Chapter Ten
Ron and Harry sat in stunned silence as they contemplated the events that had just been replayed. A knock on the door brought both their heads up. Hermione stuck her head in.
"Hello," she whispered. "We've been summoned downstairs for a ceremony."
She looked at them curiously. "Lots to talk about, but it'll have to wait. I'll meet you there in ten minutes."
Harry closed the case after replacing the tins and shoved the entire contents under the bed.
"Do you think we should let her see it?" Ron asked.
Harry nodded, "Tonight." He was busy thinking of seeing Snape and Remus again after such a short time and felt mildly anxious. "After this…ceremony."
"You nervous about it Harry?" Ron asked screwing up his face and staring at the door.
"A little," Harry acknowledged. "It's like stepping out on the Quidditch pitch for the first time."
Ron nodded vigorously. He'd only played for one term, but knew exactly what Harry was referring to.
"Right. Well let's get on with it then." Harry took one glance in the mirror of their wardrobe. He thought that the person staring back looked very unfamiliar. The young man staring back looked grim and determined and strong. Harry knew he didn't feel that way at all.
There were several people waiting in the sitting room when they entered. Snape, Remus, Molly and Arthur Weasley and Minerva McGonagall. Each of them were draped in dark midnight blue cloaks. Hermione joined them seconds later.
Harry stepped across the room first and stuck out his hand to Snape. He looked him in the face and said clearly, "I want to thank you."
Snape studied him and for a brief moment it looked like he would not reciprocate, and then he clasped Harry's hand and quickly let it go. Harry stepped to Remus and shook his hand.
"Dumbledore will be with us shortly Harry," Remus said with a hint of a smile playing on his face.
Harry went on until he reached Minerva McGonagall. He leaned in while taking her hand and whispered, "I understand that you used to be able to dance a mean Irish jig."
She looked up at him as he released her hand, her eyes questioning him. They had no time to speak further as Dumbledore stepped into the room.
Harry immediately felt angry. He'd not seen him since the day he'd stood in Dumbledore's office and had heard the terrible news of the prophecy. He waited as the old man made his way into the room greeting each in turn. He also wore a robe of midnight blue.
He stopped in front of Hermione and tapped her on the shoulder with his wand, changing her own robe for one of white, moved on to Ron and did the same and stopped in front of Harry. He tapped his shoulder and stood in front of him peering into his face. Harry felt a strong desire to speak, and yet was still angry and couldn't bring himself to not speak in anger.
Dumbledore nodded as if he understood what had not been conveyed verbally. He turned to the group and spoke gently, "Tonight we will initiate new members into the Order. We live in dangerous time my friends. Many years ago I began this society as a means to fight Voldemort. We thought then that we faced a evil unparalleled in our history. We were wrong. Voldemort has gained strength beyond comprehension and many new followers who are just as deadly. Today, we face a formidable foe." He seemed to straighten and nodded to the adults in the group. "And so it is our duty to enlist the aid and service of new and younger people to help us fight this enemy."
Arthur and Molly Weasley stood by Ron, Minerva took a few steps and stood by Hermione while Lupin crossed the room to stand by Harry.
He spoke again, this time to Ron, Hermione and Harry. "The three of you are here at your own request. By taking the oath I am about to speak you are agreeing to be bound by a magical contract that can be broken only by your death. In taking this oath you also agree to stand and fight beside your friends, to put their lives before your own, to keep secret the business of the Order of the Phoenix and die before revealing it." He looked at each in turn. Dumbledore met Harry's eyes once again. "Our prevailing agenda is to stop Voldemort from ruling the wizarding community. We swear by taking this oath, to continue to fight to the last man and woman. If you are willing to abide by this plan, to lay your lives on the line, then stand ready."
Harry closed his eyes briefly and imagined his parents, just as he'd seen them in the film an hour before; young and healthy standing before Dumbledore ready to swear their own oath to the Order.
"Who will declare that this initiate is ready to pledge her oath? Who will serve as her mentor until such time as she matures in the Order and becomes a fully subscribed member?" Dumbledore asked standing before Hermione and Minerva McGonagall.
"I declare Hermione Granger a witch in good standing, ready to take her oath. I serve as her mentor until she becomes a full-fledged member of the Order." McGonagall placed her hand on Hermione's shoulder and Dumbledore touched Hermione with her wand. A song drifted into the room. Harry knew it's origin; it was Fawkes, Dumbledore's Phoenix and he was singing.
