The Reckoning
By Eline
Part One
Takes place after "Heart of Darkness".
There was a man walking down the broken path of the cemetery on that grey, windy afternoon. It was no ordinary cemetery, tucked up in this obscure corner in Kincross with Muggle-repelling spells on the boundaries. Only those who knew it was there and what it contained could enter.
It was a place where wizards and witches were interred. Severus Snape went down the path he had not walked for almost twenty years now.
The last visit had been also another dismal afternoon like this. He had been a young wizard, fresh from Hogwarts with twelve O.W.L.s and seven N.E.W.T.s. His grandmother had been there with him, saying how proud his parents would have been . . .
Looking at the second newest pair of graves in his family's plot, Snape wondered what they would think of him now.
It had been too late for him at age seventeen, when he had last stood before their graves with darkness coalescing in his mind and lies in his heart. Even then . . . even then, he knew that his parents would not be proud of him, of what he was getting himself into.
He had only known his parents for seven years until a freak gale off the West Coast of Africa during a second honeymoon cruise had caused the worst wizarding disaster of that decade and ended their lives on a catastrophic note. The memories he had were . . . *hazy* to say the least. There had been a time when he had not recalled anything about his past at all--the darkest period of his life when he had let bitterness and hatred rule him.
But now . . .
He lived a lie still. A Death Eater and a double agent for Dumbledore. A murderer and a schoolteacher attempting to live with a none-too pleasant past. Were they two separate identities? Or would one dominate him eventually when it was time to choose which path to follow towards an uncertain future?
He did not know why he had come here again. To look back on the past? To regain what was lost? Regain what he had wilfully forgotten and now regretted the loss of . . .
That was not possible anymore. So *what* did he want?
Freedom . . . freedom from guilt and obligations that tied him down to the past.
Forgiveness from the parents he had never known? Would they have been pleased by his deeds, his betrayals and his attempts at redemption?
But the dead did not speak to him, or give him any answers. They were as silent as they had been all those years ago.
Snape stayed a moment longer before turning back. The wind whipped his cloak about as he turned back to confront the reality of the present, as if pushing him along to face what he must. There is no place for you here--go reap what you have sown . . .
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Within the small lodge in the Forbidden Forest, a number of old friends were conversing amongst themselves.
There was a couple, a man and a woman, seated by the fireplace facing the others. There was a petite woman who was swearing at another dark-haired man with swarthy skin while three others watched, amused. There was laughter and good-natured ragging afterwards. Nothing serious, all in good fun . . .
"--You haven't heard about the time we sneaked into the--"
"Oh no! Not that!"
"Shh! That's supposed to be a *secret*!"
"I had nothing to do with *that* either," Remus Lupin said from the bed where he was supposed to be convalescing from a recent forced stay in Voldemort's lair. "Honestly, Sirius, I wouldn't know these people at all if not for the fact that they like bothering werewolves--"
"Ha! Let Gerad hear that!" Caitlin chortled from where she was practically sitting on her husband Edward's lap.
"Our noble leader is going to be crushed!" Dimitri exclaimed dramatically. The others were the core of W.E.R.E.S.--Wizards/Witches for Equal Rights (Especially for so-called "Sub-humans")--a group that had championed everything from werewolf/were-creature rights to Muggle-Wizard relations in the past. (And they still were if Sirius was reading into certain parts of the conversation correctly.)
They were currently trading tales while waiting for Gerad who had gone off on "an errand" that afternoon. When Remus and Sirius had been sharing stories of the past earlier that morning, Caitlin and Gerad had caught them at it and insisted that they swap tales of mischief and mayhem.
They had moved over to the lodge because Dumbledore had asked them to (and because the infirmary was no place for such rowdiness). It had to do with Severus Snape's return to Hogwarts. It was better that Snape did not have anything to report to Voldemort about their whereabouts--or have it dragged out of him in any way.
For every one of the W.E.R.E.S. exploits, there had to be one of their escapades at school. It was mainly the lighter stuff though. There were parts that were glossed over somewhat and Sirius and Remus avoided mentioning Pettigrew if they could help it. There were gaps in the narrative and warning looks exchanged over pauses. There were still secrets and grey areas that none of them touched on. The fact remained that there *were* distinctions between groups of friends as well and each had their secrets never told . . .
"Fancy! We didn't know Remus was such a naughty boy!" Caitlin exclaimed after Sirius had told the tale of one of their grander projects to get back at the Slytherins.
"I was in bad company--I always wind up in bad company these days," Lupin said dryly. All in all, the tale-swapping was cheering everyone up immensely--they needed it. The very thought of Voldemort on the loose in the world with his old strength was depressing enough as it was.
