Chapter forty: Back to the place we call home 

"Anything from the trolley?" The lady asked as usual 

"Er no thanks" Lucy held up her hand 

"I'll buy a couple of pumpkin pasties" Fred shrugged, he got up and gave the lady the money and grabbed himself some pumpkin pasties 

"Bertie botts every flavour beans, please" Ron grumbled, he gave his money and grabbed a bag of every flavour beans 

Hermione, Shona, George and Harry ordered a few things before the lady walked off with her trolley to the other carriages. 

Lucy simply couldn't wait to get home, she knew her house wasn't the safest around but it was a nice place for her to go, plus she was away from all the insults and grief but she was away from her friends which she did miss and she didn't think Snape would allow anyone but Shona (even then he disagreed) into his house. 

"So what are we doing this summer holidays, Lucy?" George asked Lucy who seemed to have forgotten everyone was there because she was staring out the window gloomily 

"Nothing much, I might read a few books. Or something like that anyway" 

"Blimey! Don't you do anything in your summer holidays?" 

"No not at all, if I'm lucky dad will let Shona come round" 

"If your lucky? You are Lucky!" Ron snorted, "anyway, have you heard about the quidditch world cup?" 

"No" Lucy shrugged 

"Well it's on before we go back to school, dad might be taking us" 

Lucy nodded and continued to stare out the window. She hoped that no one paid much attention to her, she wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone she had too much to worry about. Kingston happened to be the center of all her worries.

What did Kingston really need the orb for? Why had the orb been in a basilisks mouth? Why had the orb given Lucy and Shona each a power? Could Snape get a power too? If the orb was destroyed what would be the outcome? Who was Lord Zuc? 

"I think we'd better go and get changed into our normal clothes" Hermione said suddenly, Lucy looked up and watched as Fred, George, Harry, Ron and Hermione left the carriage to get changed which just left Lucy and Shona. Shona was sat opposite looking as glum as Lucy. 

"Too much on your mind?" Shona asked 

"Yeah, so many questions that need to be answered which aren't exactly easy" Lucy sighed 

"Tell me some, they might match mine" 

"Why was the orb in a basilisks mouth?" 

"To be kept safe?" Shona shrugged as she fiddled with a lose thread on her jumper 

"But who has the guts to put an orb in a snake's mouth? The snake could eat it!" 

"Exactly, this person or whoever did it must of gone to Hogwarts to put it in there and must of been in Slytherin because the chamber of secrets was made by that Salazar bloke" 

"That's true but who is Lord Zuc? And why is he so important?" 

"I reckon he's something to do with Kingston or maybe something to do with the medieval islands? He seems powerful to me, he could be the new dark wizard of the age" 

"Not dark wizard" Lucy whispered, "Kingston despises us wizards and witches and if Kingston is working for this Lord Zuc he can't be a wizard" 

"That's got us somewhere, if anything I think you should ask your dad. He might not know everything but he thinks logically" 

"OK, are you going to be alright on your own or do you want to come with me?" 

"I'll stay here and I'm sure I'll be alright" 

Lucy walked off to the teachers carriages then knocked on her dad's compartment door. Snape looked through the glass then opened the door. 

"Yes?" Snape raised an eyebrow 

"Can I come in? Or are you too busy reading that prophet?" 

"No, not at all, come in" 

The two sat down opposite each other then Lucy began discussing all her questions with Snape, he couldn't answer all of them but gave theorys that seemed close to the truth. 

" - And who is Lord Zuc? Me and Shona were saying that he can't be a wizard because Kingston is working for him and Kingston hates us wizards and witches" Lucy continued to question 

"Yes, he can't be a wizard it wouldn't make sense if Kingston's working for him. I'm not entirely sure who or what he is but I know he plays a big part about the war for the orb"

"What about Thomas Bullivarda? What has he got to do with it all?"

"He was one of the leaders of those monsters that tried to attack us just before you went into second year, my guesses are that Kingston murdered him"

"How can you tell?"

"It all fits doesn't it? Kingston, Thomas Bullivarda and Lord Zuc. Lord Zuc possibly could of ordered Bullivarda and his army to attack us but in the meanwhile he could of found Kingston who is much stronger, then he could of ordered Kingston to attack Bullivarda because he failed to capture us and or the orb"

"All about that bloody orb isn't it?"

"Yes it is, we have to keep it safe otherwise if Kingston gets hold of it the wizarding population is done for"

"Why did we have to find it? A grown man who's supposed to teach potions, a girl who dreams of kicking every monsters butt and another girl who's petrified of everything and would rather jump off a building than fight vampires and god knows what else!"

