Hogwarts - A New Era Has Dawned - A New Lord Has Risen

OOC: Huzzah! I found a plausible explanation as to why the last names Crosslin and Vandenbrooke keep shifting! Woot! Horray lol! I don't know if I'll manage to work it into this post, but no worries....I got this all covered!!!

IC:

When Jessica returned to Hogwarts, she did not allow herself to slip into a vegetative state. Although every nerve in her body, every fiber of her being was crying, SCREAMING for her to shut down and not function...she forced herself to attack her studies with an almost unholy vehemence.

It was surprisingly easy enough to fake smiles and accept the pats on the back she got from her fellow Gryffindors (who were altogether pleased and rather excited that they had gotten box seats at the game, and were thinking about little else). It was also effortless to pour her entire soul into her work, almost as easy as forcing the body through a rigorous training regime.

She hardly allowed herself time to think, much less muse. At night, she not kept a radio on, scared to be alone with herself in the quiet.

One morning the following week, the general buzz in the Great Hall during breakfast was a little different than who's dating who, and what teacher was doing which lesson. Now everyone seemed to be talking about the late night visit of someone named Bullhorn Brimley. Puzzled, Jessica paused over her eggs and toast, but then it came to her. Remus Brimley, otherwise known as Bullhorn, the Prime Minister of Great Britain must have been to the castle last night with someone from the Initiative to clear up the mess about...

Race.

She allowed herself to think his name only dimly. It didn't help that her Eagle Owl's name was Race, as well. Race (both the owl and the boy) had been named after the famous Wimbourne Wasps' player years ago, Racer Rikim, who was famous for coaxing almost unheard of speeds out of his Firebolt....

The owl Race now swooped in with the rest of the mail, but this time stopped only for a bit of toast before heading back to the keep. Jessica watched the creature go, and she felt a slight pang. Someone from the Initiative had been at the castle last night, and hadn't sent word? No one decided to send her a letter this morning? Didn't they realize that now, more than ever, she needed their support?

Jessica sighed and leaned back, throwing her fork down on the table. Dangerous thoughts were swirling around in her mind, about her father, Jake, and the summit coming up in a few weeks. Was she going to be included there, or did they not want her running off and trying to save kids again?

Rage swept through her, and she had to fight to keep her powers under control. This, she knew now, was why she had tried to busy her mind. If she thought about the events in Denver, she would just get angry. Angry at Jake for stopping her, angry at him and the rest of the Unit for holding her back...

For letting Jack Crosslin get to him. She could have saved Race, she should have--

She was talking about him like he were dead. Everyone was. The Daily Prophet article a few days before had been shocking enough to pull her out of her manic busybody state.

Students were now talking about Wolves and secret American Organizations, and how they were spiriting away children into the night. No one took things very seriously anymore, it was well known that Bullhorn Brimley wanted his country to think him a hero, and once a month or so the Prophet would slip in a completely bogus story about darkness and depravity striking the nation...

Honestly, Jessica preferred politics here. If popularity and the appreciation of his people were all that Remus Brimley wanted, then more power to him. Jessica's mind was often left spinning when she thought of America's government, where the lines stopped and ended, where the muggles stopped being involved and where the power came to the wizards...

"Why do they call him Bullhorn?" Jessica asked the seventh year girls across her table.

They burst out laughing, not a mean sort of laughter, but the pealing sort that you just have to grin along with. The blonder of the two spoke, "Bullhorn has the loudest voice you can ever even imagine! When he was a kid, people say, he had a terrible accident with his wand and his voice is left always magnified, magically! When he talks, its like there's a Bullhorn in your face!"

"Catchy....and how do we all know that he was at the castle last night?"

"How deep do you sleep, Dragonfly?" The other girl asked incredulously, "The entire castle was nearly shaking from the force of that man's jawing..."

"Really? I thought that was thunder..."

Jessica went on through her day, casting searching glances upon all the teachers. Jake had warned her that something big might be happening at Hogwarts, but that had been months ago. Things could have changed since then. Did the presence of Bullhorn Brimley mean that something bigger was going down already? Which of the teachers knew about the Initiative? She knew here at school that they can't have left her completely to her own devices...they were watching her somehow, making sure that she was alright...

It was a peculiar moment in Defense Against the Dark Arts that day (after she had put her entire being into one reducto curse, completely vaporizing her target) when Jessica looked down at her wand and realized that it was not her own. This confused her for a second and then she realized...she still had Yate's wand, and her father still had her own! She was filled with a deep swooping rage, once more. What could he be doing to her wand? Cursing it, degrading it? Or had he snapped it in two?

No, she had not felt it. She would have felt it. In the wood beneath her fingers, Jessica could feel that the wand she held now belonged to a dead man...

As it always does when one is anticipating something, Eden’s day ticked my immeasurably slow. She couldn’t pay attention in Herbology when the class was trying to gather bubotuber puss, and was only lucky to have not messed up as badly as a Gryffindor across the table. This unfortunate boy managed to get the puss all over his hands and large painful boils surfaced almost instantly. Professor Mulligan rushed him to the hospital wing, thankfully reversing any permanent damage, but Eden simply felt lucky that it had not been her.

Potions was the only class that Eden was able to get through with no difficulty. The time passed only a fraction quicker, but even this still felt like an eternity. Eden could not help herself from contemplating Jack Crosslin’s motives for penetrating the castle walls that night. The question plagued her that morning, though she doubted that her intense worrying was doing her any good. At the end of the class, her Draught of Living Death was as clear as water, which was exactly how the textbook had described the correct final result. Despite this, Agnello called Eden back up to his desk as the rest of the students were filing out of the room.

He waited until the footsteps of every student had passed into the corridor before raising his wand at the door to close it.

“Your potion was satisfactory,” he stated, displeasure reflected in his eyes. His snow-white hair seemed whiter that usual, though his expression was quite grim. “I confess myself disappointed. I expected more from you.”

“Yes, sir.”

Agnello took his time examining Eden’s blank facial expression. “Why is it that you are not producing potions that are up to your usual standard, Eden? I would be interested to know what has you so shaken.”

“Nothing, sir,” Eden responded quickly. She shifted uncomfortably on the spot, hoping against hope that Agnello would let her leave.

