Chapter nine

Nimuë did not even have time to change out of her jeans; the two of them ran for the fireplace and threw floo powder into it. Sev enunciated Ministry of Magic as he and Nimuë stepped into the green flames. They arrived seconds later. Sev did not let go of Nimuë's hand before yelling at the receptionist at the front desk." I need Potter up in Shacklebolt's office NOW!"

They took the lift to Kingsley's floor and Percy met them as they got out of the lift. Sev told him that Harry should be getting there in a few minutes and that possibly Arthur should be in on the meeting also. Percy nodded and asked one question. "Do I need to get the rest of the Aurors up here?"

Sev nodded and said "I want you in on this, Percy. I am going to have to use every resource available, put together a list of those who are left from Fudge's administration. I need those names in a hurry, from the highest to the lowest, Percy. There is a madman looking for revenge out there and he is being helped by unknown persons. Get me those names."

"Yes, sir, there are only a handful, I think. I'll have it for you in a few minutes." He rushed out of the reception area. Sev and Nimuë walked to the door of Kingsley's office and knocked. Kingsley answered immediately. He saw the look on Sev's face and realised that there was some urgency to this visit. He ushered them inside and asked what had happened.

"I need your permission to have the Aurors search the homes of the Death Eaters. That includes Malfoy. Rodolphus Lestrange is vowing revenge on those who defeated Riddle and I think there is a chance that someone here at the Ministry is helping him."

"We know he is out there. We thought we had killed him a few months back but he went to ground and came back stronger than ever. Who would be helping him, Severus?"

"Someone who is disgruntled and feels that he is more capable a politician than you are. I suspect Fudge is helping him and has been put under the Imperius Curse. I also think Rodolphus has created his own horcruxes and it will be difficult to find and destroy them. We need to begin the search immediately and I want Fudge watched at all times. Here's Harry and Arthur, I need your help, Percy is looking up names of the leftovers from Fudge's administration. One of them, if not Fudge himself, is helping Rodolphus. I want the Lestrange home searched and the Malfoy home. Harry knows whose homes need to be looked at. Rodolphus will not have tried to use anything connected with the founders of Hogwarts, he will have used something he or his family considers important to their history. His wife's death and the fall of Riddle probably sent him over the edge into madness which is probably increasing with time. I want to go with Harry and the Aurors to search. I know the spells to detect Dark magic or items. I will teach them to the Aurors while we search. Sorry about this Kingsley, I just realised that he will be bound to try something at the handfasting or when we bring Teddy home. I do not want my family or anyone's family in danger from him."

"I can understand that, you heard the man, get ready to start looking for Lestrange. Arthur, I am putting Percy to watch Fudge. Nothing dangerous but we want him monitored at all times. Harry, you go with Severus now to start the process."

Once outside the office, Sev, Nimuë and Harry went to the office which was to be Sev's once he came to work.

"The spells are easy to reveal the presence of Dark Magic but trickier to reveal Dark items. You remember how the locket made you feel, like mice feet skittering across your nerve endings? When you feel that sensation again, you have found a Dark item. Touching it will increase the skittering sensation. Encase it in a protective spell and bring it to Spinner's End. I have a well shielded room in the basement where we can destroy those items. If you run into Rodolphus, do not fight him alone. Send to me or the rest of the Aurors. You are still technically in training but you are the best we have. Do not take him on alone, we….. I, do not want to lose you. Do you understand me, Harry?

"Yes, Severus. That description, the mouse feet skittering across nerve endings; how did you know about that? I never told anyone except Hermione about that feeling."

"I felt it once when I was a child. I found a cursed chalice in the attics at Spinner's End. My mother caught me before I was harmed by it. I was about five. I never found a better description for that feeling. Where shall we start the search, Nimuë? Lestrange Hall is on the edge of Dartmoor, Malfoy Manor is closer. Perhaps we should start where I have knowledge of the layout of the house and grounds. Malfoy Manor is where we start. How many Aurors do we have left, Harry?"

"Well, most of us are still trainees. Oliver Wood, Dean Thomas, Terry Boot, Lee Jordan, Angelina Johnson, Gawain Robards is still the head of the department and the only two experienced are Savage and Proudfoot. Dawlish is still technically an Auror but he has never been quite the same after Dumbledore confounded him those two times. But, we have some people who were trained as Aurors in the past that went into other fields. Kingsley's son Justin, Arthur Weasley, Bill Weasley, Charlie Weasley and a few others."

"There is not much time. I have a feeling we need to find Rodolphus soon. Is Charlie here? Good, get Charlie, Proudfoot, Dean and Oliver. We are going to Malfoy Manor within the hour."

Percy arrived with a list of names as Harry rushed out the door.

