I know I know, it's been so long and you've all been so patient and I'm sorry I fell off the face of the Earth but I got a little obsessed with two other fandoms and honestly, I was scared to post this after someone accused me of making Emery Graves a Mary Sue character. I apologize for letting that get to me because it is sort of true, but in my defense, Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley and Hermoine Granger or so powerful, smart and lucky that I figured it'd be ok to make Emery what he is. His powers don't come from wanting to make him better, but it truly is for the sake of the story. He's on original character, but his purpose is as much a tool for telling the way I feel the Slytherin house should have been represented as it is a story about him. Please forgive my long absence. I will try to post a new chapter once a month from here on out. Thanks those of you who have stuck with me for so long. I sincerely hope you like this chapter!
A small group of students surrounded the hospital bed of Emery Graves. Ron, Luna, Hermoine, Astoria, Draco, Theo and Neville were all waiting anxiously for their friend to wake up. They'd all been told that he nearly froze to death and that if he'd waited much longer he would have died of hypothermia. There was concern of permanent damage caused by the Rusalka that had attacked him and Madam Pomfrey stated they wouldn't know how bad it was until he was awake. They didn't know for certain what, if anything they could do, but being there with him seemed best.
Ron stood at the foot of the bed, glaring at Theo and Draco who stood to the side of the bed looking down at the floor. Theo had an arm draped around Luna who was trying to be comforting. Neville and Astoria, too, stood side by side on the opposite side of the Slytherin boys. Hermoine was next to him, but he'd seen her looking at Draco, then Emery, then back to Draco again.
"Why did you guys let him leave?" Ron finally demanded, breaking the silence.
Theo ducked his head lower, his eyes watering, while Draco glared. "We couldn't stop him, Weasley. We kept calling to him but he didn't hear us."
"Why didn't you stop the creature? Why didn't you attack her?" Ron demanded. "All three of us could have taken her out before she knocked him into the water."
"We didn't know what to do, alright?" Draco argued.
"Didn't know what to do?" The red head sneered. "I found that letter, Malfoy! I turned it in to Dumbledore and Theo was there with me. So what happened Theo? Why didn't you stop your supposed friend from being killed by Draco's father?"
"Ron!" Hermoine gasped.
"You guys stop fighting." Neville frowned. "Now isn't the time."
"It's the perfect time to fight!" Astoria growled and turned her eyes on her two Slytherin friends. "What is Ron talking about, Draco? Theo? What letter?"
"Wait, it's not what it sounds like." Draco shook his head.
"Not what it sounds like?" Hermoine questioned. "Well explain it to us, Draco, because right now it sounds really bad."
Luna looked up at her boyfriend and took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Let's stop being out for ourselves. It's costing us too much. Let's be in this together."
"You used me as bait." The croaking voice of Emery startled them all into looking back at their bed-bound friend. "Tell them what you did."
"Madam Pomfrey!" Hermoine called from her place at the bed. "He's awake, Madam Pomfrey, come quickly!"
"Tell them," Emery croaked again. "Tell them our plan."
"Plan?" Ron frowned and looked at the two boys again.
"It was such a stupid plan," Theo shook his head as a couple of tears fell. "Our families wanted to...They were planning to hurt him and me and Draco." He said, realizing that Emery had no clue what he was talking about. He was just trying to help keep them from looking like the bastards they were. "We knew that if we prevented Emery from being harmed, our families would punish us, possibly remove us from school and who knows what else. I'd seen the creature once before and knew upon seeing Lucius' letter that she was here for Emery."
"We told Emery about it and the git insisted that he had to kill it before it got a different student." Draco supplied. "He told us to follow him and give him back up if he needed it, but we didn't know what we were doing. We were scared that You-Know-Who was lurking about."
"Plus I convinced them that I'd killed one before." Emery rasped. "I told them not to give up their cover for a moment. I was arrogant and, and I wanted to prove myself."