“Why are you lying to me?”

Eden took a step back from the Potion Master’s desk. “I am not lying to you!” she cried out, her frustrated tone echoing through the stone room. Although her voice was now filled with intense feeling, she didn’t exactly have Agnello convinced. The tall, stringy man was staring at her suspiciously as he rose from his chair.

He rounded the desk quite quickly, coming face to face with Eden in a matter of seconds. “You will not lie to me!” he shouted, his voice becoming deafening at such a close range. “You have just forfeited your lunch, Eden, which you will now spend with me here in detention. Sit down; take out a sheet of parchment and your quill.”

Hot, thick anger was bubbling up through Eden’s veins. She sat down quickly to try and thwart what her instincts were telling her to do, which was hex Agnello to within an inch of his life. Being honest with herself, Eden knew that she was really too hurt by the man’s sudden cruelty to do anything of the nature. She would follow his instructions instead, hoping that he wouldn’t stay mad for long.

“I would like you to copy down I will not lie to my Professors one hundred times. If I feel that you have not understood the message, more detentions will be in order,” Agnello stated, seating himself behind his desk once more. His cold expression was one that Eden had never seen him direct at her.

In all truth, Eden wanted to cry, but she would never show such weakness. She just couldn’t understand how a man whom she had trusted so deeply could turn on her in a matter of seconds; especially Agnello. The bond they had shared was surely deeper than Professor and pupil, though now it seemed to be aggressor and victim more than anything…

OOC: Bad post, lol. Just passing the time until when Jack invades the castle. Oh by the way, you're alright with that aren't you?

OOC: Get into school, and then bite teacher? Is that it?

Wasn't sure if the dream thing came across as cheesy...or if it even came across!

I'm thinking that Crosslin (more of an Americanized name)....has negative connotations in Britain because of Jack Crosslin. Not only is he the Director of the Initiative, but he's also a well known polititian in the muggle side of the American government. British people look down on him, seeing him as what the rest of the wizarding world hates--meddling in both worlds, magical and non. That's why America is kinda not liked in this series, at least...because they keep muggles and wizards living so closely.

Which means that in Britain, the muggle hating and baiting and separating must have grotten worse over the years....which would also shift to werewolves which helps our plot a bit, i think.

Vandenbrooke (jessica's mystery mother, again, we'll both have to think of soemthing) is a Dutch sounding name, thusly Europian...makes sense, yes?

And as for jack getting into the castle, you need anything done with that? What do you want me to do with it?

And Radner....kk, i get what's going on now, sort of.

I hope you caught the bit about how the only way to bring Antigonus down is to strike through the ones he loves most? I just made that judgement on a whim. It seems that he puts more store in love than Voldemort (obviously) and while that makes him safe against what killed Tom, it also opens up another weakness...betrayal hurts a lot more.

Woah now that I've rambled senselessly....onto the post!!!

IC:

That night, Jessica found herself sitting alone in front of the Common Room fire, late after everyone else had gone to bed. Her homework and her textbooks were splayed out on her lap and even spilling onto the floor, calling for her attention, but it was elsewhere. Her training would only help her so much, her mind had been constantly busy for the last fortnight or so--she needed a rest, she needed a break. The silence was welcome, but it pounded against her eardrums. She was so used to the noise.

Her mind wandered back to what promised to be the strangest Potions class in her entire Hogwarts career. Today had been quite the change of pace, instead of Eden producing an A+ potion and Jessica verbally sparring with the Professor, it had been the other way around. it just wasn't like Eden to snap back like that, especially not to Agnello. There was only one explanation for it.

While Jessica had been coolly focused these past few days, it seemed that Eden was growing more and more tense, antsy. Jessica had a feeling that they were both reacting to the same set of events just in starkly different ways. She shuffled down a little deeper into the comfy chair and gave it some more thought.

How was Eden reacting, specifically, to the fact that her godfather had ordered the hit of a teenage boy just to show his enemies that he meant business? Did she herself feel threatened? Jessica knew she (herself) did. Jack, her father, had come close to killing her before, and if he had to bite her then she had a deadening feeling that he would do it. This did not daunt her, however. When you're facing a speeding Bludger head on, you don't turn tail and try to outrun it...

Jessica knew she had to get more on Eden's good side, there was only one way to really wound Antigonus, and that was to have his loved ones (the ones closest to him) striking out, to wound, to inflict pain. She wasn't sure how she was going to manage it, but she needed to get closer, herself. And Eden was the way to do it.

It was a small wonder that Jessica was still thinking analytically after the first month she had had at Hogwarts. She had fallen in love, fallen into danger, and even fallen out of the sky...and she was still thinking only about the Op. After her first mistake (It had been stupid...STUPID of her to try and confront Jasper so early into the happenings) she was doggedly trying to fix things even as they were falling apart...

Jake was trying to do the same, too. He loved her and she knew it. It had been against his will to even involve her in the first place, but her father (the agencies Director) had insisted on it. Now that Jake was the acting Director, he could pull her from the Op if he really wanted to...(and Jessica knew he wanted to) but it was just too risky. She was in now. And there was no getting out.

The Initiative Summit would hopefully explain a few things to her.

Her eyelids drooped down, she blinked twice sleepily. A dark shadow passed in front of her face and she started.

Race was standing before her, unexpectedly.

"Is this a dream?" She asked, her voice sounding strangely muffled.

"Probably." Race looked at her, his green eyes glittering in the dying embers of the Gryffindor fire, "Whatever you want it to be. You know, everyone is talking about me as though I were dead."

"I know." She did not meet his gaze.

"Look at me, Jessica. Look what you did."

"What I did?" Jessica's voice broke a little bit, and she leaned forward--letting her Artithmancy textbook slide to the floor where it landed with a dull thump, "Me? How was I the one that did this to you! Blame my father!"

"I blame you!" Race's voice was harsh, now, "You could have stopped him, you could have apparated right into the Hall and stopped this from HAPPENING!"

"I--I couldn't--"

"And WHY NOT?" Race's snarl was deeper now, and he sounded less and less like the charming Quidditch nerd she had once known, "Why did this have to happen to me?"

