A/N: Hi all. Sorry it took me so long to update. I had to go to camp (no electronics), and then a leadership conference, and then I got too preoccupied messing around with other stuff on my computer. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy
Disclaimer: I am disappointed to say I do not own Harry Potter. The honor is that of J.K. Rowling.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, popped a lemon drop into his mouth. He had been awakened by a rather insistent Patronus from his spy, Severus Snape, who claimed he needed to meet with Dumbledore immediately. So, exhausted as he may have been, Albus dragged himself out of bed, threw on the first set of extravagant robes he touched, which happened to be bright yellow, and headed down a short flight of stairs into his office.
Severus was already there, which should have been at least mildly disconcerting to the Headmaster, but he was too tired to care. The Potions Master immediately looked up at his employer and shoved a vial toward him. Albus took it and glanced at the contents. There were silvery wisps inside the glass that he recognized as memories. He raised an eyebrow at Severus, then turned around and poured the memories into his Pensieve. Sighing, Albus threw himself into the vessel. He watched as Severus rose and headed for his study. He watched Severus' hands begin to twitch and as he began to write on a piece of parchment. As his hand stopped, Albus approached Severus and peered over his shoulder, reading what he was writing. He read the message as Severus did and gasped. The memory abruptly ended and he was thrown out of his Pensieve.
"So," said Severus, "what do you propose we do?"
"What do you mean, Severus?" Albus asked.
"Well, we can't just leave her out there!" the Potions Master shouted. "She is being hunted by Death Eaters, Albus, we can't just leave an eleven-year-old to her own devices!"
"Severus, calm down," said Albus soothingly. "I understand why you are so frantic to save her from the Death Eaters, but do you have any idea where she is? How she communicated with you?"
"Morse, obviously."
"Well, yes, the message was in Morse Code, but why? How did she send you that message? I didn't hear any tapping in the memory until your fingers started doing so, therefore I assume that the sound was in your head." Severus nodded. "So how did she manage that? Why not simply send an owl or a vocal message to your mind? Wouldn't that have been easier than something in Morse Code? There are simply too many questions, Severus. We have nowhere to begin."
"Perhaps I could try contacting her back," said Severus.
"How? Can you still sense the link?"
Severus sifted through his Occlumency shields for a moment, searching for something that wasn't supposed to be there that he might have missed. He did find a small crack in the shields blocking the more painful memories of his childhood, which he quickly repaired. Probably from all the reminiscing, he chastised himself. But there did not appear to be any connection to someone else's mind.
"No," he growled. "But we absolutely cannot leave her own, Albus."
"Perhaps you should ask some other Death Eaters for information, Severus. I'm sure Lucius has some information."
Severus snorted. "He's probably directing the entire operation. But he'll want to know how I found out in the first place and I don't have a good enough excuse at" – he checked Albus' clock – "three o'clock in the morning. And I'm sure he has some reason for keeping me out of it in the first place. He'll probably continue to keep the information from me."
Albus sighed. "I'm afraid, dear boy, that I too have very few ideas at three o'clock in the morning. We will have to revisit this problem later. In the meantime, keep an eye out from more messages from Ms. Oakford and try to get some sleep."
Severus growled. He did not like that answer, but he knew Albus was right: there was nothing they could do with such little information, and in the meantime, he may as well try to sleep. Mumbling under his breath about mysterious messages depriving him of his creativity sleep (Severus Snape did not get beauty sleep), Severus grabbed some Floo Powder and threw it into Albus' fireplace, making his way back to his home and leaving Albus standing alone in his office.
Albus had rarely seen Severus so troubled. Really, he'd only seen it once before: when Voldemort planned on killing Lily. Why was Severus so worried about a girl he'd never met? Alissa Dalby and her husband John Oakford had both been years younger than Severus in school, and neither of them had been in Slytherin, so he had most likely only glimpsed them in the halls. Severus had absolutely no connection to the Oakford family, so why did he care so much about their young daughter? It quite simply did not make sense.
With a sigh, Albus swallowed the little nub that remained of his lemon drop and proceeded back up the stairs to bed. He may as well attempt to catch a few more hours of sleep as well.
