Chapter 10
Severus was getting ready to leave Dumbledore's office to go to his quarters for some well-deserved rest; it had been a long day. The potion master was still processing the disappearances of Dumbledore and McGonagall. Madam Pomfrey's reaction to him expressing his doubts about his ability to continue to lead the school let Severus know that neither she nor any of the other Hogwarts staff wanted to hear the potion master's misgivings about carrying out his duties as interim Headmaster. Severus knew he had to find another individual in a leadership position at the same level as his. Who? Then the answer came to him as he finished his cup of tea. Kingsley. The man had just been placed in the role of interim Minister of Magic and he, Severus was interim Headmaster for Hogwarts – they were both new leaders of large organizations, granted Kingsley was going to oversee the entire Ministry of Magic, which included Hogwarts, but Severus knew he had to speak with Kingsley. Severus also suspected that Kingsley, for some reason, would listen to him and not dismiss his concerns and would offer good council that would help the potion master lead the school.
A knock came at the door, followed by a few healthy kicks, startling the potion master. What is going on now, Severus thought, as he placed his cup of tea down.
"Who is it?" Severus called, as he stood and took out his wand.
"Ron Weasley, Sir! It is an emergency! Please -," Ron said.
Severus flicked his wand and the door flew open and Ron tumbled into Dumbledore's office.
"What is it? Severus asked as Ron picked himself up off of the marble floor. The potion master rushed to the shaking third year, as he spelled the door closed. "Are you hurt?" Severus asked, keeping his wand at the ready in case this situation involved dark magic.
"No, Sir. It's Harry! He's in our dorms and he's really ill!" Ron said.
"What about Madam Pomfrey?" Severus asked, as he took a handful of Floo powder and grabbed Ron by the upper arm as the potion master walked over to the fireplace.
"Harry said to get you, Sir!" Ron said as he looked up at the grim potion master. "Sir, what are you -," Ron asked.
"Quiet, we are going to your dorms in the quickest way possible in this castle as humans cannot Apparate in the castle," Severus said as he threw the boy into the fireplace and climbed in after him. "Gryffindor Tower," Severus said, and the blue flames engulfed them.
Seconds later Ron fell out of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room as Severus rushed over to one of the chairs that many of the students were gathered around. Sure enough in the center of the confusion was Potter, looking mortified as he tried to assure his classmates that he was alright.
"Potter," Severus said, as he waded through the students, who fell back and looked at the grim potion master with wide eyes. "What is this commotion about?" Severus asked, the man inwardly winced at his tone, but he wasn't the most patient of people.
"It's nothing, Sir. I fell asleep in the common room and I had a nightmare. Ron and Hermione thought I was having some kind of…emotional event. I tried to tell them that I was alright, but they didn't listen! I'm sorry, Sir for them disturbing you," Harry said, straining to keep his voice even under Severus' sharp gaze.
"You were screaming your head and a shouting for Professor Snape! What were we supposed to do?" Ron asked, indignantly.
"Ron it was only a nightmare! You act like your mother sometimes -," Harry quipped.
"Enough," Severus said, holding up his hand, "Potter, come with me. The rest of you, return to your dormitories."
"Sir, when is Professor McGonagall coming back?" Hermione asked. Severus closed his eyes and gathered himself so he could give a proper response. He didn't want to give information out before it hit the newspapers, especially to nervous students. The young people we already on edge because of the exams and Severus saw no reason to cause additional confusion before the news hit the paper in the morning.
"Professor McGonagall will return soon, Ms. Granger. Now, all of you return to your dormitories and," Severus paused, he struggled to find something reassuring to say to them, "please remember that your other Professors and I have your best interests in mind as we carry out our duties regarding various processes," Severus finished, he knew it sounded technical and clinical, but it was the best he could do at the moment.
"Come along Potter," Severus said, as he guided the trembling child through the Gryffindor portrait hole.