"Hah! That's what *you* say . . . Of course, Moony was great at fibbing--he used to cook up heaps of porkies to hide his lycanthropy from us--"
The door burst open just then and a new face entered their midst.
She was a slender woman with tanned skin, fair--almost white--hair and pale eyes--a combination that was extremely striking--and seemingly boundless energy that could be felt like a layer of crackling static surrounding her.
"Hullo! How's my favourite test subject doing?" was the first thing she said as she stepped in. She had a low, mellifluous voice that was quite pleasant on the ear.
"The good doctor approaches the favoured werewolf of the day," Edward intoned solemnly.
"This is Larissa Mau--she's a--"
"Squib, shapeshifter, generally annoying person," said Larissa Mau. Up close, Sirius noticed that she was dressed like a Muggle--only somewhat more formally than Gerad and company. And she had no wand either.
"Also the leading expert on werewolves," Gerad said as he came in after her. "As in other aspects that go beyond the 'how to kill them' methods."
"Only because no one else goes near them or even *tries* to figure out lycanthropy," she said with a snort. "Thank goodness for Gerad and the old Network! Now you said there was something I should know?"
"Yes--it's about a possible spell to curtail physical transformations at the full moon."
"What? Moony, are you insane?" Sirius said, suddenly comprehending his friend's intention. "You *want* to try out something that those Death Eaters used on you?"
"It's still something," Lupin said pragmatically.
"Of course--tell me everything . . ." Larissa Mau leaned forwards expectantly and pulled out a Muggle device that Sirius knew was called a tape-recorder. How it would work in the magic-saturated environs of Hogwarts was a mystery.
"Don't worry, Sirius . . ." Gerad said as they went to one side to talk. "Oh if it's that 'test subject' thing you're wondering about . . . Well, it's an old joke--Larissa used to study local werewolves when W.E.R.E.S. was still legit because she didn't need to go out of London to find them back then."
"I see . . . She's a Squib?" It was not often that people from wizarding families admitted *that* in front of other wizards.
"Completely unable to do a spell, hex or curse," said the subject of discussion--she seemed to have *very* keen hearing as well. "I'm not ashamed of that, Mr. Black--though the paternal side of my family seems to have disowned me for some reason . . ."
"Snooty Anglo-Egyptian wizard family with bloodlines as long as your hair," Caitlin said in an undertone. "Her mother's side are much nicer folks."
"But the one thing she *can* do is change--into any creature or living being." Gerad looked over his shoulder at the woman listening to Lupin. "And that's classified Ministry information right there, Sirius . . . You can understand why the Ministry wouldn't let a shapeshifter out of their sight once they found out about her."
"She's got a Muggle degree in psychology and some other stuff so they put her in Muggle/Wizard Relations," Kai chipped in. "They had to find her something to do in case she took it to her head to run off to find other work."
"So she's supposed to smooth things out with the parents when Muggles suddenly find out that they're wizards--especially just before school term starts."
Sirius looked thoughtful. This was vaguely familiar ground and he recalled something just then. "So why didn't her department handle Harry's case then?"
"Dursley--Vernon and Petunia. Privet Drive," said Larissa Mau, still with her back to them. "We've got them filed under 'Completely Hopeless (Hostile) Muggle Relatives--do not approach at all costs'. Albus Dumbledore said that if worse came to worse, he'd handle it. I believe it was a learning experience for both sides."
From what his godson had told him about his introduction to wizardry, Sirius knew that Harry's relatives on his mother's side were not likely to see his magic as anything but an abnormality. If not for the Blood Tie that kept Harry safe during the school holidays, Sirius would have taken his godson under his wing when he had agreed to it last year.
"Some Muggles are like that, yes--"
"But not all, thank goodness," Caitlin said, smiling at Terence.
As the only Muggle present, Terence Lucas was an oddity, but he had been in W.E.R.E.S. for over a decade now and the others treated him like just another one of the team.
"I think of it as an opportunity to learn new things," Terry said with a smile and held up the camera he had been fiddling with. "I've got to find out how I can get these magic do-hickeys to work with my lenses . . ."
"He's got the world's biggest collection of werewolf photos," Dimitri said, clapping the taller man on the shoulder, "after giving us grey hairs when he hangs upside down from the broomstick and tells us to fly 'a little lower, please'. He's collaborating with Dr. Mau over there on her book."
"Ah . . . A book on werewolves?" Sirius guessed.
Caitlin raised an eyebrow. "How did you know? Seriously, Larissa's work has been going on *long* before W.E.R.E.S. got started--you should hear her go on about the theories of morphic resonance, gravitational fields and genetic factors responsible for the metamorphosis . . ."
