Hey all!
I promised you a quick update, so here it is! After a LOOOONG period of having no inspiration, I am addicted to writing again. This chapter may seem bland to some, but it is an important segment to the story. I'm working on the next chapter so I hope I can finish it this week.
Anyway, that's all from me. Enjoy!
-DeceptiveFates
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Unfortunately. :(
Chapter 21 – New Year, Old Problems
The festive atmosphere of the New Year did not last as long as everyone hoped it would. On the second day of the year, the deaths of muggles, witches, and wizards were discovered all across England. The muggles found by police were all labelled as unsolvable murders, as not a shred of evidence was to be found. The Wizarding community, however, knew better. The witches and wizards murdered, were easy open and shut cases for Aurors as they were all found with the dark mark emblazoned on their skin, or what was left of their skin, for some of the unfortunate victims. Unlike the case of vice minister Jones, these witches and wizards were all either muggle-borns or "blood traitors" as Voldemort termed it.
The sudden discoveries of so many bodies all across England, strained the Ministry of Law Enforcement to a breaking point, with Aurors dispersed across the country. The Daily Prophet was quick to criticize the ministry for the lack of coordination in dealing with the many murders, not to mention their continued failure to make any progress with the Jones case. Shop owners in Diagon Alley were struggling as business slowed with more witches and wizards choosing to stay home rather than venture out into the possible danger of the public. In addition to the general chaos in the MLE department, the situation got more complicated with the discovery of Lincoln Clamborough and his wife, Delinda, brutally murdered and left dead at their home. They were found left out on the front lawn of their house, the Dark Mark scorched across the grass, the bodies lying in the middle. It was a gruesome sight, and a dire warning. The Clamboroughs were a prominent couple, known widely for their work in the field of Charms. They were also one of the few incredibly successful and widely respected muggle-borns. The attack struck the Wizarding world to the core, saddening purebloods, half-bloods, and muggle-borns across England.
The true shame, however, was that while the news saddened the community, it did not shock them. A muggle-born and a half-blood; it was almost to be expected. Such were the state of affairs.
Albus sighed as he watched his four house Heads argue over the primary issue concerning Hogwarts today. For once, both Minerva and Severus were of one mind, but as with all major decisions concerning the students of Hogwarts, all four heads were required by ministry law to agree to implement any changes. This rule was implemented after the fiasco with Dolores Umbridge last year, which even the Minister eventually conceded was an unmitigated disaster. The removal of Dolores from Hogwarts and her demotion within the Ministry as well as the implementation of a new law that prevented any ministry interference with Hogwarts were the terms arranged between the Minister and the headmaster in exchange for the sworn oath that no student or professor at Hogwarts would take legal action against the Ministry or Umbridge herself, for her illegal actions and abuse of power. Minister Fudge was by no means pleased with the arrangement, but at least with this agreement, the issue would stay out of the public arena. Heaven forbid the public learn of his underhanded dealings. If nothing else, the new law ensured that nothing like what happened last year could happen again.
Unfortunately, the side effect of this new law was that all four house heads had to agree when implementing major changes. It was also required that if no majority amongst the four could be reached, the headmaster could not simply cast a vote to create majority, but would have to mediate and find a compromise. Restricting the headmaster's final vote was a condition put in place to appease the ministry and also minimize issues of favouritism. Thus far, there had been no real differences of opinion. However, with the discoveries of more bodies in London and the increased threat of Voldemort, letters had been flooding Hogwarts from worried parents. Most were writing to tell Albus to stop the visits to Hogsmeade as he did when Sirius had escaped from Askaban. It was this issue that had the four heads gathered in the headmaster's office.
"Trips to Hogsmeade will improve morale among the students. If we stop the visits we'll be giving in to the fear that You-Know-Who desires!" Minerva argued.
"But they're just children! We must protect them!" Pomona replied, equally emphatic.
"Of course we'll protect them; we can increase security."
"Even the ministry is having trouble dealing with the widespread kidnappings," Filius pointed out calmly.
"True, but all the more reason to try and maintain some normalcy. They are children, they should not have to be afraid of leaving the safety of Hogwarts. It's our duty to ensure they are given the right to simply be children," Albus said, entering the conversation for the first time since the arguing began.
