Chapter Two: A glimpse of madness.
"Voldermort is gathering his forces."
The dry, calm voice of Severus Snape cut through the silence in the room, all eyes of those assembled trained on him. It had been that way for the last hour, as he carefully went over ever known detail of the Dark Lord's manic planning. He felt a bit like a fish in a fishbowl, and that made him uncomfortable, yet he did not stop or step down from the spot-light.
"What he feels the best opportunity to strike back is fast approaching. He's calling all those loyal and faithful back to him."
"His best opportunity?" Echoed Albus curiously, stroking his beard as though in thought. "I wonder what he means by that?"
"Perhaps the time when it would affect the greatest number of people, with the least amount of effort to him." Suggested Minerva, looking to Severus for confirmation; and frowning a bit at his scowl.
"The amount of effort is of no interest to him. The madness has consumed him far too much to care. He would exert himself into oblivion if it meant getting his hands on those who stand in his way." The Potions Master explained, feeling the headache start to form. This was not what he wanted to do on a Saturday night. "As to what that opportunity is, I can only guess. Since the betrayal and death of Lucius, oh Great One has kept things locked in his mind, not trusting even the most loyal of his servants."
"But you do have a guess, don't you Severus?" Albus' voice has that calculating tone that Severus had come to know well.
The man sighed carefully, rubbing his temples with the tips of those long, potion-stained fingers. "I have a few ideas, but nothing more than that, Albus. And all of them are far too logical to be even remotely close to the actual plan."
An odd silence fell over the room as those assembled allowed the man's words to sink in. It was indeed the most dangerous game they were playing, and being able to stay ahead of Voldermort was not as easy as it used to be.
Even with the spy tight in his inner circle.
"I wonder..." Came the voice of Remus Lupin, breaking the silence gently, "If his plan has anything to do with this summer's events..."
"Remus?" Answered Albus, once again stroking his beard. "And what events would those be?"
Severus could feel the attention shift away from him, and he offered a silent thanks to the man. It was much easier to think when he wasn't constantly being watched.
"Well," Remus rubbed at the whiskers on his cheeks with his palm, "this July marks Potter's coming of age. He is no longer bound by the blood protection of his relatives. He has already stated he does not plan to spend any time with them; instead moving in with the Weasley's for the summer months. What if Voldermort is somehow planning to take advantage of that?"
"I suppose it's possible," stated Minerva after another moment of silence, "but why build an army just for that?"
"Why wouldn't he?" Questioned Severus dryly. "In the Weasley family alone there's a small army. And with Potter staying there, do you really think the Order will leave him alone? We can for sure count on those as constant visitors, as well as Miss Granger and the rest of seventh year Gryffindor boys."
Minerva frowned heavily at him, but it was Remus who spoke first.
"As you said earlier though Severus, something like that would be too logical. If he is truly as insane as you claim he is, then storming the Burrow has probably not even phased his mind."
"After all," came the deep voice of the Headmaster, "it is not just Harry he is after now. He's moved on to seeking revenge against all those who have stood in his way."
"You don't suppose, Albus, that he's included the Ministry in that?" Suggested Minerva, tapping a finger against her chin without thought.
Severus pondered her words a moment before responded, cutting Albus off before the elder could say anything. "For the group of bumbling idiots they are, the Ministry has managed to stand in his way for near-seventeen years. I'd have thought that would be a given he'd want to remove them in a more, permanent, way."
"Potter won't deal with the Ministry though." Stated Remus curiously. "He's turned his back on them for several years now."
"But he hasn't turned his back on quidditch!" Exclaimed Minerva with a gasp, oblivious to the total random factor of her comment.
"Qudditch?" Questioned Severus, raising an eyebrow in plain curiosity. "The Dark Lord does not strike me as the type to enjoy the sport."
"Actually-" Started Albus, getting cut off by the icy glare from Severus. "A good story for another time." The elder chuckled, then turned those clear blue eyes to his Transfigurations teacher. "Where did quidditch come from?"
"Nationals." The woman answered, unable to say anything else due to the sudden gasps and faceless cries that followed; sounds of protest filling the room.
Albus used this opportunity to exchange looks with Severus, that calculating look in the other man's eye confirming what he had just been thinking.
"Dear lords," Severus muttered under his breath, followed by a shake of his head. "He really is insane."