"She still does if anyone would listen . . . One word of advice--don't get her started," Gerad whispered.
"Does the Ministry know she's involved with you lot?" Sirius wondered. From what he had heard, W.E.R.E.S. was not something the Ministry would condone even if they were not aware of half of what they got up to.
"Of course they do--but they think it's her eccentric little hobby and it's not likely that they would poke any further where werewolves are concerned. It's *us* that's the secret."
"Your lot as in natural Animagi?" That was the other interesting fact about this little group--they had the in-born ability to do what had taken three years of research, the right spell and a hard-to-make-potion for Sirius and his friends. (He was intensely curious about what forms the others could take on, but they had not revealed this yet and Moony wasn't being very helpful about it either.)
"Yes," Gerad said in a low voice. "Keep it down . . ."
"Too late," Kailing muttered as Dr. Mau turned around.
"I don't think they should be considered Animagi, though--I prefer the term--"
"Natural bimorphics," everyone else chorused and rolled their eyes.
"Yes," she said cheerfully as she stood up and put her tape-recorder into her pocket, "the main difference being that Animagi don't have the innate urge to change into their alternative shapes. Kailing over there is a prime example . . . you felt better after yesterday morning's excursion, didn't you?"
"Yes--unless you count the fact that I itched like the blazes for the whole day." Kailing's skin had turned lobster red after their successful rescue yesterday--the result of a large dose of offensive magic that had been flung at her while she had been in her sea dragon form. Her magic-proof hide had not been harmed, but the side effects seemed to have extended all the way to her human shape in the form of a rash.
"I'll have to see about that later--dreadfully sorry, I'm going to be busy today. . . I have to meet Syed Omar Sharif later this afternoon--he's world's leading expert on djinns and afrits. What's the next thing on the agenda?"
"That Portkey--it's with the headmaster. Ah, it looks like we have to end this little reunion soon, chaps--"
"Work--always work," Dimitri muttered and threw up his hands.
"Even more now that Voldemort is loose--can't have another Incident like back in eighty-seven . . ."
"You owe me a vacation, Gerad," Kailing said meaningfully. "Sick leave as it is . . ."
"Well, all right . . ." Kailing was out the door and running for the lake before he was done. "I suppose you are right about the urge to change," he said to Dr. Mau.
"Another thing, we've got to get back home and pick up the kids from our Mum's place first, Gerad," Caitlin said as she got up. "And we can't leave the clinic closed for so long . . ."
"We'll bring Sandra and Sean next time," Edward said, smiling. "They haven't seen Uncle Moony for almost two years now."
It was Sirius' turn to raise his eyebrows. "*Uncle Moony*?" he asked with a growing smirk.
"Larissa used to be Auntie Kit-Kat to them," Lupin said dryly.
"They're cute kids--I gave them chocolate," she said with a shrug. "Gerad--the Portkey?"
"We'll have to go up to the school . . ."
Sirius decided to go along with them to see Dumbledore and leave Lupin to his rest for a while. He transformed into his Animgus and trailed Gerad and Larissa Mau out.
A little path led to the edge of the forest and the Hogwarts grounds. They passed Hagrid's cottage, but Sirius knew he was not there--he was out on a mission for Dumbledore. Then the path wound near the edge of the lake and Sirius could see the dark serpentine shape moving sinuously below the surface from a distance.
"Maybe she can make friends with the giant squid," Gerad was heard to be saying to Dr. Mau as they deviated from the path to get closer for a better look. Seeing a dragon up close was a rare enough occurrence to pique anyone's interest.
A pair of glowing orbs appeared in the shallows and blinked lazily at them. The rest of the sea dragon's great length trailed off into the grey-blue depths--Sirius had seen just how large she was while they had been in the forests of Romania tracking down Moony.
"I know Terry would love to get a shot at her now."
"What makes you think he won't try?" Indeed, Terence Lucas was jogging along with lakeshore with his camera, trying to get a good angle while Dimitri watched patiently. But Kailing was not going to make it easy for him for she darted away as soon as he came near.
They continued on to the school proper with amused smiles. During the vacation period, the grounds were almost empty of life beyond the odd house elf or Professor passing through. Sirius thought it a little strange--his memories were always that of his eventful (and a little rowdy) school years when the castle fairly buzzed with life.
Up in the privacy of Dumbledore's office, Sirius changed back as the headmaster of Hogwarts greeted the newcomer. The Portkey (or what Sirius mentally termed the Death Eater Standard-Issue Multipurpose Field-Knife) was brought out in a wooden box locked with some really advanced binding spells.