"But Albus, the situation is different now, the attacks are happening more frequently and with no warning," Filius replied.
"Coddling them doesn't accomplish anything, Filius. The moment they leave Hogwarts, they will be on their own," Severus said coldly. He too had been mostly silent in the debate, it was a difficult topic for him to speak freely on, considering his delicate position as a double spy. Not that Filius or Pomona knew of his situation.
"Perhaps a compromise is best since none of you are likely to give way to one another," Albus said quickly as he saw an explosion of anger imminent from Filius and Pomona in response to Severus' dry statement.
"What do you propose, Albus?" Filius asked.
"If your concern is primarily for the younger students we can solve that problem by simply altering the rules a little," Albus started. He now had the complete attention of all four professors.
"I propose we restrict access to Hogsmeade to only fifth, sixth, and seventh year students. This way the older and better trained students will still have the privilege of Hogsmeade visits. With heightened security they should be safe."
Albus waited as they all processed and considered his proposition. It was a compromise that would hopefully appease them all.
"I believe that is a compromise I can agree to," Filius said slowly, putting forth his opinion first.
"That's acceptable to me," Minerva agreed. "Severus?"
"Fine by me," he said giving a short nod.
"Pomona, my dear, does this sound like a fair compromise to you?" Albus asked kindly.
"I still don't like it. But if all four of you believe it is enough, I can accept it," she said giving in. Accept it she may, but she certainly wasn't happy about it.
"Good, it's settled then!" Albus announced with a clap. "With that business out of the way, I suggest we all try and relax for the next few days before the students return and classes resume."
Minerva and Severus lingered behind, when Albus indicated wished for their continued presence. As the door to the office closed, the three remaining professors all relaxed with a near audible sigh.
"Thank goodness that has been dealt with," Minerva sighed, sinking tiredly into a chair. The stress from the recent killing spree was wearing on all of them, some more than others. There was nothing to be done but try and maintain normal routines and carry on.
"It's a troublesome situation to be sure," Albus said sadly. Another generation, another war. It was a sick cycle that he had seen repeat too many times over the course of his life. Each victory only giving peace for a few decades at most before another power-driven being attempts to take control, leaving the next generation to fight the battle again.
"Is there reason for concern about your position, Severus? Why were you kept in the dark about this?" Minerva asked worriedly.
"I don't believe he suspects anything. You know that he keeps me out of the raids due to my duties here and my other responsibilities," Severus replied.
"I do worry about the increase in his activity," Albus admitted to his two most trusted confidants.
"As do I, but we know he's been gaining in power over the last several months," Severus pointed out. "I think it's time we started our own retaliation tactics. No one is safe anymore it seems."
"There's not much we can do at this point," Albus said.
"If nothing else, we should protect the families of Order members," Minerva proposed.
"Heighten security for those at risk, certainly," Severus agreed. "It would also do us some good if we start making targeted attacks at his followers in the outer circles."
"We cannot simply murder them, Severus," Albus reasoned. "Increasing security should not be a problem... perhaps we should have a meeting soon to address these issues."
Getting up, Severus announced that he was expected for Hermione's lessons, and quickly took his leave.
There were so many thoughts whirling around in his mind. Despite what he told the headmaster and Minerva, he did worry about his position in the inner circle. It was unusual for him to be completely kept in the dark about such a major offensive attack. Perhaps it was time to meet up with Lucius again to fish around for some information. It was no secret though, that he had no interest in the kinds of horrendous activities that many of the other inner circle followers were so fond of. He should have expected something like this to happen, after all, Lucius never has a 'party' without having some entertainment for his guests. Still, to be completely unaware that an attack of that magnitude was being planned was a significant concern. There was no point voicing the issue to Minerva and Albus until he had a better idea of what was going on; besides if he told them, they would pester him into insanity. Well, Minerva would anyway.
Forcing himself to clear his mind, he paced before the door to the Room of Requirement before entering. He sat in one of the wingback chairs as he waited for his student to join him. He didn't need to wait long, five minutes later, the door opened.
She opened the door and had just barely stepped into the room when she felt the strong push of someone trying to enter her mind. Caught off guard she braced herself against the back of the door as she tried to push him out by sheer force of will. She managed to catch him and force him into a loop of meaningless memories as she gathered her strength. The suddenness of the attack weakened her significantly, and he broke out of her loop in a mere two seconds. Just as suddenly as the attack came, he withdrew from her mind. The abrupt withdrawal left her pushing without a target, tiring her further. She opened her eyes and sank down to the floor, exhausted and sweating.