Before anyone could respond Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape came to the boy's bedside. The Defense teacher was carrying several potions and Madam Pomfrey was already waving her wand and casting spells on the teenager.
"You nearly got yourself killed!" Hermoine cried out angrily, her eyes moving to Theo and Draco. "How could any one of you have been so reckless and stupid?"
"I must admit I am rather curious to know the answer to that question myself." Severus hissed. "But right now everyone of you will clear out immediately so that Madam Pomfrey and I can keep Mr. Graves alive."
"It wasn't their fault." Emery said again as his friends started to leave, but stalled when he spoke up. "It wasn't-
"Sleep." Madam Pomfrey said before a bit of magic struck the boy and forced him to follow her order. "All of you out. You heard Professor Snape."
As soon as the small group left the hospital wing, Albus Dumbledore was standing in front of them. Not one student could deny how tired he looked. The sparkle was gone, the easy smile drooping. He looked exhausted, but he also looked impatient. Like there was a battle he was supposed to be fighting out there somewhere.
He offered a kind smile. "I know you are all very concerned about your friend, but I believe I need to speak with Ron, Draco and Theodore. The rest of you ought to wait in the Great Hall or in your common rooms until we know more information about Mr. Graves' state of health."
Slowly the group split off. Neville, Hermoine, Luna and Astoria all headed for the Great Hall while the three aforementioned teenagers followed the Headmaster to his office. Ron was biting the inside of his mouth to keep from shouting, Theo still looked like he was on the verge of tears and Draco's hands were shaking like a leaf in the wind.
"I would like all three of you to sit quietly and breathe for a moment while I make us all some tea." Dumbledore announced once they entered his office.
All three took a seat in front of the large desk that he gestured to while the old man did exactly as he'd said he'd do. It wasn't long before he was placing three saucers with a couple of cookies each in front of them. After that he carefully placed three tea cups on the center of the matching saucers. He took a seat in front of them and smiled, gesturing for them to tuck in.
"Now, I know that you are angry, Mr. Weasley and I know that you are being torn apart with guilt, Mr. Nott. Mr. Malfoy, you are petrified. All three of these emotions are completely normal and healthy in these exact circumstances." Albus began in a kind, patient tone.
"Theo should feel guilty. He led his friend to his death and somehow convinced him to lie to everyone about it."
"Mr. Weasley, that kind of accusation is not going to help us get through this very, very difficult conversation." Albus sighed. "Now, please take a bite of your cookie and a sip of your tea while I explain what you three are here for."
Theo looked too ill to eat, and Ron couldn't help but take a small bit of pleasure from that. Draco sipped at his tea and when he felt his hands stop shaking he continued to drink the hot beverage. With a pointed look from his Headmaster, Ron finally did as he was told and took a bite of the cookie and a sip of the tea, his anger calming almost immediately.
"Ronald Weasley is one of the newest members of the Order of the Phoenix." Albus explained to the Slytherin students. "It's a bi-law of sorts that when new members are inducted into our order, that we have one current member and myself present. Today, Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott, you will both be sworn into the Order of the Phoenix after successfully completing your first mission."
"What?" Ron gaped in surprise, his mind fluttered with confusion. "Mission?"
"Yes, Mr. Weasley, I'm afraid that after you brought the letter to me, there was a change of plans. You were right that Emery knew nothing of these plans and that he was lying just now; however, both young men did exactly as I ordered."
Turning to look Theodore directly in his dark blue eyes, Albus placed his hand over the boy's. "I know that his was very hard on you Theodore. You came to me because you wanted to get away from this sort of thing. It was no easy task to lure your friend into danger, it was far harder still to watch him be harmed without casting the spell that would keep him safe." He patted his hand gently as the boy nodded but still struggled to keep control of his guilt. "What you and Draco did has saved not only your lives, but Emery's as well."
"How?" Draco demanded.
"Tom will never listen to your father's pleas to kill Emery Graves as he now believes the boy to be his son." He answered somberly. "When Emery not only spoke Parseltongue, but controlled a Siren as well, Tom became convinced that the boy was his own flesh and blood."
