The Hundred Acre Wood

Disclaimer & Warnings: See chapter 1

Timeline: Wednesday, July 31st, 1991, very, very late in the evening

Chapter 10 – It's all in the details

"I don't say this lightly Headmaster, but I'm telling you that I do not believe it. Don't make the announcement yet. Wait a while. Let me check out a few inconsistencies first."

"Are you saying that you don't trust yourself?" the Headmaster asked Severus tiredly. It'd been a long, disappointing night and he felt every one of his one hundred and fifty years.

"What do you mean Albus? Of course I trust myself!"

"Well, Severus - you brewed the Veritaserum. Did you not? If you don't trust the results of your own work, then you must not trust yourself. It's as easy as that."

"No, it's not that easy. Yes, I brewed it, and I know it was perfect. I could brew Veritaserum with my eyes closed and it'd still be of better quality than that rot the Ministry uses. Therefore, I know that Dursley could not, and did not lie. Yet all my senses say there's more to it. There must be some other explanation. There must be," Severus pounded his fist on the desk, making all the delicate instruments perched on it rattle, and startling a loud squawk out of Fawkes, the Headmaster's Phoenix.

Several of the old Headmaster's portraits around the room woke up at the ruckus and were now listening in with obvious curiosity. It wasn't often Severus Snape displayed anything but a passing apathy on most subjects.

Severus didn't know why he was being so passionate about it. He didn't give a rat's arse about what had happened to the Potter brat. However, he did care about the Headmaster, and right now, the Headmaster looked defeated. It was definitely not a look he'd ever seen on the old wizard's face before, and it wasn't one that he ever wanted to see again. Dumbledore sighed and looked across the mammoth desk at his Potions Master.

"The facts are incontrovertible my boy. I let down the side of the Light. I let down James and Lily. Moreover, I let down little Harry. Not making an announcement is just delaying the inevitable."

"Not if we keep it quiet," Severus insisted.

"This type of thing always gets out. If I don't admit to my mistake before its common knowledge, the Ministry will accuse me of a cover-up, which will give the Board the leverage they need to remove me as Headmaster. No, Severus. As much as it pains me, I must do it. I must announce that Harry Potter, the boy who lived, is dead and that it's my fault. There's no point in putting it off. It won't change anything. It won't bring him back."

"I'm not asking you to delay it for long, just until the term starts. One month, that's all. It's a reasonable amount of time to check out all the facts first. If by then, we haven't found another explanation as to the cause of death, then by all means, throw yourself on your sword."

A small flicker of amusement flashed through the old wizard eyes at the mental picture that conjured.

"Yes, I might just do that, I always said I'd go out with style when I went. Maybe I could have Fudge hold the Godric Gryffindor sword for me as I leap on it from the top of the fountain in the foyer of the Ministry building."

The portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black snorted derisively at this.

"Fudge would probably prefer to be the one to shove you off the fountain, if for no other reason than to show he's being proactive," Severus replied dryly. "And now that you've brought up the subject of the Ministry… its role in this whole fiasco is one of the things that have been bothering me."

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

"The wards. The ministry was in charge of setting up and maintaining the blood wards. In addition, from what Minerva said about them, they were supposed to have already been in place before you left Potter that night. Which is why they insisted on the twenty-four hour delay before letting you drop him off? If that were true, wouldn't the wards have immediately alerted you to the danger he was in even before you left? Yet they didn't. Moreover, if the Potter brat weren't there all that time, why in Merlin's name are the wards still in place after almost ten years? Arabella vows she sent monthly reports to that effect and yet the wards remain intact, strong as ever. Yet Fudge is so cheap he won't even give his Aurors as much as a bandage if they splinch themselves. He certainly wouldn't pay to maintain wards for no reason."

"I must admit I was so distressed over the news that I hadn't considered that aspect," Albus said slowly. "It does give one pause to wonder…"

The Headmaster withdrew a small velvet bag from the chest pocket of his robe, nearest his heart, and took out a brightly glowing marble. As he slowly rolled it in the palm of his hand, his eyes grew damp. Severus had always wanted to ask Dumbledore about the marble, he'd been curious about it, but there'd never seemed an appropriate time. He didn't remember Dumbledore having it during the time he was a student there, but since taking the teaching position, he'd frequently seen the Headmaster take the little orb out to study it intently.