"Always be prepared, never let your defences down," Severus lectured sounding every bit the stern professor. He remained in his seat, lounging comfortably, unaffected, as if he were simply relaxing rather than forcibly trying to break into someone's mind.
"Yes, Sir," Hermione replied dutifully from her spot on the ground. Sighing in frustration she let her head thud heavily against the wall. She hated failure.
"You have quite a habit of sitting on the floor," he commented condescendingly.
"I happen to like the floor."
"Indeed. Luckily I do not care what you do and do not like. Come sit on the chair and we will continue the lesson."
"Yes, Sir," she pulled herself off the floor, and took a seat in the only other chair in the room.
"Practice keeping your Occlumency defences up during all waking hours. The holidays are the ideal time for this, when you don't have classes that will distract you."
Hermione nodded. The moment she met his eyes, he once again pushed into her mind without any warning. She recovered more quickly than the first time, but still had trouble placing her defences back together and pushing him out. Trying once again to force him into a loop while she gathered her strength, she was able to keep him in the loop for longer, but not long enough.
He pulled out again once he broke through the loop.
"Always be ready," he reprimanded severely.
"Yes, Sir. I'm sorry, I'll try harder."
"Again!"
This time, she was prepared, and after a few moments of struggle and exertion, she pushed him out.
"Good, again."
They continued like this for nearly forty minutes, until he called for a break to let her mind rest. Severus leaned back in his chair, watching her as she relaxed back into her seat, closing her eyes to relieve the headache that was certainly thrumming. Her breathing evened and the tension in her posture dissolved after a few minutes of silence.
"Miss Granger," Severus called quietly, not wanting to jolt her from her near sleep relaxation.
Breathing in deeply, she opened her eyes and straightened up, alert and ready again.
"Throwing me into a perpetual memory loop is a good tactic, it could use some practice and refinement, but I'm satisfied with your performance in that regard, for now."
"Thank you... but how are you able to break out of them so quickly and easily?" Her confusion and frustration were plain to see as she asked the question.
"I have been practicing Occlumency and Legilimency nearly as long as you have been alive; I don't expect you to be able to keep me in a simple loop. Remember, I am only alive because I am able to fool the Dark Lord, you needn't feel ashamed of being unable to withstand my attacks."
"I hadn't thought of it that way," Hermione admitted. "Is there a way of blocking you even if you get out of the loop?"
"Yes, it's a good question... it tells me you are using your brain," Severus said approval evident in his tone. "When I break out, simply throw me back into another loop the same way you did the first time. That tactic will only be effective if the second loop differs from the first."
"It happens so fast, how do I catch you before you push straight through after breaking from the first loop?"
"Concentration," he said simply. "Follow the thread of my mind and capture me again. It is the same process, it simply requires greater concentration and speed."
"Right... so the second loop, can it have some of the same memories? Or do all of them have to be different for it to work?"
"They need not be different at all, as long as the sequence is changed. However, if the memories are different it will be a stronger defence, as it will take the invader more time to navigate," Severus explained. "Every memory has a certain feel, or character that is unique. As such, if the memories in the loop remain the same, the invader will be able to discover the loophole with greater ease, since the memories already have a familiar feel."
"So, it's like trying to put a puzzle together twice in a row... the second time you know where the pieces go?" Hermione asked, trying to understand the abstract concept he was teaching.
"Yes, I suppose you could make that analogy..." Severus agreed. "If we were to extend that analogy, the act of using new memories to form a second loop would be akin to giving you a different puzzle to do rather than have you repeat the same one. The pieces may be made of the same material, but the shape, the details, are different."
"Does that mean that the longer the loop, the more memories used, the harder the loop is to break?"
"Sometimes, but not always. A long loop of simple memories that contain little or no emotion will be just as easy whether there are four memories looped or fifty. It is the complexity of the memories used that affects the difficulty in breaking from the loop."
"I thought I was supposed to use harmless memories that have no meaning to me..." Hermione said, struggling to understand what sounded like a contradiction to her.