"Is he?" All three asked at once.
"That is not for me to say." The old man sighed. "What I can say is that you two have now convinced your family and friends that you are spying on your classmates and you will not be forced to return to your families this winter break."
"What about the end of the school year?" Theo asked, his guilt easing a bit as he too had started drinking the relaxing tea.
"You both will have a choice to make and trust me when I say this, it is your choice. No one will be disappointed with either of you no matter what you decide to do. Unfortunately, your decision must be made soon so that we can make arrangements either way."
"Spy or join openly." Draco realized.
"Yes." Albus nodded. "You may return home and join the ranks of the Death Eaters or you may declare your loyalty to the Order and we will hide and protect you."
"I want to join the Order." Theo said even before the headmaster finished his sentence. "I won't spy, I won't pretend to be a Death Eater. I don't want their filthy mark on me!"
"But we're not declaring anything publicly until something's done about Potter." Draco added quickly.
"What are you talking about?" Ron demanded defensively.
"It was him, Headmaster! It was him out there with us!" Draco was starting to sound a bit hysterical even to himself so he took another drink of his tea.
"What ever are you referring to, Draco?" The old man asked earnestly.
"He's right." Theo nodded. "It was Harry out there, he was, he was his vessel."
"Describe him to me." Dumbledore demanded even as he held up a hand to stop Ron from saying whatever he'd planned to say. "Be very specific."
"We were hiding behind the trees and we were jumping up to rescue Emery when he stepped between us." Draco began.
"Yeah, he put a hand on each of our shoulders and said," Theo paused trying to remember the exact wording. "Very good boys, very good indeed."
"He was hissing like a snake, like the way You-Know-Who does and his eyes were glowing a weird yellow."
"And he said 'I knew Snape would never lie to me. Your loyalty is proven' and then he told us to get back to the school before someone saw us. He wanted us to keep spying on Harry and his friends." Theodore finished.
"Oh dear." Albus frowned as he sat back in his own seat. His blue eyes looked over his half moon spectacles to Ron. "Have you noticed any strange behavior, Mr. Weasley?"
It was Ron's turn to look guilty as he nodded sadly. He didn't want to believe Theo and Draco, but he did. Why? Because he knew they'd described exactly what Harry had looked like in the Department of Mysteries when Voldemort had taken over his mind. This changed everything and yet this also explained so much about why his friend was losing control.
"Harry pulled a wand on me the other night and he might have gotten a spell off if Ginny hadn't disarmed him. He loses his temper easily, he doesn't sleep well and he's getting more and more paranoid. Every time we think we have the old him back, something sets him off all over again." Ron explained. "At first we thought it was just the grief of losing Sirius. I mean, he's lost so much as it is, but to lose his Godfather and everything that meant? He lost a home, Dumbledore, he lost a chance at a family that actually loved him."
"What do you mean?" Draco frowned.
"His muggle family that takes care of him, they never wanted him. They are the kind of muggles that give validation to those of the Wizarding community that hate them." Ron admitted. "They abuse him at worst and neglect him at best."
"I had no idea." Draco frowned.
"It is amazing the understanding we can all come to when we sit down and talk instead of stand up and cast." The Headmaster nodded. "Now, Mr. Weasley, have you any objections to serving as witness to the induction of Mr.'s Nott and Malfoy into the Order of the Phoenix?"
"None whatsoever, Headmaster, but what about Harry and Emery?" Ron asked.
"Emery and Harry will both need to remain in the dark for now. Harry especially. Snape will take charge of Mr. Graves as he is my spy and will know what he must do now that Tom thinks he's his son." He explained. "Now, as for Harry, I'll be dealing with him shortly. Do not speak of anything we discussed to anyone but myself or Professor Snape."
It was the middle of the night and Severus couldn't make himself leave the bedside of his student. The call had been too close for comfort and he wanted, no needed to know that the boy was breathing. Everything else could wait until he saw with his own eyes that he would wake again, that it hadn't been a fluke earlier. He needed to know that he and Pomfrey were as good as he'd always known they were.
