Hogwarts was now empty, save for the professors and elves. It was still mostly shrouded in darkness and silence, except for the few flickering lights, giving an illusion of deformed pumpkin prepared for Halloween.
Dumbledore was used to such a sight, it was always like this in the summer. It was the time when the castle was asleep, resting. During that time professors were preforming strengthening rituals in order for the barriers surrounding Hogwarts to stay strong. Most of that task was already finished, it was just his turn to end it.
When he reached the main entrance, stern face of Minerva McGonnagal was waiting for him.
" Albus, welcome back. I hope you have some good news about Mr. Potter. "
" I do, Minerva, but I do not wish to repeat myself so it will have to wait till all professors are together. "
" I see. You will be glad to know that everybody is already here, in the Great Hall. We are all anxious to hear your news."
" Understandable. I can assume that Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin are here as well ? "
" Yes, it was difficult to keep them from fighting with Severus, luckily I still can put a little fear into them. " . She sounded somewhat irritated, which only made Dumbledore laugh a little. In turn she glared at him, so he schooled his face in the proper expression, he promised to keep them in line for her.
They have already reached their destination, the Great Hall. The roof was still active, showing an evening sky, dotted with stars and a moon, already half sized , reminding him of some French cheese. All of the teachers that were trustworthy were there, plus Mr. Lupin and Mr. Black. Naturally they were seated as far away from Severus as possible. Next to Sirius, was Flitwick, diminutive Charms master, and they were silently conversing about something.
Lupin was talking with Hagrid, probably about some magical creature. Severus spoke to nobody, a permanent scowl marring his visage. Madame Pomfrey was talking animatedly with professor Sprout, while Sybil was eating and drinking her customary sherry. Nobody wanted to interrupt her.
First one to notice them was Hagrid. " Profess'r Dumbledore! ", belowed giant man, rising to greet him, " yer back ! How's Harry, is he a'right ? "
It was sign for others to take notice of him, so he greeted everybody and joined them at the table. Minerva took her seat next to him, as usual.
Before another barrage of questions erupted he begun his story. " As you know, I took Harry with me to help him. And it worked . He is all right, healthy, a little hungry. He sends his regards and will be back before summer is over. "
Sirius was not satisfied. " Are you sure my godson is all right ? ".
" Yes, he is, my friends scanned him magically. He is perfectly fine. Luckily, it is as I hoped. "
" What do you mean by that Headmaster ? " , asked Lupin.
" For many years I wondered about the scar Harry received that fateful night. It never healed properly, as it is with such powerful curses. But Harry revealed yet another unusual ability. " . He took a pause to drink his tea.
" Parseltongue, you mean... ". It was Snape.
" Correct, Severus. My suspicions were roused. Voldemort has left a piece of his soul in Harry, like a parasite. Harry was magically hampered, but in return he gained his ability to talk with snakes. Everything has a price. Now, Harry is clean of his influence, the link between them broken. Voldemort will not be able to attack Harry mentally. "
" Great. When is he going to be back ? " . Sirius was really eager to see Harry .
" I will take him directly to Dursleys a week before the next term begins. It is much too risky to do otherwise. "
" What ?! You are still going to send him to those disgusting Muggles ? "
" We have no choice. It is always good to have another option available. "
It was Snape who spoke next. " So , Potter still lives. I assume that there were some trouble involved about his retrieval, the brat is a trouble magnet, if I ever saw one. "
Dumbledore was aware that he was fishing for additional information, not only as a spy, but also as a result of his natural curiosity. Alas, what he wanted to know was far too dangerous, so a little of truth bending was in order.
" You are right Severus. Harry was difficult, but Fawkes was splendid. "
" Explain. "
Excellent. This little piece of information will be enough to satisfy Tom, if he bothered to pry deeper and make Snape more useful. Give a little, to gain some. " Ah, but phoenixes are immortal beings, thus they naturally exist on the line between our world and the realm of infinity that represents death. It was easy for him to follow us there and to find Harry. And they were already connected by his tears, as you know. Thus Harry was sure that Fawkes was real, and it took only an effort of will on his part to come back "
Fawkes nodded, trilling happily and proudly ruffled his feathers. Great act, and everybody bought it. Even Snape, although you never knew what he really thought.
" What next, Headmaster ? " , asked Madam Pomfrey, little uncertainty present in her voice.
Snape snorted derisively. " What next ? It doesn't take much genius to figure out what is going to happen in the next few months. Potter is away, hopefully he will learn to be more careful, but I doubt that. The Dark Lord will be quite sad to hear that he lives, but it doesn't matter to him . He will lay low, trying to discredit rumors of his return, while silently trying to get his old allies to join him again.