Dumbledore stepped to Ron and repeated the words. Both of his parents repeated the same words.
When it came time for Harry to be initiated Dumbledore stood before him. "You have two wizards who are willing to stand as your mentors Harry. You may choose either, both, or someone else. Understand that they are also bound by your contract. Since you are not of age, they literally are held responsible for the oath that you take." He turned slightly to indicate that besides Remus Lupin, Snape had also volunteered.
Harry nodded once, put his hand on Remus' arm and then looked directly across the room to Snape who watched him with mild curiosity etched on his face. "I accept both," Harry answered. Snape hesitated and then walked across the room and placed his hand on one shoulder while Remus placed his on Harry's other shoulder.
When Dumbledore touched him with his wand, Harry felt a surge of energy flow through him, lifting him up spiritually. It felt almost the same as the first time he'd ever flown. He also felt a slight reassuring squeeze from each hand resting on his shoulders.
Somewhere in the depths of the house a clock chimed midnight. Bare feet hurriedly padded down a long corridor and bedroom doors opened and closed soundlessly.
"Hermione what happens when someone is bitten by a vampire?" Harry scooted back on the bed, wrapped in his dressing gown. He threw her a pillow waiting for her to make herself comfortable. Ron had already found a comfortable spot on the same bed piled high with pillows.
She was waiting for them to start the camera and show her the film they had seen earlier in the afternoon.
"Well from what I've read it's the same thing as a mosquito bite but on a bigger scale," she answered.
Ron snickered unbelieving and then quieted immediately when she frowned at him. She continued, keeping her voice low, "The mosquito injects a digestive fluid into the open wound through her proboscis, that keeps the blood flowing backward up the tube. So there's a mix of the victim's blood and the digestive juices, a contagion of the bitten person's blood."
"Digestive fluid?!" Harry repeated in alarm.
She shrugged. "Yes. Otherwise the blood would coagulate and sucking would be more difficult. The vampire is capable of emptying a person of their entire blood volume within a minute or two. The victim's own heart beat literally pumps the blood out. But vampires don't usually kill right off, they like to feed on their victims and keep them alive. Sort of like milking a cow. Why this interest in vampires suddenly?"
"More than I wanted to know," Ron said evidently aware that Harry was struggling.
"What else?" Harry asked, feeling himself wanting to cringe back and away from the words.
"Of course vampires don't have a proboscis but they do have canine teeth that are small tubes. When they bite they draw the blood up through the teeth and inject a substance like the mosquito. Only this substance is what makes people turn into vampires. I understand that the wizards at St. Mungo's suction away even more blood from the victim in order to cleanse the wound. If they get to the victim quickly then the contagion can be arrested."
"You mean the person doesn't become a vampire," Harry gasped.
Hermione nodded. "It's like muggles sucking out the venom from a snake bite Harry." She nodded and pulled the blankets around her. "What's this about? D'you know someone who's been bitten?"
Harry gestured to Ron who sat waiting with his wand. "Watch and then you'll understand. You can tell us what you found out afterwards."
From the vantage point of the bed Harry watched the film play out again. Since he knew what would happen he watched the doorway more carefully and saw a dark figure standing there gesturing at his mother. It wasn't Snape.
They sat in the dark for several minutes after the projector stopped. Hermione touched the lamp with her wand and said "LUMOS." She stared at them with wide eyes and finally said, "No wonder you wanted to know about vampires. You both could have given me a warning."
Harry nodded and waited. "Sorry."
She sat thinking until Ron prompted her, "Well? What d'you think?"
"I don't think your mother was in danger from the bite Harry. It's obvious that Snape sucked the venom out quickly enough. It's also clear that Sirius and Remus and your father misunderstood the situation." She studied him with sympathetic eyes. "I don't know what the sender of the film was trying to tell us other than Snape saved your mum's life once.
"Do you think that what happened at their wedding was connected to Snape and my dad ending up at St. Mungo's?" Harry asked.
She shook her head and pulled out the manuscript. She took a minute to explain to Ron what she was holding and she and Harry waited for him to absorb the fact that it was Percy who had written and delivered it.
"Percy?" he gasped. "That git!"