"Yes, I told you simply to use harmless memories, I did not, however, tell you the memories should be meaningless," Severus corrected. "Memories can be harmless to an intruder while also carrying significant meaning to you. For example, the first spell you casted successfully, would be a harmless memory, but it would also be significant and have great depth of emotion tied to it. It would be a complex memory due to the significance it holds to you in your idea of self."
"Right... Okay... so like the first time I saw Hogwarts?"
"Precisely," Severus replied, pleased that she understood the concept. "This is where it becomes more difficult to discern what is a safe memory and which would provide too much information to the invader."
"For example, if the memory you chose was of a time you were insulted because of your muggle parents, this would be a memory that gives away too much information."
"Why? Everyone knows I'm a muggle-born, it wouldn't be an unknown fact," Hermione reasoned.
"True, but remember, when a person is viewing your memories, they are literally in them. They can feel every emotion, complex or shallow, and feel your own attachment to them. Understand and literally feel the importance you give to that memory."
"As a foreign intruder, that memory would tell me not only that you are a muggle-born, but that you are highly sensitive of that fact. That you feel the desire to prove your worth to purebloods and prove that you deserve to stand equal to them... it reveals much more about your personality, your attitude, ideals, and sense of self than you would have intended to allow the intruder to see."
He let the silence after his explanation linger to give the girl time to process the information.
"Do you understand?"
"I think so... you're saying that if the person viewing that memory sees how important it is, and how hurt I was, they would have ammunition against me that they wouldn't have had with a more meaningless memory like my memory of Hogwarts, right?"
"Yes, good. When you are practicing, try and collect memories, polish them by trying to concentrate on the primary emotions they contain. Focus on those emotions and link them together forming loops. Vary the types of emotions in each loop. Every emotion has a distinct manoeuvrability to it, the way the mind works through them is different. By having different types of emotions in the loop, it increases the strain on the intruding mind to steer through and map the loop."
Hermione jotted down the points quickly in a little notebook. She had taken to writing down the theory and concepts, even strategies of Occlumency so that she could reference them if need be. There was so much new and complex information, even Hermione had difficulty keeping it all straight let alone mastering it as a package. Every skill she had mastered enough to execute effectively and without error, she marked with a little check to keep track of her progress. For the sake of security, Professor Snape had confiscated the book when she first brought it, and coated it in numerous wards and charms to keep it safe from prying eyes. She didn't know half the spells or even potions he'd used, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt that absolutely no one could break the spells and access the information contained in the little book. She wasn't sure if even Dumbledore would be able to crack it, so needless to say, she wasn't at all worried about the book getting into the wrong hands.
"Very well, I think we have strained your mind enough for today. Are you recovered enough to take up duelling again?"
"Yes, I am, thank you. Madame Pomfrey gave me a clean bill of health and said I could resume all activities," Hermione announced brightly. "She wasn't too happy about the last bit though," she added with a smirk.
"Naturally, as I have no doubt you will be seeing her again after today's lesson."
"Professor! Have some faith in me, I might have improved," Hermione objected.
"Unlikely in the extreme," Severus sneered. "If you are done nursing your pride, we can begin."
And so another two hours passed with Hermione exerting her physical strength, letting her mind rest as her body trained. The first fifty minutes were spent running drills, exercising and practicing manoeuvres, followed by twenty minutes of casting spells at stationary targets, practicing her aim.
The last fifty minutes were spent doing simulations, the scenery of choice, a forest. Rocks, trees, branches, leaves, even a small creek of running water, surrounded Hermione as she fought. The forest had challenges she had never even considered when she began. Her feet stumbled frequently over loose rocks, a hidden root or tree stump. Her arms scratched by thorns or sharp branches, left unheeded as she ran. Her reflexes slowed as she struggled to coordinate her movements. Strategy was abandoned after the first few minutes, as she tried to simply defend and minimize her own injuries as she ran, crouched, slid and even occasionally, hid from the near-stationary dummies as they attacked her. Sweat dripped from her forehead into her eyes, the salty sting blurring her vision. She didn't bother wiping it away as she fired two spells and hurriedly threw up a weak shield. Panting she caught her breadth, but before she could reinforce her ward, a blue streak ripped through her defence and hit her dead on. The force of the spell threw her back into the prickly brush behind her.