He knew it wasn't just another one of the Headmaster's myriad of inventions - this one was quite special. Severus had never seen Albus look at it without it bringing joy to his eyes. So why would it make him sad to look at it now? Despite his curiosity, now didn't seem the right time to ask its meaning either, so he remained silent, allowing the old wizard to ponder his private thoughts in peace. Finally, Dumbledore looked up with more life in his eyes than what had been there for hours.

"You said the wards were only one of the things bothering you. What else was there?"

"The rest I can't explain with facts, just the feeling that something isn't right about Number 4 Privet Drive. Something in the very atmosphere reminded me uncomfortably of a Death Eaters meeting."

"Am I to understand that my Potions Master's relying on 'feelings' instead of 'facts'? I'd never have guessed you had it in you," the Headmaster teased, the twinkle almost returning to his eyes.

"Hardly," Severus sneered slightly embarrassed at the implication. "Deductive reasoning is all."

"I trust your 'deductive reasoning' Severus more than most people's facts. Perhaps you're correct and a little double checking of the facts is in order before I make a formal announcement."

Dumbledore got up and strode swiftly to the fireplace, new plans already formulating in his mind. Taking a handful of floo powder, he threw it in the blaze changing its flames to green, and immediately called out 'The Burrow'.

"Excuse me Molly. I know it's late, but is Arthur available?"

Molly Weasley jumped as Albus Dumbledore's head popped into the fire before her, giving her a start. "Albus! What on earth are you doing floo calling this time of night? You about scared the living doxies out of me!"

"My apologies at the hour Molly, but I must talk with Arthur as soon as possible. Would you ask him to step through to my office? I know it's late, I won't keep him long."

"It isn't one of the children is it? The twins haven't gotten themselves expelled before the terms even started have they?"

"No, no, Molly, its Order of the Phoenix business. We're expecting Percy, George and Fred at Hogwarts on the first, along with another of your sons - Ronald I believe.

"Yes - Ron," Molly said relieved. "Arthur's in his workshop, I'll send him through in a few minutes."

"Thank you Molly, and by the way - thank you for the pair of lovely warm socks I received on my birthday. It was very thoughtful of you and I'm most appreciative. My feet do get quite cold in this castle."

As Dumbledore pulled his head out of the fire, Severus gave him a quizzical look. "Arthur Weasley?"

"Arthur. And I believe it'd be wise to contact Remus Lupin and Kingsley Shacklebolt as well."

Dumbledore quickly put in a floo call to the other two men and soon all were waiting in the tower office, curious as to the reason for the midnight summons.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I've called you here," Dumbledore said as he stood and began pacing about the room. "I've some grave news to depart that is for your ears only. First, however, I must ask you to please allow me to finish the entire tale before asking any questions."

Taking a deep breath, the Headmaster started relating the events of the day, "As you may be aware Harry Potter, the boy who lived is scheduled to start this term. Today's his eleventh birthday. Minerva McGonagall brought it to my attention that Harry hadn't returned his acceptance letter, despite numerous attempts to deliver it by owl and muggle post. To expedite matters, Severus and I paid a visit to his relatives to inquire as to the reason."

The three men looked suspiciously over at Severus, who merely raised an eyebrow back at them and glared.

"In interviewing his relative's we found that I made a fatal mistake nine and a half years ago. The result of which, may have unfortunately led directly to the death of the boy who lived."

Total silence enveloped the room as the three men and all the old Headmaster portraits stared at Albus Dumbledore in total shock.

"WHAT!?" they gasped in unison.

"Harry Potter, the boy who lived, is dead," Albus Dumbledore sadly made the announcement to the men gathered in his office.

"Are… are you sure?" Remus Lupin asked the pain obvious in his voice as the words sunk in.

"Unfortunately, there's no doubt. His guardians produced a death certificate, and Veritaserum has confirmed it. You all realize what this'll mean to the side of the Light, it could throw the Wizarding world into panic. Many questions will be asked, and I'd prefer to have the answers readily available when they are - all the answers."

