Chapter 817 - Empty Castle Ⅱ (1/2)
Rowan wasn't gullible enough to believe that she could discover the female vessel at Hogwarts with only that single clue alone. Her mapscape could not reveal a vessel nor much less her instincts could be trusted. With the exception of Professor Slughorn's dinner, she had never sensed a vessel. Since then even when paying attention to the gazes upon her, she had never sensed anything remotely resembling the presence of Hydra. In other words, as long as the vessel was acting on its own without the actual presence of Hydra, there was no way for Rowan to sense otherwise.
There was also the most concerning factor of all excluding the second vessel is that there was a strong likelihood that Rowan in fact knew the female vessel in person. Firstly, because that was what she would have exactly done, and secondly, Occam's razor states that the simplest explanation is usually the right one. Based on that inference the vessel was in her year, but the question was who? It was a disturbing question to contemplate, but she couldn't discount anyone, nor could she trust all those that she knew. It was a complex paradox with no escape.
Rubbing her aching head, Rowan winces feeling the familiar ache behind her left eye. Stress only served to increase the pain on the left side of her temple, especially in her left eye. Closing her eyes as she feels the familiar agony pulsing behind her left eye. The pain was getting worse and worse as of late that lately she had trouble reading and concentrating for long periods of time. She really needed to retrieve the goblin forged artifact by the goblin Master Crafter Wulm.
Without opening her eyes, Rowan enquires further. ”Thank you, Nadira, but what else did you overhear?”
”It spoke of possessing your friend, Lily,” Nadira hissed irritably snapping her jaws at the air as if imagining biting Hydra.
”Lily?” Rowan blurted out rather startled and opened her eyes despite the ache in her left eye. ”Are you certain that it mentioned Lily?”
”Yes, protector,” Nadira firmly replied. ”It said that they would like to try, but with the wards strengthening and the presence of your aunt at the Hogwarts, they could not attempt to weaken the Hogwarts barriers. They would have to wait to convert Lily until she graduated from Hogwarts.”
”That is excellent news,” Rowan said with a sigh rubbing her painfully pulsing temple. ”That will at least buy us some time,” she paused and gestures to Nadira to move away and give her room. The serpent unhappily uncurls from around Rowan. Nadira sulked more than a bit curling up on top of the table to watch her protector.
Reaching into her pocket, Rowan pulls out the strengthened headache potion she had acquired from Madam Pomfrey, before chugging the vial down. She winces at the taste but feels the pulsing pain begin to ease to a dull throb. The regular version of the potion no longer worked on her and she had been forced to request a strengthened version. Madam Pomfrey had disapproved initially but after seeing that the effects of the regular pain potion did not work on Rowan, she finally agreed to give Rowan the strengthened version. Still, it was done with caution and Rowan could not take any more than three strengthened headache potions per week.
Rowan rubs her head in thought. From the memories of Marcellus, she knew that Hydra required at least seven months of pure contact. Using Occam's razor, she could deduce that the female vessel was likely a Gryffindor in their year. That greatly narrowed the possibilities and there was an even greater likelihood that the individual was Lily's dorm mate or from Lily's circle of friends.
And though Rowan and Lily didn't share the same circle of friends, some, yes, but not all. Even with that knowledge, it simply wasn't enough with such a broad group of contacts. Not to mention the fact, well, they were all going through puberty. Teenagers aren't exactly normal during this time period and are known for their poor and out of character behavior as they grow up.