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Sorry for the long wait, school work has been killing me, here's the next chapter, have fun!!

Night Of Fate

04. Scent

Remus looked around. He was surrounded by the Order of the Phoenix, people who had the strength and will to stand up against the Dark Lord, people like him. But even here the common feeling of weariness and subliminal fear was present.

Dumbledore had called a meeting with his most trusted allies to announce something important. No one knew what it actually was and the attendées had already started guessing.

There had been complaints that it was too dangerous to hold a meeting where the strongest Order members were present in one place but nevertheless there was no one who had not come.

Remus had noticed that the fear in many of them had increased since the attack on the Longbottoms although they were all trying to hide it. But they could not fool his werewolf instincts. He could smell their fear like acid burning in his nose, he knew it was there and he knew it was growing.

Remus was saddened by that development. Once they had been an uprising group of resistance, who fought with belief and force for their goals. But only within a few years voices had grown loud that it was a fight of desperation. And these voices were heard the more time passed in which they could not achieve victory. The more of them died.

Another point was that it was still unknown how Voldemort had found the Longbottoms hideout. It was suspected that there was a traitor in their rows.

Remus looked around tiredly. He was sitting between Peter and James. Sirius was there, too, and many of their other friends: Arthur and Molly Weasley, Alastor 'Mad Eye' Moody, Ted Tonks and his wife Andromeda, one of Sirius' cousins, Gideon and Fabian Prewett, Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, Sturgis Podmore, Rubeus Hagrid, Mundungus Fletcher and Dumbledore's brother Aberforth.

They all looked worried and exhausted, there was no doubt to that. On some it was more visible than on other's but it was unmistakable. Peter had been so nervous and fidgety since the Longbottoms' death that Remus was almost surprised that his friend had not broken into open panic yet.

There was only low chatting between the attendées, the atmosphere was one of sadness, anger and concern.

When Dumbledore stepped into the room, silence spread almost momentarily. All of the faces turned to the headmaster.

"My friends," he started out, "thank you for coming. I realize that this meeting poses a risk to all of us. But I have news that everyone of you should share."

There were murmurs to be heard in the room at Dumbledore's last words. James stretched in his chair. Peter started to blink nervously at Dumbledore.

"One of the Death Eaters turned away from Voldemort and agreed to become our spy," the old man announced.

Multiple chatting erupted. It was one of the best news they had gotten in months. This could be the turning point in the war!

Remus leaned forward. "Who is it?," he asked along with several others.

James and Sirius were looking excitedly at each other. Dumbledore's face however stayed serious.

"Severus, please come in," Dumbledore said so lowly that Remus could only hear it due to his extraordinarily sharp senses.

Severus? Not like in Severus Snape? It could not be. Remus was filled with a nauseating feeling of foreboding. This was going to get even more complicated than it already was.

Remus had not expected wrong. The dark, young man who stepped into the room was indeed Severus Snape.

"You can't mean that! We can't trust him!," James exclaimed jumping up from his chair. James hated Severus Snape fiercely since their first day in Hogwarts, Remus assumed that it was mainly because of the others closeness to Lily.

The feeling was more than mutual, though. Snape glanced briefly at James and displeasure flickered on his face.

James outburst was accompanied with similar others but no one was as opposing as Remus' friend.

Sirius had a dark look on his face but he said nothing – for now. Remus was convinced that Sirius would back James up. Peter however eyed Snape with the same nervousness he had expressed before.

"How do you know we can trust him,?" asked "Mad Eye" Moody.

"Please stay quite and I will explain it to you," Dumbledore requested and they obeyed though some still looked doubtful or angry.

"Severus Snape was or is as we already suspected a Death Eater. However the recent events – especially the Longbottoms death – changed his views on this war. He came to me to ask for help, for protection. I offered him help should he, in exchange, become a spy. As you have, no doubt, concluded by now, he agreed," explained the headmaster.

"That does not sound convincing if you ask me Dumbledore," grumbled Mad Eye.

"What do you know about the Longbottoms' death, Severus?," Andromeda demanded loudly. She had gone to Hogwarts about the same time as James, Peter, Sirius, Remus and Snape.

"What help did you offer him?," Emmeline Vance questioned Dumbledore.

"That's a bunch of lies! He's tricking you, Dumbledore! Snivellus will never change sides, he loves the Dark Arts!," Sirius shouted above the others.

"Padfoot, maybe he really-," Remus tried to calm his friend down but Sirius interrupted him: "Stop seeing good in everyone, Moony! You know what he was like in school!"

"Well, it was you who tried to kill me when you were only 16, Black, not the other way round!," Snape accused Sirius angrily; his cheeks had become reddish at the mention of the name James and Sirius had bestowed on him. "Insanity has not taken root in my family."

It clearly was a hint towards Bellatrix, whose fanaticism was infamous.

"She is no family of mine," spat Sirius, agitated now.