"There are only four names, Severus. And they are all either Maintenance or clerical personnel. The others, the ones in higher office have all left the Ministry. The only one who could be helping Lestrange is Fudge himself. But I brought the list so you could judge for yourself. If I might make a suggestion, putting Dawlish to supposedly guard Fudge would effectively keep him under surveillance without the subterfuge."

"Brilliant, Percy. You have the authority to assign Dawlish to 'protect' Fudge against Lestrange. Sit down, Percy; tell me what happened to the Death Eaters that were captured at Hogwarts. I know Bellatrix was killed. What about Dolohov and Fenrir and the others?"

"You know the Wizengamot sent the Dementors back to their own realms? The last thing they were told to do was to administer the kiss to Fenrir and the Death Eaters that were captured at Hogwarts. Most of the ones that were 'kissed' died within days. Azkaban is sitting almost empty now. The few prisoners there are being guarded by Grawp. He has a snug hut on the grounds and seems to be doing a very good job. Hagrid is very proud of him. The ministry changed the wards on the cells so that, while still being in the middle of the North Sea, it is no longer filthy or depressing. Shacklebolt is the best Minister we have ever had. That is what Dad says, at least."

"Thank you, Percy. Would you see that Nimuë has an escort home? Someone who will make sure the house is secure."

"Angelina Johnson is in the building. She would attract no attention. I'll get her to meet Miss Hawke in the Atrium."

"Thanks, Percy. Now Nimuë, I will be back later. Do you think you can sing that protective spell again for me? We are going to see if we can find any trace of him. I can just imagine what Lucius will say when we show up to search his house. Sing it for all of us, love, yourself included." He kissed her before letting her go back to the Atrium.

She found Angelina Johnson waiting for her. They exchanged pleasantries before using the floo network to the house in Glastonbury. Angelina checked the house thoroughly before telling Nimuë it was clear. Then the younger woman checked the yard and the flat at the end of the garden. She reported all was undisturbed before sitting down and starting a conversation with Nimuë.

"I'll just stick around until Professor Snape returns. Percy was very clear that you should not be left unprotected. Do you like it here? I visited Glastonbury as a child but found it dull. You can feel the old magic here, though. Is that what brought you here?"

"That and I knew it was where Sev would come eventually. His magic and mine are tied to the historical magic somehow. He says I sing Druid traces into my spells. And he said I should sing the protective spells I sang for him again until they capture Rodolphus Lestrange. Let me get the parchment I wrote the words on, I want you to sing it with me. They may need it when they search."

"You were there, at Hogwarts, after the battle. You went with Harry to find Snape's body. I remember now, you are Professor Lupin's cousin. I liked Lupin, liked his wife, too. I am sorry they died. Percy said you and Snape are to be handfasted and that the two of you will raise the Lupin boy. Is that right?"

"Yes, Angelina, I knew Sev had not died then. I knew he would find me and find himself. He has changed greatly since his days as a teacher. As you have noticed we do not wear robes here. We dress in Muggle clothes, I run a Muggle business, and we live mostly in the Muggle world. The two worlds are starting to overlap. There are fewer and fewer reasons to keep the worlds separate. Let me tune the guitar then we will sing my spell."

The two women sang softly the long spell and then Nimuë made tea. Nimuë suddenly felt a rush of triumph from Sev. She went to the kitchen to begin making dinner.

"They have found something! Sev is excited. He and Harry are going back to the Ministry. They found nothing at Malfoy Manor but they found several Dark things at Lestrange Hall."

"If it is a horcrux, we have the basilisk fangs to destroy it. Harry, Ron and Hermione brought them all to the Ministry for use by the Aurors." Angelina said.

"No, no, it is something else. Sev is very excited. Oh no! They also found what was left of Alastor Moody. It is all right, Angelina, Sev is coming home. He should be coming through the floo network about now."

As Nimuë spoke, the green flames flashed in the fireplace and Sev stepped out.

He thanked Angelina for staying with Nimuë and told her that he would be back at the Ministry the next day to talk to the entire group of Aurors.

When she had gone through the floo network, he came to Nimuë and quietly said that they had found several Dark books and a sort of shrine that Rodolphus had set up for the Dark Lord and Bellatrix. And they had set a watcher on the house. The other Aurors were bringing Moody's body back with them.

"He had strands of Bellatrix's hair, and the pieces of the Dark Lord's old wand, the one that was a mate to Harry's, and pieces of the old skin the snake had shed. They were arranged on a table with candles and a chalice and a spell from a very old Dark text. It was supposed to bring the dead back to life. Dean Thomas said it gave him the cold grue. It simply nauseated me. We brought all the items back to Spinner's End. Gawain Robards, Arthur Weasley, Harry and I are going to destroy them tomorrow as we teach the Aurors how to disarm, defuse, and destroy any Dark item. I am getting Ron Weasley to bring the beds from Spinner's End and move the rest of the furniture around. He will be keeping an eye on things here for me for a couple of days. I think I can get Kingsley to assign Angelina to help you in the shop. You got on well with her, didn't you?"

