Chapter 20
A/N: Thank you all for the reviews on the last chapter! I hope you all will like this chapter as well! I'd also like to apologize as usual for my always inconsistent updates and hope I haven't lost too many of you?! Some exciting things are about to transpire, so stay tuned!
Dumbledore circled the abandoned shack, poking at the debris and rubble, apparently uninterested. The shack was a collection of broken walls and loose floorboards with decaying furniture which was evidently long-ago deserted. Unfortunately there was nothing significant here, that much was obvious. This was Dumbledore's fifth location within Hungary to uncover and as of yet, he remained completely unsuccessful in finding any signs of Tom Riddle's presence.
Dumbledore was certain, based off of Peter Pettigrew's reports to Severus and the rest of the Death Eaters, if Voldemort was in Hungary, he'd be somewhere in this vicinity. Possibly, Dumbledore had missed him; perhaps Voldemort had passed through Hungary by now. The other explanation was that Pettigrew had lied as Severus had suggested, although it made no sense why this would be. Why would Pettigrew have motivation to lie? It wasn't as if Pettigrew was in a position to be lying to his own side? Was it possible Pettigrew wasn't letting on as much as he knew? Had Dumbledore been wrong about Pettigrew? Although Dumbledore liked to consider himself a more insightful person, especially in regards to the human mind, was it possible he'd been mislead? It felt as if he had.
Striding from the shack shambles, Dumbledore looked across a long plain of green fields. The shack he'd just left was set on the field outskirts and the field before him was vacant. Short on time, Dumbledore would have to return another time to continue his search. Dumbledore was unwilling to risk stopping his search for Voldemort within Hungary on the slim chance Pettigrew had had a moment of good fortune and managed to deceive Dumbledore. His search would continue until he was certain Voldemort's whereabouts weren't within Hungary.
Dumbledore had considered within his search the obvious facts too, such as Voldemort's lack of connection to Hungary. Based on his previous finds, Dumbledore knew he couldn't expect to find anything relating to Voldemort's horcruxes within this country, though Dumbledore knew there would be more than the initial three horcruxes he'd found thus far. If Voldemort was in Hungary it was on a strict need to remain obscure basis. Hungary was Voldemort's hiding place, nothing more or less. As for the horcruxes, that was another search entirely that Dumbledore had to endeavor on. Finding the horcruxes were one thing, however, Dumbledore still remained uncertain of how many horcruxes Voldemort had created. This made the task at hand all the much harder. So far, Dumbledore had found Marvolo Gaunt's ring, Salazar Slytherin's Locket; both of which he'd confirmed to be horcruxes though he hadn't managed to destroy them as of yet. Further, he suspected Voldemort's snake, Nagini, to be a third horcrux. Voldemort had become tenaciously attached to his snake around the ending of the last war, which Dumbledore perceived to be a confirmation of his suspicions.
Setting through the field, Dumbledore disappeared in his own steps, halfway across the plain. For now, Hogwarts required his attentions and Dumbledore's searches would have to wait.
Lily sat that morning, proceeding the day's lesson, leaning back in a chair as she ate her lunch. Feeling pleased with herself, for the first time in recent memory, Lily had virtually nothing to do. Waiting for Severus to finish the veritaserum potion he was working on, Lily ate contently. Her mind able to ponder trite thoughts such as what Harry was doing and when she'd see him later that day, Lily expected Severus to be finished any minute. Lily and Severus had plans to stop by St. Mungo's to follow up with Laney Simpkin, the comatose patient, following his completion of the veritaserum potion. Word of Laney Simpkin's stable regain into consciousness had reached the ministry earlier that day.
Lily's only prominent worry, asides from the always growing anxiety of the impending war and all that that meant, was that of time. Time had been something on her mind a lot recently. Ideas of what was to come for Harry and her, haunted Lily daily; not to mention, how she could properly shield her son from the looming darkness of the world and preserve his innocence. As Lily saw it, all of this was bound to fall apart, sooner than later. Time was consuming both her and Harry's life and they both needed more time for well, everything. Frowning disapprovingly at her own thoughts, Lily purposefully took a bite of food off her fork.
