Chapter 12: Like a Spider in His Web

"Perhaps, headmaster, if we had bothered to explain to the idiot child why keeping the name of Potter was so important, he would have been rather more receptive to such an idea." Snape tried to keep the venom out of his voice. He really did. He was not, however, successful, and he knew it.

"And I suppose you blame me for not picking up on how rather attached young mister 'McAlister' was to his adoptive family," Professor McGonagall snapped back.

This time Snape didn't even bother to try to sound polite. "Now that you mention it, I think if you'd focused rather more on the boy's attitudes and family and less on showing off that ridiculous flashy trick of yours yes, we might have had a better idea of the trouble we would be in!"

Minerva was turning a rather nice shade of puce when the headmaster cleared his throat.

"There is plenty of blame to go around. Severus, reports tell me you've hounded the boy mercilessly, both in class and out of it."

Not nearly as much as I could have, Snape thought with a degree of satisfaction. Oh, he had thought about it. If the boy had looked just a bit more like his father, had acted a bit more rash, Snape would have let loose all hell upon the youth. As it was, Snape felt he had been rather restrained.

"However I must confess I feel the majority of the blame lies on my shoulders," Dumbledore continued. "When I lost track of young Harry, I searched for him long and hard. Severus, you remember the inquiries you made of his aunt. And Minerva, you searched every orphanage for me. I myself have seen the insides of more muggle government agencies than I care to recall. And then I gave it up as a bad job, since I could not fathom that any Death Eaters would succeed where we had failed. I did not take into account that in doing so, I was failing Harry. I am sure you have noticed it, his magic is not what one would expect."

Snape shrugged. "He does well enough in potions class. He is by no means an exemplary student, but at least he is not as much of an idiot as many of his peers."

"He has none of his father's skill or finesse," Minerva said. "He's not a bad student, he certainly applies himself, but he's middling average at best. From what Filius has said, he's below average in charms. Not for lack of trying, mind, he just lacks the talent."

"I'm afraid the Potter magic has abandoned Harry," Dumbledore said with a heavy sigh. "He has denied his birthright. And in doing so he has forever cursed himself."

Snape did his best to hide his unrepentant glee at the news, then remembered that this likely meant that Lily's son would perish, and actually deflated a bit. "Is there nothing that can be done?" Snape asked. "It would not do for the Dark Lord to arise and find his opponent unequal to the task of besting him."

"We must focus our efforts elsewhere," Dumbledore said, shaking his head. "It is to that end that I have brought you both here. I assume you have both noticed the changes to Quirinius?"

"Obviously," Snape said, avoiding rolling his eyes with an effort.

"There is something not quite right with that man," Minerva agreed. "It goes beyond the stutter. I don't feel right around him, Albus. Several students have remarked on that, including some who had him as a muggle studies teacher."

"While I am not certain as to the details, I believe Quirinius had an encounter with-"

"-with the Dark Lord, yes, we know Albus. Even Pomona has noticed he reeks of dark magic now, and that woman believes the best of even me." Snape glared at Minerva. "Oh yes, I know what you say about me in the staff room when I am not present. Even if you do defend me to the students, and Merlin only knows why you bother when you do so with such obvious reluctance, but only Pomona has ever expressed even mildly favorable opinions of myself."

"But, but You-Know-Who is dead," Minerva protested. "Harry defeated him in 10 years ago."

"No, Minerva, he did not." Dumbledore sighed and removed his spectacles to rub the bridge of his nose. "And Severus, perhaps if you did not cultivate such a dark air about yourself, there would be fewer rumors among the students and staff. You do not have to play the role of the spy to the hilt at every moment."

"Is that your excuse?" Minerva demanded. "You think that You-Know-Who, no, Albus, I am NOT saying that name no matter how you twinkle your eyes at me! Is returning and so you bully the students so that you can claim you only worked here to aid his cause? I doubt even you would play such a long game Severus!"

"We are losing focus," Dumbledore interjected before Snape could form a retort. "Quirinius is touched by Voldemort. I do not know if it is merely an oath, some form of compulsion, or, in the worst case, a kind of possession."

"I'd wager he sold his soul to the Dark Lord for knowledge and it broke the fool's mind," Snape growled. "He wouldn't be the first. Just let me check his forearm and we'll know the truth of it."

"No, Severus. There is a reason you and Minerva are here. We need a new plan, a new way to destroy the Dark Lord."

"You and I both know that there is only one candidate. Focus on him," Snape snapped. "Even if he's given his loyalty to the muggles, we could look to them as allies. They may lack magic, but they are far from helpless."