"She seems like a nice young witch. Why? Are you planning on being gone for days? Or is this merely a burst of over protectiveness on your part?"

"I am merely trying to cover any eventuality. We now have an idea of where Rodolphus has been and what he has been doing. He had a copy of The Daily Prophet with the article about my reappearance and the festival. It listed our address and your name, Nimuë. You are in as much danger as I am. I do not want to risk anything happening to you. I lost a woman I cared for through my own stupidity and I will not lose you. You are my life, Nimuë. If something happened to you…."

"Sev, you won't lose me. You are leaving good people around me. I can take every precaution. I'll simply sing different protections into my spells. You go do what you need to do. But not tonight. Tonight is mine. Come help me with dinner. I am going to send an owl to Draco to start packing Teddy's things. Do you want pudding or Blackcurrant tarts for dessert?"

"The tarts, you know how I love Blackcurrants. Tell me we are having salmon again. Charlie Weasley is in the country. Arthur said he's found a Russian witch that he is crazy about. Her name is Marinka Valentinov. Durmstrang graduate about 10 years ago. She is also into COMC. That is how they met. She brought a young Russian Gold dragon to the preserve where Charlie was working. The Golds were thought to be extinct but Charlie and his lady are going to go off hunting for the parents of the dragon pup. I told Arthur to have Charlie bring Miss Valentinov to the handfasting, if that is all right with you. And I think George is getting ready to ask Angelina to marry him. A former student of mine has been assigned as my assistant, Katie Bell. She is a year older than Harry and company; she might make a dinner partner for Krum or possibly Luna Lovegood if you decide to invite him to the handfasting. Katie played on the Gryffindor Quidditch team."

"Does this update on Hogwarts students have a purpose, Sev? We still have weeks before the handfasting. You are up to something, I just know it."

"No, my love, I am just trying to keep you updated on your old friends. Percy seemed to think that Charlie harboured a secret crush on you. George obviously thought so, too. Have you found a dress you like yet for the handfasting?"

"No, nothing seems to reach out and grab me. Everything is too fussy. I want simple. Something I can wear again, not have to put it up in the attic after spending a fortune on it. Why?"

"An old friend of Lily's, Mary MacDonald, has a dress shop in Upper Flagley. Maybe she could produce something to your liking. Take Hermione and Angelina with you, Ginevra, too, if you wish. She should remember you. She was a year behind Lily and me. She was Gryffindor also. She could probably use the custom. She was a nice young woman all those years ago. One of my so-called friends tried some of his Death Eater ways on her and both she and Lily took exception to it. The ensuing row effectively put paid to any chance I ever had with Lily. Maybe I should be thankful. I could have been Harry's father and died with Lily. Of course then I wouldn't have found you. And you, Nimuë, are my world. Yes, I am up to something. I want you off doing something frivolous and safe while we destroy those nasty things from Rodolphus's sick shrine. And I wanted you to see if there is anything we can do to help Mary. I do not know if she needs any help but one of the Muggle things I learned a lot about was a 12 step program. One of the steps is making peace with those you have wronged. I didn't wrong Mary but those around me tried to harm her, so I want to make sure she is safe, secure and has forgiven me for being friends with those people. I'm blethering aren't I? Pay it no mind, lass. I have been rattled by the sight of that shrine. "

"If it means so much to you, I'll call Hermione and go tomorrow. I will take Ginny and Angelina, too. Just to keep you happy. Now sit down, the salmon is ready. You just need to get the salad out onto the table."

They finished dinner and the cleanup before Nimuë called Hermione, who in turn owled Ginny to see if she wanted to go along. The three females decided on half past ten as a reasonable time to meet in Upper Flagley. Sev breathed a lot easier when the plans had been made. He, in turn, owled Percy Weasley about how Dawlish was doing 'protecting' Fudge. He also suggested that Angelina Johnson meet 'his' three witches in Upper Flagley the next day.

In the morning, Severus met with Gavin Robards, Harry, and Arthur Weasley at the Ministry offices before apparating to Spinner's End with the other Aurors . Sev led them all downstairs into the heavily fortified basement room where he could use various analysis spells on the items to find out which Dark spells or magic had been used to enchant the items. He was vehement in his instructions to the Aurors that they use every analysis spell he was teaching them on each and every item.

"If you do not COMPLETELY evaluate each item, you run the risk of killing or injuring not only yourself but your fellow Aurors and anyone else who happens to be in the vicinity. These hairs have been subjected to several different spells. He tried to call her forth from the grave first, when that failed he tried to re-grow her from the hairs. He also spelled them to withstand ordinary destruction methods such as burning, or vanishing. The Snake's skin has been similarly spelled. The wand of He-who-died at-the-hand-of the boy-who-lived is not spelled. Aha! Made you all laugh, did I? Well, then I will request the help of the boy-who-lived. Harry, bring the cauldron here."

