The Grants Artefacts

20 The Box of Many Places

The box of many places.

When Arun arrived in her apartment she found both Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore standing by her fire. The Oran Spike was missing.

"Where is it," Arun demanded.

"I could ask you the same," Dumbledore retorted. "The spiders reported to Hagrid that a professor fitting your description was found in the vault, you had a student with you, and the artefacts are gone."

"Let me ask you this Professor, what kind of idiot stores them together?"

Snape hissed air through his teeth and turned away from her.

"Don't start feeling upset because I went off without you Sev."

"Be kind to Severus, he's trying to help you."

"Don't lecture me, professor, you've made this hard from the start."

"Intentionally. I hoped you would see my offer of a job as sincere, and would be able to trust me to deal with the artefacts."

"You've done so well with that, haven't you? How many students were attacked how many teachers?" she jabbed her thumb in the direction of Severus.

"To be honest, you have fared little better yourself."

"Do you realise that Greyback is in the forest? He tried to attack us, but at least I'm satisfied he's not here on the behalf of the Americans. He can be easily swayed though, and I'm certain that they will use his plans to attack you as a cover for their own infiltration."

Dumbledore's mouth went into a very hard line and he seemed to grow a little taller in his anger, "Is that what you were planning? To lead the Americans into the school so you could have all the artefacts in one place and destroy them."

Arun raised an eyebrow, what a good idea. Dumbledore took it as confirmation.

"How dare you! How dare you put us all at risk like that."

"Oh don't be such a hypocrite."

Dumbledore's face pulled down, he looked like he would be sick from disgust. Severus rounded on her. "All the people who want to help you end this and you keep a plan like that to yourself? You really do hold yourself in high esteem, don't you?"

"The more who know, the bigger the problem, Sev, and there is a bigger problem, in that the artefacts can't be stored together. If the Americans do come they won't bring the other four with them."

Dumbledore raised his hand to quiet them all, "What happens when you put the two together?" he asked.

"I saw all the people I had killed. I saw an American man too who I think is the ghost of Grant. The ghosts said something, 'those who seek shall find themselves. Those with the power to claim us will be consumed by us.' I split the artefacts up, it lessened the power of them. I don't expect that a person can harness their power at all unless they have all seven on their person and have given themselves to the curse completely."

Dumbledore ran a hand over his beard and he turned and sat on the sofa. Arun looked Snape dead in the eye and found nothing there. The bastard was blocking her. "Sev," she muttered. "I need the spike back."

"What does this spike do?" Dumbledore asked.

"I have no idea, My sister told me to get it. She's the one who knows how to use it."

"And where is your sister now?"

"I assume taken by the Americans, I haven't heard from her and I should have by now. I've checked with her contacts and I've sent word to her safehouse portraits but nobody's seen her."