Werewolves and other werecreatures rare as they are, are sure to join, mostly because of Greyback. Vampires, not so much, mostly those who used to be wizards, seeking revenge. You can count Dementors in, they are quite fond of him, so to speak.
As for his Death Eaters, most of his loyal followers are already back, willingly or not. New recruits are already coming in, but not as much as he would have liked. He will probably resort to mercenaries, till his allies abroad are ready to join him.
He will leave Fudge alone, since his idiocy is actually helping him. I am afraid that Aurors are awfully underprepared for him, and Unspeakables are simply not numerous enough. Since the war with Grindenwald, our military and law forces are at the lowest strength.
We don't have to worry about Potter or attacks at the Wizengamot. He will lay low until he is ready. Obviously, there are going to be attacks against Muggles, he needs to keep his allies and servants busy, and us too. Our side will be too busy covering up his attacks. "
Everybody was grim at such analysis, but not surprised. Nobody could accuse the Dark Lord of stupidity. Hard times were ahead.
Dumbledore was not a happy man. He knew that many people are going to die before this as over, one way or another.
" My friends Severus was right. So I have decided to include Harry and his classmates in this war. "
That sentence was met with shock of all present, even Snape. But before they managed to express their disagreements, he plowed on.
" Please, calm down everybody. You must know that He will not spare anybody in his way, not even little children. Not after being defeated by one year old baby. And Harry has proved us that with little training , he and his classmates are capable of holding their own, even against seasoned Death Eaters. "
Snape frowned in disagreement. " Excuse me Headmaster, but they were severely underestimated. If they didn't need Potter alive, they would have been killed within a minute. Lucius and Bella alone could have handled them easily. "
" True Severus, but that minute is still sometimes more than enough to save someone. With training, they could last longer, to run or hide, till help arrives, like at the Ministry. They need that training, not to win the war, but to survive. I am tired of seeing children killed, without any chance to survive, just because their parents refused to serve Voldemort. "
" So, you want to teach them how to survive, by running or hiding,or fighting long enough to wait for help ? " , Snape was still skeptic, " I think your idea has some merit, but you can't expect miracles. "
" I don't. I just expect them to be able to think under pressure , no heroics, just so they can escape. "
Sirius was nodding his head , " Yes, Harry and his friends have shown that they can defend themselves, at least for a while. With more training, they could even have some serious chance to fight back. I like it. "
Lupin just asked where they could train the children. Sirius offered his home, since it was heavily warded.
" My home is mostly empty, but my family always appreciated knowledge how to fight. We can set the training grounds there, and many dark spells are written in the tomes of the Black Family. Remus and I are familiar with those, we can teach them to recognize those and right ways to counter them.
It's a shame how Ministry has influenced the schooling in the last fifteen years. Many spells are now labeled as dark, while before they were not. I remember that we were much better prepared to defend ourselves during the first war, even though we weren't much older than Harry . "
Lupin agreed with his friend. " It's true. Padfoot's home is an excellent place to train, and even Molly will have to agree, since we will offer her to come to teach. She is not bad at dueling at all, I've seen what she can do when she gets mad. "
Everyone chuckled at that. Molly Weasly spent most of her life in kitchen, but she still could fight like hellbeast when her family was in danger. Speed of her spellcasting was her greatest asset.
Dumbledore rose slowly. " Good, then it is decided. We will discuss the details later . Everybody is expected to think on the best way to tech the children, then we can start. Goodnight everybody. "
So the people slowly rose from the table, in small groups of two or three. Snape also rose, but Dumbledore stopped him.
" Severus, are you going to Him already ? "
" Yes, he has ordered me to keep him informed of any recent events. "
" But you were not summoned by him , why hurry ? "
" It will leave better impression, of my eagerness to serve. Besides, it's not like he doesn't know of your intentions , it is all the same just like the first time. Only the decision to train those brats may surprise him, but I will try to minimize that fact , maybe by stressing on the fact of their youth and incompetence. Maybe even offering to sabotage their training. "
" A good idea, but do not try too hard. He may suspect something. "
That was an unnecessary warning. So Snape just nodded briskly, marching out of the Great Hall, his cloak billowing behind him. When he reached his private chambers, he immediately locked the door. He did not want anyone barging in his domain, especially not at this moment. His chambers were not large, mostly they served as his private study room, there was small bedroom, bathroom and main room where he spent most of his time. Large shelves filled with ancient and musty tomes, black carpet covered the stone floor. Entire space was in Slytherin style, black, green, serpent motif everywhere. Large fireplace stood in the main room, opposite of the doorway. No windows were present here, just like in the dungeons. Snape was obviously a fan of such decoration.
