Laughing almost like small children caught sneaking cookies, Snape and his family go up the stairs quickly. The birds play a game with each other as they follow them back up, squawking and cawing loudly as they go, with no clear winner decided once they're up. "They've got the sillies," one of the younger Silhouettes says as she picks up Anubis and gives him a gentle snuggle. Thelonius, Capadocius' first mate, asks them where 'The Rook' has gone off to and Layne opens his jacket. The crow has managed to settle himself into the breast pocket of the shirt quite comfortably, and he peers up at his ebony friend with a glint of mischief in his eyes. Me won. Me has my Da. Thelonius laughs and pats Layne on the back. "As we had hoped," he says as he opens wide the heavy doors. As they enter the grand house, their eyes adjust quickly to the dim light, and both Snape and Malfoy sense the Silhouettes resting in the dark recesses. It is as if the very darkness...no...the very house is alive with them. While Malfoy seems put at ease by this fact, Snape is not. He knows this means the Old Man is drawing closer to his death.
They are only delaying the inevitable.
Elsbet is no longer at his side...she has run almost up to the front of the group of Silhouettes leading them, so great is her excitement to see Perdurabo. Her joy radiates a light, and both he and Malfoy can sense the Silhouettes tending the Old Man have begun to prepare him for their visit. How long has it been since she has seen him? Snape can not recall; he does know that it is expressly forbidden for her to visit the notorious wizard alone, because he loves her so much he will answer any question she asks him, and there were some things he felt she did not need to know. Snape hesitates to think about how his death will affect her. As they near Perdurabo's study, Snape senses just how powerful the Silhouettes' healing magic is. He senses also that it is barely enough to ease the Old Man's pain.
As they enter the study, he begins to rise without his Attendants knowing, and both Snape and Malfoy see him struggling to rise. He wants to greet Elsbet on his feet, but he hasn't the strength, not until his Attendants realize he is rising and rush to his side. As Perdurabo opens his arms to her Malfoy extends a hand to help steady him, but Snape gently turns him aside. Please, Lucius...trust me. You do not need to know how bad it is. Malfoy's eyes meet Snape's and widen; he was not expecting this. He knows who Perdurabo was in his public life in the Muggle world, he has a very good grasp of just how powerful this wizard is. He has wanted to meet him, the one wizard who once gave Gellert Grindlewald, Albus Dumbledore and Tom Riddle reason to pause. Now that he is here, watching as Perdurabo hugs Elsbet to him as if she were his darling child, Lucius Malfoy is afraid.
He senses exactly what Snape does, and he fears he does not have time to know the wizard behind the legend.
Both Therion and Layne sense that something is not quite right with their friend; even Cambion and Loki know he is ill. The fact that they each have been healed by the Silhouettes gives them a very special insight that others do not have. Tonks, as an Auror, can sense that the house is filled with powerful magic, as can Remus, but the depth and seriousness of it eludes them at this moment. Elsbet, in her innocence, senses nothing; the additional healers in the corners of the room have worked a very special spell that affects the way she sees him. He looks no different to her now than he did when she saw him for the very first time. He simply can not bear the thought of her being sad.
She sits in the chair nearest to him, smiling brightly at him, and Snape sees how like a child she is with him. The distortion of his Sight is brief, but the impression the vision leaves on him is a deep one. It serves only to increase his concern for her emotional well-being when the end comes. Perdurabo reaches a hand to her, to touch her hair and cheek. "Little Ellie, I am so very glad to finally, truly, see you. And it makes me so happy to have you all here," he says, smiling at them and he sits back in his chair. "I thought I heard Amadeus," he nods to one of the healers, "saying that you were visiting the Chronicler today. I was hoping you would come and see me." He folds his hands in his lap as he grins knowingly at them.
"So," he says almost as if they are about to share juicy gossip, "now you all know who you are." Loki hops from Capadocius' shoulder and walks over to the elder wizard, gazing up at him with wonder. No, my Da say I wait. I not has treepaper yet, he thinks, and Johnny Rook pokes his head out of Layne's jacket. No leafs for feathers! he thinks mischievously, and Anubis thinks sleepily from his new friend's arms, I not need treepaper, I jus' bird. Perdurabo laughs and tells him, "not quite, my feathery friend. No bird is just a bird; you do yourself a disservice. Even the tiniest hummingbird sipping nectar from a flower is not just a bird." The birds exchange meaningful looks with each other and Snape tells them, "I believe it is best that we discuss it first."