"How distastefully cliched--yet oddly fitting," Larissa murmured as the dagger with the snake-headed hilt was revealed. "Was there poison on it?"
"Would you believe *two* kinds? On the blade and on the fangs--we cleaned it off," Gerad told her.
"So it's fairly safe to handle now?"
"Fairly safe--unless someone activates it," Dumbledore said. "Voldemort would no doubt have some nasty surprise waiting on the other end if someone tried that again. We did not delete the Portkey enchantment--it's the only clue we have pertaining to the location of Voldemort's lair."
Sirius grew curious. Was there a way for spellcasters to find out where a Portkey went without actually using them?
"Security's that tight?"
"Not even our man on the inside knows--Voldemort trusts precious few wizards these days."
Larissa looked it over carefully again before closing the lid. "I'll try my best--I know some young wizards who would find this an enjoyable challenge."
"More of your useful acquaintances, Dr. Mau?"
"You can say that," she said with a smile. "It's been a pleasure, Professor Dumbledore. Gerad, Sirius--I suppose I'd be seeing your lot sooner or later . . ."
"Allow me," Gerad said, extending an arm. She took it and Gerad pulled out a Portkey in the shape of a pocket-watch before they winked out of sight.
"Ah Sirius--isn't it remarkable what you can accomplish when you're really determined?" Dumbledore chuckled slightly.
"Pardon?"
"I mean people without a trace of magic in them--it doesn't necessarily slow them down. Sometimes it does exactly the opposite. Adaptability's important--especially in the time to come," he said in a more solemn tone. "We were not prepared three decades ago, Sirius, but I intend to make sure that history will not repeat itself again."
"What's that got to do with people like Dr. Mau?"
Dumbledore rose from his chair and paced to the high window behind his desk. "Magic, Sirius . . . Have we come to rely on it too much?"
"But we *usually* fight magic with magic," Sirius said as he joined the headmaster at the window.
"Yes, but all that magic did not help us win the war. It took a simple but powerful thing to defeat Voldemort, and the cost of that battle you know very well . . ."
Indeed he did--Sirius had promised himself that there would be a reckoning for what had happened to the Potters and all those innocents slain during Voldemort's reign of terror.
"You know what Gerad's little organisation is about?" Dumbledore was now looking out of the window at the lake. From this vantage-point, the people down there were matchstick figures on the shore and the dragon was a dark line in the water.
"They've gone underground--I think they're still active though."
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Gerad's people have been very useful--they will be even more useful still when Voldemort looks for more supporters."
Sirius caught on. "The werewolves!"
"Yes--Voldemort won't find as many werewolves willing to join him now as he had before. As for the ghouls, the zombies, the vampires and other creatures of the night . . . We cannot keep him from recruiting them, but he will find the werewolves a challenge. The work of W.E.R.E.S. and Larissa Mau's efforts over the years will prove invaluable. But you didn't hear that from me."
Down by the lake, the dragon had tired of the game and was rearing up obligingly so that the photographer could have a shot before she had to return to her human form to leave Hogwarts.
The pieces of the puzzle began to gather and fall into place . . . He had been sent to gather the trusted few who had their own parts to play after that disaster at the Tri-wizard Tournament--they were all on the alert now that they knew Voldemort was back. And--
"Hagrid . . . you sent him north to the giants," Sirius said suddenly. "To offer friendship and to get to them before Voldemort does." Dumbledore's plan was clear to him now--he was trying to deny Voldemort as much support from the magical races and creatures as he could.
"Correct. And there are more tasks for you as well, Sirius, if you so desire to take them up." Dumbledore turned from the window to face him. "I want you to--Goodness, what's *that*?"
Following Dumbledore's line of sight, Sirius saw that he was staring out of the opposite window behind him. There was a dark mass of something that looked like smoke coming from the nearby village of Hogsmeade.
"A fire?" But Sirius immediately sensed that this was not just a simple fire. Surely someone would have performed an extinguishing spell by now?
"I fear that it is something much more serious . . ." He produced his wand and intoned, "Sonitus alarmus!"
The sound that followed was like a fanfare made by an over-enthusiastic bugler that Sirius had only heard twice in his whole life--that alarm that was only used in times of trouble.
Here? At Hogwarts? No, *Hogsmeade* . . .
"We must hurry," the headmaster said and started off for the Great Hall. Sirius switched back into his Animgus form and bounded after him.
"What's happening, headmaster?" asked Professor McGonagall breathlessly as they met her running just outside the Great Hall.
