Grass Snake Ⅲ

Later that evening, Reginald quietly waits in his study for his wife and his sister having requested their presence earlier that evening. The study is unusually bright as Sir Knight Prince and his body are present for the unusual family meeting. After some time, the door opens as Reginald without glancing up from his desk asks, "Are the children asleep?"

"Yes, Tadbey is watching over them for the evening," Sirsa crisply responded as she took a seat.

"Good," Reginald simply said earning a raised eyebrow from Georgine.

"Really brother, you needn't be worried," Georgine huffed. "Tadbey rarely is seen unless he allows himself to be seen and the children have yet to even catch a glimpse of him if at all be aware of his existence."

Reginald finally looks up and says, "I have many reasons to be concerned."

"Has it something to do with this afternoon's line of questioning?" Georgine further inquired.

"Yes," Reginald reluctantly answered after a moment.

Sirsa furrows her brows with worry. "But we answered all of Rowan's questions and did not give anything unwarranted away. What is there to worry about? Even if her curiosity gets the better of her, we can still easily deal with that."

Georgine runs her eyes down her brother's figure and sees the undeniable tension and worry there. Never one to be slow on her feet, Georgine's eyes widen as she slowly says, "No, the problem isn't what the girl asked, but what she said. What did my niece say to you this afternoon brother that has you fraught and tangled into knots?"

"Salazar's inheritance has reappeared," Reginald gravely croaked.

"But she is a half-blood!" Sirsa wild-eyed protested as she rose to her feet.

"Half-blood or not, she is undoubtedly a parselmouth," Reginald murmured.

"Did you see any proof, Reginald?! It could all be a mere figment of a child's imagination!" Sirsa exclaimed.

"You did not see her face, Sirsa. She was afraid," Reginald almost whispered.

Sirsa slowly lowered herself back into her seat as Sir Knight Prince says, "Her aura has utterly changed since this afternoon. I thought it was merely a fluctuation as is common, but it has steadily remained that way all day. And it matches those that were also carriers of Salazar's blood."

The silence grows until Georgine steadily says, "The family has dwelt with this issue four times before, and this will only be the fifth. We shall do as the times before and protect her. We need not worry as though it is the end of days."

Reginald presses her lips together as Georgine narrows her eyes and says, "But what, brother? There is something else isn't there?"

"There is a touch of Merlin's inheritance present as well," Reginald unwillingly admitted.

Georgine sputters in disbelief. "A farseer as well! I must ask now brother, but what exactly is the lineage of the Snape Family? Because no common muggle bloodline could awaken one much less two inheritances in our family!"

"After Eileen ran off with that muggle, I had his family looked into," Reginald quietly answered. "As unlikely as it seems, the Snapes is a long line of squibs traced all the way back through the maternal line back to Godric Gryffindor."

"And what of the paternal squib lines?" Georgine further pressed knowing full well, there was something her brother had not said.

Grudgingly Reginald almost whispers, "Helga Hufflepuff and-."

"How intriguing, the twins possess three out of the four founder lines. Never mind, now, continue brother and whom does the last line belong to?"

"Grindelwald."

"How recent?"

"How recent what?"

"Don't play me for a fool, brother. How recent is the Grindelwald line?!"

"Within the last three generations."

There is a dead silence as Georgine with great difficulty says, "Are you implying that Gilbert Grindelwald produced an heir!?"

"I do not know," Reginald hissed. "All I do know is that the Grindelwald bloodline appeared in that muggle's grandfather. And Grindelwald was known for his dark magic experiments which would not be a far cry to believe that he attempted to create a child with inherited magic, but ultimately failed!"

Georgine slumps back against her seat and rubs her head. "So, what can we expect once they get older?" Georgine rasped.

"They will not only be very powerful, but without parallel," Reginald croaked.

"And should they fall astray?" Sirsa whispered, voicing their deepest fears.

The three adult Princes stare at each other with fear and despair until Sir Knight Prince interrupts, "Stop worrying children, the solution is rather simple."

"Oh, for the love that is all holy, put a stick in it for once!" Georgine snapped as Sirsa, and Reginald turned to gaze expectantly at the ghost.