Perdurabo nods. "I concur, there is a great deal to be considered." He turns his penetrating gaze to Layne, who lowers his for a moment, recovers himself, then returns it to his friend. His nod of agreement is his only reply. Snape thinks to himself that he wants an opportunity to talk with Alphion first before he talks to the rest of the Family about scrivenings for the birds. "Well," Perdurabo says, gesturing to the corner Amadeus stands in, "I believe the time has come at last. Severus," he sits up a little straighter in the chair, "I told you not too long ago that I had something that belongs to you. It's time for you to have it." Amadeus and another Silhouette pull a tall, cloth-covered pillar out into the light of the study and Elsbet rises, then moves her chair out of the way. He nods just slightly, and Amadeus removes the cloth.
What is revealed is an object none of them ever imagined seeing. Remus never imagined it actually existed before this afternoon, despite all of his own discoveries. Tonks stares at it in disbelief for several moments, then asks, "that can't really be--" but the look on Elsbet's face hushes her. "Sirius should be here for this," Remus whispers, and Elsbet looks back at her Beloveds. Snape is uneasy; the emotions wafting from her are nearly the same as those when she was marveling at the mysterious blade in the Hall. This time though, they all know what it is...
It is one of the lost Seeing Stones.
But not just any one of them...this Palantír is the Orthanc-stone, the very stone Saruman used in his tower at Isengard. "At the downfall of the traitor Saruman, Gríma Wormtongue threw this down from the tower at them, not knowing what it was," Elsbet says almost dreamily, "and in his ignorance the Orthanc-stone was returned to its rightful keeper. Aragorn Elessar, the true heir of the Kingship of Gondor." But what has that to do with me? Snape wants to ask, but then, he already knows. This is part of the bigger picture, one more puzzle-piece falling into place. Perdurabo chuckles impishly. "Had not any of you wondered about yourselves? Why you are all together in this place?" They all tell him yes, but that they know now that they belong there, and why.
"Does it work?" Malfoy asks when he finally finds his voice, and Perdurabo gives him an almost disturbing grin. "It most certainly does," says he. Elsbet looks to him suddenly, and seems almost to jump a little. "You've...been watching him? Riddle?" Perdurabo nods slowly, then says evenly, "not the whole time I have been Custodian, though. At first, when the Orthanc-stone and I first...'met'...I had to prove myself worthy. And it wasn't easy. After so much time, and so much abuse, the stone had to know it could trust me. But once it did...I can not begin to describe what I learned. Both good, and bad. This stone has helped me--helped us keep this City and her people safe for the past thirty years."
They are only delaying the inevitable.
Elsbet is no longer at his side...she has run almost up to the front of the group of Silhouettes leading them, so great is her excitement to see Perdurabo. Her joy radiates a light, and both he and Malfoy can sense the Silhouettes tending the Old Man have begun to prepare him for their visit. How long has it been since she has seen him? Snape can not recall; he does know that it is expressly forbidden for her to visit the notorious wizard alone, because he loves her so much he will answer any question she asks him, and there were some things he felt she did not need to know. Snape hesitates to think about how his death will affect her. As they near Perdurabo's study, Snape senses just how powerful the Silhouettes' healing magic is. He senses also that it is barely enough to ease the Old Man's pain.
As they enter the study, he begins to rise without his Attendants knowing, and both Snape and Malfoy see him struggling to rise. He wants to greet Elsbet on his feet, but he hasn't the strength, not until his Attendants realize he is rising and rush to his side. As Perdurabo opens his arms to her Malfoy extends a hand to help steady him, but Snape gently turns him aside. Please, Lucius...trust me. You do not need to know how bad it is. Malfoy's eyes meet Snape's and widen; he was not expecting this. He knows who Perdurabo was in his public life in the Muggle world, he has a very good grasp of just how powerful this wizard is. He has wanted to meet him, the one wizard who once gave Gellert Grindlewald, Albus Dumbledore and Tom Riddle reason to pause. Now that he is here, watching as Perdurabo hugs Elsbet to him as if she were his darling child, Lucius Malfoy is afraid.
He senses exactly what Snape does, and he fears he does not have time to know the wizard behind the legend.
