Chapter 38: Carry On Wayward Daughter

Lucy wandered back to Snape's quarters feeling a bit empty despite the fact she had been able to talk to Fred and resolve things. She really had loved having Fred there when he was always by her side, offering companionship and love. Yet, she had abused it because of Cedric...she was such a fool. She didn't know what she had until it was gone.

"Lucy," Snape looked up from his work at the table as his daughter walked in, he had returned to his quarters after escorting Jessica up to the castle. "Where have you been?"

Lucy closed the door behind her and faced Snape. "I went for a walk," she replied simply.

"Why's that?"

"I just felt like it."

Snape didn't look convinced. "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine, I've got homework to do anyway. I'll leave you to it, don't mind me, I'm just passing through..."

Snape stood up and walked in front of the door that Lucy was about to pass through that would lead to her room. Lucy tried to walk around Snape but he prevented her from doing so. There was nothing she could do but face the music.

"Excuse me," Lucy said, more harshly than she meant to, not meeting his eyes at all. "Please," she added.

"Don't you want your necklace back?" He asked and pulled the necklace out of his robe pocket, which had the family crest on. Snape had given Lucy this necklace just before she started her fourth year and she had worn it ever since.

"What do you m — ?" Lucy clutched her neck expecting to find the necklace but it was no-where to be found. "How did I lose it?"

Snape explained about what had happened when the orb had controlled Lucy and Shona, and how Lucy had torn off the necklace and stomped off. Lucy, of course, could not recall this and seemed a little confused.

"I fixed the clasp for you, I didn't think you'd want me to return it to you broken," he fastened the necklace around her neck as he spoke, leaving Lucy to feel a bit guilty about how she'd torn it off.

"Oh OK, thank you," she smiled and then walked around Snape before he could stop her.

"Lucy!" Snape called desperately but she had already closed her door. Snape groaned and walked back into the living room. "Teenagers..." he muttered to himself as he picked up the Prophet.

Lucy, sat on her bed and Angus sat next to her. He had become a great companion to Lucy and was always there when others were not around.

"Oh, Angus, I wish I didn't have to leave Fred this way," she sighed, scooped him up and placed him on her lap. "You remember Fred, don't you?"

Angus looked up at her and gave a small purr as if he understood what she was saying. Yet, he still seemed a little disinterested as though he was the one who had suffered the break up. The thought made Lucy laugh a little.

"He wasn't the right one though..." Lucy shook her head and Angus seemed to collapse in her arms, like he was more fed up than her.

But as Angus purred, demanding that he get stroked more, Lucy came to a small but sad conclusion. Did she really think that Fred would be the one? Surely not. She knew she wasn't going to make it out of school, so why was she bothering with a boyfriend?

"George said I'd survive..." she muttered. Was he right? Was she the only one that thought she couldn't survive? Was it just her being stupid? Obviously.

She placed Angus on the floor and laid on her bed. She had to be hopeful, though, not for her sake of living but for the sake of the Wizarding and muggle population.

Lucy shifted slightly and her foot knocked something. She sat up, thinking she'd accidently kicked Angus or something but it wasn't that. Instead, there was a little glass sphere sitting at the end of her bed.

"The orb?" Lucy gasped and picked it up. She knew Snape had locked it away, why would he take it out and put it in Lucy's room? She thought they'd agreed to just keep it safe now? Lucy stood up and was about to walk out of her room when Angus circled her ankles. He mewed softly as though telling her not to go.

"But why? I have to tell dad!" She hissed. Angus hissed back and she sat down on her bed. This made her have doubts; perhaps Snape didn't move the orb... "Dad didn't move the orb, did he?" Lucy whispered so low that only Angus could hear, or at least only she could hear.

But then it clicked; the orb had moved itself.

It was so powerful it had managed to break all the spells, hexes and whatever else was guarding it. It was so clever it had done all of that to free itself and make it into Lucy's room. Why it got into Lucy's room, she did not know.

Right now, that was very important. She had to know as to why the orb had come into her room. Was it because she was Merlin's descendant? Was it because it was her who was in possession of it possibly the most? Was it because the orb was drawn to her? There were too many possibilities as to why it had been her room.

