Pureblood Dreams
By Lilybet
Chapter Ten
Little Sally woke up to the dual sounds of laughter and screaming. There were strange flashes of light coming under her door, and she was very scared. Normally when she was scared Sally climbed out of her bed and went and woke her Mummy. But Sally didn't want to go out there. The screaming sounded a lot like her Daddy had when he hit his thumb with the hammer, and the laughter wasn't nice and warm; it was horrid.
Sally pulled the duvet over her head and curled into a small ball. One arm snaked stealthily out of her hiding place and patted round till it found Teddy, then it retreated back, prize in hand. Safe in her warm cocoon, Sally put her hands over her ears and tried not to listen. It was very hard not to, and she couldn't help crying a bit.
Finally the screaming stopped, but Sally didn't move. She lifted one hand from an ear and listened hard. The laughing people were still in the house.
Suddenly the stairs creaked and a male voice said, "Are you sure the Mudblood kid's here?"
"Of course." a female voice replied, "All the toys and stuff are here, aren't they!"
Sally crawled hurriedly out of bed, pulling the covers straight, and hid in the wardrobe. It was her best hiding place, 'cause when she pulled the door to you could see out but not in.
The people were outside her door now, she could see the shadows of their feet under it. Sally pulled the wardrobe door shut just as the door to her room opened. The two figures were illuminated by the really thin torches they both held in their hands. Both were wearing long black robes and strange white masks. The woman put her hand on the man's arm and pulled him close.
"This is a perfect honeymoon, my love." she whispered, and edged into Sally's room.
"It doesn't look like the girl's here." the man said with a smile in his voice.
"She could be hiding. Come out, come out wherever you are!" the woman hissed.
Together they searched Sally's room, checking under the bed and in her toy cupboard. Just as the woman reached to open the wardrobe another male voice called up the stairs, "The kid's not here."
The man in the room sighed and shouted back, "How do you know?"
"Found a note. She's at her Grandma's. I'll head over."
"Guess you were wrong." the man said to the woman with a shrug.
"Hmph."
"Come on, my love, let's go torture an old lady." the man said gently, holding out his arm.
"Can I Crucio her?" asked the woman, accepting his arm.
"If you like."
Then there was a loud crack and both of them were gone.
In the wardrobe Sally clutched Teddy tightly, tears streaming down her face. She had seen Grandma last weekend and didn't want anything bad to happen to her. It had sounded like they were very bad people.
XOXOX
Sirius hummed to himself as he went downstairs. Today was a Thursday, and at the moment he liked Thursdays. Starting with Muggle Studies (taken to annoy his parents, but actually fairly interesting) and ending with a free period, the day also included watching James' attempts to create the perfect flame-coloured lily in Charms, flicking beetle eyes at Snape in potions, and the prospect of pranks at lunch.
Waltzing into the Great Hall, Sirius smiled at the sight of James hurriedly finishing his Arithmancy homework. He had that frantic look on his face which was just begging to be interrupted. As he was musing on how to go about startling the boy Sirius' regular Prophet owl flew overhead, and he held out his hand for the paper to drop into.
"Death Eaters attack Muggleborns" read the headline.
"Wonderful." Sirius muttered, his good mood fading. The attacks by Death Eaters had been getting more and more frequent over the past few months, until not even the Ministry's vague statements could cover up the fact that the wizarding world was under siege by the Death Eaters and their unknown leader.
"I take it you've seen the news," commented James absently, calculating rapidly as he spoke, "They got a photo this time."
Sirius checked out the paper again, and sure enough there was a slightly blurred photo of witches and wizards in black robes and white masks with the ghoulish 'Dark Mark' hovering over the nearby house. Reading the article, a shiver ran down his spine:
"...Out of the small family there was only one survivor – Sally Newman, aged six. Bravely hiding in a wardrobe, Sally was able to overhear the conversation between two of the Death Eaters. The man and woman who searched her room were apparently a newly married couple, which..."
A newly married couple of Death Eaters who (Sirius' eyes flicked over the rest of the article documenting Sally's testimony) had a penchant for the unforgivable curses. Especially the Cruciatus. Sirius knew that spell all too well. He also knew that his cousin, Bellatrix, had just got married to one of the Lestrange brothers.