He quickly opened his wardrobe and pulled his Death Eater cloak and mask. Then he approached his fireplace and cast the powder. It was time to visit the Dark Lord. But not directly.
" Malfoy Manor ! ", he spoke his destination and vanished in the burst of green fire.
She was waiting for him already. Narcissa Malfoy knew of his arrival and has prepared the floo to send him to their Master. This way was safer, he did not want to be tracked by anyone, not even Dumbledore.
" Greetings Narcissa. I am sorry to cut our meeting short, but I must go to see Him immediately. "
" Of course Severus. Floo is already set to his lair. "
" How is my godson ? I know this summer is especially hard for him. "
" I have sent him to France. It was very hard blow to his pride to hear of his father's arrest. Honestly, I do not think that he has ever truly believed that his father served the Dark Lord, and now he is afraid. "
" Good. It's better that way. He can be sometimes as hotheaded as some Gryffindors. He needs to calm down and prepare, the coming year is going to be very dangerous for him. Right now, it's better he stays out of sight, but I am afraid that He will set his eyes on the new generation of his followers. Draco is sure to be recruited and marked. The later it happens the better. "
Narcissa could merely nod in agreement. She never received the mark, it was a ploy to keep her clean in the eyes of law and public if anything happened to her husband or son. She hoped that same thing would save Draco, but with fool of her husband imprisoned, that was not the option anymore. It was a shameful thing to see, they pure bloods, marked as cattle in the vice grip of a madman.
Snape raised his hand in farewell gesture and vanished again. He reappeared at the current lair of the Dark Lord. He had to negotiate the dark corridors that formed the maze, but as a bearer of the Dark Mark he could sense the right turns. He emerged in the large hallway.
The floor was a simple representation of the chessboard, while walls and ceiling was filled with the scenes from the past and myths of wizardkind. And a lot of serpents of different sizes and colors were there too. They served as surveillance and defence. A copy of Hogwarts to a degree , this setup. Not very original, he noted idly.
He quickly cast any dangerous thoughts from his mind, preparing for another brush with death that is his Master, at least in appearances. He glided in in his usual manner, his black cloak ominously billowing behind him. His ebony colored mask covered his face, his steps showed no hesitation. There was only an image of efficiency that is so characteristic for him, a well seasoned killer. A master of poisons and torture.
Not many Death Eaters were as skilled as he was, or as gifted when it came to masking their thoughts and feelings. Fear, passion, joy – he never exhibited those when he was with them, even before, when he was not working for Dumbledore. In the beginning, he felt anger and desire to get vengeance against those who hurt him, and to erase the muggles he naively considered enemies.
Soon, he discovered the true horror of being servant to the Dark Lord, but it was too late. So he acted like a true Slytherin, he buried his real feelings and concentrated on his survival. He was sure that the Dark Lord was aware of his actions, but was amused with his attempts to hide his true self, but now he was so good, that even He did not know the real story. In the beginning he used potions to alter his mind, but later he discovered the Occlumency. And managed to turn himself into an empty shell, devoid of any real emotions. He lived and delivered death to others, as ordered. Lord Voldemort was pleased with him.
Then She died. His Master promised to spare her, yet he killed her anyway. Probably could not resist the urge to kill. No mercy at all. That was the last straw, he took his chance and begun the dance with death he refused to start before, only now he really did not have anything to lose.
Lord Voldemort raised his eyes to see his servant enter. He always knew them, no mask could hide them from him. It was Severus Snape, an enigma, even to him. Suspicion always clung to him, like a living shadow. Yet it never grew enough to completely surround him, to cover him in guilt. He could not blame him for his actions, only a fool would go to Azkaban. And he seemed very forthcoming with the information he gained.
Most marvelous performance in his opinion. Always respectful, but not too much. Obviously Snape knew him enough to behave accordingly to his moods. Even Cruciatus did not faze him too much, sometimes he seemed to prefer it over other ways of punishment. But most of all, he appreciated his Slytherin way of life. Live, scheme, betray, gain power and knowledge. Snape did all of those and more. He was certain that he would give him a Killing Curse in the back if he ever got the opportunity. Yet so far he never did. After all, he never trusted anybody , at least not completely. No one knew him well enough, what he did to gain immortality. He saw in Snape's mind some inklings of the truth, probably put there by Dumbledore, but they were all wrong.
