Severus Snape was standing silently outside of Malfoy Manor. It had been five days since Raleigh had arrived back at Hogwarts, and he was more than ready to finish this whole mess. His shock over the truth of her birth was almost completely negated by the danger she revealed to the three people she had once believed to be the only keepers of her secret. (Severus disdained to recall that a certain werewolf also knew).

Ariana had taken everything surprisingly well, in fact, Severus sort of got the idea that she had other things on her mind. She had never had any experience with the Malfoys, so it didn't seem all that terrible to her that she was related to them. As far as the possibility of an incurable illness arriving in her future, she had merely shrugged. Severus had been a parent for just over eleven years, and he still didn't know what a shrug indicated. He hoped they would find the time to really talk about it when all this was over.

Dumbledore had been quite intrigued by everything, but Severus had failed to perceive even a hint of panic in his calm blue eyes. By the time Raleigh came to the news from her father about Wendall Scrood and his dark intentions, Dumbledore had merely nodded.

"Yes, I just received an owl yesterday telling me that one Wendall Scrood had been a patient at St. Mungo's last month with a rather nasty head wound. He was there for a few days, and the malady report shows that he was hexed. The healer who wrote to me said that he asked a lot of questions about a girl rumored to have phoenix powers. Now, ordinarily I would not have connected this event with Lord Voldemort, but the fact that Mr. Scrood came to Severus lying about working for the Ministry and later threatened Ariana led me to believe that he was a foe of the darker variety. I am glad to know that Lucius couldn't keep himself from gloating, so now we can be certain that it is Lord Voldemort making use of one Wendall Scrood, and that his objective is restoration and immortality through the use of phoenix tears."

Raleigh stopped him at this point. "Headmaster, I wonder if you might consider this. Should a phoenix choose to shed tears for a human, it is for the purpose of healing someone, shall we say, deserving. Now, I've thought it over, and it seems to me that one, I am not fully phoenix, I am also a witch, and two, I cried because I was afraid. I feel like both of those things are working against him. There is no reason to believe the tears Lucius stole were magical."

Dumbledore smiled. "Very good, my dear. Voldemort does not understand love, so he cannot understand what makes a phoenix show such loyalty and devotion to another. He would be blinded by the mere thought that he could be healed and restored to a physical body. He has spent nearly ten years existing as merely a spirit, and I am rather surprised that this is the first we have heard from him, despite the fact that most of the wizarding world believes him to be dead. The prospect of immortality is merely the icing on the cake, if you'll pardon the expression. And there is one more thing. If, by some chance this potion did work, I think we would have heard something by now."

"You mean you think I would have heard something by now," Severus said, baring his arm to show the Dark mark.

Dumbledore nodded. "Raleigh, it is safe to assume that your mother and father know the certainty of your apparition powers, even if you have never used it in front of them. However, I think it is also safe to say that no one else knows anything except a rumor, a possibility. The St. Mungo's healers, Lucius, Voldemort, they are only going on hearsay. They believe that if you can summon a blaze at will, you must also be able to do everything else. We could go in and wipe memories, but that is not a thing to do lightly. My suggestion is to go on ignoring it as you always have done, and no one will be the wiser.

"As for the possession of Wendall Scrood by Lord Voldemort, I think I shall send Severus to deal with that." He turned next to Ariana, who had been listening silently to the whole exchange. "My dear, I feel we are wasting precious time and that you would like to rejoin Fred and George Weasley, am I right?"

Ariana blinked rapidly and spoke. "Yes, Professor."

"Good, good," he said with a smile. "I am glad you three went to see Hagrid today. I hope your future actions will be just as excellent." He winked. "Do not worry about a thing, your parents will see all this aright."

"Yes, Professor."

Severus watched his daughter leave with a bounce in her step. Yes, curious how everything had seemed to slide right off her back. He turned to Albus Dumbledore.

"Now what is it you would have me do?"

Severus pulled the invisibility cloak a little tighter. It certainly wasn't much for warmth, but he was glad that Dumbledore had trusted him enough to loan the precious object. This was not an endeavor to be taken lightly. He had slipped past the Manor's various protective enchantments easily enough, but he did not want to be seen. Dumbledore had insisted that Voldemort have no idea that it was Severus Snape who had come to cast him out.

"Damn winter weather," he muttered under his breath, still scanning the walkway for any sign of visitors coming through the gate. Draco's tutor came every morning at eleven, and it was already a quarter past. Where was the man?