"What a wonderful thought." he muttered.
"What was that?" James asked, surfacing from his homework.
"This." Sirius pushed the paper across to James, "I think that that witch is my own dear cousin."
"Whoo. Well, it's a good thing you got out of there, then." James grinned lopsidedly.
"Got out of where?" Peter questioned, joining the pair.
"Can you be any more dense, Wormtail?" James shook his head.
XOXOX
One person had already seen the paper and wasn't going down to breakfast. Not because his stomach was upset over the contents of the newspaper, but because the photo on the front page had reminded him of something.
Remus was desperately rummaging through his trunk, almost throwing discarded books over his shoulder in his anxiety. He'd spotted something in that photo that made him determined to find a certain textbook. He just had to confirm his suspicion. Part of him knew, as he reached the bottom of his trunk and started crawling under his bed, that he was acting irrationally. That same part of him was also calmly pointing out the nearly full moon and his tendency to snarl at everything since he woke.
Not finding the book he was looking for amongst his own – now disorganised – stuff, he crawled out from under his bed and sat back on his heels. If anyone had come into the the dormitory at that moment they would have easily made the comparison between Remus and a hungry dog who's been told there's a bone in the room. His pupils dilated and nostrils flared, taking in the scent of four teenage boys. Then his eyes fixed on the trunk opposite his – Sirius'; something told him that that was the place to look.
Scrabbling across the room on all-fours, Remus started decanting the treacherous mess of Sirius' trunk onto the floor, examining each barely-touched textbook as he went. Then, there in the bottom corner of the trunk, his sharp eyes picked out the cover he was looking for. Remus pushed aside the bag of dungbombs carefully, shifted the cracked two-way mirror, and lifted out his precious prize.
Immediately he leafed through the book, creasing pages in his hurry, until he ran across the catalogue of symbols he was looking for. Temporarily forgetting his ability to summon things rather than chase after them, Remus bounded across the room again to pull the newspaper out from under the junk on his bed.
There, in the blurred shot, was a group of masked figures - and in the corner, noticeable only to the very sharp-eyed, was the flicker of a lighter robe. It flashed in and out of the picture so quickly that at first Remus had thought he was imagining it. But with his predatory instincts sharpened he was able to see what others couldn't – the clear glimpse of one particular symbol embroidered on the garment.
Lining up the text and the picture Remus' eyes flicked from one to the other. As he made the connection he murmured to himself, "Interesting, very interesting."
XOXOX
James walked into the Charms classroom and nodded to Sirius, who grinned in return. The game was in motion. He sat down next to Remus and pulled out his textbook, flipping to the next section that they would be covering: Conjuring – The Rules. It sounded entrancing.
Sirius sat straight and tried not to look like he was going to do anything suspicious; which in itself was suspicious. He just had to wait for the right time...not yet...wait until Flitwick wasn't near him...come on, Peter, stop asking for help...that's right, go to the star pupils...turn your back Professor...stop glancing over!...NOW!
The explosion was ear-shattering, and black smoke filled the room as the specialist firework went off with a bang. Everyone started yelling and crying out, though a few more sensible types just hid under their desks until all the commotion had died down.
"Silence everyone! If you would all remain perfectly still I shall disperse this smoke." Professor Flitwick bellowed, his high voice remarkably penetrating, "Thank you. Please return to your seats. Miss Finnegan, there is nothing to be so distraught about, you are unhurt. Now...who was responsible for that? Yes, Miss Evans?"
"I don't think it was an accident, sir." Lily said, lowering her hand.
"Not an accident? Ah. In which case. Mr Black? Yes, you, please turn out the contents of your bag. Now, don't argue, we are all fully aware of your...predilection for explosions. Nothing? Well, perhaps it was one of your fellows. Mr Pettigrew? Hmm. Mr Potter, Mr Lupin, if you please? ... What is this?" Professor Flitwick picked something out of the collection of books, parchment and quills which Remus had emptied onto the desk. It was a small cylinder with 'Filibuster's blackout explosions!" written on the side.