Severus eyed the pale child as they walked back to Dumbledore's office. The potion master knew Potter was familiar with the place and Severus didn't want to unnerve the child any further by taking him to Severus' own quarters. The boy shivered as they walked along the dark torch-light hallway. Harry only had on his sleeping clothes.
"Are you cold?" Severus asked.
"No, I'm fine," Harry said, looking at the stone floor. Severus stopped walking and Harry was startled enough to look up at the tall man.
"Are you cold?" Severus asked, again looking down into the green eyes that were so like Lily's.
"Yes, Sir," Harry said, dropping his gaze back to the floor. Severus conjured a cloak for the boy and handed it to him.
"Thank you, Sir," Harry whispered, as he put it around his thin shoulders.
"Oh!" Harry said once he was fully wrapped in the cloak.
"Yes, it has a warming charm on it," Severus said, dryly. "Come along, we're almost to Dumbledore's office."
A few moments later, Severus had the child seated one of Dumbledore's office with a cup of tea. The potion master noted how the child clung to the warm cape that Severus had given him. Potter didn't look well, the child was too pale and thin.
"What was your nightmare about, Pot – Harry?" Severus asked, taking a seat next to the child.
"Nothing," Harry mumbled into his teacup. He was beyond humiliated. Snape must think him a weakling and a weirdo.
"Well, something ruffled your friends' feathers," Severus said.
"They overreact, they -," Harry said, mulishly.
"What was the nightmare about and maybe we can figure out whether they 'overreacted' or not," Severus said. He knew a direct approach was best, as to get the child to the source of the mental pain as quickly and safely as possible. While the potion master was far from a warm and fuzzy type, he had been a teacher long enough to know this was one of the best ways of helping students cope with painful issues, whether it was homesickness, bad grades, or even parents going through divorces.
"I – it was just about," Harry paused, "the Dursleys." Severus waited for the child to continue. He knew that the child needed the reassurance of emotional space and control in order to feel safe to tell his story.
"It was about…the times when Uncle Vernon would…," Harry trailed off.
"Uncle Vernon would what?" Severus prodded, gently.
"When he would…hurt me," Harry whispered. Severus had to lean toward to child to hear him.
"You told me a bit about that during your exam. I understand he raped you often," Severus said, the boy flinched and the potion master knew he was in unchartered territory. As a teacher, he had dealt with students who were physically abused and had difficult home lives, but sexual abuse of a child was a whole new level of insanity for Severus. Then to have the sexually and physically abused child to be his own son was almost more than the potion master could handle. He knew that the boy was going to need to see a licensed wizarding Mind Healer to deal with the abuse, but for now, Severus was the best option for the child.
"Yeah, he only stopped when I started going to Hogwarts," Harry said, there was a tightness in Severus' chest as the child's voice broke.
"I see. Did you tell anyone about it," Severus asked, though he knew with the environment that his son was subjected to in that abominable household, the chances of Harry telling anyone were slim to none.
"Of course, not," Harry said. Severus was glad to see that the child had some spirit in his reply.
"I remember one of the last times," Harry said, as Severus closed his eyes as he mentally steeled himself for what he was about to hear, "Aunt Petunia had her ladies club over to play cards and I was in the backyard – it was summertime – and I often snuck outside to sleep in the back garden during the summertime because it was so much nicer than my cupboard. Well, Uncle Vernon had come outside to get a smoke and he spotted me lying in the garden. I tried to make a run for it – Uncle Vernon was a rather thin man until last year – and he caught me. He placed his hand over my mouth, so Petunia and her company wouldn't hear as he took me into the tool shed at the back of the yard. It was really dark and musty in there. It had a dirt floor. He threw me down and…," Harry paused, hitching of breath, "I felt so nasty," Harry said, as broke into sobs. Severus gathered the child onto his lap and held the boy as the child cried against the man's chest as a single tear trailed down the potion master's face.
"I am sorry, Harry. Believe me, I am. Thank you for sharing this with me. We are working to bring Vernon and Petunia to justice for what they did to you. You will have justice," Severus said.