The door opposite Lily opening as Lily's eyes bore into it, her thoughts contemplative, Severus entered. Severus gave Lily a curious look at her intense and immediate attention, to which Lily offered a diffident smile. "Ready?" Severus said as a way of greeting. Nodding, Lily took one last bite of her food, capped the food container and shoved it into her bag on the floor, standing at the ready. "Yes," she said expeditiously as verbal confirmation. Severus looked as if he wanted to say something, but instead set his expression and nodded, notably. Lily laughed which induced Severus to give her another curious glance. This seemed to be how most of their relationship went. Lily would act or say something absolutely outlandish or juvenile but which was always just a little humorous and Severus would look to her as if she was unequivocally preposterous. Nonetheless, Lily could tell, he was always just a little amused too. It had become a bit like a game; Lily would see just how outrageous she could be while still retaining Severus' complete and utter attention. "You finished the veritaserum alright?" Lily asked, closing the door behind them as they left the room. "I did," Severus confirmed, evenly. "And when are we going to restock the anti-paralysis supply?" Lily asked, the two nearing the floo-network. "I was thinking tomorrow," Severus began, dropping off once they came in full view of the floo-networks. It was busier than usual Lily observed, queues formed behind each fireplace. Lily heard as Severus exhaled impatiently beside her, stopping behind the nearest queue. Smirking, Lily said, "We're not in any hurry." Severus acknowledged this, hesitating before he said, a little more agreeably, "I suppose not." Lily smiled, entertained by his almost childlike impatience. Lily had long been accustomed to Severus' complaining, but given their recent reacquaintance and the long spans of time together, she had also become even more accustomed to his frequent impatience. Somehow, Lily found this behaviour humorous as with all his complaining, he never really seemed all that peeved. He was always so stoic and serious, so unimpressed, she found it hard to ever consider his behaviour as anything near severe or firm. This had always been a complexity in Severus' behaviour, as despite his reservedness, his soft and quiet nature made him interesting more than anything else. It was clear, however genuine all his complaining was, it was insignificant in defining him as a person. Lily knew, she had alway known, there was more to him than at first glance.
"Mrs. P–" Lily broke him off with glare which her smile failed to convey. "My bad," Severus corrected, although he only nodded towards the moving queue in explanation. Lily moved forward, throwing Severus another disapproving look for his slip as she did so. Severus chose to ignore this. Lily saw no reason for Severus to remain so formal when he addressed her and did find it irritating, actually so, that he felt a need to keep such formalities between them; especially given their progressing acquaintanceship and time together.
The queue moving forward more, Lily soon reached the front. Stepping forward, Lily felt the familiar warmth as she disappeared within the flames, only to reappear within St. Mungo's walls seconds later. Waiting until Severus too had appeared, the two began to walk once more. "Has Healer Sinclair told you anything of the woman's background yet?" Severus asked Lily as they fell into a pace. Shaking her head, Lily said, "Why? Has she told you something?" Severus portrayed a small, refuted, motion: No, Sinclair hadn't mentioned anything to him either. "Well, whatever that poor woman went through, I can't imagine it was good," Lily sighed, voicing her thoughts aloud. Severus gave a sound of recognition, as he they began to take the stairwell.
When they entered the patient's room, they found Sinclair standing before Laney Simpkin, her arms crossed as the two talked. Laney sat up against her pillows with her knees raised to her chest under the thin hospital blanket as she spoke. "No, I didn't see his face," She was saying as Lily and Severus stepped further into the room. Sinclair nodded, gently, before she pressed, "I'm sorry to ask you these things, especially as you're still recovering, but–"
"I get it," Laney nodded, weakly before she continued, "I want this guy caught as soon as possible, too." Sinclair gave a warm smile and said, "I bet. Well, if you can remember anything else, don't hesitate to find me." Laney tried for a smile but it came off more as a grimace. She must still be in pain. The woman's eyes then fell on Lily and Severus in acknowledgment. "These," Sinclair introduced, beckoning Severus and Lily closer, "Are my colleagues, Professor Snape and Lily Potter. Professor Snape is the one who found the solution to restore your consciousness, and Mrs. Potter has been working on your case since day one." Laney's eyes flickered briefly to Lily and then to Severus as she politely said, "Oh, wow. Well, jeez, thanks." Severus nodded courteously in response. "Both of you, thank you, really," She repeated, smiling to Lily cordially. It was apparent the woman wasn't sure how to express her full gratitude to two complete strangers. "I imagine you're tired, so we'll let you rest. Severus, Lily, could we speak in the hallway?" Sinclair said formally, offering Laney one last encouraging smile. Lily and Severus obliged, both following Sinclair out.
Sinclair waited until Laney's room door was closed before she turned to Severus and Lily and said, "She doesn't remember much."
"How much does she remember?" Severus questioned while Lily made a motion of like-inquiring. "According to her, a man in Death Eater robes cornered her out of the blue, in the alley she was found in." Sinclair began when Severus interrupted, "A single man? Is she sure it was a Death Eater?" Sinclair nodded, "I asked the same thing. It's weird, isn't it? They usually travel in packs."
"That they do," Severus agreed. It was rare, if not unheard of, for a single Death Eater to attack alone, Lily knew this. The situation implied the attacker was an isolated Death Eater, even maybe acting off their own instruction. In all the attacks she'd read of during the war, it was always two or more death eaters together–never just one. "Do you think the attack was personal, than?" Lily asked, delicately. "No, not a chance….History shows, that's not how Death Eaters work. They take assignments from their superior, they don't act under individual thought." Severus explained, hesitating as he spoke. Sinclair inlined her head in accordance to Severus' explanation, while Severus seemed to be deep in thought, perplexed by the circumstance. "It gets stranger," Sinclair continued with a deep sigh. "They struggled and she tried to fight back, but she said he was heavier than her so he had an advantage. Anyways, he forced her against the wall while he….he cut her and...he took a sample of her blood," Sinclair broke off, shaking her head uneasily. "He….?" Lily repeated, baffled. Sinclair nodded. "Did...as if–in a vial?" Severus clarified, clearing his throat cautiously. Sinclair nodded again, "That's what Ms. Simpkin said."