"Something I wish I had prepared for, Minerva," Dumbledore replied shortly before sweeping into the Hall.
Gathered together, the number of witches and wizards at Hogwarts just then was hardly impressive. Sirius hoped that Dumbledore knew what he was doing.
"All here? Good. There is a fire at Hogsmeade," he began without preamble. "As it has not been extinguished yet, I'm assuming that something is wrong and we shall have to take a hand in it."
The other teachers looked stunned as the full import of his words sunk in.
"Surely it can't be--"
"It's the sort of thing that Voldemort would do--this is likely to be retaliation for our strike against him in his own stronghold."
Practically everyone had blanched at the mention of that dreaded name--except Snape, who looked about as readable as a stone at this point. To their credit, no one was insisting on that ridiculous "You-Know-Who" business.
Slinking about unnoticed in the background, Sirius noticed Dimitri and Terence coming into the Hall.
"Severus and Minerva will come with me--the rest of you hold the fort until we get back."
"Professor Dumbledore--we'd like to volunteer," Dimitri called from behind the teachers. "I'm volunteering in Gerad's stead actually--he'd have done the same."
"Very well, Dimitri--we do need all the help we can get. Poppy, be ready for any casualties," he instructed Madam Pomfrey gravely. Moments later, they were mounted on brooms and flying for Hogsmeade at top speed.
And in the lake, the dragon began to swim in convoluted circles . . .
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Severus Snape had been in his office when the siren had sounded. As apparation was out of the question in Hogwarts, he had to dash up to the Great Hall where the other teachers were assembling.
And he saw Black in his Animagus form in the background--the last being on earth he wanted to see. Snape had not forgotten that broken nose that he had given him--it was just another grievance on the long list of grievances concerning Black. Addressing them seemed quite impossible these days--they were supposed to be working together now. The very thought of that set his teeth on the edge. It still rankled that he had been wrong about Black . . .
But Dumbledore's words had driven all thoughts of revenge temporarily out of his head. A fire at Hogsmeade that had not been curbed yet for some reason. Snape did not doubt that Voldemort's hand was behind it.
And he had not been able to give advance warning about it because Voldemort had known better than to tell him anything.
So much for him being a spy. Voldemort was playing a game and he was just one more piece to be manipulated as the Dark Lord pleased. He thought he would have gotten used to it by now . . .
By the time they reached Hogsmeade, the fire looked like it was spreading fast. The smoke and ash filling the air was becoming so thick that they had to veer away and land near a group of highly agitated wizards and witches in what passed for the village square.
Trying to get information from the middle of this chaotic mess was easier said than done--Black had to practically grab one distraught wizard running past and swing him around to face Professor Dumbledore.
"Oh--Professor Dumbledore! Thanks goodness you're here! The fire--we can't seem to put it out!" he babbled. "None of our extinguishing spells work at all! We called the Ministry but--"
"Where did this fire start?"
"I-I'm not that sure, sir!" I think it was over by the bakery . . ."
"Lead the way, please," Dumbledore said. "Sirius--take Dimitri and Terence to make sure that all houses are evacuated. We cannot take any chances this time."
Black nodded and ran off into the crowd with that other wizard Snape did not know and the Muggle who hung around with Gerad Conelly's bunch. Trust Black to associate with Muggles . . . The fact that Dumbledore had separated the two of them indicated just how much faith he had about them working together. And he was absolutely right on that score--Snape would have preferred to cut off his own foot first.
Dumbledore's next words brought him back on track again.
"This fire isn't magical," Dumbledore was muttering as they hurried after their guide to the purported source of the blaze.
Minerva McGonagall pointed her wand at a burning doorway. "Restinguo! It *is* extinguishable, hendmaster," she said as the fire died down, only to be replaced by a new wave of flames. "But the fire just keeps spreading, so the extinguishing spells make no difference."
"It could be the Perpetus Charm," Snape muttered darkly. Trust Voldemort to come up with something like this . . . "It could keep the fire going on *indefinitely*."
Dumbledore nodded. "The Perpetus Charm--yes, you're probably right, Severus. The only way to stop the fire is to cancel the original spell."
"The only way to do *that* is to get to the source," Snape said just as they arrived at the building that looked like it had been burning for the longest time. The roof was gone and the floors were crumbling away into the blaze.
They looked at the three-storey high inferno with trepidation. With the right spells, it would be fairly easy to pass unscathed through the flames--but then they would have to look out for the crumbling structure of the building itself. It looked like it was about to fall apart any second now.
"We'll have to do this the hard way then--anyone up to a bit of fire-walking?" Dumbledore asked.