Eventually, the child's sobs tapered off and he became aware of his position in the potion master's lap, Harry gulped and chanced a frightened glance at the professor.
"It is alright, Harry. You're not the first child that we have cared for," Severus said, even though Harry was the first child that Severus had cared for beyond offering a listening ear and certainly no other child had been in Severus' lap.
"Oh," Harry said, as he placed his head back against the man's chest. The potion master could have sworn that the boy was listening to Severus' heartbeat through his robes. The child closed his eyes and was soon asleep in Severus' arms. Severus sipped his tea; he wanted the child to get a reasonable amount of sleep before he woke the boy to place him in one of Dumbledore's chairs for the rest of the evening, so Severus left the child in his lap, as the boy seemed to finally be getting a peaceful rest. Even though it was a harrowing experience to hear his son detail such an instance of his abuse by Vernon, Severus felt an empty place in his soul beginning to fill and heal as his son rested his arms. The boy trusted the grim potion master, enough to share these additional aspects of his abuse with him and Severus was gratified by the child confidence and would work to prove himself worthy of the child's trust.
Kingsley was awakened by a soft knocking at his bedroom door. The man blearily looked around. His curtains were drawn and they kept out light so effectively that the room would be the same level of darkness at midnight or high noon.
"Time," Kingsley asked.
"6:17 AM, Sir," returned the cool female voice of his magical home. Kingsley had gotten the idea of spelling his home to respond to his commands after seeing it done on a Muggle science fiction program.
"Yes?" Kingsley barked in the direction of the knocking.
"It's Mrs. Devarough, Sir," the maid said, Kingsley didn't like house elves, but he needed workers to do the cooking and cleaning for him and he paid the witches and wizards who worked for him quite well. In fact, it was considered a plum to work for Kingsley Shacklebolt and as a result, he was constantly flooded with resumes requesting to work in his home. The Auror had secrets and working for him required the utmost in allegiance. What most people didn't know was that everyone who worked in Kingsley's home had to take the Unbreakable Vow of loyalty to him. They tell a secret; it would cost them their lives. The lesson had been demonstrated once, many years ago, and had not needed to be repeated.
"Well, what is it?" Kingsley said, as he put on a robe and opened the door. He was not usually so direct, but for a man who spent his life hunting Dark Wizards, an early morning call to his bedroom door was enough to set his teeth on edge.
"Mr. Malfoy is waiting for you in the drawing-room, Sir. Mr. Bonaparte let him in and had provided Mr. Malfoy with tea," Mrs. Devarough said. Kingsley was stunned. Few people knew where he lived and he didn't think Malfoy knew, but then again Malfoy knew many things that people didn't think the wealthy man knew. Kingsley felt oddly vulnerable, but couldn't let Mrs. Devarough see his agitation.
"Of course," Kingsley replied as if he had been expecting the financier and was a perturbed that he was late in coming to the Auror's home. "I will be down in a moment."
"Will you be taking breaking in breakfast with Mr. Malfoy? I can ask Ms. Gladstone to make preparations," Mrs. Devarough said.
"Ah, yes please, Mrs. Devarough, that will be fine," Kingsley said, thinking that the last thing he wanted to do was have breakfast with Malfoy and he was quite sure the wizard had other things to do, but Kingsley knew it would be bad manners not to offer breakfast, so the Auror put on a heavier robe and went for a shower.
A few moments later, Kingsley stood at the door to his drawing room, steeling himself to cope with Malfoy. The song from last night was still in his head. Gathering his nerve, the Auror opened the door.
"Mr. Malfoy, this is an early call," Kingsley said, striving to affect an air of confidence, after all he was in his own home and while the servants could not talk out of turn to outsiders, they certainly could gossip with each other and Kingsley was going to be damned if he was going to be intimated in his own home.
"Yes, it is," Lucius said, outstretching his hand. Kingsley shook Malfoy's hand, Kingsley's father has always taught his son to never refuse a handshake, fight the man to the death if you must, but shake his hand first.
"I see you have been provided tea," Kingsley said, taking a seat opposite Malfoy.