When he arrived back in his own home, Severus did not head straight for bed, as he had originally intended. Instead, he made his way to his study, where he kept his liquor cabinet. He hardly ever indulged himself (his father had been an alcoholic, after all), so he mostly kept it for when other Death Eaters joined him and when he had a particularly trying night with the Dark Lord. Those were rapidly becoming more frequent ever since Voldemort's return during the Triwizard Tournament earlier in the year. Voldemort wanted to know everything he had missed over the last thirteen years and Severus was his spy, after all. And since Voldemort had missed thirteen years' worth of opportunities to torture Muggles and Muggleborns, there were frequently little 'treats' at the meetings to culminate the night, making Severus' night that much worse. There had been several times quite recently when he had needed a stiff drink before heading to bed and even then he'd still had nightmares, the tortured faces of Voldemort's victims imprinted on his mind. Though he could usually escape from having to perform such heinous acts himself (usually), he almost always had to watch and pretend he enjoyed the 'entertainment.'
Severus Snape hated his life.
Now, knowing an eleven-year-old girl was out there, pursued by Death Eaters and likely to become the next victim, he definitely needed a couple shots of Firewhiskey. He tapped the cabinet with his wand, removing the wards and opening the doors. He grabbed a shot glass and a bottle, then proceeded to his bedroom. Firewhiskey took quick effect, and even two small shot glasses would be enough to knock him out relatively quickly (especially since he was already tired), though he was unlikely to have a hangover in the morning, the main reason he liked Firewhiskey. Admittedly, the mild burning feeling the drink provided as it slid down his throat and into his stomach was also quite pleasurable, but it was mostly the fact the he didn't need an Anti-Hangover Potion in the morning that he enjoyed Firewhiskey more frequently. Mostly.
Severus poured himself some Firewhiskey and placed the bottle on his bedside table. Swishing it around a bit in his glass, he swallowed it all in one gulp and relished the feeling of the liquid spreading warmth throughout his insides. He paused for a moment, then poured himself another glass and downed it as well. Then he changed out of his thick black robes and back into the silk pajamas that had been a gift from Lucius some time ago. Crawling into bed, he placed his wand under his pillow (old habits were more important than ever) and shut his eyes, praying the Firewhiskey would help him to sleep.
Suddenly, Severus heard something. His hand reached under his pillow and grasped his wand, making as little movement as possible. If something was in his home, he didn't want it to know he had heard it. He listened carefully. Slowly, through the haze of the alcohol, Severus realized that the noise was a tapping.
Tapping.
Severus shot out of bed, heading immediately toward his desk, stumbling slightly. He grabbed quill and parchment and immediately began scratching out the taps.