Sir Knight Prince sniffs indignantly, "I may be a ghost, but I do possess a vast amount of knowledge and experience."

Georgine snorts and rolls her eyes as Sirsa much more patiently asks, "And just what is the obvious solution, Sir Knight Prince?"

"Apprentice the twins to someone even more powerful to watch over and guide them," Sir Knight Prince proudly proclaimed.

Georgine sputtered, "That's your grand idea?! And pray tell, just where are we going to find someone like that?"

"I thought it was fairly obvious," Sir Knight Prince said as he narrowed his handsome eyes back. "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."

Georgine's mouth flops open as Reginald mutters under his breath, "And demons in hell must be skating on ice as we speak."

"But we can't trust him," Sirsa feebly protested.

"I didn't say too," Sir Knight Prince unhappily retorted at being so frequently questioned by the younger generation.

"No, this is actually rather feasible," Reginald muttered out loud causing them all to stare at him.

Seeing their combined stares, Reginald says, "The twins came to me requesting to take the C.S.A.E., the comprehension student apprenticeship exam before their fifth year. If they should pass, we may be able to put in a request that Dumbledore himself fill in the role of their apprenticeship Master as they have yet to finish their schooling at Hogwarts."

Sirsa's eyes widen as she interrupts, "Dumbledore will have no choice but to accept them under his wing."

"Exactly," Reginald said with some pleasure.

"But that is only IF they pass," Georgine argued causing the room's mood once more to plummet. "And should they fail?"

"They can't," Reginald flatly declared as the room once more fell silent. "There is no one else."

"And in the meanwhile?" Georgine finally asked.

"We watch and wait. That is all that we can do," Reginald tiredly answered.

"For cripes sake," Georgine murmured as she got up to pour herself a drink. "Do you all want one?"

"Yes, please," Sirsa wearily murmured as Reginald nodded his head in reply. Georgine grabs three glasses and a bottle of fire whiskey. Sitting back down, she pours three shots of fire whiskey and hands them out. In an unusual event, the three adult Prince's downed the first shot in a single gulp, before pouring themselves another to tentatively sip at.

Sir Knight Prince sighs rather forlornly at being left unable to participate. Clearing his throat, he says, "Then we are all in agreement? We shall not speak on the subject and act as though nothing has changed?"

"Yes," the three adult Prince's chimed in agreement, before drinking a bit more.

Seeing that the three older Prince's are set upon getting themselves very drunk for the evening, Sir Knight Prince quietly excuses himself and floats away through the wall. Floating up to the children's floor, Sir Knight Prince strolls down the hallway, where a small figure in clean, ironed blue overalls and a crisp white shirt patiently sits in a chair and reads a well-known novel.

Glancing up, the spectacled elf furrows his brows as his large ears listen for any sound. "I thought the meeting was to take longer," the male elf calmly said as he reached into his pocket for a gold pocket watch hooked to a gold chain. Glancing briefly at the time, the elf snaps the watch shut and says, "But I suppose miracles can occur and the problem was resolved that much sooner."

"That was indeed the case, Tadbey," Sir Knight Prince explained.

Sniffing, Tadbey wriggles his bare hairy toes as Sir Knight Prince comments, "You always dress so neat, Tadbey, but you never wear any shoes, why is that?"

"I like the feeling of the grass and dirt between my toes," Tadbey bluntly answered with great dignity. "Besides, I always make sure to keep my feet spotlessly clean indoors. I can't have the misses coming after me with a fire poker."

"Good, enjoy the small pleasure in life, whilst you still can," Sir Knight Prince wisely advised.

Tadbey smirks in reply, "I don't know about that, Sir Knight Prince. In your case, they seem to have been your downfall."

Sir Knight Prince sputters, while Tadbey promptly rises to his feet. "I best be heading back to the misses," Tadbey said, before apparating and leaving Sir Knight Prince behind to keep watch.

Sir Knight Prince sighs to himself and flops onto the chair. "Well, I suppose it's just you and me like always." His body pats Sir Knight Prince on the head in comfort, before settling Sir Knight Prince onto his lap. A ghost's lifetime was terribly long and slow, and at times most unbearably slow.