He reached out into the darkness with his mind, concentrating hard on the thoughts of anyone near-by. There was so much he had to tell this young man about what had happened this day and what would happen in the future. Before he could utter even a word he had to know that the boy was locked deeply into the confines of a dreamless sleep and that no living soul was within earshot at the moment.
"I forbid you from 'liking' Harry Potter." Severus snapped with disdain. "Do you understand me, Boy? You will absolutely never think of him that away again. Potters are beneath you!You hear me? They are beneath you!
"Things are going to change." He told him. "Your language is going to be curbed immediately, your education is going to be expanded and your attitude is going to be adjusted. You no longer represent the Harts and the Graves alone, you know.
"Also, if you are going to go after a girl like Hermoine Granger you are going to need a mind that can challenge hers. You're also going to have to figure out what is more important to you; Draco's friendship or Hermoine's affection. I very much doubt that you can have both."
"Severus, I don't wish to pry, but wouldn't this little lecture go further if he were awake?" Snape turned angrily, his black cloak billowing about him as he narrowed his gaze on the Headmaster. It wasn't often that someone was capable of sneaking up on him. "Severus-
"No!" The younger man snapped, his black hair falling over his face as he gritted his teeth and tried to calm the rage that was building up inside of him. "How dare you? You kept this from me and yet you knew! I know you knew!"
The old man didn't bother to deny it but he did sigh. "Severus, I know this isn't the way you should have found out, but think rationally. What would you have done? What would you have said?" Albus lectured. "It wasn't safe and I couldn't have you distracted."
"Yes, I see." Snape snarled as his lip curled into an ugly sneer. "How dare I focus on any child other than Harry Potter! Were you afraid my attention would be divided? That I would protect my own flesh and blood over the spawn of James Potter!"
Though he tried to hide it, Severus could see the slight flush to old man's pale skin and the quick flash of lightning in his faded blue eyes. "No, Severus, I knew quite well that you would honor your word to protect Lily Evan's son from any bit of danger, no matter the circumstances.
"What I sought was to protect you from that knowledge. To protect you from the guilt you might feel should you believe yourself capable of turning on your own in favor of your dearest friend's son."
"You have no idea what you are talking about." Snape growled and turned his back on him and stared at the teenager lying unconscious.
"Don't I? Tell me Severus, tell me exactly what happened today."
"You know what happened." The black haired man snarled as he stood over his student. He was silent for several seconds but eventually his shoulders dropped and he began talking. "I arrived as I was expected to, I watched to be sure that Theo and Draco were not being pulled in by the rusalka.
"I heard his voice in my head. He said it was a test and that the boy needn't die if he passed and I knew at once those ridiculous rumors had reached him. When the creature started to suck his soul away I stayed back because I knew there was no reason for me to show up except to betray the Dark Lord. Frantically I tried to think of some way and when he dismissed the boys I hoped they would run to get you, but then I realized they wouldn't get to you in time. That you were waiting for my call, not theirs.
"When he fell through the ice I felt the Dark Lord's presence intensify with anger. He felt that Emery had failed him, that he should have been able to control the creature if he'd really been his son. Then when Mr. Weasley attacked I knew I had an opportunity to save him. Emery was pulling on Ron's emotions so that he could fight off the hunger of the Rusalka. He used the spell to injure the siren and I knew then that...That the Dark Lord would order him executed.
"He couldn't let him live after all this, not if he wasn't his son and then I noticed that the Rusalka was coming back to attack. Even though she was weak and dying and Emery could have fought her off, I knew I had to give the boy a push. I dropped the walls around my emotions so that my hatred and aggression would overwhelm him and before he could fend it off, he was speaking in that infernal language.
"I didn't even have a chance to warn the Dark Lord before he was in my mind again. Do you know what he said to me?" Albus shook his head. "If my son dies, Snape, I'll take your life in his place. Thus I was allowed to call for you and Hagrid."