"Are you serious?" Snape scowled

"Yes I'm serious, I hate fighting, I just want to be a normal kid, get good grades, not be forced to grow up and fight like an auror should, I'm not a fighter!"

"But if you didn't fight with us I know you'd be worried sick about us"

"Yes I would but still I need to learn to fight, my worst subject is defense against the dark arts! I'd even prefer to do more divination the defense against the dark arts! I know I'm going to fail that subject!"

"If you practice you won't, I'll let you practice when we get back to Spinners end"

"Don't be silly! The ministry will send me to Azkaban!"

"You do realise that if an adult wizard or witch is in the same house as a young wizard or witch the ministry can't tell who in the house cast a spell"

"Really?"

"Yes, so all it takes is practice"

Snape looked down and Lucy noticed that he was wearing the coat that Jessica had got him despite the fact it was summer.

"You miss Jessica" Lucy said

"No I don't..." Snape muttered

"Yes you do, if you didn't you wouldn't be wearing that coat, it's summer for goodness sakes"

"OK, maybe a little bit but then again she did try to eat me"

"Please? Have you not learnt anything? Pain is their way of death" 

Snape froze at Lucy's words, he remembered the marauders map and what it had said to them:

They want the orb, they want the orb...

You can't be safe forever...

Pain is their way of death

They kill for fun

"It all makes sense!" Snape shouted, he stood up and Lucy shrunk back into her seat 

"What makes sense?" Lucy whimpered 

"They want the orb, you can't be safe forever, pain is their way of death, they kill for fun!" Snape panted, "the marauders map said to us that day that the dementor tried to attack you, that the vampires wanted the orb, we can't be safe forever, pain is the vampires way of death and they kill for fun! IT MAKES SENSE!" 

"Er, OK? I'm glad you worked out something but you're really creeping me out now" 

"I apoligise but what the map said to us was all true, you do realise that?" 

"Yeah, I realise that but please sit down, we're almost at King's cross station and I don't want people outside to think my father is mental" 

Snape muttered something at sat down, Lucy took off her tie and her robes and left her white shirt, skirt, shoes and socks on, after all without the tie and robes she looked like a muggle school student. 

When the train pulled up Lucy ran back down to the student carriages and grabbed her bag and Angus, she hopped off of the train and onto the platform where her dad was waiting. They walked through the barrier and found themselves in King's cross station. 

"Nice to be back, isn't it?" Lucy asked 

"No not really, muggles don't know anything" Snape hissed 

"OI! Wait for McGuire!" Shona yelled and ran towards them, "so where are the Snape's heading now?" 

"Home, away from this place" Snape glared at a passing muggle 

"Well er I'll see you whenever then! Could be before the holidays, could be after - " Shona was interrupted by Martin her younger brother who was proudly carrying his owl in his cage 

"Come on!, Mum and dad are waiting for us!" Martin groaned as he tugged at Shona's sleeve 

"Mum and dad are here?" Shona questioned she seemed to have turned pale, "I didn't think they were coming!" 

"Well they're here! They're waiting for you! Hurry up!" Martin demanded 

Suddenly two people walked over, Lucy guessed that these two people were Shona's mum and dad. Snape didn't look too pleased. 

"You do take forever don't you?" Shona's dad asked Shona 

"Er yeah, I guess?" Shona shrugged 

"Talking to the - " Shona's dad looked up at Snape, "the Snape's" 

"Yeah, with the Snape's. They happen to be my friends y'know" 

"In what world?" Snape muttered but Lucy stood on his foot 

"Hurry up we need to go, you'll see them next term at that school you go to" Shona's dad sighed 

"Yeah, I'm sure I will" Shona muttered, she waved quickly then left with her family. Lucy looked up at Snape 

"Do you think Shona will be alright?" 

"I'm sure she will, even if she's not she'll stand up for herself" Snape replied 

And so Lucy and Snape left King's cross station, when they were outside and away from the muggles Snape took Lucy's hand then apparated back to Spinners end. 

It wouldn't be long before Lucy's fourth year at Hogwarts began. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Shona: Snape loves a vampire! Snape loves a vampire! 

Lucy: Apparently so...

Shona: He has bad taste in girls! 

Lucy: If you say so 

Shona: Seriously! He does! I've read his mind...*Shudders* 

Lucy: You read his mind?! 

Shona: Please! It's my power! 

Lucy: I can change my appearance... 

Shona: Wicked!, Anyway, book four here we come! 

Lucy: Alright, but we are including Snape in! 

Shona: Grr. 

_________ 

Hope you enjoyed it! Book four: Lucy Snape and the Return of Lord Zuc is out now! ! :) 

TheHalfBloodPrincess x