The Search Begins

Chapter Two

Evelyn drifted up the stairs and stood outside her uncle's office. She was about to call out, when Albus opened the door. Apparently the pictures had announced her arrival.

She was startled to see Severus there, along with Minerva.

"I don't mean to interrupt. Forgive me. I must speak to my uncle now. It could be a matter of life or death."

As Minerva moved towards the door, Evelyn called to her, "No need for you to go. I hope I need only speak for a moment and then you can get back to your meeting." Evelyn drifted toward Severus, who took her hand and squeezed it, becoming concerned. "It's not the girls, is it?" He asked.

"No," she assured him.

"So, go ahead, Evelyn," Albus told Evelyn.

Evelyn hesitated, collecting her thoughts, and choosing her words carefully.

"My wedding present," she reminded him. "I want it now."

Albus looked at Evelyn. "And this is life or death?"

"Yes, Uncle Albus, it could be!"

"Let's hear it then," Albus urged her.

"I want Remus Lupin back in this castle. NOW. And I don't care how." She stared at Albus.

His expression told the tale before his words did.

"Yes, you can do it! Surely you can!" she cried desperately.

"I regret to say, dear," he told her, "that I cannot conjure a person here. Had that been possible, we'd have had Peter Pettigrew the night he was proven to be alive at the Shrieking Shack, not to mention Voldemort, and many others."

Evelyn hung her head, and then Severus held her in his arms. "I don't know how you knew what Remus was up to, but we are working to get him back to safety before he exposes our world, " he said in a rough voice.

"Or gets himself killed, or worse, captured," Minerva added.

"Evelyn," Albus mused. "How did you know what Remus has been up to?" He glanced at Severus, cleared his throat, and then looked back at Evelyn and asked her, "I don't suppose you two have been in contact during his travels?"

Severus ground his ghostly teeth.

"No, Uncle Albus! Everyone in this room would know if I had. I would have kept you all up on his adventures. Even you, Sev." She messed his hair.

"I suppose I wish you had," Severus admitted.

One of the pictures anounced that Sybil, Hermione, and Ginny were approaching the office.

"Uncle Albus," Evelyn said. "Sybil, Hermione, and Ginny were with me when I felt something. Sybil and Ginny felt it too."

When they had arrived, Ev explained that Albus, Minerva, and Severus were in the planning stages of getting Remus to the castle.

Albus added, "To those of you who may not be aware of this, the werewolf may suppress the transformation, by potion, or amulet, but there are other effects. The moon...." Albus shrugged. "Some go completely mad, slowly, some develop neuroses, some may display slight eccentricities. The werewolf doesn't change only at the full moon. His life changes forever, every day of it. Let us hope that Remus is still in control of his mind."

"I feel sure that he is, Headmaster," Hermione assured him. "His actions are too logical to be mad. Rob only those who seek to rob him? Give the money to the needy?" She paused. "Unless there is some other form of madness underneath..." she trailed off.

"Let's hope not." Albus turned to Evelyn.

"Alright, Ev. What did you feel?" Albus asked her.

"At first, I just felt an odd feeling, like something was going to happen." She could feel Severus watching her closely. "Then I noticed Sybil and Ginny were feeling something too. Then I had an urge to see the TV. Hermione went through the channels till we reached the news. It felt right to me. So we watched. And saw a news broadcast about Remus. That's it."

"Sybil?" Albus urged.

"I felt as if I should listen closely, like I could almost hear something. Like someone calling... I, I don't know. I felt frantic. My heart in my throat." Sybil still looked shaken.

Evelyn looked at Minerva, and asked, "Is it not true that he can only be killed by a silver bullet?"

"Yes," she answered. She shook her head, and then went on. "And while I am thankful that he is somewhat safe because of that, it also makes him that much more conspicuous."

Albus turned to Ginny. "And Ginerva? Tell me everything." Suddenly everyone was quiet and all eyes were on Ginny.

Ginny looked at the faces surrounding her. She was completely comfortable with Ev, Hermione, and Sybil, even though Sybil and Ev were much older, and although Hermione was now a professor, and Ginny was still a student, they remained best friends. Even Professor McGonagall was ok, but she found the Headmaster and Professor Snape unnerving. Both were listening and watching her face as if she were about the give the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. And she wasn't even sure how to explain what she did know.

"Uncle Albus! Severus! Give the girl a minute!" Evelyn scolded.

"It is not an easy thing to put into words," Sybil agreed.

Ginny turned her eyes away from the men and looked at Professor McGonagall.

She lifted her chin slightly and began, "First, I could feel that Evelyn and Professor Trelawney were feeling something. Then I felt a presence toward the south. Far. I felt a longing for home, or something like a home. I also felt that this presence was lost, not literally, but spiritually, and yes, madness overtakes him slowly. Then, as I looked ahead, I felt this presence could not be captured, but must be lured here. Some sort of beacon will draw him here. If only I could see what it is..."

"That is something for us all to ponder," Albus declared. "Anything else?"

"No."

"Alright. Thank you, Ginerva."

Severus added, "May I suggest we meet again tomorrow evening. Perhaps by then at least one of us will have had some sort of helpful idea."

"Excellent, Severus," Minerva remarked. "Same time?"

They all agreed to meet again, and left Albus's office.

Severus and Evelyn returned to find their house-elf waiting for instructions.

"Popsy is wanting to know if Miss Evelyn and the other ladies is finished with the party," the creature inquired politely.

"Yes, dear," Evelyn answered. "And they didn't touch the cake. Please take that home if you would like. Or give it to someone who would like it. You know Severus and I can't eat it."

"Miss Evelyn is too good to Popsy, giving her so much money, and new clothes all the time, and cake!" Popsy smiled bashfully.

Evelyn smiled and answered, "Popsy is too good to us. Cleaning, and opening the door for visitors, things we cannot do. And this place would be so dull without you, Popsy. Isn't that right, Sev?"

"True," he agreed, smiling at the elf.

Popsy went about her cleaning duties, humming and smiling, as Evelyn and Severus moved toward the den. By unspoken agreement, they had decided not to discuss tonight's developments, but to engage in their normal mid-evening ritual. The film tonight was a Stephen King. The Stand, a film so long that tonight they would be watching only the first part of it.

As they began watching, snuggled together on the sofa, Evelyn tried to concentrate entirely on the film, but couldn't. Somewhere in her mind was the thought of Remus, not quite in his right mind, putting himself among criminals. She knew Severus had Remus on his mind too, although not with as much sympathy.