Andromeda rose in her chair. "Don't speak about my sister like that," she demanded and looked darkly at Sirius and Snape. Remus knew that Andromeda had been gravely hurt when she had been disinherited. Especially Bella's rejection had been hard for her to take, since she had always loved her older sister dearly and still hoped that matters could be changed.

However, not everyone understood her. "Why do you still defend Bellatrix, Dromeda,?" Fabian Prewett shook his head in deprecation. "She tried to put Ted under the cruciatus!"

"Do you think I don't know that-" Andromeda started but Dumbledore cut her off.

"Accusing each other does not help us," he said sternly. "Mr. Snape explained his reasons to me and asked me to keep quiet about them. I will fulfil his request but let me assure you that they are severe. I ask you to trust me with this."

Dumbledore looked around to see if anyone would disagree. When no one did he continued on:

"In exchange to his help I offered the position of the Potions teacher at Hogwarts to him."

"You can't be serious," Gideon Prewett said. "You don't know this man, yet you allow him to be in such a position of influence?"

"You forget, Gideon," Dumbledore answered, patiently but determinedly, "that I was Severus' teacher at Hogwarts. I know that he will take his job serious and furthermore I will be able to keep an eye on him when he is at the school should he ever – how unlikely as it may be – betray my trust."

This argument was reasonable. Gideon nodded and everyone else kept silent, although some were not happy at all, like James or Sirius. As long as Snape stayed at Hogwarts, Dumbledore would be able to control him.

"We will discuss the matter further at another time. There is something else I have to tell you now," Dumbleodre announced, suddenly looking very tired. "Please take a seat, Severus."

Reluctantly Snape sat down on an empty chair.

The tone in Dumbledore's voice made the hairs in Remus' neck stand up. He knew he would not like what Dumbledore was about to tell them.

"I have considered long if I should share this information with you or not. However, I think it would not be fair to withhold it and I want you to be prepared should Voldemort decide to reveal it publicly."

Dumbledore paused and everyone waited for him to continue. "The reason why he attacked the Longbottoms was a prophecy made in the night of October 30th. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born when the seventh month dies..."

The headmasters words were met by silence. Remus sat still in shock as well as everyone else, forgotten was Severus Snape whose face had taken an unreadable expression as he stared into nothingness.

"And you think... that Neville Longbottom was meant by that prophecy?," Sturgis Podmore broke the silence, his voice sounding somewhat shocked.

They all knew that little Neville was the only one of the Longbottoms born at the end of July.

Dumbledore nodded gravely. "I'm quite sure. Neville Longbottom fits all the descriptions in the prophecy."

Again, silence lingered upon the crowd, this time however it was cold and numb and Remus could smell the building agitation in the room.

Molly Weasley jumped up when the silence became almost unbearable. "This is madness!," she cried. "Are you telling me that the reason for so much death... for the death of the poor boy – were those words? A few simple sentences!?"

No one answered her question and after a few moments she shook her head and sat down again. Arthur gently put an arm around her and whispered something in her ear, Remus could not understand it and he did not care.

After a while Emmeline Vance spoke up. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "If Neville Longbottom was indeed the prophesied child, what happens to the prophecy now that he is dead? If he was the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord,does this mean that no one else will be able to do that?," Emmeline's voice was calm, almost unnaturally so.

All of them kept their breathes. They had wondered the same and at least it had been her to voice it.

Dumbledore briefly closed his eyes. He certainly had been expecting this questions. He sighed.

"I cannot answer this question for sure," he said. "But even if that should be the case, I ask you not to lose faith. There are other ways to end this conflict than through the death of Lord Voldemort."

Remus knew that Dumbledore was probably right. After all no one should know this better than Dumbledore who had imprisoned Gellert Grindelwald. But in that moment the words had no effect on Remus. In that moment he could not see a way out and neither could anyone else.

"If you had informed us of the prophecy earlier we could have effectively protected the Longbottoms," Moody growled.

"It is too late," Dumbledore answered tiredly. "I did not reveal the information because I was afraid that it might be passed on to the wrong people."

Some of the attendées looked hurt at that statement. Moody however did not bother with something like taking offense.

"How did You Know Who know the prophecy then? And there is no doubt that he does!" Moody demanded to know.

"It must have been overheard as it was made. There is no other possibility." Dumbledore admitted.

"So who made i-" Dedalus Diggle started out but he was interrupted by Aberforth who had stood up and glared at Dumbledore.

"People never change, Albus! You should have protected the child no matter what, not because it was the prophesied savior-" he darkly glared at the crowd and some looked down ashamedly "- but because a child should not be involved in a war. You could have secured Neville Longbottom's safety but instead you let him die because you can't trust other people with anything. You have to do everything by yourself, because you believe only you can do it right! Pah, the greater good! Didn't you notice or do you just not care that people still keep dying because of your wretched schemes, brother?"

With that Aberforth stormed out of the room slamming the door behind him.

