FH Chapter 13

Chapter 13: "Quoth the Raven: Nevermore"

Chapter 13: Quoth the Raven, "Never More."

Sorry for the gap between updates! Lucky for you, this chapter is mostly review over what you know, what you don't. Oh and a new character is on her way!!!!

When they reached Syaoran at the Gryffindor tables, (even the nosy prefect had gone home for the holidays), Syaoran was wearing his armor. Sakura was still wearing her elegant gown, and quite frankly, she was dazzling. Kyo had said, "You look nice," but now Syaoran trumped him.

"You- Look amazing Sakura-chan!"

Sakura blushed and told him his armor fit perfectly.

"You didn't have to wear it right now," Kyo said impatiently. Nothing was going the way he had planned. Syaoran noticed Kyo's discomfort and quickly changed the subject.

Turning to Kyo, Syaoran asked him if he'd made any strides in gathering information. Kyo answered with a nod and retrieved a folded peice of parchment from within the concealment of his shoe. "It's a page from an investigation book that details the various causes of skin abnormalities. According to this, the mark Sakura-chan noticed on Snape's arm could be one of four things. A: A scar that just happens to resemble a snake and a skull; B: a disturbing birth mark; C: a creepy tattoo; and D, the most probable and dangerous, the symbol that all V-- I mean-- You-know-who's followers bear."

Sakura and Syaoran looked at each other, and Kyo sighed. " So, is it 'A', 'B', 'C', or 'D'?"

Syaoran ignored the obvious question. Instead he said, "No, I don't know 'who'.
Who is that leader you spoke of?"

Kyo shivered. " That's right, you don't know. You-know-who is the greatest sorcerer alive. The only thing is, he's a murderous fiend. Are you positive that Snape's after you're memories?"

Sakura nodded. " I know he must be after something. It's only logical to suspect an evil person such as he would want more power . I'm not entirely sure of anything, especially Snape's unusual death, but I'm convinced that he and this You-know-who are after the magical properties of my feathers-- I mean, memories shaped as feathers."

Kyo recalled when Syaoran told him in private that Sakura lost her memory from a pact with a witch. Her memories took the form of feathers and scattered across many worlds. The reason she was so badly injured before was that, each time she remembers a part of her past that involves Syaoran, the witch erases that memory. Because Sakura fought to have the memory remain in tact, the lost fight took it's toll both physically and mentally.

He had smiled then and told him, "told you it was not me."

Kyo looked at them now in puzzlement. "What magical properties do your memories
hold, exactly?"

Syaoran answered. " Her feathers have unique power that could enhance a person's
present abilities or bestow them with strange new powers. If some one evil gets a hold of them, it could easily end in disaster."

Kyo began to nervously laugh. "Then he has to be one of You-know-who's followers-- Snape, I mean."

Sakura didn't understand. " If he's the greatest sorcerer ever, why would he need my feathers-- and another thing! If Snape was evil, what advantage would it serve to pretend to be dead?"

Kyo shook his head, deciding to solve her points. "When Harry Potter thought he destroyed You-know-who, I believe that he only crippled him, and made him deathly weak. Now, he has only the capacity to be strong, but not the health. As for your other question, maybe Snape wanted us to think he was dead so that he could disappear."

Sakura rested her chin in her hands. "Then why did he come back to life, and erase the memories of those who knew of his 'death'? If he wanted us to believe he was dead, he could have easily slipped away then and there . He would not have tried to make it so obvious with a sign on his class door to keep others away. He would have wanted us to see the evidence of his death, and he certainly wouldn't have erased our memories!"

Kyo and Syaoran exchanged glances. She did have a point. Kyo groaned, "all this nonsense is hurting my head. The point is that Snape is missing now, soooo.... maybe he messed up and decided disappearing would be better than dying. Or something."

"Oh- before I forget! Thanks for the chocolate, Syaoran-kun," Sakura said suddenly.

Syaoran turned pink. "H- how did you know those were from me?"

The two began to converse and Kyo rolled his eyes. "Oh brother." Leave it to Sakura to break the intense mood.

"Did you say something?" Syaoran asked him through gritted teeth.

Kyo laughed. " I'm challenging you to take your mind off of worries and join me in a game of wizard's chess."

Syaoran accepted. He was white, Kyo black.

*********************************************************

Syaoran instructed his knight to move in front of a pawn. Kyo pushed a pawn forward. The game then continued until Kyo only had his knight, king, queen, and a pawn left. Syaoran meanwhile commanded a bishop, castle, king, and two pawns.

Kyo was about to take a pawn with his queen, but saw Syaoran's castle horizantally behind it and decided to avoid the risk. Instead, he took out Syaoran's bishop. Syaoran turned his castle and moved it toward Kyo's king. "Check." He announced.

Kyo moved his knight backward so that he was one step ahead of his king. Syaoran moved his castle, taking out Kyo's knight and it Kyo grinned unexpectedly.

"Check," Syaoran said in triumph. Then he realized his mistake. Kyo's king moved to the side, capturing the castle.

Syaoran moved his pawn forward. Kyo immediately slided his queen to the pawn's place, taking it out of the game. Syaoran's last pawn moved forward from his side and stood directly across from Kyo's queen. Kyo smiled and easily knocked the pawn down with his queen. With only his king left, Syaoran went for revenge and cut down Kyo's queen. He saw the trap a second too late.

Kyo said, "check," and moved his remaining knight to land on Syaoran's king's square. "Check mate."

Syaoran's eyes widened in surprise; Kyo did not finish his move. Instead, he kept the knight suspended over the king's space.

"What's up?"

Kyo knocked over the king and Sakura applauded.

"There's someone standing behind me, isn't there?"

Syaoran straightened and peered over Kyo's shoulder. "Yep."

Kyo stood and turned around. A girl with hair as blue as her robes was staring at him. A ravenclaw.

" I overheard you three talking about Voldemort." She said.

Sakura frowned at the accusation. "Who?"

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Voldemort."

Kyo whispered. "You-know-who."

"We're not from around here," Syaoran said appologetically.

She nodded. "Of course. Your parents are muggles, correct?"

Kyo answered for them. "That's right. My names Kyo and these are Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun."

"Ami," the girl replied.

"Ami, why were you listening in on our conversation?"

She folded her arms. " I have to admit it wasn't too hard to overhear. So you believe Voldemort's alive? Never. I think you will need a little more evidence to support that theory." With that, Ami turned the other way and walked off.

"That was really weird, " Kyo commented.

Suspicious, Syaoran thought.

"Loser puts the game away," Kyo annouced slyly. Before he could protest, Kyo had already taken Sakura's hand and the two were skipping back to the Hufflepuff common room.