucius Malfoy, red faced. \"The Avatar cannot be born to him!\"

The noise level of the Great Hall began to rise, as anger and confusion broke out, but all were silenced by the appearance of a tall, slender, very beautiful woman. Her lustrous pale skin and blond hair glowed with a golden light.

\"I am the spirit of Morgana\'s Womb. From the time of Merlin, I have resided in this sacred vessel, created by Morgana herself to preside over the initiation of the Chosen.\"

Sky blue eyes took in the scene in the hall. With a wave of her hand, the containment spell on the Hogwarts staff disappeared. To the surprise of all, so did every female in the room along with a number of the males including Argus Filch.

\"Where are my men?\" demanded Davenport, glowering at the strange woman.

\"Those who will have no part to play have been removed. They are safe, if somewhat confused.\"

\"I do not understand,\" Flitwick gasped looking from the woman to Severus. \"I thought the Chosen was to carry a child, surly the Chosen must be a woman?\"

The strange unearthly creature\'s bright shining eyes found the diminutive Charms teacher. She smiled down at him. \"What a silly thing to say. Why would the Chosen be a woman? Women already have wombs,\" she noted as if surprised that he failed to grasp such a simple concept.

\"Then you are saying that the Chosen must be a man?\" gasped Abner Davenport. How could THAT little tidbit of information have been missed?

\"Of course,\" said the apparition gently. \"The Womb of Morgana was created in order for two powerful wizards to be able to procreate. To bring forth exceptional children that would otherwise never be.\"

\"Yes, I suppose that makes sense.\" Lucius Malfoy admitted. \"But why him?\" He pointed contemptuously at Snape.

\"The Chosen must be many things,\" the ethereal woman explained. \"Powerful magically, strong and dedicated of purpose, willing to sacrifice, to endure great pain even for those who hold only hate and distrust for him.\" Her eyes turned to Severus. \"The Chosen must be chaste, untouched by man.\"

This caused several of the Unspeakables to almost choke. \"Snape\'s a virgin?!\" someone gasped, then several started to laugh.

These were obviously former students.

Snape\'s cheeks were red as he glared at the glowing woman angrily. \"Could you say it any louder? I think there may be people in Hogsmeade who did not hear you.\"

\"Severus Snape is no virgin!\" growled Lucius Malfoy. \"I nailed his pale arse at the Halloween party my Seventh year!\"

\"Ah, yes, one of the highlights of my school days.\" Severus said with his voice dripping sarcasm. \"Your very one sided inebriated grope in the broom cupboard.\" The black haired Slytherin smirked. \"Shall I describe it for everyone? I can do it in two words. \'Premature ejaculation\'.\"

\"Bastard!\" screamed Lucius as the others present laughed harder. His hand went for his wand. As did Dumbledore\'s, moving to place himself between Malfoy and Severus. Both wizards were shocked when their wands suddenly vanished. Everyone else quickly realized that their own wands were gone as well.

\"No wands shall be used this night. They shall be returned when the trial is done,\" the glowing woman informed them. \"It is time for the consort of the Chosen to be revealed.\"

\"Who is he?\" asked Davenport, he pushed Severus aside to stand before the apparition. He was still confused about the sudden turn of events, but if it all lead to the birth of the Avatar, he could live with it. Besides, if he were right about what was to come, he had just begun to put his plan into effect.

\"That is not yet known. Any here who has in him the desire, strength and cunning to claim this man and sire the Avatar shall have his chance. I call the Hunt!\"

There was a collective gasp from the males in the room, except Davenport. This was just what he hoped for.

Those raised in the Wizarding World knew of the Hunt from History class. It was an ancient Rite from the days when Wizards bowed to a king. Once this practice was used to choose who would next rule when the old king died. His daughter or sometimes his young widow was taken to the edge of a wood, and made to run from the candidates. Whichever man could catch and impregnate the poor girl would become king.

\"This castle is sealed, all who are not involved have been sent outside of its walls. None may enter, none may leave until the Consort is revealed and the Avatar sired. By strength, and cunning will he be known.\" She turned to Severus, who was understandably shocked. \"Run,\" she said softly.

He blinked twice, then turned and looked at the faces of the other men in the hall. What he saw was pure lust. Malfoy and Davenport both started to move inexorably towards him, the other Unspeakables followed.

Even Hagrid\'s beetle black eyes burned with desire. But where was Dumbledore? The Headmaster had been there to defend him from Malfoy, but now he was gone? Unfortunately, Severus had no time to think about that, or anything else.

With the sudden horrified realization that if he did not move at that moment he was going to be raped on the spot, Severus Snape turned towards the staff door and bolted from the Great Hall!

tbc