Albus
The Three Broomsticks was crowded as usual. "So, Dumbledore, you finally decided to show up at my bar," Rosmerta scolded at him over the counter, her arms folded. "I can't remember the last time you paid me a visit!"
"Sincerest apologies, Rosmerta," Dumbledore replied, smiling amiably, "But you of all people should remember just how busy I am these days. I have a whole school to run, you know. I just wish you could tell me how you manage your lovely bar with such efficiency. This place is always booming with business. Maybe I too can apply your wondrous secrets to my own job at Hogwarts."
"Don't try to flatter me, Dumbledore! I can tell that you're just making excuses. Don't think I'm not aware of your patronage at the Hogs Head inn a few months ago! I can't imagine for the life of me why you would even venture into that grimy place, when you could always come to me and get the finest quality mead in all of Britain!"
Madame Rosmerta slid a flask of spiced wine over to Dumbledore, who took a sip and closed his eyes in satisfaction. "Happy Halloween!" she grinned.
"It seems that you are right on all accounts, Rosmerta. Your beverages are without a doubt as top-notch as ever. Do save some of my favorite mead for me to carry back to Hogwarts, will you?"
"So, you admit it," Madame Rosmerta said triumphantly. "You did go to the Hogs Head without even bothering to check up on me! Was it to see your goat-obsessing brother? I can't imagine that you two have made up now so as to be on such chatty terms with each other."
Dumbledore chuckled. "Rosmerta, I can assure you that I was merely on professional business at the Hog's Head. You see, I was there to interview an applicant for a teaching post at Hogwarts. But pray tell me, how did you know?"
"Ah, Dumbledore," Madame Rosmerta replied, "I was there that night as well! Your dear old brother had invited me to come and taste some special rum he had brewed. Believe me, that was the last thing I would have ever wanted to do, but when he described his concoction, I became a little suspicious. You see, it sounded similar to one of my own beverages that I sell here."
"So, you naturally went to see first-hand whether your competitor was upping his game," Dumbledore surmised.
Madame Rosmerta laughed. "Certainly! And between you and me, I think old Aberforth was just using that as an excuse to have me over. I always felt that he has crush on me, you know. So, I felt like playing along in this little game of his."
Dumbledore smirked. "Ahh, Rosmerta, I see. Perhaps the reason why I didn't notice you was because you were too busy with my brother."
Madame Rosmerta continued her story as if she didn't hear him.
"We were in the kitchen, mostly. I was taking out two glasses from the cupboard – they were filthy as hell – and I was about to wipe them clean when I knocked over an empty bottle of butterbeer sitting on the counter. Seconds later I saw a hooded man running out of the inn. I thought I knew him; what was his name again? I'm trying to remember. Hmm, I wonder…was it Snape? Yes! Severus Snape! I heard his footsteps loud and clear coming downstairs, so I exited the kitchen to see what all the ruction was about!"
"And then," Madame Rosmerta blurted out, almost reproachfully, "I saw you coming down the stairs a few moments later. But did you pay any attention to me? Of course not! You just stormed out of the bar as if you had important business to tend to. Well I suppose you did, didn't you? Did Snape get the job?"
Dumbledore looked at the barmaid intently as she told her story. Solemnly, he replied, "No Rosmerta, it wasn't Snape I was interviewing at the Hogs Head. It was someone else. I'm terribly sorry for not noticing you that night, Rosmerta. I beg your pardon, but I must leave immediately from here."
As Dumbledore got up from his stool and turned toward the exit, he heard Madame Rosmerta shouting behind his back, "When will I see you next, Dumbledore?"
He left without answering her.
He felt he had known from the beginning, but he wasn't sure. It could have just been a random noise, he thought. Had someone really been eavesdropping on his interview with Trelawney?
He had no choice but to offer Trelawney the Divination post after all. It was for her own protection. He had quickly bidden her goodbye and had dashed downstairs in hopeful pursuit of any potential intruder. However, he hadn't found anything to warrant further suspicion.
Then, six months later, the terrible event happened. He felt furious with himself. Frank and Alice had been captured, and he couldn't help but feeling that it was his fault. But, he reminded himself, he wasn't sure who was the child the prophecy was referring to, and how could he have known that they would have been in danger at all?
He had tried to protect the Longbottoms and the Potters, but he clearly should have done much more. He told them about the power of the Fidelius charm, and suggested that they find trustworthy secret keepers. He even offered to be secret keeper for both families, but both refused. He didn't press them for their reasons. In retrospect, he should have at least enquired about the identities of the secret keepers each family chose.
Frank and Alice were not even at home the night they were taken. Even though the Fidelius charm was not directly placed on the house but rather on Frank and Alice themselves, their home served as a formidable boundary that strengthened their protection. Dumbledore had warned them to stay in their homes so that the charm would work to full effect. However, the second of August was their anniversary, and who could blame them for wanting to celebrate? They had left Neville with his grandmother that night, and went out together. But alas, they never returned.
He had no idea what happened to Augusta, and worse yet, he did not know where Neville was. He felt as if he was losing the war. The Order of the Phoenix was struggling to survive; he was risking too much. But he could not let Voldemort win. He had to protect the Chosen One.
When he found out about the attack on the Longbottoms, he resolved to find out how the Dark Lord knew about the prophecy. It could not merely have been a coincidence that the Longbottoms were targeted. He concluded that information about the prophecy had leaked somehow. He could no longer take any chances. Someone within the Order had been feeding Voldemort information. How else could the Dark Lord have known that Neville was born at the end of July?