Or perhaps it was just a coincidence? Perhaps this was the closest room and it had decided this is where Snape wouldn't usually go to give Lucy privacy? This would be the last place he would check and that way it could hide itself quicker...

"Lucy do you know where the orb — ?" Snape suddenly burst into Lucy's room, he stared at her and then saw the orb in her hands. His eyes widened in shock then he ran towards her and shoved her against the wall. "HOW DID YOU GET THAT?!"

"I - I — " Lucy stammered. She was absolutely terrified of Snape when he was like this. "I found it in my room! I'm sorry!"

Snape let go of Lucy as soon as he saw the terror in her eyes. "I'm sorry, it's just that I used so many enchantments to protect the orb and it's been able to get out."

"It's OK, I can understand why you're angry..." Lucy shook a little, suddenly remembering James Potters' half brother. Lucy handed Snape the orb and it was as though a huge unknown weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"I think I should go and put this away," Snape muttered and began to walk out of Lucy's room, he wanted to walk to his room but then was then diverted into the living room. He tried to walk towards his room but it was apparent that the orb was stopping him. "Lucy?" Snape questioned suddenly and she came running in.

"Yes?" She asked. Snape was trying to say he wanted to take the orb to his room but for some reason he couldn't. It was obviously the orb controlling what he did. "Dad, are you OK?"

"I'm fine what I'm trying to say is can — " Snape tried to ask her again, but alas no more words came from his lips.

"Can I what?" Lucy prompted to the stammering Snape.

"Can you - " Snape tried again, but still nothing.

"Do you want me to make you a cup of tea?" Lucy wondered, hopefully this what Snape was trying to ask. Snape shook his head. "No? How about coffee? Or even wine?" But Snape shook his head again. Lucy's shoulders slumped. "Please give me a clue..."

Snape held the orb out too her and she began to walk towards it but suddenly she was frozen to the spot. She tried desperately to moves but there was some force glueing her there so she could not move at all.

"I can't move!" Lucy gasped as she tried to move.

"It's the orb doing this!" Snape cursed. "Don't think about the orb and then move and then get out of the way."

Lucy did as she was told and didn't think about the orb and suddenly she was able to move again. She went to stand in the kitchen as Snape tried to make his way to his room again but apparently that wasn't working either.

But then the orb suddenly turned red hot, he dropped it and cursed again. Lucy walked over to him, despite what he had told her. She had no idea why the orb was acting strangely again, it was as though its sole purpose was to try and split the gifted up and make them angry.

"Goodness, Lucy, get out of the way!" Snape commanded as the orb suddenly flew towards them. Snape took out his wand just in table and made the kitchen table act as a shield.

"What's going on?" Lucy panicked.

"The orb has gone haywire and I haven't any idea how to stop it!" Snape yelled, Lucy grabbed hold of his arm just as Shona walked in. "McGuire!" Snape bellowed. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to steal some cake from your cupboard...but now I think it's a bad time," Shona pretended to cringe.

"It's always a bad time!" Snape spat as the orb tried again to attack Lucy and Snape. "Now would you get over here and help us out?"

"Um no thanks, I'll go and call the department of how to sort out the orb. OK?" Shona laughed nervously and was about to leave when Snape yelled out In frustration.

"There is no such thing!"

"Stephano, after almost five years of us knowing each other I'd have thought you'd have registered the word sarcasm and know I use it a lot. Or are you allergic to the word sarcasm?"

"MCGUIRE!" Snape yelled as the orb smashed into the table again and this time caused a dent.

"What do you say to dementors when they say 'I will eat your happiness'? Do you tell them that they will starve?"

"I'm going to tell you I'm going to kill you unless you help us out!" Snape barked and Shona held up her hands in defence.

"Ok I'm sorry...McGuire to the rescue," Shona shook her head and walked past the table that Snape was holding up for protection. "Hey! Orb! Come and get me!"

Suddenly the orb stopped trying to attack Lucy and Snape and was suddenly paying attention to Shona. It was still for a moment and then decided it felt like attacking her. It charged towards her like an angry bull and she screamed, she then started running around Snape's quarters like a headless chicken.

"McGuire isn't the sharpest tool in the shed..." Snape sighed.

"We'll you did ask her to help us out," Lucy shrugged. "I guess you can't blame her for that one."