But he came along soon enough, a rather stately sort of fellow, certainly good enough for the high and mighty Malfoys. "Stupefy," Severus whispered, and the fellow crumpled to the ground a few feet away. Quick as a flash, Severus pulled out a few of the man's hairs and scattered them into the polyjuice potion in his flask. One good chug and he was transformed. He cast a few extra spells on the tutor's body as well as a disillusionment charm, and pushed the body behind some bushes.

Then he returned to the end of the walk and took off the invisibility cloak, shoving it into a pocket. Gritting his teeth, he headed up to the door, not very impressed by the body he was now inhabiting, but pleased to have disguised himself so well. Now all he could do was hope to get information out of Lucius, and if he was lucky find Voldemort himself.

Dumbledore had left the details of the operation to his spy, and while Severus knew better than anyone the value of being subtle, silent, and cautious, this time he would leave nothing to chance. His plan involved finding Lucius, shoving Veritaserum down his throat, giving him a good smack for hurting Raleigh, and then obliviating him of everything that had happened in the past month or so. It wasn't slick, but it would serve his purpose.

Severus knocked on the door and it was opened by a nervous house elf whose eyes were so big Severus barely registered the rest of the elf's tiny body.

"You may show me to master Draco," he said imperiously, as he had heard the tutor say each morning for the past four days.

"Yes, Mr. Remington. Dobby will take you there straightaway."

Severus did not respond but merely followed the fidgeting elf down a very familiar hallway and into Malfoy Manor. He had waited for four days to catch Lucius at home during Draco's schooling hours. He knew that Braxton Remington tutored Draco in magical law, reading, and writing, with a spattering of geography, potions and history included. Severus had not seen Draco since he was a small boy, and it would be odd to lay eyes on his wife's nephew (and he supposed therefore his own) for the first time in years.

"Master Draco, your tutor his here," the house elf said timidly, and ran for it when a jar of ink came flying out the door. Severus frowned and entered the boy's room.

"Good day, Master Draco."

"Hello, sir," the boy said in a voice that could only be described as ingratiating. Yes, this one was destined for Slytherin for sure. He was the spitting image of his father, right down to his pointy face and his slick blond hair.

"If you please, Draco, I'd like to do something a bit different today. Would you like that?"

"I suppose, sir," the boy replied noncommittally, his mouth forming a straight line as if it wasn't yet sure whether to smile or frown.

"If it is all right with you, I thought we would forgo the quills and parchment today and try something a bit more hands on." Severus reached beneath his robe and removed a small black orb. "This is an item of rare magic that I recently acquired. It grants the possessor surprising magical abilities. I believe it is imbued with dark magic," he said slowly, and sure enough the boy's eyes lit up and he began to reach for it. Severus held it away and waited, knowing that a Malfoy was never denied his wants.

"Give it to me," Draco commanded, a sneer threatening to disrupt the avid interest painted on his young face.

"As you wish," Severus murmured, and passed the orb into Draco's waiting hands. As soon as the boy's eyes fell on the object he was transfixed. Severus smiled and set him down in a chair. Draco was very nearly frozen in place, his deep blue eyes focused entirely on the black orb he cradled in his hands. Slipping the invisibility cloak over his head, Severus left the room and closed the door behind him. Draco would be incapable of pulling his eyes away from the ball in his hands. He would sit there staring at it, all thought wiped from his mind, until someone took it away. The only trick of the ball was that the person had to want it desperately, and spoiled little Draco had wanted it badly indeed.

Now free to roam about the Manor, Severus headed for Lucius' study. The tall blond wizard was there, seated at an ornate desk, his gaze focused on some papers. Severus realized with a pang of surprise that he did look quite like Raleigh, although she had softer features and more silvery hair. Not about to waste even a moment, Severus snatched Lucius by the hair and forced two drops of Veritaserum into his surprised mouth.

"What is your name?" he asked, still beneath the cloak, just for good measure.

"Lucius Draco Malfoy."

"Are you the half-brother of a certain Raleigh Malloy?"

"I am. We share the same father."

"Who is Wendall Scrood?"