"BECAUSE I WAS SCARED!" Jessica shouted, leaping to her feet.

She crashed back to reality, jerking her head up. Her textbook was still on her lap, and no shadows around her shifted. Race was not in this room. She had simply fallen asleep, yes? Her heart was still beating rapidly, nonetheless.

Her mind was cobwebby. She thought back and wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep, when things had stopped and started...

"Jess?"

Jessica nearly whirled and killed whoever had come down from the girls dormitories. It was only Ashley and she looked tired and concerned.

"What are you doing up?"

"Just--homework." Jessica gestured vaguely to the mess in front of her.

It had been too vague. Ashley strolled closer, "You're thinking about Race."

~Among other things~ Jessica thought, but the only words she spoke were, "Yes, I am."

"You tried to help him." Ashley said, and there were great shining tears in her eyes, "You tried dragging us to help him, we were just so thick and confused, and stupid--"

"Don't blame yourselves." Jessica said rather sharply, "There was no way you could have known, i should have told you i should have tried to explain..."

And here she trailed off, not sure how much she was allowed to disclose.

"I understand, Jessica." Ashley said quietly, "We understand--the team. We know that you're here for something bigger than just academics. You're here to help us, to save us from something, aren't you?"

"It's not just me." Jessica was thinking of Eden, "There are others but...but...there are complications."

"There always are." Ashley said.

The two girls sat in silence for a while.

"J-Just so you know, there's been talk." Ashley looked over at Jessica in a careful tone, "Some of the other students aren't taking....kindly to you being here."

"I know." Jessica looked around the walls, which had been stripped of all the painted words that had marred them before.

"Well, there's still talk." Ashley said, "America hasn't the greatest reputation over here in Great Britain, and not just because your Quidditch team has beaten ours senseless for years and years in a row..."

"I know." Jessica said darkly, "Because of my father, because of the name Crosslin. I go by Vandenbrooke, now. At least when I'm over here. You must know the story like everyone else..."

"I know what gets passed around." Ashley said firmly, "I'll only believe what comes out of your mouth."

Jessica looked at Ashley in amazement, "You and the Team are a real group of awesome people, you know that?"

Ashley gave a smile, "Hey, Race thought highly of you, and we thought highly of Race."

OOC: Good post, I did like the dream! Not cheesy at all. And yes, about Jack’s mission, he just needs to get into the school unseen and bite the teacher in her chambers. The aim is for her bite to heal overnight, leaving no evidence of what happened. She will obviously know, but will be too frightened to tell anyone. The aim is to get her on Antigonus’ side. Hopefully after realizing that she is a wolf, she will go straight to Antigonus if she can (or at least, that’s what the Wolfram is hoping. I was thinking it could pan out like that for now, just so that the wolves have a spy inside of Hogwarts).

IC:

There was never a time in Eden’s life where she had experienced hand cramps as painful as the ones that lingered from her detention with Agnello. He’d made her stay through the entire lunch hour to write lines, which had done a toll on her hand. She’d broken her quill near the end of lunch, which only earned her more lines that would be carried over into another detention the next day after school. The most confusing part of the whole ordeal was Agnello himself. Eden couldn’t understand what had caused him to snap on her so suddenly. He had never treated her in such a way during her entire time at Hogwarts, but clearly things had changed now.

As Eden dragged herself up to the seventh floor and into the common room, she tried to block all the thoughts of her detention from her mind. There were more important things to concentrate on now, namely Jack Crosslin’s entrance into Hogwarts that night. But first and foremost, Eden had to tackle her impending stack of essays due the next day. Jack wouldn’t be arriving until midnight, and at least she could get in some quality homework time before and after dinner.

With rapid speed, Eden blazed through both her Defense Against the Dark Arts and Herbology essays. Perhaps they weren’t her best work to date, but at least she was able to finish them before dinner. Her stomach was growling incessantly as Eden walked with Paul down to the Great Hall. Missing lunch certainly wasn’t agreeing with her stomach, but after a slice of pumpkin pie the growling ceased. However, an anxious, queasy feeling took its place, choosing to settle uncomfortably somewhere near Eden’s stomach. There was no doubting that the coming hours would tick by slowly and painfully.

Once back in the common room, Eden set to work on her Ancient Runes essay. Actually knowing the material thoroughly helped to pass the time, but it was only eleven o’clock when all of Eden’s homework was complete. She opted to sit alone in front of the fireplace, watching the flames dance behind the grate as the room slowly cleared over the next hour. Noah came and joined her at ten to twelve, but there were two other first year boys huddled over by the tables as midnight approached.

“Did you hear about the second year boy that’s giving away free licorice wands up in his dorm?” Noah asked Eden loudly as they tried to rid themselves of the unwanted presence in the room. “I hear his dad works at the factory and gets tons of free boxes. He just gives them to anyone really. Of course he can’t eat them all…”

The two small boys looked quite excited at that prospect and headed up the stairs to the boys dormitories just as the clock struck midnight. The fire instantly turned black as a portal was opened from the opposite side. Eden stood up quickly, facing the portal as the familiar sound of a body passing through it could be heard echoing through the empty common room.

OOC: Did Eden give Jessica her wand back?



IC:

Jack stepped through and onto the floor rather gracefully, his expression as hard as the stone mantle behind him. As he straightened up and looked around him, his gaze fell upon Eden and it possible it grew even more grim. He was not at all pleased to have Eden part of his welcoming party, and did not waste a moment to let her know it.

"My understanding was that this mission was meant to be taken out in secrecy. Since you have apparently made yourself available to me, you might be of some use--finally. Tell me--do you take Arithmancy?"

OOC: Sure, let’s just say that she did. I feel bad if Jessica is missing her wand all that time.

IC:

Eden was hard pressed not to recoil at the image of Jack Crosslin materializing before her eyes, but she restrained herself from doing anything irrational for the time being. She would have hell to pay if Antigonus found out she’d interfered with whatever Jack was doing. Of course, she would have to find out what exactly that was first.

“No, I don’t take Arithmancy,” Eden replied suspiciously. She could not help the hate that crept into her voice whenever she spoke with this man. “What has Antigonus sent you here to do?” she said quite viciously, determined to get some kind of answer out of the man.

