"Normal speech"
Thoughts
"Mental speech"
"Non-English speech"
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling, her publishers, and Warner Brothers own Harry Potter.
Chapter 4
Two hours later, an exhausted Severus apparated alone across the street from Grimmauld Place. He fumbled in his pocket until he found a small vial. His hands were shaking too badly to remove the stopper, but that was hardly unexpected under the circumstances. Instead, he pressed against a small rune on the bottom of the bottle. The stopper vanished, and he quickly swallowed the contents, careful not to spill any of it. His shaking almost immediately stopped, although there were still a few small tremors in his hands. Cruciatus Relief worked well, but it was never wholly effective at healing the damage.
A moment later, there was a flash of fire, and he was joined by a phoenix. Severus blinked. "You came back." His voice was tired, dead. He felt vaguely disappointed. So much for the thrice-cursed beast allowing me any freedom or privacy.
"Sorry, I thought you wouldn't want a witness for that."
"You were right." Severus began to cross the street to the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.
"I can come inside with you."
"No."
"Fine.I don't like it there anyway.I'll see you at home."
"Go visit the prisoner."
"But –"
"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. He is alone. Go." The phoenix stared at Severus for a moment, and then disappeared in another flash of flame. Severus knocked on the door to 12 Grimmauld Place. As he waited for someone to let him in, he carefully hid his still trembling hands in the folds of his cloak. Damn.I forgot to remove my Death Eater robes.Voldemort still had his mask.
Severus debated shrugging the robes off now, but didn't want to be caught with them half-off when the door opened. Better for it to seem deliberate, rather than mere absent-mindedness.
A pretty young woman with a heart-shaped face and shocking pink hair opened the door. Nymphadora Tonks is in the Order?That's new.Her eyes widened at the sight of her former professor dressed as a Death Eater.
"Er, wotcha, Professor?" she said.
"Miss Tonks, if you would be so kind as to step aside?" She seemed to realize that she was blocking the door, and moved hastily to the right to let him in. She tripped, knocking over a large ornamental vase. Severus sneered and stepped inside.
Down the hall, a woman's voice began shouting. "Mudbloods! Traitors and filth, defiling the house of my fathers!"
"Sorry, I'm so sorry!" Tonks cried as other Order members raced into the hall. They struggled to close the heavy curtains in front of the screaming portrait.
"Half-breed scum! Bringing shame on the noble –" Her voice abruptly broke off as the combined efforts of Molly Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt managed to close the curtains.
"We're meeting in the kitchen, dears," Molly whispered, careful not to reawaken the portrait.
The kitchen was dark and dank. A dozen or so Order members sat in chairs around a large table. Several of them started upon seeing Severus enter. Yes, I definitely should have changed out of these robes.
"We're letting Death Eaters in the Order now?" growled Mad-Eye Moody. Several of the other members murmured in agreement. Sirius Black looked positively gleeful. Minerva McGonagall frowned.
"Alastor, Severus has my fullest confidence," Dumbledore chided gently, although his eyes were twinkling. Really?Since when? "His information saved many lives in the first war, and I expect will prove even more vital now."
"He's not even bothering to hide it!" Moody gestured angrily at Severus's Death Eater robes. "Just missing the mask and the blood."
"You would prefer I go home to change clothes first? Delay my report so that you do not have to think about where I get my information?" Snape drawled. Damn, now I'm going to have to wear these robes every time I report from a summons.
"You should not be here at all! It's compromising security –"
"Alastor." Dumbledore's voice was still mild, but curtailed further argument. "Severus, is welcome here."
Black scoffed and muttered "No, he bloody well isn't."
Dumbledore ignored him. "Now, Severus, if you would please give us your report?"
Not bothering to offer me a chair?Yes, I am clearly very welcome.No, for once, Black has the right of it.
"The Dark Lord recognizes that he is unable to harm Potter during the summer months due to the blood wards protecting the boy. However, he is aware of Potter's associates, and plans to play on his loyalty to them. He intends to target Potter's friends and, through them, lure the boy from safety. To that end, the Dark Lord has set Death Eaters to observe Granger and Weasley." At this, Severus nodded in the direction of Molly, Arthur, and Bill Weasley. They had all paled. Molly was trembling, and Arthur had clutched her hand for support.
"And how did Voldemort get that information, Snivellus? You selling out kids now?" Black interrupted angrily. Severus flinched at the sound of Voldemort's name, as did a few of the other Order members.
"Potter's association with Granger and Weasley is public knowledge, Black," Severus drawled. "The Dark Lord hardly needs me to inform him of it.
"As I was saying before being interrupted, the Death Eaters do not have orders to attack, merely to relay their observations to the Dark Lord. However, it is doubtless only a matter of time before he strikes, either to capture them or to place them under the Imperius curse."
"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore said gravely. "We will set precautions in place to ensure the safety of Miss Granger and Mister Weasley. Molly, Arthur, perhaps you would consider relocating your family to Headquarters, at least for the summer? With your permission, Sirius?"
"Of course," Black agreed immediately.
Arthur and Molly glanced at one another. Molly nodded vigorously, looking relieved. "Thank you, Albus, Sirius, we appreciate it. If it's alright with you, I think we'd like to go home and collect them now."
"Of course." Arthur and Molly rose and quickly left, followed by Bill.
"As for Miss Granger, I suggest setting a guard on her, as we have for Harry," said Dumbledore.
"Why not bring her here as well?" McGonagall asked.
"I fear that might tip our hand. We do not want to alert Voldemort that his spy is actually our spy, after all." McGonagall did not look pleased by the decision to risk her student for the sake of Severus's cover, but she did not object further.
Moody snorted in disgust. "So you say."
"Yes, I do. I trust all of you. You need to trust each other. Was there anything else, Severus?"
"Yes. The Dark Lord has expressed his desire for me to attend the annual Potion Masters Symposium." In truth, Voldemort hadn't cared much either way, but he was willing to lose his servant for a few days. "It will be held in Aachen this year, from July 20th to the 22nd." Three days, old man.I haven't left Britain in over fifteen years.Just let me have these three days.
Dumbledore frowned. "Did he say why?"
Because I groveled, and he was in a good mood, andhe decided that the success of the slave reflects well on the master. "I am to present him with the Rod of Paracelsus." And if he keeps it, so be it.But you will not deny me this, old meddler!
"He intends for you to kill the recipient?" Dumbledore's tone was sharp. Several of the Order members glared at Severus in disgust.
"I am the recipient."
Silence.
"Oh, my dear boy. Why didn't you tell me?" Dumbledore asked. He sounded hurt.
"I should not have had to."
The headmaster flinched. "My apologies, Severus. And my congratulations, of course. It is a great honor, and I can think of no one more worthy. For which project –"
"It was covered in my annual application," Severus interrupted, sneering the last word. "I see no reason to reiterate its contents. Perhaps next year, you will at least do me the courtesy of reading it?"
"Severus, I –"
"Now, do you have any further questions about my report, or may I leave? I do have a syllabus to present to Minerva by the end of the week, after all." He bowed mockingly in McGonagall's direction.
The headmaster suddenly looked very old. Voice pained, he said, "Yes, Severus, you may go. Enjoy the Symposium. And thank you for your report."
Severus stormed out of the kitchen, robes billowing in his wake.
A/N: Please review!