Arthur and Kingsley were both quiet as each contemplated the ramifications of the news, and thought about what the loss of the small boy would mean, not only to themselves, but also to the future of their world. Remus on the other hand, was in total shock. Unable to process the news he fell into a catatonic state.

"Severus has raised some concerns into the circumstances surrounding the events. That's why I called you here. I need your help to investigate, quickly and quietly, before I make the announcement, and before any of the evidence can be made… to 'disappear'."

"What do you need Albus?" Shacklebolt asked briskly, immediately all business.

As Albus explained the inconsistencies that Severus had noted about the Ministry's wards, Kingsley Shacklebolt's face grew hard and the look in his eyes menacing.

"So you're suggesting the Ministry may have played a part in the warning system not working? If it did happen, I wouldn't put it past Fudge to cover it up. I'll get right on it and let you know as soon as possible what I find out," Kingsley pledged stepping into the fireplace, disappearing in a whoosh of green flames.

"If there's something up at the Ministry, Fudge would get suspicious if too many people are poking about. I'll let Kingsley work on that end, what else do you need done?" Arthur asked as the shock of the news passed.

"After Severus pointed out the curiosities regarding the wards, I began wondering about… this," Albus paused once again, thoughtfully rolling the glowing marble in his palm before placing it on the desk in front of Arthur. "I'd like you to check it out for me."

"What is it Albus? It looks like a muggle child's marble, but those don't glow…" Arthur picked up the object, squinting at it closely and then almost dropped it as it startled him, "… or have a heartbeat!"

"It's indeed a muggle marble, but a very special one. The night I… left… Harry at his relatives…"

Severus raised both eyebrows at Albus as he said this as if to say 'aren't you leaving something out?' but Albus just gave him a calculated look and continued without missing a beat.

"… I charmed this marble to tie into the essence of the child's magical core within the wards. At the time, the Ministry seemed to have its own agenda, and I wanted a little 'backup insurance' as it were. The marble was spelled to change colour according to Harry's emotions."

"Oh! Like a muggle 'mood ring' or a magic monitor?" Arthur's curiosity perking up. "I've heard of new mothers using charms like that to monitor babies. But I thought they were only good at close range, such as in the same house? I've never heard of one that'd work very far from the one being watched."

"That's why I tied it to the wards and not Harry himself. Harry was too small and too young at the time. One would've had to be very close by to pick up his 'moods'. Nonetheless, the wards at his aunt's were very powerful and amplified the signal enough that I could monitor him from Hogwarts. Perhaps it wasn't the best way, but the Ministry warned us that if we contacted Harry or his relatives, they'd remove him from their custody and place him elsewhere. I needed some way to check on him. I couldn't just leave him without being sure."

"So… all this time you thought…" Severus started, realization dawning in his eyes.

"Yes, Severus, exactly. Because of this, I thought that all this time he was happy and healthy. That's why I dismissed Minerva's worries so casually, even though I knew that Petunia and her husband disliked our world intensely. As they treated Lily shamefully, I was worried that they might take their dislike out on Harry and that he may not receive a great deal of love. My hope was that he'd at least have the basics growing up, and at best - they'd treat him as their own son. Alas, I believed all this time that the best had come to pass. The marble's always been quite… 'happy'."

"Is that why we had to visit them in disguise?"

"Yes. I thought that his aunt and uncle just couldn't bear to part with him and that's why they didn't respond to the letters. If he was truly happy, and blossoming in their care, I was willing to wait and not press the issue this year, especially in light of the Ministry's desire that Harry remain in their home until he came of age at seventeen. But since his parents made provisions for him to attend Hogwarts, I didn't see what the Ministry could do once he was safely here."

"It seems to be changing colour!" Arthur interrupted with excitement peering at the marble intently. "It was gold when I first looked at it and now blue. What do the colours mean?"

"Blue, as it's glowing at the moment is peaceful and calm, most likely indicating sleep. Gold means excitement, such as when you get a surge of adrenaline. Yellow's happy, green contented, red ill, black in danger… of course, there's an entire kaleidoscope of feelings and emotions but those are the basic ones. The glow's intensity was to be an indication of the strength of his life force. I've had this marble near me constantly since that night. It's never dimmed. Other than a few slightly pink hues that I attributed to the normal childhood sniffles, it's never left the gold to blue part of the spectrum."