"We were prepared for this outcome, Severus." Albus stated. "I was at the ready, awaiting your signal and all three of your students came out alive."
"But they might not have!" he shouted and turned to face his elder. "He was going to die, the boy that you promised to protect. You were going to kill him to protect my position, to protect my students yes, but mostly you would have killed Emery Graves to protect Harry Potter."
"Do you truly believe you would have let your son die out there, Severus? That even with the anger of the Dark Lord threatening you, that you wouldn't have called for me?" Albus questioned, ignoring the anger sparking off his friend.
"Of course I would have." He said and the guilt in his eyes looked like it would overwhelm him.
"I know that you believe you would have. That's why you are angry and that's why I wanted to keep this secret from you for the time being. You believe with your whole heart and soul that today would have been Emery's last if the Dark Lord ordered it." The Headmaster looked him in his eyes with his own blue eyes almost whirling. "Severus, you think so low of yourself so often and I merely sought to keep you from thinking something unforgivable of yourself."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because you wouldn't have allowed that fate to befall any student, let alone your own son. Despite your insistence that you hate children, you have never allowed a single one to come to harm when it was in your control." The old man's lips curved into a soft, but sad smile. "You are a good man, Severus. I know it's hard for you to believe that. I really did not intend to cause you or the boy pain by keeping his relations to you a secret, but my fears were founded. You absolutely believe you would have sacrificed the boy and now you will live with this unjustified guilt."
"It's not unjustified, it's true. I would have let him die. I was going to let him die until I heard him order otherwise." Severus frowned as he looked down at the still unconscious teenager.
"Look at me, my Boy." Albus said in such a kind tone that Snape couldn't help but comply. "Hagrid and I were there when Emery spoke parseltongue. You had called us I imagine the moment that Emery threw that hex at the Rusalka. We were simply waiting until I could feel Tom's presence slipping away."
"What?"
"You called for us earlier than you must have realized. Surely your brilliant mind must have sub-consciously worked out a way to save the boy as well to protect all of you from Tom's wrath." Albus chuckled softly. "Think carefully, what would I have done from a Death Eater's prospective if you returned with Emery's body after we had ordered them all to stay inside?"
Slowly a calm was settling over the spy and he nodded. "Yes, I see. Draco, Theo or myself would have to be removed from Hogwarts. We couldn't possibly have allowed him to be killed when it would so obviously have been our fault. You'd seen the letter from Lucius and you'd given all of us the strictest orders to protect all three Slytherin students. The Dark Lord could not have expected me to keep my position as his spy and allow the boy to die."
"There you have it. Now stop feeling guilty, Severus. The boy is alive and you now have the opportunity to get to know him. If you wish it of course."
"Headmaster," Severus spoke softly for the first time this day.
"Yes, Severus?"
"I don't want anyone knowing about this. Not until I have figured out how or if I want to speak to him about it."
"It is your decision to make and I give you my word that I will not take it from you."
"Thank you, Albus."
Saturday Night, (the night before the attack) Snape's Office
Emery had left his office and the untouched tea to get back to his dorm before curfew ended. Severus needed him away from him so that he could look in to something and curfew had been the perfect excuse. He'd seen the boy's mother in his mind for weeks now, but that was through the boy's perception. A perception that ultimately made certain things impossible to see.
He went to a small annex off his office where he kept several private possessions, including his yearbooks, spell books, and one half of a two way mirror. He grabbed both the mirror and his Seventh Year yearbook before returning to his desk and sitting down.
He pulled open the book and flipped immediately to the seventh years and to the man he was now positive was the boy's father. He stared at the moving image and watched as the mouth curled into a sneer and his eyes narrow at someone who was irritating the teenager. Black eyes rolled and finally the boy looked straight ahead at the camera and glared impatiently.
Opening a drawer from his desk he grabbed the roster for his sixth year Defense Against The Dark Arts class and found the picture for Emery that would also be used for his own year book photo. Every teacher who wanted to remember the names of their students had the same set up. Picture, name, year and house.