It was time to start the charade. " You have come without summons, my faithful servant. "
Snape went down, on his left knee, head bowed low, right fit across his chest while left removed his mask. He knew it was time to play game for the new recruits that were present. Voldemort believed in carrots and sticks approach. Lead them in nice and gently, pomp mixed with subtle intimidation, and when they were in all the way, hard blows were dealt. It worked splendidly.
" Forgive me my Lord, but I bring news about our enemy. " . Nothing too fancy. Voldemort led on.
" Rise, my friend. I meant no rebuke, merely a statement of my surprise and curiosity. Now, let us hear your news. " . Small gesture with hand, and all members of his Inner Circle approached, taking a few of trusted recruits along.
" As you wish my Lord. The Order of the Phoenix is spread thin, many are trying to guess our next move. But the older members probably already know what are our general intentions. " . That " Our " actually meant " His" , but the rookies did not need to know that. Voldemort smiled ominously.
" You are correct Severus. Albus Dumbledore is not stupid, just old and crafty , but we all know that. Now, the real reason for your arrival is something else - Potter maybe ? "
Snape twisted his face in sign of disgust, as usual when that name is spoken in his presence. And he did not fake it either. " As you guessed my Lord, the brat is still alive. And healthy – at least that is what Dumbledore claims, he could be just trying to raise the spirits of his followers, to keep hope. "
" But you belive him anyway. " .
Another grimace. " Unfortunately, I do. He was quite smug about it. "
" Is that so ? What would be the cause of that ? "
" He explained again about your connection through the scar, and that it was broken. You will not be able to manipulate his mind again, ever. "
" Ahh, as I thought. Not a great loss anyway, his mind was weak and disgusting , I am glad that I don't have to touch it anymore. "
Good save, that one. minimize the loss of the significant tactical advantage in order to look unshaken. The old crew knew that, but no one was crazy enough to even think that. Even Bellatrix kept her mouth shut.
" No complaints from me either, my Lord. When I was forced to train him, I was appalled at his weakness and lack of discipline. It took a lot of self control to keep from frying his useless brains. I guess I won't have to do that anymore, since Dumbledore's new friends will take over his training. "
Take that. Nice information, packed with his usual sarcasm and acid wit.
Voldemort moved forward in his chair, his face glistening in the dim light. His red eyes shone brighter, more malevolent than before, if possible.
" So he has more allies. Did you manage to find out who they are, or their location ? "
" I am afraid I did not. Dumbledore made sure that he was the only one to contact them, and he told us that even he was not aware of their true location and numbers. "
" Hmm, is it possible that he suspects a spy in his ranks, you maybe ? "
" I did think of that, but he explained that his allies are not interested in his fight, merely they wanted to meet the Boy Who Lived. Besides , he was sworn to secrecy so he would not betray them even if he wanted to. "
" How careful of them. Old man would have tried to drag them in this war. I believe that they might be one of those isolated sects I heard of during my travels, after I left Hogwarts. They are probably a small community, mostly concentrated in their pursuit of spiritual enlightening and such nonsense. "
" I don't know that my Lord. All I know is that they will keep Potter over the summer, train him and then send him back. "
" Ahh, let them do so He may prove a better entertainment when he returns. Anything else , about the ritual or the Order ? "
Light touch on his mental shields was the only warning. He steeled his mind . Obviously, Lord Voldemort never took his word for granted. It was easy his time, since he really did not know much more than what he reported. The probe vanished, but he still remained alert. No reason to risk it now.
" Not really, besides the fact he decided to train the children to fight against us. " .
Laughter erupted from the throat of the Dark Lord, and it was not a pleasant sound. " That is the funniest thing I heard lately. The old fool finally realized he has no one to pit against my Death Eaters, so he will send the children to do the job of grown men. Let them come, they will make a nice target practice. "
The other people present laughed as well, but Snape noticed the two Death Eaters who escaped Potter's snakes. They remembered how close they were to dying. They did not think it was funny. He reluctantly agreed with them. True, those kids weren't real threat, but they held against Dolohov and Lestrange, till the rescuers arrived. Not bad for a bunch of dunderheads. It was time to go, while He was in a good mood.
" If I may excuse myself Master, I must go before Dumbledore starts to wonder where did I go."
Voldemort was serious again. " Of course Severus, you are excused. I have no duties for you anyway. Stay alert but do nothing to give yourself away. It will be many more months before we are ready to make our move. "
" Understood my Lord. " . Then he rose, gave another bow. He sharply turned around and left the chamber. Mask was on his face again, he followed the same way out, and flooed right to his house. Quickly he searched for some potions and flooed back to his quarters at Hogwarts. He took off his Death Eater garbs and mask, hid it in his wardrobe, in the secret compartment. Another dance played well. It was time to finally rest.