"Headmaster, there could be a trap in there," Snape pointed out. Voldemort would have liked nothing better to get rid of Albus Dumbledore permanently--preferably *without* going head to head with him for a battle on that scale could drain both sides to the point of death. "You cannot risk it."
"Severus is right," Minerva said. "I'll go--"
"No--I'll go." It had been his failure to warn them of this after all.
"Severus," Dumbledore began, "if you think that you can blame yourself for this--"
"We shouldn't argue now, headmaster," Minerva said, looking rather tight-lipped. "Severus and I will go in."
Snape was about to disagree, but he caught himself and nodded curtly. No point in arguing now--they should be saving their strength to get to the root of the problem as fast as possible.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
They had split up, going door to door and alerting the households in the path of the blaze--which was basically every house around them. It got easier after they recruited a few more volunteers to spread the word.
"And bring out your brooms--we might need them for emergencies!" Sirius called as another family left their home. The sight of the spreading fire had been enough to make even the most stubborn see reason. Residences in Hogsmeade were mostly closely packed houses--a fire like that could decimate their entire hamlet easily. The chaos was so great that no one recognised him at all--of course, he was not as unkempt and thin as he used to be after Azkaban, but Voldemort himself could have strolled through and no one would have noticed . . . Well, the amount of terror the Dark wizard's presence could generate might just turn this into a *riot*.
"We could organise a bucket chain!" Terence Lucas shouted over to him as they raced up another row of houses. "If they had any wells or rivers here . . . Do they?"
"Unfortunately no!" Dimitri yelled back. "Excuse me, ma'am, I don't think it's a good idea to try to pack luggage--"
"Watch it! Go easy, please--don't push!" The important thing was to keep people from trampling each other and setting off spells while panicking. And that was getting harder to do as the number of young children underfoot was increasing and they were being jostled left and right by the crowds of people.
They were chivvying away the last few families when the row of houses caught fire from behind.
"Just in time--I hope the headmaster'll get this sorted out before the whole place burns to the ground," Sirius said with a sigh.
"My kitty! My kitty's still up there!" one of the girls from the crowd cried and she would have run back to her house if Terence had not intercepted her and scooped her up in time.
"We'll get your kitty for you--you stay with your mum now," Terry said as he deposited the girl in the arms of her frantic mother.
"Oh no . . ." Dimitri muttered. "How are you going to do *that*?"
"Fly?"
"I'll get the cat," Sirius said resignedly. He had been a Beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team before getting thrown off for truly spectacular bouts of (Slytherin provoked) fouling and he was still fairly good at aerial manoeuvres.
The borrowed broomstick from Hogwarts worked fine and the trip up to the girl's room went well--it was the cat that was being unreasonable when someone wanted to save it from a fire. Sirius sustained scratches in the process of catching it; this cat was obviously not as intelligent as Crookshanks.
"Where are those Ministry duffers when you *really* need them?" Sirius groaned after giving the ungrateful cat back to the little girl. Crowd-control and saving other people's pets was going to need more than just the three of them and their broomsticks.
"Uh-oh--guys, someone else didn't get out," Terry said, pointing at the second floor window. Sirius realised that there would be even more flying practice before this day was done.
It's going to be a long afternoon . . . Sirius thought to himself as he took off again.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
After invoking the Infitialis Deflagratio charm on themselves, they had stridden into the fiery conflagration to find the source of the spell.
House rivalries and differences aside, Snape knew that Minerva McGonagall was a very competent witch. They were watching each other's backs as they blasted aside falling roof beams to get in deeper. As the upper floors had been destroyed, it was a safe assumption that the source of the spell could not have been rooted up there. That left the ground floor and the cellar if there was one.
"Severus! Here!" McGonagall called after they had been poking around the smothering debris on the first floor for a few minutes. There, at the foot of the remains of what looked like a brick foundation, was a flame that burned black and purple. One look confirmed his suspicions--it was the Perpetus Charm.
"It looks like it can be deleted," she said after casting a Pererros Spell over the flickering flame. "I'll try to cancel it . . . Strig--"
"There's a trap--I'm sure of it!" he interrupted her before she could finish the slightly more advanced spell that would disrupt the Perpetus Charm--a dangerous act in itself. Voldemort would not let them have a victory so easily--especially after what had happened a few days ago.
"Then one of us would have to back the other up," she decided. She was obviously thinking that it was better to be safe than sorry when it came to Voldemort's Dark Magic.
"I'll cancel it."
She nodded. There was no time for arguments--it was getting uncomfortably warm despite the anti-fire charm and the village was going to be so much ash if they delayed. "The avoidance charm?"
