Convergence of Birth - REVISED
Author: Saavik
Disclaimer: There is no fee to read this. Therefore, the lawyers chasing me can go away.
Summary: Back story and missing scenes to Contemplations of Birth. Not full accounts, mostly just story elements from different POV's other than Severus'. This explains some of the events hinted at in Contemplations and Complications. AU Taking place directly after the end of Book 5.
Pairings: Pre-everything
Warnings: Spoilers for Book Five big time. Mild Death Eater scenes
Chapter One: Bravura
Percy Weasley was getting tired of his job. He sighed as he passed his wand over the next step. He'd been days at his current task for his employer, Cornelius Fudge, Minister For Magic. Fudge had asked, or rather commanded, that Percy personally scan the entire chamber for signs of dark magic that might have been cast by a member of the Order of the Phoenix or one of the students, Harry Potter in particular. The Minister was almost obsessed with discrediting Potter and Dumbledore's group of supporters, in that order. Unfortunately for him, Percy had yet to find a single spot of tainted stone that could be linked to anyone in particular. Percy robbed his eyes tiredly and moved to the next step. His wand armed ached and his back was killing him; what he wouldn't give for his mother's pain potion, he'd have to ask her for one … He sighed. He could no longer go home or ask his mother for one of her cure-all potions. Why his family refused to follow the rules confounded him. He tiredly sank down on his freshly inspected step and looked around.
The room was large and made entirely of concentric rings of steps and in the center stood a shrouded stone arch. Percy shivered. The whispers from the arch were louder than when he had first come in. It was as though whatever was on the other side knew there was someone in the normally empty room. The story that the convict Black had fallen through that very archway to his death was what had promoted this exercise in futility. The whole room was reeking of dark magic. The battle that had taken place only a few months ago had left the very stones imprinted with the stench of the Dark Arts. Percy straightened his tie and tried to glare the offending residue away. He understood why the Minister wanted evidence, especially on Harry Potter. The boy was a danger to everyone; the stress had driven him mad. But this was simply pointless! Without looking at the wands there was no way to tell what spell had been cast and by whom. Percy, for the first time, cursed his good fortune to be working for the Minster. For some reason the man had decided that Percy was one of only a handful that could be trusted. So the one-time junior member of the Ministry was forced to spend hours waving his wand over blank stones and wearing holes in his robes.
Life at the ministry was starting to grate on Percy's nerves as much as the stone on his robes. When the Minister was unhappy everyone in the building was unhappy. Despite the ramifications of the Minister's current displeasure at Dumbledore, Percy agreed with his employer. While it might be true that Voldemort had returned, that did not give the Headmaster the right to create a private vigilante army. There needed to be structure and order in such things. The likes of Mundungus Fletcher should never be allowed to wield a wand against the dark. For Merlin's sake, Fletcher was almost dark himself! And one must not forget Professor Snape, Percy thought. The man might have backed, at least publicly, some of the Ministry changes at the school over the last two terms, but he had not provided much help. Umbridge had praised him, but Percy knew better. Snape would not have helped her beyond the absolute extreme of necessity. The man hated to be told how to handle his students. Umbridge had thought she'd had his complete cooperation, but nothing could have been further from the truth.
Percy examined the chipped granite beneath his fingers. Snape was a puzzle. He was obviously a Death Eater, but the man did not openly defy Dumbledore. Nor had he Umbridge, yet Percy knew the dour professor had helped the Potter boy somehow over the school year. /Potions tutoring, I don't believe it for an instant. What was that greasy git teaching poor Potter? The boy has enough problems without being brainwashed./
Suddenly, the whispers stopped. Percy raised his eyes to look at the black draped arch. It was utterly still. It seemed as if time itself had stopped. Percy slowly stood and took a hesitant step forward. Before he had made it more than two feet a groan shook the chamber that sounded like it came from the center of the earth itself. Percy fell to the ground and remained there on all fours for a long terrifying moment. /What IS that thing? Why is it here?/ Percy shakily stood once more and started to inch forward again. /More importantly, WHAT is it doing?/
The curtain started to shake as if a light wind was sucking it towards the abyss the arch led to. Percy carefully skirted the edge of the area surrounding the arch. He knew enough not to get close. What happened next would keep Percy up at night for the rest of his life.
The curtain slid down the mirror and a hand slowly extended from the darkness; a single finger managed to grab hold of the edge, and was quickly joined by four more. The groan came again and Percy shrank back in terror. The first arm was soon matched by its companion, the muscles rippling with an extreme effort to pull something else out of the arch. With a pop, a man with long black hair fell out of the arch and landed not two feet from Percy. In the time it took the Weasley to gape and fumble to bring his wand up to level, the man had his in his hand and was starting on a curse.
The action stopped abruptly as the wild eyes of Sirius Black took in the room. "Percy Weasley?" the man croaked out hoarsely, shacking his black hair out of his eyes. "Where is everyone? What happened, is Harry alright?"
Percy stared for a moment before crumpling in a dead faint.