Harry brought the large cauldron which seemed to have mud in it to the table. He and Sev raised their wands and levitated the hairs, the snake skin and the broken wand over the cauldron. Gawain Robards and Arthur Weasley joined them before the cauldron. Together the four men uttered the words to a strange spell.

"With Earth from the temple and water from the well, with leaves from the isle we banish these things into the realm of nothingness." The mud rose up out of the cauldron and coated the three items.

The three items began to glow until they vaporised. The Aurors all gasped. Charlie Weasley asked if the cauldron contained what he thought it did.

Sev answered him promptly. "Yes, Charlie. Earth from Stonehenge, taken from beneath the Altar stone, water from Chalice Well, and leaves from the Druid's Isle, Anglesey, the last Druid Sacred Grove. As well as some other bits and pieces which I will not divulge as yet. Needless to say it seems to have done the trick. This will have weakened Rodolphus. When he returns to his home he will be enraged. He will begin striking out at those in the closest proximity to his home. All of you need to be alert to any possibility of ambush or attack. Harry and I are working on finding Rodolphus as soon as possible but it may a long time. All of you must be working extra hard on spell blocking and Dark Magic detection. I hate to sound like Alastor Moody, but he was ultimately right; constant vigilance is the best policy. I want all of you to come with me back to Glastonbury. It is, I believe, where Rodolphus will finally face his end. It is also the most important magical site in Britain now. There are forces churning with the coming millennium that may change the future of magic. We all need to be aware of the forces that lie just beneath the surface at Glastonbury. Very, very old magic still permeates the Tor and the Well. You will feel it, too. But for now I want to equip each of you with certain potions and a spell syllabus. I want you all to walk the labyrinth on the Tor. You too, Arthur and Gawain."

In Upper Flagley, Nimuë had met up with Ginny, Hermione, Angelina and Luna Lovegood. They found the street where Mary MacDonald's shop was located easily. In the window was a dress that made them all gasp. It was medieval in design, with a low v-neck, fitted bodice flaring into a full skirt with the sleeves which start out tight and flare into the pointed bell at the forearm. It was of an ice green silk and was exactly what Nimuë had been looking for. They entered the shop to find a small woman arranging bolts of cloth. When Nimuë introduced herself and her purpose in being there Mary MacDonald smiled and said," You can tell Severus that I am doing just fine. I appreciate that he thought to check on my circumstances but I have been doing quite well. Were you interested in a dress, Miss Hawke? Hawke….I remember you now. You were Lupin's cousin, the little girl that sang her spells. And you are now to be handfasted to Severus? Oh, that is wonderful. I worried that he was still tied to Lily's memory. The dress in the window is perfect with your colouring. Let me get it out and you can try it on."

Nimuë found that the dress did indeed fit and looked perfect as well. She bought it on the spot. Then she told Hermione and Ginny to look around. They each found dresses that suited them. Hermione found a peacock blue waltz length dress that fit to perfection. Ginny found one in Teal that fit her more petite frame perfectly. Nimuë paid for the three dresses before they disapparated back to Glastonbury. The five women were sitting in the garden when Nimuë suddenly said, "Sev is bringing the Aurors here. He wants them to walk the Labyrinth. They will be here in a very short time. Do any of you want to walk the Labyrinth, too? I think I shall walk it with them. Ginny, can I prevail on you to reopen the shop? Hermione would you stay and help her? Angelina, Luna and I are going to go with the Aurors."

Just then, the first group arrived in the lower garden. Sev came and kissed Nimuë before saying hello to the others. He ushered the Aurors into the small street behind the house. Harry and the second group arrived and followed directly. Angelina, Luna and Nimuë went with Sev towards the Tor. They stopped at Chalice Well to feel the coursing of the old magic. Once on the Tor they began the first circuit which led up and down and then back. Sev told them all, "Let your feet feel the thrumming of the magic. It will guide you. It will also purify you. It is a cleansing magic. This place was thought to be the gateway to the Underworld at one point. The Hall of Gwyn Ap Nudd was supposed to be accessible if you walked the Labyrinth. But, as in Chartres, this Labyrinth is a focus device. The point is not to find the underworld but to find the core of magic and strength in you. Free your minds of everything except the feel of magic beneath your feet. Now, begin to walk the path."

He, Nimuë and Luna started up between the two groups. As they progressed from circuit to circuit Nimuë sang her protective spells softly. Sev kept firm hold of her hand so she would not slip. When they reached the top of the Tor they found the first group looking out over the city below them. Within moments Harry and the second group arrived and something wonderful began to happen. A golden haze began to envelop the top of the Tor. The figure of a woman with long strawberry blond hair formed within the haze. She stepped forward and spoke to Sev and Nimuë.