The Professor fixed Remus with a disappointed look and said, shaking his head, "Mr Lupin. And you a Prefect. Though...your behaviour has not been exemplary of late. I will have to give you detention for this. Now, now, don't deny the evidence. Detention. Tonight."
XOXOX
Remus dragged his heels on the way to the Transfiguration classroom where detention was being held. He had tried protesting his innocence to both Professor Flitwick at the end of the lesson, and then to Professor McGonagall. Neither had been willing to change their opinion of the culprit. In fact, Professor McGonagall had had a strange look in her eye when she insisted he complete the punishment with her.
Knocking politely, Remus opened the door only to be greeted by a mildly unwelcome sight. It appeared that the only other person receiving detention tonight was Sirius Black. Stifling a sigh, Remus slid into the desk that the Professor indicated, and tried not to protest through her lecture on the use of fireworks indoors.
"...which is why you are here, Mr Lupin. I suggest you reflect on that for the next hour while you are copying out the book of regulations. Again." McGonagall concluded, settling herself behind her desk and pulling a pile of essays towards her.
The detention went very slowly; every time Remus looked up at the clock it seemed to be moving more and more sluggishly, until he felt like it wasn't moving at all. Side glances at Sirius weren't overly helpful either: he was neatly transcribing the rules with a tiny smile on his face. For all Remus knew he could be daydreaming. That particular talent of Sirius': the ability to complete detentions without a care in the world, was one that he secretly envied.
He was up to regulation fifty-one (Students may not walk around on Sundays with an ice cream cone in his/her pocket) when the Professor got up from her desk, saying, "I have to fetch some more red ink. Neither of you will leave this room while I am gone, and if I find anything out of place you will repeat the detention tomorrow."
The moment the door closed behind her Sirius set down his quill and turned to Remus, "Sorry about all this, but it was her idea."
"What?" Remus replied, confused.
"The detention. Minnie thought it was a good way for us to talk without interruption. She said she'd convince you to come along, but well, it was taking too long. So I seized the opportunity." Sirius smiled.
"The opportunity." Remus said blandly, "Fine. Talk."
Sirius stood up and started pacing between their two desks talking at he went, "Don't you think it's all got a bit out of hand? I mean, it was all very well at the beginning. I did do something stupid. And you did say something that hurt. But can't we just put it all behind us? This endless pranking, it's alienating everyone. James, Peter...and I'm sure that the rest of Gryffindor aren't too happy with us."
"Sirius- No, let me say something." Remus interrupted, holding up his hand, "You're right. It has got out of hand. And, yes, I am sorry about what I said. But you can't expect me to forgive you, can you?"
"Why not?" Sirius demanded.
"Because...because...because I could have killed him!" Remus exploded, knocking over his chair as he stood. "I could have killed Snape and it would have been your fault!"
"I know!" agreed Sirius.
"But you don't get it do you? You never did." Remus continued, oblivious to Sirius' acknowledgement, "You never understood the reality of what I am."
"You're a werewolf." Sirius said softly.
"I'm a monster!" Remus growled, grabbing the taller boy and pulling him close enough that Sirius could see the flecks of gold in his eyes, "I wanted to kill him. Do you get it now? Do you see? Can you tell that right now there's a part of me that wants to kill you?"
"But you won't." Sirius said, dropping his hands to his sides in a gesture of trust.
"You can't know that."
"Yes. I can."
"How?" Remus demanded, loosening his strong grip on Sirius' robes, "How can you know that I'm not going to tear you apart?"
"Because you're my friend and I know you." said Sirius with hope in his heart, "You carry the beast inside you, but you are not the beast. You fight it the whole time. You could be like the other werewolves: real monsters who don't care if they kill someone. But you're not. You're always looking over your own shoulder, holding back your temper, keeping your cool, and never doing what the beast wants. You're stronger than it. I trust you to always be stronger than it...though if you'd let me go, I'd be really happy."
"Hng." Remus vocalised, and released his grip. He turned away and ran his hands over his face. Then he looked back at Sirius, who was straightening out his robes nonchalantly, and said, "You really think that?"
"Sure." Sirius shrugged, "Always have. After all, who would imagine Remus Lupin, bookworm, Prefect, and all round nice guy, to have a furry little problem?"
"I'm sorry about calling you a Death Eater." Remus apologised.