"Ron we both know how you and your family felt about what he did, leaving and all. But maybe he's trying to make amends. Maybe he's in trouble and we can help him if we sort this all out," Hermione held the parchment roll against her chest and watched him carefully.
Harry waited for Ron to make a decision.
"Alright then, let's hear what it says," Ron finally announced. "I'll reserve judgment until I know better."
Hermione unrolled the parchment and held the tip of her illuminated wand over it. "The report states that the incident that landed them at St. Mungo's happened later."
"Tell us what you found out," Harry said. "Did you find where grandparents lived?"
She nodded. "Your grandparents were killed the night of your mother's graduation Harry," she said it quickly. "The same night Snape and your mother were seen in the alley next to the Leaky Cauldron. It all makes sense and Snape was telling you the truth. He was there comforting your mother because of her grief. It seems that your mother went to her house just after graduation. She met with her parents and then left. A few hours later a neighbor heard a scream and the police were called. Your aunt was out that night and returned home and found the bodies. She told the muggle police…"
"Puhleese?" Ron interrupted, confused.
"Muggle law enforcement, Ron," Hermione said curtly. "Now don't interrupt me again, this is hard enough as it is."
Harry leaned forward and waited, steeling himself. "What happened then?" he asked.
"The police thought your mother had killed her parents and then went into hiding. She disappeared and wasn't heard from again. No trace of her was ever found," Hermione said. "Of course she disappeared back into the wizarding world and we know who killed your grandparents. After that she became a driving force in the Order." Hermione pulled her school satchel off the floor and dumped the contents on the bed. "Percy wasn't very efficient I'm sorry to say. He collected only a few of the articles that your mother wrote about Voldemort, or at least he wrote about only a few in his report."
"'Mione, how'd you get all of these?" Harry scanned the documents lying at his feet.
"You forget," Hermione smirked, "our friend Rita Skeeter. I got in touch with her. She's dying to have an exclusive with you Harry."
"You didn't promise her…" Harry gasped.
"No, of course not," Hermione answered and avoided his eyes. "At least not yet. I think it's to our advantage to hold that on reserve."
Harry looked at Ron and back to Hermione. If there was anyone he would want plotting and strategizing on his behalf it was Hermione, he decided.
"Your mother was very brave Harry," she swept her hand over the collection on the bed. "Very outspoken. I'm not surprised that someone would have been sent to shut her up. And it looks like, based on this film, that someone tried to assassinate her and failed."
"Looks like Snape stopped it from happening," Ron said staring at the place in the room where the film had shown the scene.
Hermione nodded and continued, "I didn't just look at these, I read some of the stories that were written at the time. I found some very interesting information. Anyway, I think that what I just witnessed was the first attempt on her life. I think there were more. Of course, no one knew that Snape was in the Order except Dumbledore and your mother. Can you imagine what it was like for your mum? What it must have been like for Snape?" She shook her head. "She had to keep the secret from your dad. It must have been terrible."
Harry leaned against the headboard and thought about it. "I know one thing. She at least fought the fight, she went after Voldemort and didn't wait around for Voldemort to hunt her down," he finally said.
Hermione stared at him in the ghostly light of the single lamp. Their silhouettes cast giant shadows on the wall. "She also died Harry. Both of your parents did. And…and I'm not trying to… to tell you what to do, but Dumbledore said it tonight. Voldemort's much, much more dangerous then he was back then."
Harry nodded and whispered back, "That's why we have to have a better plan then my mum and dad did. They were all working against each other, Mione. We have Snape on our side this time and we all know it. I don't like it, I don't like him, but I trust my mother and she trusted him."
"We have lots of people on our side," Ron broke in. They stared at him. "Ginny, Fred and George, the D.A." He pushed on. "They may not be in the Order but they're willing to fight. We went with you, all of us, to the Department of Mysteries and we made a pretty good job of it Harry." He stopped and scratched his nose before continuing. "I know that you're supposed to kill him, but you're not going to be alone when you do it. I took that oath tonight because I'm with you mate."
Hermione laid on her side, her head propped on her hand and stared at them. "We could have an army of people standing in front of him Ron and Voldemort would lay waste to us all. No offense Harry but you don't have the skills to take him head on and neither did we. I don't intend to be mean but we barely escaped his Death Eaters."