"Does this mean that Harry might still be alive somewhere?" Arthur asked hopefully, watching the marble pulsate with radiant energy.

"I wish that it could be so, but alas, it isn't. However, I'd like to know the reason for it, and who or what it's been monitoring, if for no other reason than my own peace of mind. Since you're an expert with charmed muggle items, I'd like you to check it out and see if you can decipher why it failed. I was so sure… it was such a small, yet such an important thing… I can't imagine what went wrong… so very wrong. I'm afraid I'm too old for this job."

"I'll check it out for you."

"Thank you Arthur. This is his relative's address," he said, holding out a slip of parchment. "You can reach it through Arabella Figg's floo - she can give you directions from there, or there's a small deserted park nearby where you can apparate. However, it'd be best not to engage the Dursley's if possible. If you find you must, try not to let them know you're a wizard. And please be careful, Severus has a 'feeling' about the place."

Arthur gave Severus Snape a surprised look before clasping Dumbledore hand in reassurance.

"I'll be careful," Arthur said as he pocketed the marble and parchment and stepped into the fireplace. "Now I must be getting back home, Molly will be fretting. I'll let you know what I find out as soon as I can."

Remus had been paying scant attention while Dumbledore gave the other men their assignments, his mind all but shut down while trying to cope with the grief of the news. He'd been yearning for years to become a part of the young boy's life. These last few months he'd become so obsessed with making plans that they were all that had occupied his time. Harry was the last of the Marauder legacy. The last of what Remus considered his 'family'.

When Voldemort murdered his best friends James and Lily, and he lost Sirius Black to prison for killing Peter Pettigrew in retaliation, it was only he and Harry left. It devastated him when he was unable to get custody and it ripped his heart out when the Ministry denied him visitation because of his Lycanthropy. Nevertheless, with Harry turning eleven there was one place and one time, when he knew without a doubt that he'd be able to find him again - King's Cross Station on September the first at eleven in the morning.

Remus had worked out all types of scenarios where he'd accidentally bump into Harry and his family at the train station and make friends. He was even going to ask Albus if there was some type of tutoring job around Hogwarts that he could do, or look for something in Hogsmeade. He'd do anything to become a part of the boy's life again. Now that was all gone. It'd never been real.

Damn that Albus.

After Arthur departed, the remaining three men sat in complete quiet until Remus finally broke the silence. "Albus, tell me the truth about what happened to Harry. I can tell you're holding something back. How did Harry die? When…?" he asked, his voice breaking as emotion overcame him.

Albus shook his head in sadness, unable to speak. Once again, he looked extremely old and frail.

"According to his relatives, Potter's son didn't live through the first night," Severus spoke up.

"Did he… suffer?"

"Doubtful. Most likely, he just fell into a deep sleep. Under Veritaserum the uncle claimed he froze to death on their doorstep before they found him."

"Froze…? Step…? Found…? ALBUS! WHAT DID YOU DO!?"

"He was left…" Severus began before Albus held up a hand to stop him. He needed to tell Remus about this himself.

"I left him on their front step. Unfortunately, with only a baby blanket wrapped around him for protection from the elements," Albus said matter-of-factly all the emotion drained from him.

"YOU DID WHAT!? I TRUSTED YOU! YOU KILLED HIM WITH NEGLECT AND NOW YOU'RE YOU TRYING TO FIND SOMEONE ELSE TO BLAME? I TOLD YOU I WANTED HARRY. I PLEADED WITH YOU. I BEGGED YOU TO USE YOUR INFLUENCE AT THE MINISTRY TO LET ME HAVE HIM. YOU WOULDN'T EVEN TELL ME WHERE YOU TOOK HIM! YOU OLD FOOL! IF YOU'D JUST GIVEN HIM TO ME HE'D STILL BE ALIVE!" Remus jumped to his feet yelling.