"And I'm sorry about pissing off a we-" Sirius broke off quickly at the pointed look, "Alright! Sorry about telling Snape. I shouldn't have. I was an idiot. I need my head examined. I place myself at your mercy, oh Moony! I am unworthy!"
"Mr Black, get up off the floor!" Professor McGonagall said, coming back into the room, notably without any red ink.
XOXOX
There was still a slightly tense silence between the pair as they walked back into the Gryffindor common room, but the main body of animosity had passed. James looked curiously up at them as they both sat down opposite him at the table covered with a very large sheet of parchment.
"I thought I'd try to draw out another map." he commented, eyes flicking between the two, noticing how normal things seemed. Normal for the first five years of their association anyway.
"Didn't Flitwick say that he'd have us in detention for the rest of our lives if we created another one?" Sirius asked.
"He also complimented us on its construction." added Remus dryly, and without any acrid comment towards Sirius.
"Which is why I'm trying to remember whether there's six flights of stairs to the Divination Tower or seven." James said with a grin. They'd done it, he exulted to himself, they'd actually made up! He felt like doing a dance and shouting out the news to all within hearing. Somehow he constrained himself, the knowledge of how fragile things could be hovering in the forefront of his mind.
"It's seven." said Sirius knowledgeably, "Seven is a more lucky number. Plus I had to walk up them for three years, I know exactly how many stairs there are."
"How many?" asked James.
"Ninety-eight." Morrigan said, coming up behind him, "And I've only taken a term and a half of lessons."
The three boys looked up in surprise; Morrigan's talent of sneaking up on people was very good.
"Was there something in particular, or were you listening in for fun?" asked Sirius calmly.
"Yes, actually. There was." replied Morrigan, "I'd like a word."
"With me?" Sirius said with a knowing grin, "Alright." Sirius stood and led Morrigan into one of the quieter corners of the room, away from the relaxed and overzealous students alike, "So which word would you like? I can offer charming, suave, handsome, but not mediocre, I'm afraid that one's taken by Peter."
"You know the castle better than anyone, right?" Morrigan said, ignoring the prattishness, "Well, I've been looking for something and I can't find it. So if you could help I'd be...grateful."
"What exactly are you looking for?" said Sirius, strangely cautious.
Morrigan paid no attention to the question, "I've looked in all the obvious places – at least all the ones I find. But you'd know others. So..."
"So?"
"Will you help?" she pressed.
"It would help if I knew what I was looking for."
"It's a Key, but it doesn't look like a key, so I can't exactly tell you." Morrigan prevaricated, looking a little sheepish, "I, er, don't really know what it's supposed to look like myself."
"Helpful." Sirius muttered.
"And not my fault." Morrigan averred, "Honest."
"Miss Le Fay? Professor Dumbledore wants to see you. It sounds urgent." a timid third year said, oblivious to the conversation he was butting into between the sixth years.
"Why can't I complete one conversation with you without someone interrupting? We'll finish this later." Morrigan swore, and turned to leave the common room, questioning Dumbledore's heritage under her breath.
Ignoring the mild looks of interest from various students, Sirius went and sat back down next to Remus. He and James were pawing over the large sheet, and Sirius could see Moony's neat calligraphy dotting the map.
"What was that about?" James asked, as Remus stole the quill from his hand again to correct what looked like a badly-drawn Owlery.
"That is a very good question. One I think we need to talk about." Sirius said, taking the quill from Remus to add a stick figure running away from a big dog along one side of the parchment, "Tomorrow. Marauders meeting."
"Can't." commented Remus, throwing his glance out of the window to the moon. It looked full, but since Remus was indoors rather than howling there must be a day before it finished growing.
"Following night?" offered James, tactfully ignoring the drawn conversation going on around the edge of the parchment.
A long-muzzled wolf chased a rather pathetic-looking dog, catching it in the corner of the sheet where the dog turned into a unsightly blot. This was then scribbled out and replaced by a wolf beating the dog over the head with what looked like a newspaper (how the wolf was holding the newspaper was a mystery). The newspaper turned into a pitchfork, then the whole thing scribbled out again. Finally, a group of four animals: wolf, dog, stag and splodgy rat, were carefully drawn, and the quill held firmly out of Sirius' reach.