As she cast a quick sideways glance at Noah, Eden noticed that his eyes were open very wide and he looked almost dumbstruck by Jack’s presence in the room. It was quite sickening to realize how badly Noah wanted to serve the Wolfram. There was no way that Eden could let that happen to a boy so young and innocent, even if he was born a wolf.

Eden turned back to Jack, waiting for a response.

OOC: I don't mean to leave you hanging by a thread (no pun intended) but I'm a little busy, and trying to make this post interesting.

OOC: Took me a few days to taper this where i wanted it to be...I think i was looking a little too hard at involving Jessica here. Her presence really isn't necessary, but i guess i just wanted to put something in about how she and her father have reached an understanding.

Arithmancy....I'm glad that you decided to use Arithmancy.

IC:

Jack shrugged, "Very well, then i will find some other student who does. Bear in mind, Eden, that if I hear your feet pitter-patting along behind me tonight, i will not hesitate for a moment to stun you and leave you in the corridor."

He knew this would not surprise her at all, in fact, if she was smart enough she should have expected this. Jack gathered himself up and glided towards the exit, not looking back once or saying another word to the girl.

He let himself out, stalking down the hall until he reached the fourth floor landing. He was sure that he was higher up than what he was supposed to be, and he cursed. Why had Antigonus not taken him where he needed to be? Traversing now through the dark castle was just wasting more of his time..

He walked until he saw what he needed to see--a portrait of a Fat Lady.

She was asleep, and he did not see fit to disturb her. Placing a hand over her face (so that the Mark of the Initiative covered any of her senses) he gripped the bottom of the painting and felt the magicks give way. The thing swung up and he stepped inside.

It was a cozy room, far more comfortable that Ravenclaw's Common. Jack felt at once that he would rather have been a Gryffindor. He cast his gaze around the room until it fell on one small figure, still seated at the fire.

"Well Jessica my dear...it's so nice to see you again..."

___________________________________________________

In the real world (as opposed to literature) it is a rare occasion to actually find a person in the throes of shock whose mouth obliges to custom and completes a perfectly shapely, 'o.'

Jessica, now, was one of those people. Her pretty lips mirrored complete and total incoherence of what was going on. She stood up, her hands balled into fists at her side, the 'o' still in place. Several emotions were flitting around in her head--fear, rage, sadness, confusion...her first thought: ~Is this just another dream?~

"Try not to look so scared, my dear, we have work to do tonight." Jack stepped towards her. Jessica finally broke and she pulled out her wand, thrusting it furiously in her fathers direction.

"Not one step closer, not a step closer! What is it that you want here tonight!" Jessica bit off, her arm trembling. Her mind was working furiously, still trying to decipher if this was reality or another bizarre vision...

"Relax, Jessica." Jack growled, looking as real as ever, "Let's not make this any more difficult than what it is, shall we? Do you take Arithmancy?"

"No." Was her immediate, programmed response. Then with a sinking feeling she realized that on the floor behind her, spread out for all to see were her Arithmancy notes, textbook, and pages of homework.

Jack gave a soft laugh, "Is that so? Well, nevertheless I think you could be of some help to me."

"I'm not helping you!" Jessica raised her voice slightly, "You should be helping me! What's gone wrong with you, father?"

"Jessica, please." Jack narrowed his eyes, "Do not raise an alarm, or i will not hesitate to silence you."

"We're supposed to be in this together, you and I!" She stepped towards him, hushing her voice but intensifying the venom, "Have you forgotten about the Initiative, what you're SUPPOSED to be doing with Antigonus?"

"I have not forgotten what i am meant to do this night." Jessica realized she had made a great mistake in letting herself closer to her father, because now he lashed out with his arm and gripped her wrist. It was a viselike grip and she felt that she would not have been able to wriggle out even if she had the presence of mind to. Right now all her energy was going into trying to figure out what her father wanted in the castle tonight...

"You will come with me." Jack ordered, "And all will make sense once the night is through."

"Dad, what's going on?" Jessica changed tack, widening her eyes to make them look as innocent and scared as possible.

Jack hauled her along, and she had no choice but to follow.

_________________________________________________

"Your last nighttime wandering of the castle did not turn out so well, did it?" Jack growled to her as they shuffled along. Jessica opened her mouth to deliver a devastating retort, but thought better of it. The less she said (it seemed) the better.

"Mum isn't the word here, love, I do need your cooperation." Jack said delicately, yanking her up a flight of stairs, "Back then you were confrontational, and didn't understand the lasting repercussions of your actions. I do hope that this time around, when i need you to do exactly as i say, you put into consideration that a lot hangs in the balance here..."

She stumbled along obediently, wondering where in the world they were going and what her father had planned. No--what Antigonus had planned. Soon it was apparent, they were heading for the Arithmancy department. It was a small one, tucked away in the deepest depths of the fourth floor corridors, but it was there. Jessica slowed down a bit, and Jack stopped to look at her.

"The Arithmancy Department? What do you want there?"

Jack hesitated. Jessica wasn't getting how important this mission was. If he did not have her help, he would not be able to complete the task set before him. If he didn't complete the task now, Antigonus would not allow him to go to the Initiative summit. If he didn't go the Initiative summit, the whole world would label him a traitor, and the Initiative would have no choice but to change its plans and call for war.

"Jessica." Jack whirled and gripped his daughter by the shoulders, shaking her slightly, "Think of Race. I need to do this! If you force my inaction tonight...you are putting the entire WORLD in danger. Can't you understand this?"

She searched his eyes, trying desperately to see into her father. Strangely, she did understand. She was slowly starting to see the larger picture...

She allowed her father to drag her along once more, until the pair stood outside of the Arithmancy classroom. Jack looked at her hard, and she knew what she had to do.

Knocking twice, she turned the handle and went in.

Arithmancy was probably one of the most controversial subjects not only at Hogwarts, but in the entire wizarding world itself. Simple addition and subtraction did not bother most witches and wizards, it was the advanced mathematics that were hush-hush in most homes. The predictive patterns, the algorithms and equations, the way that the world seemed to fit together neatly in sets of ten. It went against magic, didn't it? Magic went wild and ran rampant, doing as it pleased, contorted in whatever fashion the spellcaster desired. Those advanced mathematics threatened to put order to magic itself...