"'Mione!" Ron started to argue.
"Well we did and Harry is not a match for him Ron. He can practice for years and years and never have the skills." She frowned and finger walked across the papers still lying on the bed. "What we have to do is get Harry near him and give him the means to kill him in a way that isn't obvious."
Harry stared at her in disbelief. He could listen to a dozen seers and prophets and would never have believed that he would be sitting on a bed in the middle of the night with his closest friends planning the death of another person.
"What are we suppose to do, 'Mione, hide him in the curtains and wait until You-Know-Who walks by and then Harry leaps out and bonks him on the head?" Ron was saying with a look of incredulity on his face.
"Ron!" Hermione sat up and leaned in towards them. "Poison."
"Poison?" Harry repeated.
She nodded. "This film gave me an idea. Voldemort tried to kill your mother by sending a vampire- by poisoning her. The vampire could have killed her kill by exsanguination within minutes. So why didn't it? I think Voldemort wanted her contaminated-poisoned, but kept alive. That way he could question her or torture her or something. Actually, I think maybe he wanted information from her- maybe about the Order. We have to get into Snape's potion's class and brew a poison. He's the only one that has the ingredients that we might need. Then we have to develop a plan for Harry to give it to Voldemort; somehow lure him into a trap."
"And hold his nose so he swallows a poison?" Ron gasped in awe at the suggestion. "I think we'd have better luck sticking a wand up his nose."
Harry wasn't listening to their sudden squabble, instead he grimaced at the thought of what could have happened if his mother had been kidnapped and taken to Voldemort. He thought that Hermione might have a point. His mother would have been subjected to some kind of torture- and he was pretty sure he knew what kind. It sent chills down his back thinking about her narrow escape. He contemplated the plan Hermione was talking about.
Ron garaffed, "That sounds simple enough 'Mione. Real simple! I know my marks on exams weren't good enough. Yours might be but mine weren't. We haven't got our marks from our OWLS, but I don't think I made it into his class."
"I don't think mine were either," Harry admitted.
"We'll know soon enough." Hermione said, sitting up and scooping up the papers. "We've only got a few days. If we have to, you'll have to convince him Harry to take you into his class."
"There's got to be another way," Ron moaned and looked sympathetically at him.
"If you can think of something else then that's fine Ron. I'm going to go back over this report and we still have several tins of film left to see. Percy was giving us a message, one that has already gotten into Voldemort's hands." She reached over and grasped Ron's hand. "I know that's painful to hear but he admitted it in so many words. Percy said the report went to Cornelius Fudge while he was there with Malfoy. We have to believe that Voldemort already knows everything that was in this report."
Harry nodded and said quietly, "I'm going to have to turn that report over to Snape. We're members of the Order now and it might help them in their efforts."
Hermione nodded. "That alright Harry I agree. Should we look at the rest of this then?" she asked holding up the two remaining tins.
He nodded and she handed them to Ron.
"Put them in order by the date on the tin Ron," Harry suggested. "If this is a message then we need to at least have it in some kind of order."
Ron complied and tapped the projector once again.
Lily sat in the garden of the Burrow, the home of Arthur and Molly Weasley, sister to Gideon and Fabian Prewitt. She sat on the swing that hung in the orchard and stared into the robin-egg blue sky partially hidden by pink blossoms on the old gnarled apple tree.
She felt nervous. He was bringing Petunia to her. She knew her sister was not going to like it, would probably be enraged. But it was for her own good. Voldemort had become too dangerous, was actively searching for her and for any family she had left. She knew she had to protect her.
A smooth, gentle deep voice spoke from behind her. Lily knew the voice immediately. It never ceased to amaze her how stealthy he could be.
With some difficulty, because of her big belly from the pregnancy, Lily slipped off the swing and turned.
Her sister stood in the meadow beneath the blossoms of the apple trees. She was also pregnant. As a matter of fact, she looked as pregnant as Lily herself. Severus was holding her by one arm and she appeared to be in a daze.
"Severus, is she alright?" Lily walked quickly to stand before her.
"Yes, Lily. I did not harm her. She thought I was a person who sells things at the door and she admitted me. I have cast a spell on her and brought her to you as you asked."