"Following night." Remus and Sirius agreed.
"But tonight," continued Sirius, "I think I've got a few things to tell you about the Le Fays."
XOXOX
As she knocked on the door of Professor Dumbledore's office, Morrigan ran through all the possible things that could cause him to summon her.
"Come in."
She opened the door to find that Dumbledore wasn't alone in his office. He had been joined by a man she recognised all too well – Alastor Moody, Head Auror.
"Professor," Morrigan acknowledged with an incline of her head, "You asked to see me."
"Yes. Come on in, Miss Le Fay. Would you like a lemon drop? No?" Professor Dumbledore set the small dish back on his desk and turned to Auror Moody, "I believe you have already had the pleasure of meeting my guest – Alastor Moody."
"Auror Moody." Morrigan said, keeping her voice clear of tension and her face free of the slightest ray of annoyance.
"I take it you've seen this." Moody said gruffly, throwing a newspaper onto the table.
Morrigan drew it towards her and once again saw the article which had been so talked about throughout the school today. "Yes. I have. But I am uncertain what it has to do with me, sir." she said, deliberately sounding puzzled.
Moody threw a bundle of papers on the desk, opening them to a neatly penned report. "This is a report from one of our top Aurors. It states that the spell damage in Pickerington was 'more than any known witch or wizard could produce either on their own or in concert with others'. There is only one person with power like that in Britain.
"So what I want to know is what the Lady Le Fay was doing working with Death Eaters when her daughter is in our custody."
"Morrigan?" Professor Dumbledore asked, as she struggled to come up with a reply.
Morrigan's eyes stayed fixed on the report, her mouth half open, wanting more than anything to sink into the ground. "I don't know." she finally whispered.
"I find that doubtful." growled Moody, coming round the side of the desk to lean menacingly over her.
"If I knew why she was there, don't you think I would tell you?" Morrigan snapped.
"No. I don't think you would." Moody replied, "I think you're too busy to concern yourself with the lives lost out there!"
"You think I want people to die?" Morrigan yelled, standing from her chair.
"Alastor! Morrigan! Cease this at once!" Professor Dumbledore spoke swiftly, calmly but with great force.
Moody lowered his wand and stepped back reluctantly, the scowl remaining on his face. Dropping back into her seat, Morrigan turned to the Professor and asked, "If that was all, sir?"
"We're not done here." Moody said, crossing his arms.
"Actually, Alastor, I think you are. While Miss Le Fay is under this roof she is under my protection." Professor Dumbledore said warningly, "You may return to your dorm, my dear. Goodnight."
XOXOX
Upstairs in the dormitory shared by the Marauders Peter was pacing back and forth, a bundle of letters scrunched in his hand. At least twice a week since he had returned to Hogwarts following Christmas he had received a letter from his brother, Mark. Every one of them talked about the need to purify society, to allow the under-appreciated to take their place in the new system, and, most of all, about the role he could play in all of this.
Though he had read all the letters, several times over, Peter couldn't make up his mind what the right course of action was. He had written back, trying to explain what he felt, but more often than not he ended up writing about his friends. The most recent letter, which had arrived that evening while he tried to memorise the new spell from Charms, had really confused him. It spoke of half-breeds, a term which Peter knew could apply easily to Remus. It said that: "...these half-breeds who have been cast out of society, not allowed positions even in the most menial magical jobs, will in the new society have the certainty of a place. They will no longer been seen as..." It went on, and as he read Peter could only see how good things could be for Remus under this new order.
XOXOX
As Morrigan walked back she felt an undeniable presence shadowing her. It did not feel like her usual follower: this had a distinctly younger feel to it. She picked up her speed and, when she was sure she was out of sight for a moment, she slipped into the shadow of a doorway. Her stalker grew closer, and passed by silently. Morrigan smiled, she recognised the billowing robes and soft walk. Deciding to have a little fun, she wrapped herself in illusion and crept slowly after him.
It wasn't until he reached the stairwell, and couldn't see her anywhere, that a frown ghosted over Severus' face. He had been certain that she was ahead of him. Severus decided to return the way he had come just in case he'd missed her.