"Are you mad?" Minerva asked, looking thunderstruck. "Involve the muggles in our world? That would doom us more surely than He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!"

"Minerva is correct, Severus. Would you really consider such a thing?" Dumbledore demanded.

Snape shrugged. "McAlister's adoptive father is a soldier, a rather capable one. He is a leader in their military and has connections. If we asked them for help, they could be powerful allies."

"I forbid further discussion along this line," Dumbledore said firmly. "We are out to save the Wizarding World, not turn ourselves into slaves, either those of Voldemort or the muggles."

Snape shrugged, hiding his own true thoughts. "It was only a suggestion. Very well, what is your new plan, Headmaster?"

"In a word, Longbottom."

Snape and Minerva both stared at the headmaster. Snape decided that Albus had finally gone well and truly mad. Elite, highly trained soldiers with decades of expertise in killing things were a fool's choice, and Dumbledore was suggesting they put their hopes in possibly the most hopeless wizard of his generation? Snape could not take the Headmaster seriously at all.

"Albus, what are you suggesting?" Minerva demanded, her face pale but her voice firm.

"If Voldemort is possessing Quirinius, he may choose to fulfill the prophecy in Longbottom. Yes, Minerva, there was a prophecy regarding who would defeat the dark lord. It has to be someone born at the end of July in 1980 to parents who thrice defied the dark lord. If Voldemort through Quirinius marks Longbottom as his equal, then he could defeat Voldemort. Harry not only lacks the magical talent to do so, but he is also too strongly tied to the muggle world. I had hoped he would embrace us with open arms, but he is ranting about muggle fairy tales and seems hell bent on prompting muggle superiority. While I have no use for ideology that labels any wizard as inferior to another, I also cannot condone an ideology what would make wizards less than muggles. It is only another version of the twisted message that Voldemort preaches."

"Longbottom is not much more magically strong than Harry, headmaster," Snape said, trying to be calm.

"Longbottom is stronger, magically," Minerva stated. "He has simply been repressed for most of his life. Iif we intervene now, he could become a champion of the light. His parents were great warriors in the last war, and if we can convince that old hag of a grandmother of his to encourage him, we might just succeed."

"He's friends with McAlister," Snape argued. "He'd be more likely to cower behind the one everyone believes is the chosen one then step up to become a hero himself."

"Not if he is given the appropriate guidance," Dumbledore said. "We are teachers. We can mold and shape him, lead him down the hero's path. I confess previously I had focused my thoughts on doing this for young Harry, but circumstances being what they are, this seems impossible."

Minerva nodded slowly. "I am for such an arrangement, but not if it means exposing Longbottom to harm. Teach him to a be a champion of the light yes, but he is still a child. We cannot allow him to come to harm."

Dumbledore chuckled to Snape's growing horror at the situation. "No, I am not in the business of raising child soldiers. We shall allow Voldemort to mark Longbottom only, but not to bring him harm. With the Dark Lord still so weak, this seems like the perfect time to do so. We must strive to give Neville as close to a normal childhood as we can, all the while teaching him how to fight and survive. Indeed, it is good that he is friends with Harry. If Harry can support his friend in the fight, we may just have two chosen ones on our hands. Such a situation can only work out to our good."

"And what would you have me do," Snape ground out.

Dumbledore sighed. "As much as I hate to say it, continue in your harsh treatment of the children, especially Neville. No outright harm, but if you present yourself as an ally of darkness not only will you be an effective spy, but you will also cement their hatred of darkness. When the time comes of course your role will be revealed and you redeemed, but that may be many years from now. You must also do your best to keep Quirinius in line. Intervene if necessary to prevent any real harm from coming to the students, but otherwise allow him to mark Longbottom. Plant the seeds that Neville may indeed be the true chosen one in his mind, and perhaps he will relay that to his Lord."

"Devious, Albus. And for myself?" Minerva asked.

"Take Longbottom under your wing. If he struggles in class, give him extra tutoring. Tell him stories of his parents bravery. Give him the courage of a lion, Minerva. Any question? My door is always open. I know you have had a long day, Minerva, Severus. Goodnight."

Snape stood as if to go as well, but Dumbledore caught his eye and Snape hung back. "What?"

"I have grave news, Severus. Please, sit down."

Snape did so, glaring at Albus. "I have already agreed to help in your foolish plan. I doubt very much that either boy will be a match for the Dark Lord, but if that is our only chance, it is our only chance."

"Have you ever wondered how the Dark Lord survived?" Dumbledore asked.

Snape shrugged. "I supposed it had something to do with some ritual he performed. He was rather obsessed with immortality."