"Yes, the service is quite excellent," Lucius said. Kingsley nodded.
"Breakfast has been prepared and it should be along in a few moments," Kingsley said, the servants had precise timing and knew how long to wait before bringing in meals. "But, I know that you are quite busy, Mr. Malfoy so I will quite understand if you cannot stay."
"Oh, no breakfast sounds excellent," Lucius said. Kingsley inwardly winced. He did not know how long he could keep up the charade of confidence.
"Very good. To what do I owe this call, Mr. Malfoy?" Kingsley asked he knew the press conference was at 8 o'clock.
"I wanted to give you the official letter from the Ministry naming you as interim Minister of Magic, congratulations, Mr. Shacklebolt," Lucius said, as he handed Kingsley the envelope. It was a testament to Kingsley's self-control and discipline that his hand was quite steady when he took the envelope from Lucius. The Auror knew that Lucius was looking signs of weakness. Kingsley felt as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders as he opened and read the official decree and seal naming him Interim Minister of Magic, with all the rights, duties, and responsibilities of the post, effective immediately. Kingsley had no illusions about the post. This action by the Ministry, orchestrated by Malfoy, effectively put the Auror in Lucius' power and control and Kingsley did not like it. Yet, Kingsley knew that to refuse the post would result in massive loss of life and chaos in the wizarding world.
"I – thank you, Mr. Malfoy," Kingsley said, Lucius didn't miss the tremor in the man's voice. Got him, Lucius thought and grinned. Suddenly Lucius was in a wonderful mood.
"So, Kingsley, may I call you Kingsley?" Lucius asked. Kingsley steadfastly sipped his tea so he would not have to look at the victory in Lucius' eyes. Kingsley nodded; he didn't trust himself to speak.
"Excellent and oh – it's Lucius," Lucius said.
"Of course," Kingsley said, woodenly. His stomach was twisting and the Auror's bile was threatening to make an appearance on his Axminster rug. The man no longer wanted breakfast.
"Well, let's hear you say it," Lucius said.
"Sorry?" Kingsley said.
"My name. Say it," Lucius said, as he looked into the Auror's light colored eyes. The expression of disgust and anger that crossed the Auror's keen features, made Lucius' day.
"I – what – you -," Kingsley sputtered. Lucius folded his hands and sat back in his seat. "I do not - why?" Kingsley said, dumbfounded.
"I want to hear you say it," Lucius said, taking a sip of his tea. "You think I do not know what you and Severus think of me? You are neither the first nor the last that have wanted to see me taken down. I have eyes and ears everywhere; I have them in places that you cannot imagine, Kingsley. Better men than you and Severus Snape have tried to bring me down. You can try. But, I would advise you against it, not if you value peace, law, and order in the wizarding world," Lucius said. Kingsley sat in stunned silence and suddenly the room began to spin and he felt himself slipping to the floor. To Kingsley's mortification, Lucius caught him before he hit the floor as the servants came rushing in.
"Your employer is fine," Lucius said to Kingsley's servants, "please bring breakfast. He needs something to eat and fix some coffee. Strong and thick, Turkish perhaps, I am sure you have it," Lucius said, as he and Ms. Gladstone helped Kingsley back into his seat. Mrs. Devarough looked at Kingsley for confirmation; weakly, the Auror nodded.
"You must take care and eat properly, I cannot have my Minister suffering from fainting spells, now can I?" Lucius said. Kingsley heard the tones of absolute delight in Malfoy's voice. "So, after breakfast, I presume we can Floo to the Ministry to meet with our adoring public at the press conference," Lucius said.
"Of course," Kingsley said, the wealthy wizard fixed the Auror with a look. "Lucius," Kingsley finished. Lucius grinned contentedly.
"You do realize that you will be stopped eventually?" Kingsley said as breakfast and coffee were set before them.
"Maybe, most likely not ever, but regardless Minister, we have other things to attend to this day other than you and Severus Snape trying to do me in," Lucius said, as he smirked and tucked into breakfast.