An understanding of this order, a keen and open mind, and a sharp sense of surroundings made Verona Epling one of the most talented (and hated) witches of that era.

Jessica liked the class well enough, mathematics were taught at her old school and indeed stressed more in America than any other country. She was no genius, but she could keep up even in the throes of the worst algebraic beasties. Manipulating variables was part of her job as a Center Chaser...

She closed the door softly behind her, and was rather startled to see Verona seated at her desk, candles lit, as though she had been expecting. She was young, but walked and talked with a smooth mature elegance far beyond her years, traits that were not approved of by her coworkers. Jessica knew all to well that Verona was an outcast.. It was the math, it had to be.

"Jessica Crosslin, so nice to see you." Verona smiled.

"It's Vandenbrooke, actually." Jessica sidestepped a majority of the desks and came to stand in front of her Professor, "You knew i was coming?"

"I was actually expecting Jack to drop by. Threat Matrix, you know." Here the young woman nodded to her parchment, which was spread out over the whole desk. Complex equations and various figures were scrawled rather untidily over the paper. Jessica could make out only a few algebraic statements, "But i forgot to add you into the equation, love. I thought you were in opposition to your father, i did not anticipate your arrival on his command."

"I am not under his command." Was Jessica's immediate response. She looked at her Professor, and an eerie silence fell between them.

"I knew this day was coming." Verona stood up and rolled the parchment back to its original state. She waved the paper over the flame of the nearest candle, setting the thing alit and dropped it to the stone floor, where both women watched it smolder, "Antigonus would send your father after me, he just would. It's a gentle irony, I think. Jack and I, so misunderstood by the wizarding world. Rather like werewolves, don't you think? From my position it seems that your godfather is assembling an army of those who would come to him if only for a kind word, for a compassionate glance..."

She chuckled, "Me, speaking with muggle math teachers. Jack, working his political nonsense with those in his own country. How does your mother handle it, love?"

Jessica's gaze hardened. She felt a breath of air enter the room as the door slid open.

"Jack!" Verona gave a soft smile that lit up her face, "So nice to see you!"

"I am glad to know that you thoroughly expected this." Jessica had to repress a shudder. The candle light cast shadows on her fathers face that made him look absolutely terrifying, "And in your own way, Verona, you are gladdened."

"'If genius can't change the world, she might as well leave it.'" Verona quoted, reaching behind her and grabbing a traveling cloak, shrugging it on, "My only regret is that with my absence, there will be no one to finish out the school year with my small crop of students--"

"--Most of whom are immersed so deeply in your Threat Matrix, that they will figure out where you have gone." Jack offered his arm to the woman.

"Of course, Jack, did you expect anything else?" Verona smiled, slipping her arm into Jack's and winking, "You have a very bright daughter, might I add. The math comes to her easily, but she just isn't letting it. Perhaps she is afraid?"

"She has too much at risk to trust the numbers completely, Verona." Jack gave Jessica a searching stare, "She needs to trust her heart before she lets your particular brand of magicks take over..."

"Quite right, quite right. Shall we go? I trust Antigonus will have a meal ready and waiting..."

"We shall see, Verona. We shall see."

The shower of blue and black did nothing to faze Jessica. She closed her eyes while the lights faded and once more, she was left achingly alone.


OOC: Ew, not the best post. You can take it from here, at Antionus's end.

OOC: Hugely long post! Hope you don't mind, I just had to get a few things sorted out here. Oh, and just as a reminder I guess the Azkaban breakout will be in a few days, so we should plan the summit accordingly, so that we have time for both.

IC:

Eden stared at the older man relentlessly. She couldn’t dare look away from his face in fear that she would miss any slight emotion that flashed over it; an emotion that might explain why he was here—what Antigonus had sent him to do.

Curiosity killed the cat… Eden suddenly thought to herself. It was very rare that such a cliché muggle phrase had popped into her head at a time like this, but she quickly disregarded the thought and began scheming.

Her eyes didn’t leave Jack for a second as he swept from the room. It was not until moments later that Eden remembered to breathe, when Jack had left the common room and was out of sight. She shuddered at the thought of all the tension and stress that had accumulated inside of her since the man had stepped through the fireplace; it was a scary thought. Not knowing what her godfather was planning, Eden couldn’t be of much help. What if Antigonus had sent Jack to do something rather mundane? What if Eden had blown things out of proportion?

That was hard to believe. Eden refused to convince herself that the Wolfram would send Jack Crosslin to Hogwarts for anything other than a top-priority mission. He had other, lowly henchmen to do the mundane jobs; sending Jack specifically meant that whatever was going down certainly had precedence over all other happenings.

That thought did not appease Eden’s tension in the slightest, only made it worse. It was gnawing at her stomach by this point, ripping open a massive void inside of her. She instinctively wrapped her hands around her waist to avoid falling apart completely.

Noah, observant as always, had taken notice of Eden’s behavior from his spot on the sofa. Eden was finally able to tear her eyes away from the doorway, and in doing so found herself looking into the eleven-year-old’s worrisome expression.

“I hear something,” he said in a whisper, unable to hide the anxiety in his tone. “Someone’s coming down, quick.” He yanked the sleeve of Eden’s robes so harshly that the movement jerked her forward onto the couch beside him. It was only a moment after Eden had straightened up into a proper sitting position that the sudden visitor trotted down the girls’ dormitory staircase.

“… and so I was thinking that since I’m not allowed to go into Hogsmeade for another two years, that you could pick something up there for me. Her birthday’s coming up soon and I want to get her something good,” Noah blabbered on, pretending to be in the middle of a normal conversation.

Eden quickly realized that wouldn’t be necessary when she caught a glimpse of the girl’s face.

“Nyssa?” She asked, even though it was clearly her.

“Oh, hi.” Her hair was quite messy, probably from sleeping. She looked as if she had just woken, and was still wearing her pink flannel pajamas. “I didn’t realize you were down here, though I was kind of curious why you weren’t in bed,” she stated, studying Noah very carefully before turning her attention back to her roommate.