"She's going to have a baby!" Lily said astounded. "How wonderful!" She took her sister's hand and then reached and hugged her, standing close together but separated by their big bellies. "Severus, this will not harm her will it?" She pulled back to look into the glazed eyes.
There was a moment of silence and then she glanced past her sister and looked at him, waiting for his answer.
Severus was watching her. Lily knew what the look in his eyes meant, she had seen it there in all her friends. She didn't smile but reached and took his hand. "I know that it is dangerous for you here. You are truly a loyal friend and I won't ever forget what you've done for her and me."
He squeezed her hand and dropped his eyes, a blush rising on his pale, thin face. Lily thought he looked ill. He was not attractive and never had been. But still there had been times when they had talked and for a little while the burdens he carried seemed to drift away. In those moments, she saw the real person that shone through, the one who stood now, so close to danger.
James, Sirius, Remus and Peter were in the garden along with the Weasley's and the Prewitt brothers. If they caught sight of her with Severus, she knew they would kill him. But she had long since agreed and promised that she would not tell James of Severus' link to the Order, no matter what happened.
"Are you ready Lily?" he asked.
She knew what he was asking. He had found a means to protect the baby she carried along with her sister. Now she knew her sister's child would also be protected. She nodded.
"Lily," he started to speak, his voice full of fear and anxiety.
"It does no good to try and talk me out of it Severus," she responded quickly. "I already know that it means my death; that I will not survive if Voldemort tries to kill me. But with this spell it also means my child will live, as will Petunia and her child."
He nodded.
"It won't hurt her because she's muggle?" Lily asked holding her sister to her breast, feeling her pregnancy bumping against her sisters'. Hugging her one last time and knowing she could never be this close to her if she were awake.
"She is a squib, Lily. There is enough magic blood in her to protect her and the child she carries," he said quietly.
Lily held her semi-conscious sister and closed her eyes, whispering in her sister's ear so that even Severus could not hear what she said.
"You are sure that he will die?" she asked finally. "Voldemort will die if he kills me; it will protect my child and Petunia and her child?"
Severus nodded and murmured, "I will not ever let that happen Lily."
She smiled at him, thinking, Ah yes, my friend. But Voldemort is getting so close. I will not risk my child's life. "What must I do?" she asked.
He reached for her hand and pricked it with a sharp knife and then did the same with her sister's. He held her hand over a crystal vial until a single drop of crimson blood dropped into a green liquid, turning it into a dark swirling blue. Her sister's blood was dropped into it next and he turned it over twice in his hand.
"Take one swallow, give her one," he said nodding to Petunia. "Make sure you drink exactly half and she the rest and it will be done."
Lily took the vial and measured it with her eyes. She tipped and swallowed and then opened her sister's slack jaw and poured the rest down her throat. She handed the vial back and held her sister for a moment as she felt the liquid running like ice through her veins. She finally let go and turned away.
"Take her home Severus."
From the bed, Ron, Hermione and Harry watched a family garden party. From the looks of Ron's parents it was obvious that they were watching them at a much younger age.
"That's Bill and Charlie," Ron said pointing at two red-headed boys playing.
"And Sirius, Remus, Peter and Harry's dad," Hermione said. "It's a summer picnic."
She was right. They were in the yard where he and the Weasley family had taken their supper one evening. In this instance, Harry could tell that Bill was about eight and his brother Charlie appeared to be around the age of six. "Keep sharp," he said. "Whoever is taking the pictures is focusing on the family, but Mum has to be nearby somewhere."
It was true, his mother was not with the group in the garden. He immediately searched the fringes of the three dimensional picture, turning on the bed to look over his shoulder.
It was Ron who spotted her once again. "There Harry. Look through the hedges, over there in the meadow and orchard where we practiced Quidditch.
Harry swung to the left on the bed and stared at the orchard just coming into bloom. Sure enough he saw his mother sitting on a swing.
"She's pregnant!" Hermione said.
Harry saw her stand and the gown she wore stood out in front. Her pregnancy was unmistakable. So if this is Spring and I was born in July, then she is months away from having me, he thought. This is too strange. He watched her walk into the shadows of the trees and squinted to see what she was doing. Once again he saw her meet up with someone. Only this time it was two figures. What made him grab the bed to steady himself was not the sight of Snape, but that of his aunt.
The three of them watched what happened next. Then the camera was redirected and finally ran out.