Both Therion and Layne sense that something is not quite right with their friend; even Cambion and Loki know he is ill. The fact that they each have been healed by the Silhouettes gives them a very special insight that others do not have. Tonks, as an Auror, can sense that the house is filled with powerful magic, as can Remus, but the depth and seriousness of it eludes them at this moment. Elsbet, in her innocence, senses nothing; the additional healers in the corners of the room have worked a very special spell that affects the way she sees him. He looks no different to her now than he did when she saw him for the very first time. He simply can not bear the thought of her being sad.
She sits in the chair nearest to him, smiling brightly at him, and Snape sees how like a child she is with him. The distortion of his Sight is brief, but the impression the vision leaves on him is a deep one. It serves only to increase his concern for her emotional well-being when the end comes. Perdurabo reaches a hand to her, to touch her hair and cheek. "Little Ellie, I am so very glad to finally, truly, see you. And it makes me so happy to have you all here," he says, smiling at them and he sits back in his chair. "I thought I heard Amadeus," he nods to one of the healers, "saying that you were visiting the Chronicler today. I was hoping you would come and see me." He folds his hands in his lap as he grins knowingly at them.
"So," he says almost as if they are about to share juicy gossip, "now you all know who you are." Loki hops from Capadocius' shoulder and walks over to the elder wizard, gazing up at him with wonder. No, my Da say I wait. I not has treepaper yet, he thinks, and Johnny Rook pokes his head out of Layne's jacket. No leafs for feathers! he thinks mischievously, and Anubis thinks sleepily from his new friend's arms, I not need treepaper, I jus' bird. Perdurabo laughs and tells him, "not quite, my feathery friend. No bird is just a bird; you do yourself a disservice. Even the tiniest hummingbird sipping nectar from a flower is not just a bird." The birds exchange meaningful looks with each other and Snape tells them, "I believe it is best that we discuss it first."
Perdurabo nods. "I concur, there is a great deal to be considered." He turns his penetrating gaze to Layne, who lowers his for a moment, recovers himself, then returns it to his friend. His nod of agreement is his only reply. Snape thinks to himself that he wants an opportunity to talk with Alphion first before he talks to the rest of the Family about scrivenings for the birds. "Well," Perdurabo says, gesturing to the corner Amadeus stands in, "I believe the time has come at last. Severus," he sits up a little straighter in the chair, "I told you not too long ago that I had something that belongs to you. It's time for you to have it." Amadeus and another Silhouette pull a tall, cloth-covered pillar out into the light of the study and Elsbet rises, then moves her chair out of the way. He nods just slightly, and Amadeus removes the cloth.
What is revealed is an object none of them ever imagined seeing. Remus never imagined it actually existed before this afternoon, despite all of his own discoveries. Tonks stares at it in disbelief for several moments, then asks, "that can't really be--" but the look on Elsbet's face hushes her. "Sirius should be here for this," Remus whispers, and Elsbet looks back at her Beloveds. Snape is uneasy; the emotions wafting from her are nearly the same as those when she was marveling at the mysterious blade in the Hall. This time though, they all know what it is...
It is one of the lost Seeing Stones.
But not just any one of them...this Palantír is the Orthanc-stone, the very stone Saruman used in his tower at Isengard. "At the downfall of the traitor Saruman, Gríma Wormtongue threw this down from the tower at them, not knowing what it was," Elsbet says almost dreamily, "and in his ignorance the Orthanc-stone was returned to its rightful keeper. Aragorn Elessar, the true heir of the Kingship of Gondor." But what has that to do with me? Snape wants to ask, but then, he already knows. This is part of the bigger picture, one more puzzle-piece falling into place. Perdurabo chuckles impishly. "Had not any of you wondered about yourselves? Why you are all together in this place?" They all tell him yes, but that they know now that they belong there, and why.
"Does it work?" Malfoy asks when he finally finds his voice, and Perdurabo gives him an almost disturbing grin. "It most certainly does," says he. Elsbet looks to him suddenly, and seems almost to jump a little. "You've...been watching him? Riddle?" Perdurabo nods slowly, then says evenly, "not the whole time I have been Custodian, though. At first, when the Orthanc-stone and I first...'met'...I had to prove myself worthy. And it wasn't easy. After so much time, and so much abuse, the stone had to know it could trust me. But once it did...I can not begin to describe what I learned. Both good, and bad. This stone has helped me--helped us keep this City and her people safe for the past thirty years."