"What do you know of his history?" Dumbledore asked. "His family history, that is?"

"Nothing. No one did. As far as I know, no one ever knew who the man who became Lord Voldemort was."

"His name was Tom Riddle. Do you know that name?"

Snape thought long and hard for a moment. "Riddle? Isn't that the name of a student who received some sort of award from the school many years ago for services rendered?"

"Indeed, most astute of you. I did a bit of searching, and found out a bit of his family history. I located where he had been born, and found something most unique." Reaching into a desk drawer, Dumbledore pulled out a dragon skin bag marked with a variety of protective runes. He dumped the contents onto the desk: a ring set with a only geometric black stone and plunked it on the desk. Without realizing what he was doing, Severus stretched out a hand towards the ring.

"Do not!" Snape snatched his hand back, coming back to his senses in shock. "Do not," Dumbledore repeated. "I confess, I was also tempted to touch it. Doubly so, for the stone the ring is set with is a most fascinating artifact. At the last moment, I stopped myself. I reasoned that if this had been Voldemort's ring, it would likely be trapped and cursed. And I was right. The ring is both trapped and cursed, but beneath all that it has and even darker property."

"What?" Snape asked, leaning slightly away from the ring. It practically radiated black magic.

"I believe the ring is a kind of phylactery," Dumbledore said. "The kind the necromancers of old were rumored to have created."

Snape let out a low hiss. "That is dark magic indeed, and it explains how he survived. How could he have created such a device?"

"I know not. I only just discovered the properties of the ring, but I wanted to ask you as my resident expert on dark magic if you knew more of it. I went searching for answers when it became increasingly obvious Harry could not and would not be the champion we needed. What I found is most disturbing. I believe that if we wish to find a way to truly stop Voldemort, we must unlock the secrets of this ring and destroy it."

"Have you tried?" Snape asked, looking up at Dumbledore and sending out a fant lance of legitimacy. It was easily rebuffed.

"The stone cannot be destroyed," Dumbledore said firmly. "It is an elder relic. Not even dragon fire could marr it. And the ring is bound to the stone. They must first be separated. To do that, I believe we must ascertain how the phylactery was created in the first place."

Snape nodded slowly. "I have some texts I can search, and a few contacts I could dig up. Slughorn might be a good place to start, you might do better to contact him than me."

"Horace?" Dumbledore asked, slightly taken aback. "What would he know of Dark Magic? He's rather too venial to be seriously in touch with dark magic."

"The fat old bastard is more dangerous than you know, Albus. He is like a spider; while it is his web that most notice, he hides dangerous venom himself. And, I dare say, if he did not know of phylactery creation himself, he would know someone that does. Be cautious how you word such an inquiry though. If he senses danger, he shall flee. Do not reveal the connection to Dark Lord, or this Tom Riddle if they are the same man. Say rather that you have uncovered a valuable old relic, and wish to know its nature, and will share with him any profits. Woo him with sweets and wine first. Offer him a meeting with young McAlister or young Longbottom. He would leap at such a chance. Do this and he may yet be able to tell you the nature of that dark object. Just don't let him see the thing himself: he would never have the restraint not to touch it."

"Good advice, thank you, Severus," Dumbledore said, stroking his beard. "You have given me much to think on." Carefully using the back, Dumbledore concealed the ring again and tucked it back in his desk. Snape knew it was better guarded than it appeared: aside from the Phoenix and Gargoyle, formidable in their own right, there were many protections on the headmaster's desk that made it nearly impossible for another to break into. Snape should know, he had tried to on occasion in the past with no success.

"Then I bid you goodnight. I shall alert you if my search bears any fruit. Goodnight, Albus."

With a bow, Snape stood and left. At the beginning of the meeting he had briefly considered telling Albus of muggle conspiracy, but now Snape was not so sure. Trusting in Longbottom to him seemed a fool's errand. He would bide his time and wait until he could be sure of who the victor would be. After all, that was the advantage of being a spy: To choose which side would most profit you, and ensuring that they succeeded. That might make it seem as if Snape lacked loyalty or true conviction, but nothing could be further from the truth. Snape had one loyalty: Not to the Dark Lord, not to Dumbledore, not even to young Harry. He was loyal to the memory of Lily Evans, and he would do whatever it took to redeem himself to her.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\

Authors note:

A special early chapter as a thanks for 100 reviews and counting! I want to thank each and everyone one of you that has taken the time to review the story or favorite and/or follow. I try to get back to everyone who leaves a review and listen to feedback, though I know I'm not 100% successful in getting back to everyone. Thanks again, I truly appreciate each and every review I receive!