Chapter Seven
"Severus, how can you of all people joke about a thing like that? I know that you and Remus had your difficulties for years, but I also know you patched them up. Whatever your relationship was recently, I'd still have thought his death would be a sorrow for you, not a subject for amusement."
"Minerva, I assure you this isn't a joke. Remus Lupin stood, or hovered would be more accurate, I suppose, right where you currently stand and talked to me not much more than a half hour ago. I know you've seen his apparently lifeless body, but that doesn't mean…"
Suddenly he stopped and stared at her in surprise. "What do you mean you know we patched up our difficulties? How could you possibly know what my relationship with Lupin was like?"
Minerva rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Give me a little credit, Severus. You and Remus overcame all your differences while he was teaching at Hogwarts. I observed you together many times during that year, and it was crystal clear to me that, though there was indeed still strong feeling between you, it was no longer antagonistic. Quite the opposite, in fact. Frankly, it pleased me no end. I was delighted to see the two of you happy. You both deserved a little happiness it seemed to me.
"I was really rather surprised when you exposed him as a werewolf and caused him to leave the school at the end of that year, though I always assumed that Sirius Black had something to do with whatever happened. That boy never could leave well enough alone.
"I also know that you and Remus managed to get past that difficulty as well because for most of the next year or so you seemed closer than ever."
"How could you possibly know that?" Severus didn't bother to try to hide his amazement.
"I have eyes," she said. "You might have thought the two of you were being discreet, but to me it seemed quite obvious that you were a couple."
Severus frowned at the idea that his relationship with Remus had been such an open book to those around them.
Taking pity on him, she smiled reassuringly. "It probably wasn't that obvious to anyone who didn't know of your prior relationship, and I certainly never discussed the matter with anyone else, nor did anyone ever mention it to me. I did wonder what happened though. Why you suddenly weren't together anymore, and I definitely wondered why Remus…" She hesitated.
"Why Remus married Nymphadora Tonks?" Severus asked. "Yes, well, you weren't alone there. Not that it didn't aid my cause. I broke things off to protect both of us and having him marry someone else, and a female at that, certainly eliminated even the faintest fear that anyone would connect him to me or would ever imagine that he had any meaning for me at all save that of a long time enemy. He was as safe as I could make him, and I was secure in my role as a spy and that was the end of us. Period."
Sympathy shown in Minerva's eyes and she reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. That must have been a very difficult thing to do."
Severus laughed. "Considering that everything I was doing at the time was as difficult as hell, you wouldn't think that breaking off a relationship would be one of the harder things I had to accomplish, but it was."
He looked up at her. "So you have to believe me when I say I wouldn't joke about Lupin not being dead. I'm not denying that his body is lying upstairs in the mortuary, but his… his spirit is wandering around Hogwarts trying to figure out what the hell happened to him. I think I know what did happen. What I'm not certain of yet, is what to do to correct it."
Minerva sank back down onto the bed and stared at him. "You're serious."
"Yes."
"Tell me about it."
"Lupin floated in here and told me he was somehow blasted out of his body during the battle. At first, he naturally thought he was dead, but he gradually came to wonder whether that was true or not. I believe he's right to wonder. I seem to be the only person who can see and communicate with him. No one else has responded to him at all, but I can see and hear him and when he touches me, it sends a painful shiver straight through me."
"How horrible! But you think you know what happened to him?" prompted Minerva.
"I'm afraid that he was hit with a separation hex."
"Oh, dear. Well, that would explain it, wouldn't it."
"Yes, it would." Severus frowned.
"Including why you're the only one who can see him. Only someone with a very strong emotional connection to the victim could communicate with him once he's been… disembodied."
"That's true," he admitted.
"There is a ritual that can be performed to reunite the spirit and body, isn't there?" she asked.
"Yes, but it's ridiculously complicated and has to be done within five hours of the time of separation."
"But it's been that long already!" exclaimed Minerva.