It was not like him to be unaware of matters. However, his recent travels to foreign lands over the last few months had him very much preoccupied. He knew he had to take campaigning against Lord Voldemort to an international level if they truly wanted to win the war.
He had gotten back from a successful journey just yesterday, but was too tired to attend the Potters' christening ceremony the morning after. He had chosen to settle for a drink at the Three Broomsticks that evening, since he didn't feel like venturing out too much for Halloween after just returning home.
Now he knew exactly what had happened the night Trelawney made the prophecy. Snape had overheard it, and he went to inform his master. Dumbledore needed to assess exactly how severe the situation was. He had always held on to the hope that the Death Eater would someday come to his senses, but he realized he couldn't ignore his duty any longer. He needed to be the proactive, powerful wizard everyone admired and feared. He needed to confront Severus Snape.
He apparated on a road littered with rows of dilapidated brick houses. He briskly walked until he reached a dark alley, and navigated his way past a series of deserted, run-down structures. At last, he reached the very last house on the street labelled Spinner's End.
The curtains in the house had been drawn closed, shutting off any natural sunlight. Dumbledore took out his wand and rapped on the door. It swung inward, inviting him into a small, faintly lit sitting room.
Snape charged forward from the nearby cellar. "Impedimenta!" he cried. Dumbledore lazily disarmed him with a flick of his wand, and sat down on the old armchair. "Severus, we have much to discuss, I fear."
"Dumbledore!" Snape hissed. "Why have you come here? Do you intend to kill me?"
"No, I have not come to kill you. It seems that you underestimate me, Severus. I have no interest in matters concerning death. Those who think that gaining power can only be done through death are only to be pitied, and I'm sorry to say that I can't see myself degrading my personage to a low standard like that."
"Then the Dark Lord will surely defeat you," Snape muttered, a smile slowly creeping onto his face. "You are weak, Dumbledore! You are weak, and you are a coward!"
"I have no time for your babbling, Severus. I know that you were eavesdropping on my interview with Trelawney that night at the Hogs Head. Tell me, Severus, did you not think that the prophecy could in fact be referring to Lily Evan's son?"
"Of course!" Snape shouted angrily. "But it could also be referring to Frank and Alice's son!"
"You are only hoping that the prophecy is about Neville Longbottom, aren't you, Severus? Have you wondered what would happen if your master finds out about Harry Potter? By telling Lord Voldemort about the prophecy, you have doomed Lily Evans and her entire family! I know you, Severus. I know you still harbor love for Lily. However, it appears that your servitude to Lord Voldemort is more important than anything else."
"I have already told the Dark Lord about Harry Potter," Snape muttered apprehensively. "I have begged Him to spare her life. I have served Him with all my heart. I have convinced Him!" Snape said proudly. "And what does it matter? Lily Evans is worth everything to me. Her filthy, arrogant husband does not deserve her. He and her son's lives are cheap sacrifices in exchange for hers! After the Dark Lord finishes his mission, I am sure that she will understand. She will now be free to start over a new life; a life with me! She will see that only I can make her truly happy!"
"You disgust me," Dumbledore said. "But honestly, do you really think that Lord Voldemort will spare her?"
"Yes, yes!" Snape cried. "He promised me. I made Him promise!"
"And what if he doesn't keep his end of the bargain, Severus? What will you do then?"
The look of triumph on Snape's face vanished instantly. "I – I – He will do no such thing, Dumbledore!" Snape snarled.
"Severus, I know there is some shred of morality in you. If you want to see Lily Evans truly safe and happy, you must help me defeat Lord Voldemort once and for all. Help me save the Potter family."
"I will never betray the Dark Lord!" Severus exclaimed defiantly. "I know Lily Evans will be safe! But her husband and son are as good as dead. There is nothing I can do to prevent that, even if I wanted to. The Dark Lord has planned to ambush the Potters' house this evening! The Potters have been infiltrated even in spite of your precious Fidelius Charm!"
Dumbledore looked on as Snape clasped his hands over his mouth in horror and astonishment, unable to retract his words.
For once, Dumbledore looked worried. He got up from his chair and cast a powerful charm that bound Snape with invisible ropes. He did not wish for Snape to escape from Spinner's End, nor did he want Snape to reach for the Dark Mark on his arm to summon Lord Voldemort. He quickly contacted Minerva McGonagall to come and take care of his captive.
Quickly, he left Spinner's End and apparated into Godric's Hollow. However, by the time he arrived at the Potters' house, half of it had been blasted away. He ran inside the burnt remains and saw, to his dismay, that he was too late.
Lily Potter sat on the floor of the nursery, cradling Neville Longbottom. She was surrounded by lifeless bodies who were now adorned with almost indistinguishable faces covered in ash and dust. A tear trickled down from his eyes as he observed all of the deaths around him. He could have done more for them. He could have prevented all this, if only he had reached in time.
But it appeared that the danger was not over. The real threat was the witch standing over Lily and the baby, her wand poised for attack. Her dark, curly hair was as wild as her eyes, and she shrieked with the vile laughter of a madwoman.
A/N: There's a misconception that in canon the Fidelius charm suggested by Dumbledore was placed on the Potters' house, which creates the popular plot hole of why the Potters themselves didn't be their own secret keepers. However, when I did some further research, I was led to believe that the secret information protected inside of the Secret Keeper's soul was not on the Potters' location, but on the Potters themselves. This of course is unlike the charms on Grimmauld Place and Shell Cottage, which were cast on the locations themselves.
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