He stepped back startled, as the statue he had never noticed before at the top of the stairs changed, and Morrigan suddenly appeared beside him. She walked over and leaned on the banister overlooking the six flights of stairs.
"Good evening." she said softly.
"Good evening." Severus replied, dying to know when she had learnt a seventh-year spell.
"Were you looking for me?"
"I..." Severus began, "You knew I was following you."
"Who? Me?" Morrigan affected a look of surprise, "Now how would I know that?"
Looking down Severus could see the layers of stairs moving back and forth, some with prefects or teachers on. "Let's go somewhere less...exposed." he suggested.
XOXOX
Swinging her legs as she sat on the window-seat, Morrigan giggled as Severus demonstrated how he had successfully tricked the Marauders. They had spent a couple of relaxed hours trading little stories and discussing spell-theory.
That pins and needles feeling creeping up from her ankles, so Morrigan got up, but as she did her wand fell out of her pocket. She bent down to get it but Snape got there before her. Holding it lightly he frowned. The wand didn't feel like any others he had held, including his own. Normally there was a feeling of magical response; most prominent with his wand, naturally. But Morrigan's wand felt...dead, there was no other word for it.
Cocking an eyebrow at her Severus said, "This is a fake."
"Ah, erm, yeah." Morrigan admitted, rubbing the back of her neck.
"Why do you have a fake wand?" Severus asked, twirling the stick of ebony in his fingers. He then answered his own question, a curious light coming into his eyes, "You can do wandless magic."
"I wouldn't call it wandless -" Morrigan protested.
"You're able to do magic without a wand. Last I checked that was the definition of wandless." Severus responded sarcastically.
"It's hardly my fault that wands have a habit of exploding in my hands." said Morrigan, with a petulant look turning into a smile as she went on, "For some unknown reason my magic interacts badly with the cores of most wands, and since I don't need one..." she gestured at the fake in Severus' hands.
"And the reason for having his at all," Severus waved the eight inch piece of ebony, "would be...that you don't want everyone finding out that you don't need one."
"Correct." nodded Morrigan, "Now can I have my fake wand back...please?"
Severus waved the wand thoughtfully, an air of slow decision around him, "No." he finally said, "I rather think not."
Sighing, Morrigan glanced up at the ceiling, her hands in a brief supplication to the heavens. This was where being friends with a sneaky Slytherin got you, she thought, pulled into a web of duplicitous dealings and intellectual knife-fights. Good thing she had Lily and the Gryffindors to balance it out. Or should that be lucky her for having the Slytherin around to counteract the recklessness of Sirius?
"What do you want?" she said calmly.
"Moi?"
"Yes, you." Morrigan emphasised her tone with a sweet smile. "Unless you see another person who knows so little so fluently?"
"Such a pretty gift for quotation, it is a serviceable substitute for wit." Severus sneered in return.
The pair glared at each other until the edges of smiles appeared around their eyes and mouths. Slowly Morrigan broke into a full gain and laughed, almost silently, for a moment. Severus looked smug but the twitching of his lips betrayed his own amusement; he rarely provoked Morrigan into insulting him, but when he did it was well worth it.
"Hand it over." Morrigan finally said, gesturing to the wand.
Severus shook his head and was delighted as Morrigan's face fell. If she was that concerned about disguising her magical ability he could bargain for a fair amount of information.
"What's it going to take for you not to tell the gossips about this?"
"The reason you're here." Severus said, "The real reason, not the one you've told your...friends."
Morrigan leant back against the wall and covered her mouth with a curled index finger as she thought. "Done."
"Saturday. Astronomy Tower." Severus bowed, handing over the piece of ebony.
Morrigan pocketed the wand swiftly, raising a slim eyebrow as she said disbelievingly, "Really?"
The Astronomy Tower was well known for romantic meetings after hours, mainly because it had to be left unlocked for night-time classes. She had never thought that she would be going up there, and certainly not with Severus.
"Really." Severus confirmed, the look in his eyes daring her to make more of the location.
"You have an odd taste in-" Morrigan began, cutting off as she heard footsteps, "It's him."
"Till Saturday then." Severus whispered, before vanishing into the shadows and away.
XOXOX
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