Snape nodded curtly--that would enough. At least he hoped so. "Strigos abruptum!"
At the same time, Minerva shouted, "Defugio!"
Their precautions *had* been necessary. The black and purple flame flickered out but the cancellation of that spell triggered off another that caused a yawning portal to open up right beneath Snape's feet. A Portal Trap--just where it was suppose to send the victim was something Snape did not wish to find out firsthand.
Minerva's spell held and he was shunted aside fairly quickly to stand on solid ground.
Another "Strigos abruptum!" was enough to seal the trap. Now they could effectively put out the fire that was endangering the village--
But like an answered prayer, rain came pouring down. No one had seen the storm clouds through the blanket of smoke covering the village. It was not a light shower but a downpour that doused the fires around them effectively.
"A miracle," Minerva said as they stood there and let the rain wash the soot off their faces. "We didn't even need to do another spell . . ."
"Oh, I think it was rather more well planned than that," Dumbledore said as he picked his way over the scorched ground towards them "Water elementals can summon rain . . . as can certain other water creatures."
Snape was not up to deciphering this cryptic statement--he was just relived that Voldemort's latest scheme had not proceeded to fruition. Dumbledore would not look so calm if there had been any casualties. Now all he wanted was a rest--maintaining spells for prolonged periods of time was tiring.
He had this feeling that rest was something that was going to be very hard to come by in the time ahead. It was beginning again . . . and he was caught square in the middle of it.
Standing out in the rain, he could not help but feel cynical as more brooms came hurtling out from the sky--the Ministry people were here at last, but they were late as usual. If this was going to be the way they reacted in a crisis--rather like the way they had botched things up the last time--they were going to have to depend on themselves . . .
Dumbledore was trying to get the facts through to the disbelieving Ministry officials--but that was an uphill task if he ever saw one. There was not even a Dark Mark hanging over the scene like some harbinger of doom--now that would *really* shake things up. Snape wondered if the headmaster ever felt as helpless in the face of Ministry incompetence . . .
His wand was still in his hand. The idea was still in his head.
"Morsmordre," he whispered. If you had the power, shouting the spell was not really necessary--he learned that lesson long ago. The blackened framework of the house behind him chose that moment to collapse, sending up a cloud of black dust and ash--it framed his version of the Dark Mark perfectly. It might not be as large and impressive as the one at the Quidditch World Cup, but it had the same effect.
The screaming began in earnest now.
*Now* they would know how lucky they were--no one had actually been killed here. But Voldemort had not intended for them to--if he had, they would be ashes on the ground by now.
The Ministry officials looked dumbstruck for a moment before starting on some low-key hysterics. Dumbledore shot him a warning look over his shoulder--he would get lectured for causing this widespread panic. But Snape was past caring. It was beginning again--people had the right to be frightened. The Ministry *should* be frightened.
Walking through fire was an extremely apt metaphor for these dark times . . .
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Restlessness eventually drove Remus Lupin out of his convalescence. Thanks to Madam Pomfrey, he was feeling as right as rain and was willing to risk her wrath to go in search of his friends.
By the time he ventured out, it was getting late in the day. Fortunately, the moon was on the wane and he would not have to worry about that for another two weeks or thereabouts.
The first thing he noticed was that it had been raining--but it had slowed to a drizzle right now. The second was the sharp carbon reek borne by the cool breeze that implied that a fire had occurred somewhere nearby. He was going to go down to the castle proper to get to the bottom of this when Gerad Connelly popped into existence just outside the lodge.
"Gerad? What happened?" he asked.
"I'm the dark too," replied the curly-haired man, pocketing his Portkey. "I just got back from seeing Larissa Mau off at the Ministry--she insisted I stay for tea. When I got back, it was raining and when I went down to the school, I found them holed up as though they were under attack. They told me that Hogsmeade was on fire. The headmaster's down there--did you see Kai, Dimitri or Terry around?"
"No--and Sirius' gone too. Knowing them, they'll be with Dumbledore in Hogsmeade."
"Not anymore," Gerad said, nodding at the treetops in the direction of Hogwarts. A line of brooms and their riders were returning from the direction of Hogsmeade. A number of them were veering off and heading in the direction of the forest.
It was three out of the four missing persons--they were dripping wet and had traces of ash and soot on their clothing. The sound of their voices could be heard before they even landed.
"--I tell you that man practically ran me over when I--"
"--ruddy buggers don't even say thank you after you've pulled their bacon out of the fire--"
"Like the cat you mean?" Dimitri was saying as they landed in front of Lupin and Gerad.
"What happened?"