"I know," said Severus grimly. "I don't think there's enough time left for the ritual to save him, but that doesn't mean we should give up hope yet. Could you do me a favour?"
"If I can, certainly," said Minerva.
"We need to find another answer. I need to read up on the separation hex. There's a book in the library that goes into a lot of detail on obscure dark hexes called "Arcane Magic Most Rare". Could you possibly have it sent down to me? If I have no choice but to sit here in enforced isolation, at least I can make myself useful."
"I'm not sure that Kingsley would approve of you having access to any magical texts."
Severus shrugged. "Don't tell him. You're the acting Headmistress now. Just get the book and send it down to me."
She stood up, a look of amusement on her face at his insistence. "I'll try."
"It might be Remus's only chance," persisted Severus.
"I said I'll try, Severus."
"All right. You need to prevent them from burying his body, too. Whatever we decide to do, he'll need access to it if he's ever to have a chance to reclaim it."
"Anything else?" she asked.
"Well, we do need to find out who killed Irma." He gave her a wry smile. "Should I make you a list?"
With a brief snort, she crossed the room to the door. "I think I'll manage to remember without one. Accomplishing it all is another thing. I'll do my best, though. Try not to worry, Severus." Then with a final smile, she was gone.
Severus leaned back against the wall and stared at the locked door. Try not to worry... That was one thing he was unlikely to be able to accomplish no matter how hard he tried.
XOXOX XOXOX XOXOX XOXOX XOXOX
Remus stepped out of the stairwell and moved around the side of the main staircase into the entrance hall. Ever since he'd entered Severus's cell, moving had become much easier though he didn't know why. It was clear he was still invisible, and he seemed to be able to walk through things as easily as ever, so obviously nothing substantial had changed, yet he felt different.
He walked through a suit of armour standing near the staircase and saw Kingsley Shacklebolt in the middle of the entrance hall talking to one of the other Aurors. Figuring it might be useful to listen in, he began to move closer. It still felt odd to just walk across an open space and stand next to someone, yet be confident that they'd never know he was there. Being invisible definitely had its uses.
Just as he got near enough to overhear Kingsley's conversation, another Auror came down the stairs clutching a piece of parchment. The man strode across the wide room and stopped in front of Kingsley, waiting to be noticed. As soon as Kingsley finished speaking to his companion, he nodded him away and turned to the new arrival.
Undoubtedly Kingsley was the one in charge here now, a situation that Remus could have predicted had he stopped to think about it. Harry might have been the hero of the hour, but he was still a boy and not part of the team. The Aurors who'd remained loyal to the side of light would automatically look to one of their own to lead them, and Kingsley was the natural choice.
"Okay, Reese, how's the search going?" Kingsley asked the new man.
"We've searched the entire castle with the exception of the Headmaster's tower," said Reese. "We haven't found anyone who doesn't have a legitimate reason to be here." The man handed the parchment to Kingsley. "I've asked around, and as near as we can determine, the list at the top of the page includes all the Death Eaters we've either captured or killed. The names at the bottom are the ones we know about, but can't account for. It's possible they were never here, of course. Some of them could still be at the Ministry or they might have managed to slip away during the fighting. We know some of them did run. Those we're sure about are listed on the back of the parchment."
Kingsley nodded and looked the list over carefully. "Very thorough. Thank you." Then he glanced up at the man and asked, "Why did you exempt the Headmaster's tower from the search?"
Reese flushed slightly and admitted, "We didn't actually exempt it. The entrance is password protected and none of us have been able to guess the password or break through the security wards. With enough firepower, we might be able to destroy the Gargoyle and get in that way. Do you want us to try?"
Kingsley frowned and shook his head. "No, I don't want to cause any damage I don't have to. There's been enough destroyed here already. I'll head up there and give it a try myself. While I do that, I want you to find Bill Weasley and ask if he'll come up and give me a hand. He's a code-breaker and is familiar with security warding. You'll find him in the mortuary. His brother was killed in the fighting, but I wouldn't be surprised to find that Bill would welcome the chance to take his mind off his sorrows for a bit. Don't push it if he isn't, though, okay?"