It had only been the peak of the iceberg. The discussion went on for almost an hour until the majority had left saying that "this leads to nothing". Dumbledore had patiently answered all their questions, fully aware that it was their right to know the answers. Not once had he tried to end the meeting and it seemed that he would leave only then when everyone else was gone.

Besides Remus only Moody, Emmeline, Andromeda and Ted, the Prewett brothers, James, Sirius, Peter and Severus Snape had stayed up to now.

Emmeline, Andromeda, Ted and the Prewetts had been the Longbottoms closest friends. Ted had asked Andromeda to leave more than once already but she had refused so he stayed with her.

Remus was not part of the discussion anymore, only Emmeline, Fabian, Gideon and Mad Eye were still talking to Dumbledore.

But Remus had not yet found the strength to go either. So he had halfheartedly listened to the others while he was brooding. Peter looked like he was unable to ever move again and Snape seemed to be eager not to stir their attention again which had so genuinely turned away from him.

Finally Remus sighed.

"I'm going," he said.

His voice broke James and Sirius out of their trance. They nodded and stood up. "We'll join you," James said tiredly.

"Are you coming too, Peter?," Remus asked his friend.

Peter looked up at him and nodded hastily. Silently they walked to the door, not wanting to disturb the others when Sirius said:

"Can you wait? It's just a moment."

They nodded and Sirius walked over and talked to his cousin Andromeda. Remus watched her nod and hug her cousin when he caught something odd.

Confused, he looked around. First he did not understand what his senses were telling him. This scent was so familiar... then it hit him: For the first time since school he had caught Snape's scent again. Really caught it. And now he noticed what had escaped his attention when they had met a few days ago. Looking at the dark haired man who sat close to the door Remus could only stare.

The familiarity was almost overpowering. That only left one conclusion: Severus Snape was Harry's father.

Remus' gaze flickered over to James. He was sure that his best friend did not know, otherwise he would have reacted differently to Snape's presence. Remus already had his mouth half opened to blurt out the truth but he closed it again.

Lily would know that Snape was Harry's father. If she had decided not to tell James... it was not up to Remus to do so. He would probably cause more harm with it than good.

Remus still glanced at Severus. He felt sorry for James but most of all he felt sorry for Harry. He only hoped that Lily would talk to James before Harry's parentage became obvious.

But did Lily know? Remus wondered. He had always kept silent about Severus' secret because Snape had done him the same favor. Maybe Lily did not know what was obvious to him?

In Harry it was still dim, therefor he had not noticed it so far, but for a werewolf there was no mistaking the creature blood that run in Snape's veins...

"So, Severus," the Dark Lord spoke, "what did you learn today?"

The large room was empty aside from the two of them.

After their Lord had told them about the prophecy the Death Eaters had used the opportunity to celebrate. It was not really their merit but it meant a break in the war since the Order had to reorganize themselves now and were busy for the time being.

Severus had barely managed to escape Lucius who had been determined to drag him to the ball Narcissa had insisted on holding. Severus knew that Lucius hated those social gatherings where he had to impress and influence the Ministry but he had not let himself be persuaded.

Lucius had sighed and instead started to slobber over Draco. (A/N: nooo, lucius became maes hughes! ^^) Severus had been saved from his burning mark.

The Dark Lord had apparently not bothered to call a full meeting.

Severus reported about the reactions on himself and Dumbledore telling the Order about the prophecy.

The Dark Lord's face had taken a thoughtful expression.

"How did they take the news? How was the atmosphere?," he asked after a while.

Severus frowned. "Depressed," he answered. "Angry. Some seemed tired to fight." He described the discussion, especially pointing out Andromeda's and Aberforth's reactions.

When he had ended, the Dark Lord smiled at him. "Maybe," he said solemnly, "it is time we change our tactic."

"My Lord?," asked Severus.

But the other one just regarded him with that knowing, cruel smile. "You can go now," Severus was dismissed.

Obediently Severus disapparated.

"So you decided to come back!," he was greeted by Lucius' voice.

Severus sighed and cracked a smile. "I guess I have nothing better to do anyways. I can still get drunk at your party."

"No way," Lucius said in mock offense. "First you have to meet the Minister. He is dying to get to know Dumbledore's newest teacher and head of the house Slytherin, not to forget."

"You know, I'd love to see Draco first," Severus quickly responded.

Lucius beamed. They would definitely be busy for a long time now. "That's a wonderful idea, Cissy can entertain the guests. Come on, Sev, come," Lucius rambled cheerily.

Not sorry at all for missing Cissy's ball Severus followed Lucius out of his study where the blonde man had been hiding to his godson's room.

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Harry will appear in the next chapter, promise but I had to delay it a bit because this chapter is very important for the further progress of the story!!

In case you wonder: Sure Dumbles normally doesn't reveal important information but he is not stupid either and he knew if he had kept silent about the prophecy and Voldemort made it public he could have given up immediately. (His Order would have freaked! XD)

Until next time which will hopefully be sooner, Cathy