"And then?" Lily prompted, tensely. "That's the last thing she remembers," Sinclair shrugged, looking down to a chart in hand and scribbling notes as Lily and Severus thought over what Sinclair had told them. Lily looked to Severus who looked as if he was in a different world entirely, his focus distant. "I have to go turn this statement report in," Sinclair said in farewell, her expression thwarted. "We should head back," Lily agreed, looking to Severus. Severus made no note of recognition to either. "Severus?" Sinclair said, raising her voice to draw in his attention. "Severus?" Lily laughed, exchanging a look with Sinclair. Severus' eyes turned sharply to them. "We should be going," Lily said, raising her eyes pointedly. "Oh, right," He nodded, stepping forward, falling into step with Lily and Sinclair as they began to walk forward.
Severus was quiet as they made their way back through the hospital, into the ministry and into a potion-brewing chamber; Severus barely speaking, even to reply to Lily. "What're you thinking about?" Lily asked curiously, feeling ever so slightly brave as she asked the simple question. Lily wasn't sure why she felt as such either, asides from that it was uncharted territory she was delving into with the question. After all, Severus could take the question several different ways; some of which could be construed as more intimate than what she'd intended. "The better question is, what am I not thinking of?" Severus replied, not missing a beat with his reply. Severus didn't question Lily's probing into his personal realm of thought or her motives for asking, he simply accepted that Lily was asking at all. Or possibly, Lily supposed, he could be too absorbed in prospective thought to even give Lily's gesture a second thought.
"I don't understand," Severus was ranting as he paced Dumbledore's office. "Why–who was it? Why were they acting in their Death Eater robes–and under the Dark Lord's name!?" Dumbledore stood by the office window, his back to Severus. "Albus?" Severus said, a little harshly, stopping mid step and facing Dumbledore, who he then realized hadn't said a single word sine Severus had stormed into his office earlier that evening, in desperate need of answers. "I don't know, Severus," Dumbledore answered, bleakly. "What do you mean, 'You don't know'?" Severus said, his voice dropping low as he spoke with reluctance. "It's possible...I believe…." Dumbledore turned to the far back bookshelves in the office. Dumbledore's fingers trailed the book bindings before he pulled out a dim, tightly bound, book. Dumbledore flipped through the book, almost with urgency and very unlike when he'd shown Severus the text on horcruxes. Dumbledore's eyes skimmed the text busily. At last, he looked up to Severus and said, "I believe you may have been right about Peter Pettigrew." Severus dropped to the seat opposite, prompting for Dumbledore to continue. "There's this ritual…." Dumbledore began, shaking his head before he picked up again, "It's ancient. I hadn't even considered it…."
"What is it?" Severus asked, slowly. "I fear, it might be how Tom Riddle is planning his great return." Dumbledore said grimly. Severus shifted, "Care to clarify?"
"The ritual requires the blood of a victim–" Dumbledore explained. "Laney Simpkin?" Severus breathed, hoping he was wrong. "Yes, most likely. However in my scripts, the victims….they're killed…." Dumbledore replied distractedly. "Who obtained the blood then? Maybe they're performing the ritual incorrectly?" Severus said, distracted by what all this meant. This, combined with the information from earlier that day, Severus didn't know what to make of it all. "Perhaps, it seems unlikely...I do believe, Peter Pettigrew may be the one behind this," Dumbledore digressed. "Well, if that's the case, it wouldn't be surprising that he's messed it up?" Severus said, sounding more like himself. "Mm, indeed. However, I fear we've been led astray, Severus….It seems we've fallen into Pettigrew's ploy. He was counting on that you'd see it fit to give me this information, to keep up the 'pretense' as my inside source." Dumbledore said, detangling the web. In what world was Peter Pettigrew smart enough–logical enough–to trick not only Severus but Dumbledore as well! The world truly was spiraling! The whole thing was incredulous! But, Severus couldn't deny, it made sense. Pettigrew gathered Laney Simpkin's blood early on, so that the attack appeared separate from all of the other rising Death Eater activity. Then, as Pettigrew believed Severus had to maintain his position as the Dark Lord's spy within Dumbledore's ranks via intel, Pettigrew offered up the trivial and false detail of Dark Lord being in Hungary knowing Severus would use the information to his own advantage. Pettigrew could then bid his time as he composed the ritual Dumbledore had been speaking of, to bring back the Dark Lord. The only missing piece was, why was Laney Simpkin still alive? If Dumbledore was correct in his conclusion, Laney Simpkin should be dead. Why wasn't she? Had Pettigrew simply just made a mistake? As much as Severus believed it possible, Pettigrew simply managing to mess yet another assignment, Severus didn't believe that to be the case in this instance. Peter Pettigrew, and the Dark Lord, were playing their cards with precision and care; they were playing to win. The Dark Lord was monitoring Pettigrew's every move, undoubtedly. As Severus looked to Dumbledore, he knew, Dumbledore had come to the same conclusion as him. They, meaning Severus and Dumbledore, had best up their game, if they wanted to end war anytime soon.