"Damn it!" Hermione cursed angrily. The room transformed back into the simple setting of a sitting room, barren save two plush armchairs.
"You lasted twenty six minutes this time... longer than your last attempt," Severus said from where he stood leaning against the back of one of the chairs.
"Barely," Hermione said, pausing to drink some much needed water for her parched throat. Her muscles were screaming, and blood streaks were smeared across her face, arms, legs and even her torso. Her t-shirt was torn along the side, probably from one of the many branches she broke through.
"I expect you to last thirty minutes next time," Severus continued, as if he hadn't heard her. "Next time, think before you act. You wasted too much energy running when you should have simply conjured a diversion to escape."
"Be creative, use your knowledge to fight. Think, don't just react. If I wanted impulsive action I would be talking to those idiots you call friends," Severus sneered.
"Yes, sir," Hermione said quietly, knowing what he said was true. She wasn't fighting with intent. She was just reacting and deflecting; running from the attacks, not confronting them.
"Focus on one action at a time. If you try and attack, defend, run, navigate and predict all at once you will simply fail. Those skills come with practice," Severus lectured. "When you put up a shield, assess your surroundings, locate good exit points and conversely, openings that will leave you vulnerable. Choose a course of action and follow through without hesitation. Then distract or eliminate the attacker and continue. Repeat the sequence, as needed. If you find yourself in an advantageous position, use the time and energy you have to eliminate as many targets as possible."
"The first and most important thing to remember is to conserve your energy. If you expend all your energy early on, you will be dead in a matter of minutes. Use your mind; strategize, evaluate. Don't simply blast every direction you see movement come from, you'll waste precious energy which you will need later on. Efficiency is the key to surviving a duel," Severus said, emphasizing the last point.
"The lesson for this session is efficiency, remember it."
"Yes, professor Snape," Hermione said.
"Good. That's all for today, go see Madame Pomfrey before you head back to your dormitory," he said dismissing her. "Remember to practice keeping your mental defences up and work on the memory loops for our next lesson."
"Okay, thanks professor, I'll see you at dinner," Hermione said with a tired smile. Leaving the room, she trudged her way to the infirmary for what seemed like the hundredth time since the holidays began.
After being filled up with pepper-up potion and a variety of other healing potions, Hermione was happy to be able to shower and remove the grime and dirt that covered her. The shower was longer than she had intended, but the warmth of the water and the way it soothed her sore muscles was too enticing to end early. With only an hour left until dinner, she opted for staying in the common room and passed the time by revising her charms essay that she had finished several days ago. It was already the second rewrite of the essay so she hoped it would still be satisfactory to her, as she was not inclined to rewrite it again.
Draco sat in a hidden alcove up on the astronomy tower. The sun had just set and the sky was a beautiful shade of blue. The New Year had been busier than he had expected, so he had not been able to get a moment alone until the next day. But this night he sat alone, savouring the peaceful silence, looking out over the grounds. As his eyes strayed over the garden patch, his mind turned towards thoughts of his mother. She had always loved her roses; the Malfoy garden was her sanctuary. Even now, thinking back, he knew that she was always happiest in the garden; most beautiful then too. His eyes welled at the thought of her, but even alone, he could not allow himself to cry. It wasn't the Malfoy way. At least, that is what his father always insisted. Clearing his throat, he forced his mind away from thoughts of his father, lest he dwell on the night of his mother's death.
Draco sat back comfortably against the wall, his sketchbook perched against his legs. It wasn't for the scenery that he chose his location; rather, it was for the peace of mind it afforded him. It was freedom, to him; away from house loyalties, and family expectations; a neutral space away from his unfortunate reality. Picking up the picture frame beside him, he looked at the image with the critical eye of an artist. A thin bar of black charcoal rested lightly in his hand, as he guided the tool across the textured page. A few strokes and a visage was already distinguishable. There was a unique beauty in sketching with charcoal. So much could be portrayed. The varying shades of grey to black, were a haunting allusion to his life. Art was a wonder; the ugly could be made beautiful, the stark could blossom to life, and perhaps the most poignant for Draco, how it was not the strokes that created a true work of art, but the spaces between. How a white space between the grey lead could give such life and grace to an image.
Always the least appreciated is what is most greatly missed when gone.
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