Eden tried to make a friendly expression toward the girl, but she just wanted her gone. There was nothing more imperative to Eden than finding out Jack’s true plans. A meaningless chat with Nyssa was not what she needed at the moment.

“Are you having trouble sleeping?” Eden asked, wondering what had brought her roommate down into the common room in the first place.

Nyssa shook her head. “I was just coming down to grab a book I’d forgotten,” she told Eden, crossing the common room to stand in front of the tables. She picked up a ratty old textbook that had been occupying the seat of one of the chairs. “I’m tired, so I should probably head back up.”

“Okay,” Eden replied a little too quickly. “See you in the morning, then.”

Once Nyssa had ascended the stairs and the soft clanking of a dormitory door closing could be heard, Eden sprung up from the couch and paced slowly in front of it. The tension inside of her was just too great by this point; she was clutching at her stomach very tightly, feeling like she could collapse at any moment.

Why had Antigonus not told her of Jack’s plan tonight? She only had the liberty of finding out about it through Noah, for crying out loud. He was eleven and he seemed to know more about the Wolfram’s plans than she did nowadays.

I’ve lost his trust, Eden realized. I have abused it too much, and now he won’t give it back. I resist too much; of course he wouldn’t want me to know of his plans beforehand, or at all for that matter. I’m only good for is making the Wolf’s Elixir…

A repulsive thought came to Eden’s mind. Why did she really care about whether or not Antigonus was confiding in her? The only purpose it had served in the past was to help her resistance and hinder his plans. Had things suddenly changed? Why did Eden not have the will to go after Jack right that instant? She could be hunting him down instead of pacing uselessly; she could stop whatever he intended to do instead of twiddling her thumbs and waiting for someone to inform her of what had happened. Then why wasn’t she acting on these thoughts… why was she staring at Noah is if he held the answers she needed?

“That’s it…” Eden snarled. “I’m going to see him.”

“Don’t!” Noah cried unexpectedly, “You heard what he said—if you go after him he’ll stun you and simply leave you there. I won’t let you leave, I can’t—”

“I was talking about my godfather, kid—not Jack. If you think you’re going to stop me from seeing him too then you’ve lost your mind. Don’t wait up for me either. I’m pretty sure that it’ll be past your bedtime when I return.”

Eden broke away from her frenzied pacing and weaved the usual enchantments on the fireplace, happy for something to do with her hands that didn’t involve clutching them to her stomach. In seconds, she had walked calmly through the blackness and was emerging from the fire in the Manor’s elegant dining room. Though as soon as she was aware of her new surroundings, she froze in place like a deer in headlights. There was an aura about the room that differed from all other occasions Eden had visited it. First of all, there were elaborate candelabras placed on a maroon runner that spanned the entire length of the exquisite wooden table. Each one was lit, and only the candlelight lit the surrounding area. Once Eden’s eyes adjusted to the low level of light, she gasped involuntarily.

The entire table was lined with wolves—some Eden had met, others looked unfamiliar. Antigonus was sitting at the far end of the table, the head of course, with Jack and a vaguely familiar woman on either side of him. Eden also spotted Jasper at a spot not too far away from the head of the table—a sign that he had been performing up to the Wolfram’s standard recently.

It became abruptly obvious that Eden’s little noise had alerted everyone in the room to her presence. It had not been a loud noise by any means, but it didn’t matter around the wolves. Their sensitive hearing could pick up the slightest of sounds, even in their human forms.

Even from such a far distance, Eden could see the smirk on the Wolfram’s face. “Look at this!” he purred, “Look who has come to join us, my brothers. I will admit that I had not predicted this, I am however, rather pleased to see you here, my darling Eden.”

There was something about his tone that made Eden unsure whether he really was pleased to see her. The smirk certainly could have been contrary evidence enough, but Eden continued nonetheless. “And why is that?”

“It has been such a long time since I have seen you. Won’t you sit down and share this meal with us?”

The request caught Eden off guard. She hadn’t been prepared for such lightheartedness from her godfather tonight. Straightening up, Eden spoke, “You know as well as I do that I haven’t come over for dinner.”

Antigonus let out a low, hearty chuckle. A few of the other wolves followed his lead, shaking their heads with laughter.

“Such a clever girl…” she heard one exclaim.

“Her sense of humor is amusing,” another one stated.

Antigonus gave a quick nod and all signs of laughter ceased immediately. “Yes, yes of course. It’s always straight down to business with you, isn’t it dear?” He picked up his glass of red wine, drained half of it, and continued. “I will answer all of your questions once you’ve taken a seat; how about right here beside your brother?” He gestured to the wolf who occupied the seat next to Jasper, the one closer to Antigonus himself. The unfamiliar wolf vacated the seat, looking quite disappointed at being moved to a seat farther away from his Master.

Eden crossed the room cautiously and sat down in the plush Victorian dining chair. To her left was Jasper, a mild frown etched into the lines of his pale face. Then, to the right only two people remained between Eden and her godfather; the first person (the one closer to her), was Radner, and the second person (who sat right beside the Wolfram) was the mysterious woman. Directly across the table from her were two unknown wolves, one that Eden had a feeling was named Levett, and then Jack, who was very close to Antigonus at the end of the table.

“I’m sitting…” Eden said, waiting for the answers she had been promised. Impatience was drawn all over her face.

“What exactly is it you wanted to know?” Antigonus asked.

“I want you to tell me why Jack was at Hogwarts tonight. And I want the truth.”

The Wolfram looked at her with interested eyes. “Certainly. However, I believe that Jack is apt to tell the tale himself if he is agreeable.”

Reluctantly, Eden’s eyes wandered across the table to Jessica’s father.

There was now a foul taste in Jack's mouth when he saw Eden step into the midst of the company. His grip tightened on his mug of ale, and he glared at her with unreserved dislike. She just couldn't leave well enough alone, could she? She had made a good move, though. Rather than going after him while he was completing hist task (because Eden KNEW Jack wouldn't hesitate to stun her) she had gone straight to her precious godfather who would not allow something like that...

Jack looked over at Antigonus, and saw that the Wolfram appeared to be gladdened at his goddaughters arrival. Jack did not share this same joy.