"That's true — "

"SOMEBODY HELP ME! IT'S GOT ME CORNERED!" Shona screamed from Lucy's room. Snape and Lucy ran in and saw that Shona was pushed into a corner as the orb debated what to do with her next.

"What do we do?" Lucy panicked.

Snape didn't say anything as he watched the orb as though trying to work out what it was going to do next.  

"It's going to get me!" Shona wailed. "Tell Bruno I love him and —"

"Oh be quiet, would you?" Snape spat, he was fed up of Shona's witty comments.

"Don't ask for miracles..."

"Shut up!"

Them orb went for Shona but Shona pulled out her wand just in time to protect herself, the orb then unexpectedly threw Lucy off her feet and she fell to the ground, it then took Snape off his feet too.

"Ouch..." They both muttered, it stunned them momentarily before Snape got up and then helped Lucy up too.

"We have to control this damn orb!" Snape hissed as the orb went for Shona again, she used a spell to protect herself like last time. 

"But how?" Shona asked, as she tried to move from the corner but it was no use. 

"We might as well leave it here, it's apparent that it likes to inhabit my room," Lucy shrugged just the orb tried to take her off her feet but she jumped just in time. 

"We can't just leave it here! Don't be silly!" Snape yelled as the orb went for him. 

"Well then what do we do?" 

"I say we try and capture it!" 

Snape ran towards the orb and went to grab it but instead managed to fall over because the orb was too clever, it was more clever than all of them put together. It had been around for a very long time and knew many things despite living in a basilisk's mouth for a while. 

"I think capturing it is a bad idea," Shona warned. "I think we should get out of here, leave the orb alone and see what it does then. I think we're interfering with it, because after all, it did pass some of it's power onto us." 

"Maybe it's regretting that?" Lucy suggested as she went to leave her room but the door slammed shut. "Oh you've got to be kidding me!" 

"So now it's got us all locked in one room and it wants a fight...fantastic," Snape growled. But before any of them could react, the orb had them all against the wall. 

"Hi, guys," Shona waved. "It's fun here, isn't it?" 

"Not really," Lucy rolled her eyes. Just as the orb seemed to make up it's mind on how he was going to attack the gifted. "The thing that gave us powers obviously hates us..." 

Snape struggled to move from the wall. "You don't say."

The three gifted waited as the orb finally made it's decision as to what it was going to do. Lucy struggled against the wall, she really didn't want to be attacked. 

"Lucy, keep still, there's no good struggling," Snape sighed. "The orb won't let us move."

But just as the gifted paid attention to the orb again, it went for them. Lucy winced and waited for pain...but none came. 

"Is it over yet?" Shona winced. "Please tell me it is." 

Snape was the first one to open his eyes. "Yes, it's over," he then looked around the room in a confused manner and tried to move; he could. 

Lucy opened her eyes too and saw her father was free, so began to move too. "The orb has obviously finished with us." 

Snape nodded and then faced her. "For good," he looked around once more to be sure and then faced Lucy and Shona who were looking confused. "The orb's gone." 

"But where?" Shona asked, looking around to make sure Snape wasn't wrong. "Where has it gone? Are you sure — ?" She checked under Lucy's bed. "Don't tell me it's gone like the sword..." 

"I'm afraid so." 

"You've got to be kidding," Lucy groaned in frustration. "First the sword and now this...what next? The Tale of the Knights?"

"Hold your tongue, Lucy," Snape muttered. "We don't want that to go missing too." 

But Lucy wasn't listening, she seemed to be caught up in her own little world. She sat down on her bed and her eyes seemed to go out of focus. 

"Use the occulmency!" Was the last thing Lucy heard and she knew Snape had said it, she also knew he had knelt down in front of her as she was pulled into a dream while she was awake. 

"...help...get out...come...save us..."

 "Face your fears, only then can you find what you are looking for in this maze of terrors."

"Give me your soul."

"Give me your soul."

"Give me your soul."

 And then she saw herself, screaming and trying to get out of a room. There was no explanation for this, but then she saw the orb. Then the face of Fudge came into her vision and she knew what she had to do. 

As she came back to her sense Snape and Shona were staring at her with wide eyes. She rubbed her own eyes wearily before facing them both. 

"We have to go to the Department of Mysteries."