- -.- / ..-. .. .-. ... - / - . ... ... .- -. . -..- / ... . .-. . .-. ... / ... - - . / - - .-. . / .. -. ..-. - .-. - .- - .. - -. .-.-.- / .. .-. - / ... ..- .-. . / -.- - ..- .-. .-. . / .- - -. -.. . .-. .. -. -. / .- ... .- - / - ... . / ... .. -. -. .. ..-. .. -.-. .- -. -.-. . / - ..-. / - -.- / -... .. .-. - ... -.. .- -.- / .. ... .-.-.- / . ...- . .-. -.- / -.- . .- .-. -..- / - -. / - -.- / -... .. .-. - ... -.. .- -.- -..- / - ... . / -.. . .- - ... / . .- - . .-. ... / - .- -.- . / .- / - .- .- - .-. / . ..-. ..-. - .-. - / - - / -.-. .- .-. - ..- .-. . / - . .-.-.- / - ... . -.- / .- .-.. .- .- -.- ... / ... ..- -.-. -.-. . . -.. -..- / -... ..- - / .. / .- .-.. .- .- -.- ... / - .- -. .- -. . / - - / -. . - / .- .- .- -.- / .- / ..-. . .- / -.. .- -.- ... / .-.. .- - . .-. .-.-.- / - ... .. ... / -.- . .- .-. -..- / .- ... / .. / ..- -. -.. . .-. ... - .- -. -.. / .. - -..- / - ... . .. .-. / - .- ... - . .-. / ... .- ... / .-. . - ..- .-. -. . -.. .-.-.- / .. / -.. - -. .-. - / - ... .. -. -.- / .. / -.-. .- -. / . ... -.-. .- .-. . / ... .. - .-.-.- / ... . / ... .- ... / - - - / - ..- -.-. ... / .-. - .- . .-. .-.-.- / .. ..-. / ... . / - - .-. - ..- .-. . ... / - . / .- ... / .- . .-.. .-.. -..- / .. / .- .. .-.. .-.. / -. - - / ... ..- .-. ...- .. ...- . .-.-.- / .. / .- .. .-.. .-.. / -. . ...- . .-. / - . .-.. .-.. / ... .. - / - ... . / .. -. ..-. - .-. - .- - .. - -. / ... . / ... . . -.- ... -..- / -... ..- - / .. / .- .. .-.. .-.. / -. - - / ... .- ...- . / - ... . / .- .. .-.. .-.. / - - / .-. . - .- .. -. / - -.- / ... .- -. .. - -.- .-.-.- / -. - - / .- ..-. - . .-. / .- .-.. .-.. / - ... . ... . / -.- . .- .-. ... .-.-.- / .. -. ... .- -. .. - -.- / ... - ..- -. -.. ... / ..-. .- .-. / ... ..- .-. . .-. .. - .-. / - - / .- .-.. .-.. / - ... .. ... / .-. .- .. -. / .- -. -.. / ..-. . .- .-. .-.-.- / -... ..- - / .. / -. . . -.. / - - / - . .-.. .-.. / -.-. . .-. - .- .. -. / .-. . - .-. .-.. . / -.-. . .-. - .- .. -. / - ... .. -. -. ... .-.-.- / - ... . .-. . .-. ... / -.-. . .-. - .- .. -. / .. -. ..-. - .-. - .- - .. - -. / .. / ... .- ...- . / - - / .-. . ...- . .- .-.. / - - / - ... . / .- - .-. .-.. -.. .-.-.- / .- -. -.. / .. / -.-. .- -. .-. - / -.. - / - ... .- - / .- .. - ... - ..- - / ... . .-.. .-. .-.-.- / .. / -.-. .- -. .-. - / -.. - / - ... .- - / .. ..-. / .. .-. - / .. -. ... .- -. . .-.-.- / ..-. - .-. / - ... . / .-.. - ...- . / - ..-. / - . .-. .-.. .. -. -..- / ... .- ...- . / - . .-.-.- / ... .- ...- . / - . .-.-.-/ .. ..-. / .- -. -.- - -. . / -. - - / - -.- / ..-. .. .-. ... - / - . ... ... .- -. . -..- / ... . .-. . .-. ... / ... - - . / - - .-. . / .. -. ..-. - .-. - .- - .. - -. .-.-.- / .. .-. - / ... ..- .-. . / -.- - ..- .-. .-. . / .- - -. -.. . .-. .. -. -. / .- ... .- - / - ... . / ... .. -. -. .. ..-. .. -.-. .- -. -.-. . / - ..-. / - -.- / -... .. .-. - ... -.. .- -.—
Fighting the exhaustion of the Firewhiskey, Severus began translating the message. He quickly read through the main content:
If anyone got my first message, here's some more information. I'm sure you're wondering what the significance of my birthday is. Every year, on my birthday, the Death Eaters make a major effort to capture me. They always succeed, but I always manage to get away a few days later. This year, as I understand it, their master has returned. I don't think I can escape him. He has too much power. If he tortures me as well, I will not survive. I will never tell him the information he seeks, but I will not have the will to retain my sanity. Not after all these years. Insanity sounds far superior to all this pain and fear. But I need to tell certain people certain things. There's certain information I have to reveal to the world. And I can't do that without help. I can't do that if I'm insane. For the love of Merlin, save me. Save me.
Too exhausted to do anything else, Severus promptly passed out in his desk chair.
A/N: Review, please?