"Ahh...she is the inquisitive one." Verona muttered out of the corner of her mouth to Jack, "Do not be so quick to hate on the curious minds of our youth..."

"With all due respect, Verona, you don't have the entire picture."

Verona squeezed Jack's hand and gave him a winning smile, "Of course i don't, love. But thanks to my inquisiveness, i can gather what's going on."

Jack looked sharply at Verona, knowing instantly the danger he was in. With Verona's unique understanding of the world, it would be glaringly obvious to her Jack's true intentions. For one moment, one sick moment Jack wondered if this was the reason Antigonus had brought her to the Wolves....

~No....I must trust him...~

Her hand was on top of his. He brought his other hand up, and put it on top of hers. She could feel the symbol of the Initiative burning there, and he shook his head 'no' minutely. Verona got the signal and rose her voice, speaking to Eden in Jack's place.

"Eden, love! I'm sure that you don't know me, Arithmancy was never your subject of choice. I always regretted it, you had a mind for Potions and that passion could have easily turn to numbers...but it did not," Here the world weary teacher heaved a sigh, "So many students that could have been bright in the subject, so many that could have excelled....taken aback and coaxed away by the wizarding society of this nation. But that does not explain why I am here. I am very much like Jack Crosslin here, hated and despied by Britain, but completely necessary for its ultimate survival..."

Jack's nostrils flared. She was dropping hints again and again, he KNEW that she knew about the Operation. Was she a liason agent, or was the math really that good?

"As for what I'm doing here? Well, there isn't much else for me to do. I realized that Antigonus wanted me as part of his operations, and i thought i might as well come." She raised her glass of white wine, and gave a toast to Eden, "Now, love, won't you sit down and join us?"

Eden could barely believe what she was seeing. Why was Hogwarts’ Arithmancy teacher here… and why was she acting so cheerfully about it? The woman was so gentle; she looked so very delicate, like porcelain. Surely she couldn’t mean what she said about being similar to Jack Crosslin? There were no similarities that Eden could see. The contrast between them was like good and evil, light and dark.

And suddenly, the whole puzzle pieced itself together in Eden’s mind. Jack must have been sent to retrieve this woman from the castle… but what was her purpose here tonight? She was not a wolf, she was only a teacher. Did Antigonus need her expertise in Arithmancy for one of his operations, or was it something else?

Eden straightened up in her chair under the intense scrutiny of multiple sets of eyes. “If I am to understand this situation correctly, you were only at Hogwarts to bring Verona here?” Eden stated, turning toward Jack. She faltered before continuing again, “I—I was under the distinct impression that you were on an important mission…”

After a few seconds had passed, she turned to her godfather. He offered her the same semi-amused expression he had worn before, though he did speak to her gently.

“Listen to what Jack has to say, pet.” His voice was smooth and reassuring. “I told you that he would explain what he was doing at Hogwarts.”

Pet? Eden thought to herself with a twinge of dislike, what’s with all of these adoring names all of a sudden? He stops telling me his plans, but his inclination for me increases? That I don’t understand. Why won’t Antigonus tell me why Verona is here? I can’t work out why he’s making Jack do it instead…

There was nothing that Eden wanted more than to understand what Jack’s plan had been. She was relieved to have come here seeking answers instead of following Jack through the castle by herself, though it seemed that Jessica’s father was as reluctant to explain his doings as he had always been. His expression was of the deepest loathing when their eyes met across the table, though Eden vowed to get the answers she needed somehow. Perhaps not from Jack if he did not state them on the Wolfram’s command, though there was also her godfather. Couldn’t Eden try to find out the mission from its source? Jack couldn’t be bothered to lift a finger for her, let alone explain what his mission had been; however, a direct order from his Master was something even Jack Crosslin would be weary to disobey.

Eden shifted uncomfortably in her seat, though it had nothing to do with the actual chair she was sitting on. She was uneasy in the lingering silence, a silence in which she could do nothing but meet Jack’s glare and wait for his answer.

OOC: OK now i was lying, i really don't know what you're shooting at. Verona already explained to Eden what Jack was doing there, he came to collect her. Or is there something you're implying that I'm missing? I'm dreadfully sorry...

OOC: Eh, sorry. I guess since Jack never stated it outright I wasn't sure that Eden picked it up. You're right, though. Ignore my obvious lack of subtleties.

I'm going to go ahead and post again, just so that you're clear where Eden stands.

IC:

“Has your curiosity now been appeased?” Antigonus asked with a chuckle when he saw the realization evident on his goddaughter’s face. There was really nothing serious or sinister lurking in his tone, which was both unexpected and welcomed by Eden. “Yes, our dear Verona here will become a werewolf on this night.”

Eden was glad she had rejected the food in front of her, for she would have expelled it from her mouth quite unceremoniously at that very moment. Verona… a werewolf? Eden hadn’t looked that far into the situation. Besides, it couldn’t be! Why was the woman not running for her life? How had she accepted this fate? How could she stand to belong to the Wolfram’s pack?

Nothing made sense in Eden’s busy, panicked mind. She suddenly felt weak, lightheaded.
In lieu of this, Eden tried to suck a deep breath into her lungs but the sight of her hands trembling on the table before her was enough cause for concern; it only intensified her sense of terrific unease.

“Why?” Eden managed to strangle out in a fairly level tone despite the feeling of extreme tightness that gripped her throat. However, it was her face that betrayed her true emotions; shock and apprehension.

"Why?" Verona gave a winning smile, "Love, there are a million 'whys.' Unfortunately, you will not understand most of them. It is not an insult to your brains or your smarts, no, love, you have plenty of those. This is a matter of perception, of the swirling tendrils of reality. You think you see right and wrong so clearly? It isn't a situation of 'well, this is black and this is white.' And that is where your folly lies."

She reached out with delicate fingers, tracing the rim of her glass goblet, listening as the pure crystal gave out its clear tone, "To you, it seems that i speak in riddles. That i have gone rather insane? O, yes, maybe i have! I know your godfather and most of his wolves think so...but there are those that know I am in the right."