"You won't believe this, Moony--I pulled off the old Triple Barrel Roll trying to avoid some of the idiots who were trying to fly away and got caught in the smoke! You should've seen us! Those idiots at the Ministry probably can't do a mid-air broomstick rescue!"
"But you should've seen them panic and run around like headless chickens when the Dark Mark appeared . . ."
But that was the reaction most people would exhibit when faced with that symbol of past horrors. Lupin could not really blame them for that. "So what happened? What caused the fire?" he asked his old friend patiently. Sirius on an adrenaline high was a little harder to bring back down to earth than normal.
"It was deliberate. Old Moldywarts was sending us a little message--with a trap included," Sirius said grimly as he wiped at his soot-stained face with a rain-damped sleeve. "But Snape and McGonagall settled that--the rain took care of the rest. I don't know anything else--I wasn't going to stick around for any Ministry stooges to identify me."
"While we're giving credit where credit's due, I think we should be thanking a certain dragon too," Dimitri said as he spotted something in the distance behind them.
A very damp and dishevelled Lee Kailing was staggering up the path towards them from the direction of the lake.
"Well? Is it all right now?"
"Yes--the fire's out. The rain was brilliant, by the way," Gerad said As a sea dragon, Kailing was only fast and powerful in water--she was, to put it bluntly, just a little more mobile on land than the average snail. Summoning rain was a part of the weather magic that sea dragons--who were related in some way to water elementals--had.
"Oh good . . . That was only the second time I ever tried anything like that *intentionally*. Lucky thing the wind was blowing in the right direction--" And she would have fallen over if Dimitri and Terry had not caught both of her arms in time. "I think I deserve extra time off for this, Gerad . . ."
"Sorry, Kai, we've got to move on--you can have a rest at Caitlin's place." The normally cheerful man looked a little grim. They all were probably feeling the same cold dread underneath--Voldemort's strike this close to Hogwarts had driven home the fact that they were living in dangerous times.
"Oh *bother* . . ."
"It's not like we have a choice. Did you know? Those Ministry wizards are insisting that was some copycat trying to be Voldemort all over again--"
"What? Those people are *impossible*!"
Privately, Lupin agreed. The Ministry was suffering from a bad case of denial when it came to things associated with Voldemort. He watched as Gerad and co. left via Portkey, bickering as usual, before turning back to Sirius.
"You know, if we knew those guys when we were in Hogwarts--" Sirius began.
"Hogwarts might not even be standing where it is now, I know," Lupin finished. "Padfoot, don't mind me saying, but you're as damp as a wet dog right now . . ."
"Dumbledore's got another job for me," Sirius said when he was dry and they were seated indoors in front of the fireplace. "And you too . . ."
"Hmmm, I think we need to start with giving you a shave," Lupin said after Sirius had told him just what it entailed. Of course, Sirius would never say no to this sort of opportunity that Dumbledore was offering . . .
"A shave?" Sirius fingered his beard--he had obviously had it for so long that it was practically a part of him. "This beard's been through everything with me, Moony," he said in a mock-tragic tone. "Azkaban, being on the run, fires, ungrateful cats--"
"It got a little singed too," Lupin pointed out.
"Saved my face too, it did," Sirius continued blithely. "Oh well . . . farewell, facial hair--I shall miss you. You will always have a place in my mind if not my face--"
"*And* a haircut," Lupin said, fighting the urge to laugh. Sirius was actually regaining his old sense of humour even during a time like this.
"Should I write a soliloquy for my hair too?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The author swears that "Heart of Darkness" would be the last fic she ever sends out without sending it through a proof-reader (yep, it was awful): Firstly, big thanks to my beta-reader Earthwalk! She saved me from my typo-demons! So what do you think? Were the conversations too long-winded? Improvements?
Now I can get on to rambling and you guys can switch off if you're bored. I just got back from a field trip two weeks ago--we unintentionally proved Murphy's Law on the journey to our destination. It was *hell* (which is now defined as being stranded in the middle of the ocean without petrol, without a loo and people doing Titanic impressions)--that doesn't half make you want to write angsty fic . . . and those bits should be the next few parts where Snape dodges traffic on Memory Lane.
(Hagrid's adventures during this time will be told in another fic "Among Giants" because there wasn't enough room in here for a subplot of that size--lame pun intended. Help--I'm suffering from Multiple Fics Syndrome!)
All HP-related characters and the HP-universe in general belongs to J. K. Rowling except for those invented to get the plot moving.
Larissa Mau is © Eline (Rheow) and Andrea L. C. (Mooky De Madde) from earlier fanfics in another fandom far, far away. Reusable characters are *fun* (not to mention eco-friendly).