"A wizard from Albania. He agreed to allow the spirit of the Dark Lord to inhabit his body. He has a weak mind, and the Dark Lord was able to bend his thoughts, force his speech and his actions. Very close to possession, I believe. He arrived at my door just a bit over a month ago. The real Wendall Scrood seemed to break through the Dark Lord's hold right in front of me, and he started speaking frantically in Albanian. I was concerned, so I hexed him and had him delivered to St. Mungo's. There the Dark Lord was able to regain control of his thoughts, and he learned much about a girl called Raleigh Malloy, my half-sister, and her strange recovery from a fatal illness. He became obsessed with phoenixes, and then he came to me and revealed himself."

"Did he ask you to confront your sister and acquire her tears?"

"Eventually, yes. At first he wanted me to capture Dumbledore's bird, Fawkes, but I was unable to do so and suggested Raleigh as another option. He went to Hogwarts himself to try and capture the bird, unsatisfied by my failure, but he too was unsuccessful and chose to search for Raleigh himself. When she slipped from his grasp, he used me to get her. I had promised him that I knew things to bring her to the edge of despair."

"How did he get into Hogwarts?" This was something Severus was desperate to know, and he hadn't let go of the idea that someone had helped him from the inside.

"The Quidditch match. He convinced the gamekeeper that he was the father of one of the players. That stupid oaf Hagrid believed him, although it is possible that he was confunded."

Severus clenched his teeth. Hagrid could have been easily confunded, but he also might just have been stupid enough to let the man in without confirming his parentage. At least it had been an innocent mistake. The most important question came next, and Severus forced another few drops of the truth potion down Malfoy's throat.

"Where is Voldemort now?"

"I don't know."

Severus frowned and tried again. "Where is Wendall Scrood?"

"Dead."

"Explain this to me."

"The potion did not work and the Dark Lord was very angry. I believe that he lost control of his emotions in his anger and the real Wendall Scrood, or whatever his name was before the Dark Lord came along, was able to regain control of his senses. He used a knife to slit his own wrists."

"And you watched this happen?"

"Yes. I could not stop the bleeding. He died so quickly. Then there was a chill in the room, as if all the warmth had been sucked out. Wind blew past my cheek and a voice whispered in my ear – I had failed him. And then he was gone. I do not know where."

"Mr. Scrood is dead?"

"Yes. I burned his body."

"Do you have any remaining things of his?"

"No."

"No more of Raleigh's tears?"

"No."

"Did anyone else know of the Dark Lord's presence? Anyone else?"

"No. It was kept secret. Not even my family knew. He stayed in my basement and I fed him secretly."

Severus nodded. Only one question remained, and he feared the answer.

"Would you have killed your sister, had the Dark Lord asked it of you?"

Lucius' eyes grew dim. "I do not know. I do not think I can yet draw a line between those who are my flesh and blood and those who are mudbloods. I do not know where my loyalty to Raleigh lies." He paused. "I think I was glad not to kill her this time."

Satisfied, Severus murmured "Stupefy" and Lucius' head fell to the desk with a bang. Severus gathered his wits and performed one of the more complicated memory charms of his life, removing all thought of the Dark Lord's return, Wendall Scrood, Raleigh's phoenix powers and anything else about the last month that might come back to haunt them. Then he returned to Draco, grabbed away the magic orb, left the house, restored the real Braxton Remington to his wits, and disapparated, certain he left behind not one, but three very bewildered wizards.

A job well done. Yes, in some ways he had grown to miss the stealth that had once been asked of him. It was rather exhilarating to accomplish the job, even if it had been unexpectedly easy. Raleigh was safe, Ariana was safe, Malfoy was neutralized and Voldemort – well, Severus did not know where he had gone, but he had to be weak without a body to play parasite to, and Severus thought it likely that he would be absent for some time to come. The only worry that remained was that the Dark Lord would not forget what Raleigh was, nor that she was the dear wife of a servant called Severus Snape...

A/N: Readers, I embarked on a plot line about seven chapters back that I have greatly enjoyed (I have wanted to name a character Wendall Scrood for like-ever), mostly because it has allowed me to delve into Raleigh's (and coincidentally Ariana's) past and present a bit more than I ever intended. Plus I just can't seem to leave Voldemort alone in Albania, the poor thing. Anyways, I have felt more and more lately that I'd like to get back to what I started with – glimpses into the the Snape's memories and their current relationships, so that is where I'm heading from here, now that this little angle is neatly tied up. Just like Raleigh, I have rather missed my dear Severus. But don't worry, something dramatic is bound to crop up before too long. Meanwhile, Ariana is about to have a few adventures of her own :) Thanks for reading! And I always like to hear what you think so review! - BD