She gave Edena a piercing stare, "Remember, love. Your true loyalties lie with your heart, not with your past mistakes..."

"Thank you for those stirring words, Verona!" Jack cut the woman off before she could go into a long speak about how he was working undercover the entire time. He was starting to get the feeling that if he wasn't watching for this woman, things could come apart very swiftly. She wasn't insane, she was too calculated and cool to be insane. She just thought differently than most witches and wizards.

“My folly…” Eden stated in nothing more than a strangled whisper, repeating what Verona had said to her. It was clear the woman was on to something; a very important something that Eden had been trying to deny since she found herself in this mess. What was right … and what was wrong? Was it wrong to care about her godfather, though he was a liar and a murderer? Was it right to stand up to him alone, even though Eden’s efforts would only get her tortured, possibly killed?

There was no right answer, nor was there a wrong one. There was only what Eden felt deep inside her heart—she had known this since the beginning, yet she had not let herself acknowledge the truth in this statement until the present moment.

Eden sighed, letting her small frame sink even farther into the plush of the dining chair. “You know an awful lot about the human mind for an Arithmancy teacher…” she stated quietly, bringing her face up to meet the other woman’s.

It was not defeat—no, that would not come just yet. Eden could not deny her heart for much longer, but for the time being she would settle for indifference. It had worked for her in the past, but with the Wolfram keeping such a close watch on her, could she really fool him? The greatest werewolf that ever lived … tricked by a little girl? It didn’t sound right in Eden’s mind. Besides, Verona had seen something in the depths of Eden’s heart that she had been hiding quite well—even from herself. With this woman in his ranks, Antigonus would have insight into the minds of others beyond what mere Legilimency could provide.

However, Eden was willing to stick with her plan for the time being. There was no way the Wolfram wouldn’t realize her true … fondness towards him; the loss of all family members apart from her treacherous brother was enough evidence for anyone to see her need for closeness. Eden’s mask of indifference would only serve to postpone the inevitable.

OOC: Like i said...I'm glad you picked Arithmancy! Was this your plan, too?

IC:

Jack shook his head in wonderment. Verona seemed to exude a rather unnerving and offputting air, a combination of Behavior Analysis Matrices, and a few applications of the Chauser Theory. Not even the most skilled Occulmenist would be able to hide his or her heart from this woman. The math penetrated far deeper than what Jack even knew, at times.

"For an Arithmancy teacher?" Verona gave a light laugh, not at all mocking the girl, "Love, you do not even realize the valuable insights that could be granted to the wizarding world if you would all just open your eyes...if you give the position of every molecule on earth, i can predict the future with more clarity and precision than your most celebrated Seers."

"You begin to see, now, why Verona is welcomed among our ranks." Jack said proudly, throwing his nose in the air, "Divination is a shaky branch of magic at its best, but math is solid. One plus one will always equal two. That is a certainty, a rock solid finality that not even magic can bank on. Magic fluxuates and changes depending on the whim and fancy of the caster...."

"And it is nice to be needed, after all these years of being downtrodden." Verona took another sip of her wine, "America is much more tolerant of my sort of meddlings, and i have known Jack for quite some time. I can see it in your eyes, Eden. You're confused. Have i gotten inside your head? I have a tendency to do that."

"She's also quite good at chess." Jack commented, going back to his stew.

OOC: Heh, of course this was my plan! –darty eyes–

I lie, it was not. It is a good plan, though.

IC:

“Er…” Eden began shakily, though some of her unease had lessened with the realization that Verona was indeed a gifted with something far beyond her talent at mere numbers and equations. “Would it be pointless to say no?” It was a rhetorical question, of course, as the woman would most definitely know when Eden was lying. “I shall not spin a false web then; I will be honest and say yes.”

It took a few moments for Eden to choose whether or not she wanted to look at her godfather’s face. Though when she did, the deepest look of emotion played behind his dark eyes. The feeling quickly vanished as Antigonus noticed the attention it had attracted to him. He resumed his blank stare down the table, pausing only to glance down at the glass of wine in his hand every so often.

In that second, Eden wanted nothing more than to be able to analyze that look in her mind; had it been concern—sadness—grief? The sight of it had been so terribly quick … Eden was beginning to wonder whether she’d just imagined it. Nonetheless, she couldn’t help but feel like the Wolfram was putting on a mask when he did this—when he reverted back to his ‘commanding’ self. It was a mask he wore every day of his life; a mask he was only comfortable taking off when he trusted someone.

Suddenly, Eden felt a pair of eyes locked on her. She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she’d forgotten Verona could probably understand everything she was thinking somehow. She couldn’t lie now, not even to herself. Eden was a little hesitant to meet the woman’s gaze, worried about what she might find reflected back in her eyes.

OOC: The board has been acting weird....it sometimes doesn't let me get to this website because of weird problems....so i haven't been gone, just frustrated.

IC: Verona, on the other hand, was quite done messing with Eden's mind. Her attentions now went back to her meal and finishing her wine. Jack gave a chuckle.

"Well now you know, Eden. Don't you think you should be getting back to the castle before they miss you? Unless, of course, your godfather has something else he'd like for you to do..."

Antigonus nodded at Jack, and then turned to Eden with an emotionless expression. “There is only one thing I would like you to do for the time being Eden, and that is hand me some more Wolf’s Elixir in the next two or three days. Well, that would be the only thing besides being a good girl of course. But you’re well aware that I always expect that of you.” A smile crept across his lips, breaking his impassive façade.

Eden cleared her throat quietly. “Yes… sir.”

“What… no resistance? Are you not going to challenge me, dear girl?”

Eden rose from her chair without a word, heading back towards the fireplace. She could feel the heat of every eye in the room on her. Relief rushed through her as she realized that in mere moments she would arrive back at Hogwarts—though there was one thing more that she needed to say.

Her throat felt extraordinarily dry as she said in a meager whisper, “No—no challenge. Not tonight.”

Jessica kept taking deep breaths as she strolled back to the Common Room. She wasn't sure how the Headmaster or the Prime Minister were going to explain away this disappearance...unless, of course, Verona had made arrangements beforehand. Yes, that would seem fitting.

Bottom line: There was going to be a LOT to talk about at the Summit...