"Yes, sir." Reese nodded, turned away from Kingsley and walked straight through Remus. By now Remus was getting used to people walking through him as if he wasn't there, but this time things happened a bit differently. Although Remus still didn't feel the man walk through him, Reese wasn't nearly as unaffected.
As soon as the Auror moved through Remus's body, he doubled over in agony and gave a sharp cry. Remus swivelled around and gaped in surprise as Reese lay curled up on the floor looking as if someone had kicked him in a very vulnerable spot. Kingsley knelt next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Reese? What's the matter? Are you all right?"
The Auror took a deep shaky breath, slowly uncurled his body and sat up with Kingsley's assistance. His face had gone dead white. "I... I don't know. I don't know what happened. All of a sudden I felt as if I was being turned inside out. I felt cold, nauseous, disoriented. The feeling hit me in a flash and left just as suddenly."
Kingsley's frown deepened. "Are you okay now?"
The Auror pulled himself together and nodded. "Yeah... Yeah, I feel fine now. Whatever it was seems to be gone."
Kingsley helped the man to his feet. "You sure you're all right? I could get someone else to help if you need to sit down for a bit."
Reese shook his head and managed a lop-sided smile. "No, really, I'm okay. I'll just go and see if I can find Bill Weasley."
"Okay, if you're sure. Thanks." Kingsley stood and watched Reese walk off across the entrance hall while Remus tried to figure out what had happened. It certainly seemed as if Reese had been affected by walking through him, but why this particular man was affected so dramatically when people had been walking through him for hours with no effect was a mystery.
Just to be absolutely sure that he'd been the cause of Reese's collapse, Remus reached out and ran the tips of his fingers through Kingsley's shoulder, silently apologising to the man for any discomfort he was about to cause. The tall Auror immediately reached up and grabbed his shoulder, eyes wide and scanning the empty room for threats.
Remus stepped back out of reach and waited.
Kingsley drew his wand and exclaimed, "Is anyone there? Show yourself?"
When he received no response, Kingsley exclaimed, "Finite Incantatem!" After another moment of silence, he cast a smoke spell designed to reveal an invisible intruder, but since Remus was insubstantial in addition to being invisible, the smoke just swirled through him.
Finally Kingsley seemed to decide that whatever he'd felt wasn't an immediate threat so he turned and headed slowly up the main staircase. He kept his wand in his hand, however and continued to turn his head suspiciously from side to side.
Remus watched him go, unsure of what it all meant. After Kingsley reacted to his touch, he had no doubt that he was the cause of both men's discomfort. Could he have somehow become a tiny bit more solid? Enough to allow his presence to be felt but not enough to be revealed by Kingsley's smoke spell? That could explain both the fact that the men felt his touch and that he was able to get some traction when he tried to move. If this was true, what could have caused it?
Suddenly he remembered the tingling sensation he'd felt when he moved through the wards protecting Severus's cell. Maybe that was the answer. Perhaps passing through the wards had done something to make him more solid. If so, maybe going through them again would make him even more solid. It was worth a try, anyway.
So Remus headed back down to the dungeon again, eager to test his theory.
XOXOX XOXOX XOXOX XOXOX XOXOX
Standing in the Restricted Section of the library, Minerva pulled a book off the shelf and turned it over in her hands, examining it carefully. An image of splayed fingers casting some sort of wandless spell framed a stern face with glistening dark eyes that stared back at her from the cover of "Arcane Magic Most Rare". A nervous, almost queasy feeling came over her as she opened it and glanced thorough its pages. With a shiver she slammed the book shut again and slipped it under her arm.
Some books, particularly books dealing with dark magic, had very strong magical auras and the aura that surrounded this one was quite unpleasant. Still if Severus thought the information it contained might help Remus, it was worth the discomfort she felt handling the thing, but she'd certainly be happier once she passed it on.