"I did try Remus. We've been over this - the Ministry refused to place the care of an infant with a werewolf," the old wizard said wearily. "But it wasn't just you they denied. Many others stepped up to offer him a home - myself included. I could name several dozen families who were more than willing to raise him. All of whom should've been acceptable guardians in the eyes of the Ministry. Yet the Ministry refused every application. It was either place him with his aunt, or the Ministry would've taken charge of Harry, to grow up as their ward. Then the only way they'd allow his aunt to have custody, was if her location was kept secret from the Wizarding world. The Ministry claimed that they couldn't guarantee Harry's safety anywhere else because of the blood sacrifice Lily made when she gave up her life for him. His relatives were the only option they'd allow other than Harry being in their direct charge. I couldn't get them to budge, and I wouldn't agree to their plans for him otherwise."

"What other plans?" Severus asked, prompting further - not that he was interested in the slightest he told himself.

"The Ministry had drawn up papers decreeing Harry to be interned at their discretion until he turned of age."

"What do you mean by… 'interned at their discretion'?" he asked slowly, his eyes narrowing to slits.

To answer that Albus asked a question of his own. "Where's the only 'safe' place where the Ministry holds people indefinitely Severus?"

"Surely, you can't mean the Ministry intended to put a baby in…" Severus stopped short, too shocked to continue. Even the spawn of his hated rival James Potter didn't deserve that!

"Yes, I do indeed. If he wasn't living with his relatives, or if anyone in the Wizarding world accidentally found out where he was after being placed there, the Ministry would have enforced the decree, that in order to 'safeguard' Harry he'd be incarcerated in Azkaban until he was seventeen."

"Merlin, no!" Remus cried out, the colour draining from his face.

"It makes perfect sense to me," Severus said dryly. "They could've saved a boatload of money by using the mutt as a babysitter."

Albus and Remus both sent him a squelching look that set him to studying a particularly interesting spot on his sleeve.

"Needless to say I couldn't let that happen. I had little doubt, but what they would try to raise him as a soulless weapon for the Ministry. Therefore, I pushed for them to place him with his aunt since it was the only alternative they'd consider. They finally agreed," Albus said with a shake of his head.

"Let me get this straight - you couldn't let Fudge put him in Azkaban, but you could leave him to freeze to death at his relatives? Not even a warming charm? How was that any better than giving him to Dementors?" Remus questioned reproachfully, not being able to get past that fact.

"I agree with you Remus," Albus said regretfully. "I was an arrogant fool. Moreover, I made an unforgivable mistake. To my shame, Harry's death is on my head, because of my lack of judgment. I'm not disputing that. However it happened, I'm ultimately to blame."

"Then take responsibility old man! Quit trying to find a scapegoat."

"That isn't what I'm trying to do Remus," Albus replied patiently. "I intend to take responsibility, but if others played a hand, shouldn't they also be held accountable?"

"What is it you need me to do?" Remus asked tight-lipped, anger still rippling off from him in waves.

"There's one other aspect of this which comes to mind that I'd appreciate if you'd be kind enough to investigate."

"And what's that?" he snapped out.

"During the last war we lost many a valiant warrior to Voldemort and his Death Eaters. As the war waged on, I advised all Order of Phoenix members to make out wills in the event of the unthinkable. I was James and Lily's witness when they signed their will, which was before Lily even knew she was with child. They named three heirs in the event that they had no living children. With Sirius in Azkaban and Peter dead, you're the only one left with the right to inquire."

"Get to the point old man. Inquire about what?" Remus spat back, still unforgiving.

"The rules of inheritance are very clear and according to our laws, wills must be executed within seventy two hours of the event. While the Goblins adhere to a very strict policy of secrecy for their clientele, I can't help but wonder why it is that Gringotts is still holding the contents of the Potter vaults and hasn't contacted you as beneficiary."

"You… you… YOU BASTARD! You just tell me that a child, one I considered to be a son, is dead… and you want me to waltz into Gringotts and make a claim on the estate?" Disbelief clearly written on Remus' face as he stared at the old wizard. "DAMN YOU ALBUS! ARE YOU MAD!?"

"It's a small detail, but just a trifle odd, don't you think?" Albus replied looking to Severus for assistance.

Severus just snorted leaving Albus to shrug helplessly.

"Well… the goblins are normally on top of little things like that."