Clutching the book tightly, she walked back down the aisle of the Restricted Section and out into the main part of the library. Drawing her wand, she summoned a house-elf.
In the twinkling of an eye, one appeared before her and bowed. "How may Mercy be of service, Professor McGonagall?"
Minerva handed the book to the elf. "Headmaster Snape is in the old Arithmancy classroom near the kitchen. He needs this book, please take it to him. There's a guard outside his room, but there's no need for you to disturb him with this. The room is warded, but that won't be a problem for you, will it?"
"Oh no, Mercy can easily go through any wards in the castle," the elf declared proudly.
"Good. The Headmaster needs the book right away."
Minerva's eyes strayed to the dried blood staining the rug by Irma's desk. "And once you're done with that, please have someone clean up the blood stain beside Madam Pince's desk."
"Yes, Professor McGonagall, right away. Will there be anything else?" The house-elf regarded her with huge eyes, anxious to please.
Minerva shook her head and tried to smile. "No, thank you."
The elf bowed and vanished with a pop.
Once the elf was gone, Minerva looked around and shivered involuntarily, though it wasn't particularly cold in the library. She wasn't a fanciful woman as a rule, but no matter how she tried, she couldn't quite shake the uncomfortable feeling that she wasn't alone. Telling herself she was being ridiculous, she turned and headed for the door.
She paused at the foot of Irma's desk and picked up a basic Transfiguration text from the floor. She set it on Irma's desk with a frown then quickly headed for the door to the library. When she stepped out into the hall she drew a deep breath and expelled it with a feeling of relief. Stepping away from the library door, she briefly wondered if she'd ever feel comfortable going back into that room again.
A gentle touch on her sleeve caused her to turn her head and look down to see Flitwick smiling up at her. "Is everything all right, Minerva?"
She nodded and gave his hand a reassuring pat. "Yes, I'm fine. I just find it uncomfortable to be in there now. I feel eyes on the back of my head, and I keep seeing Irma lying there."
He nodded in sympathy. "I feel the same way. It's as if she's still with us, isn't it? Even in death, it's as if she's watching over her beloved books." He shook his head sorrowfully. "Such a loss."
Minerva nodded thoughtfully. "You could be right. I hadn't thought of that. Have you been here since I last saw you?"
"Oh, yes, I haven't let the door out of my sight for an instant. No one has been in or out except you, of course." He yawned and covered his mouth with a hand. "I'll stay for awhile longer, but eventually I'm afraid I'll need to get some sleep. I'm not as young as I once was, and fighting all night, followed by helping with the wounded has tired me out, I'm afraid. When I go, I've arranged for Pomona and Sybill to take watches in shifts. I asked the Friar to keep an eye out as well during his wanderings."
"That sounds fine, Filius. I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to go on myself without some sleep."
"How's Severus, if you don't mind my asking? He didn't look well at all when Auror Shacklebolt took him downstairs. Do you both still think he killed Irma?"
"I don't know what Kingsley thinks, but after talking with Severus, I'm inclined to think he's telling the truth. Which means someone else killed Irma, and they may still be hiding here in the castle."
Flitwick nodded his agreement. "I'm glad to hear that you don't think Severus is guilty, but I don't know where a stranger could be hiding. We've searched the library several times now, and I heard a couple of Aurors talking just a few minutes ago. It seems they've searched the castle thoroughly, except for the Headmaster's tower, and I don't know how anyone could get up there without Severus's password. Do you know it?"
"No, unlike Albus, Severus didn't share his password with anyone that I'm aware of. I doubt it's the name of a sweet though."
Flitwick laughed shortly. "No. Not exactly his style. Maybe he used potion ingredients instead."
Minerva smiled in return. "Perhaps. I'll have to ask him. I'll stop by again later."
Flitwick nodded before settling back into the chair he'd placed near the library door.