The teenager looked away from the camera and with an arched brow flipped someone off and then turned to face the photographer. His strange eyes rolled and then he crossed his arms and glared.
Running a hand through his mop of black hair, Severus stared at the mirror and prepared himself for a conversation he didn't want to have. He took a deep breath and quickly cast the necessary wards and protections needed to be sure that no one could hear, see or scry into what he was doing or who he was talking to.
He picked up the mirror, looked into it and called. "It's me, Severus."
At once the image of a young man with wavy black hair and soft hazel eyes appeared. "Bit risky contacting me now, don't you think? Has something happened? Are we moving up the plans?"
"No, no. Nothing like that. At least not yet." He shook his head as he stared in to the mirror. "I need to ask you a question. It's private, but urgent."
"When is it not with you?" The man in the mirror laughed good-naturedly, seeming relieved.
"Do you remember Amelia Hart?"
"Of course I do. She was best friends with Andromeda and a very good friend of mine. I believe she was also the spell-breaker and healer for our little group." He nodded before he fell silent and his eyes darkened. "Wait, she isn't the mother of the boy you want me to watch over this Summer, is she?
"Yes." The Potions master confirmed. "Why is it that I have so little memory of her but you seem to know her as if you'd never lost contact?"
"Probably because of Lucius' party." The reflection laughed again.
"What are you referring to?"
"Oh come on, Snape. You haven't repressed that whole night, have you? Though it was probably the second worst of your life; I suppose I can see you purging it from your memories." The voice snickered. "Lily Evan's wedding night?"
The man rambled off at once about the party that Lucius had insisted on throwing to distract his friend from the pain of Lily marrying James Potter. It was probably the single kindest thing that Lucius Malfoy had done before naming him Godfather of his only son. Back in those days, they all pretended they knew nothing about Snape's love for the 'mudblood' but when Snape learned of the impending wedding, Lucius had been forced to acknowledge it so that Lord Voldemort wouldn't.
He'd distracted him to the best of his abilities and gotten him as drunk as he possibly could at the lavish party, which wasn't near as wasted as his friend had wanted. Lucius threw women at him but he was too surly for most of them, even if he was slightly intoxicated. In the end they didn't want to be in his presence any more than he wanted to be in theirs.
"I recall being in a nasty mood the whole evening." Severus responded.
"Yes, I recall that too. So nasty in fact that you started throwing curses at Lucius' wine bottles. One happened to explode near Amelia and she ended up with a few nasty cuts on her cheek, neck and forehead." The man in the mirror snapped.
"I hadn't meant to harm her, but I still don't recall her. Not even before the party."
"She was friends with Narcissa superficially and only deigned to tolerate Bellatrix. After Andromeda disappeared, Amelia attached herself to me. Let's face it Sev; back then you despised me. You didn't get to know her at all and since you were usually good enough at protecting yourself you never required her services." He shrugged his shoulders as he explained. "I'd been in constant contact with her until the Longbottoms got her out of England."
"What?" Snape's eyes widened. "Frank and Alice Longbottom helped her escape the Death Eaters? How did she know to go to them?" There was a long silence and Severus wanted to groan. "You'd been working against the Dark Lord for that long?"
"Let me put it this way; she needed out and I empathized with her. If getting out could have been that easy for me and it wouldn't have endangered her further, I would have gone with her." The man admitted. "Point being, you cut up her face, felt bad and took her to one Lucius' guest rooms and cleaned her up. I assume more happened because neither of you returned to the party and I certainly didn't escort her back home like I was supposed to."
Severus frowned and moved the mirror over his roster so that he could see the picture of the boy. "That's Amelia's son."
Silence persisted for several seconds before a loud, howling laughter erupted. "Oh wow! You never knew? Never even suspected? He's been there since, what? September?"
"That's enough." Snape hissed as he brought the mirror to face him.
"Oh come on, you have to let me congratulate you."
"He could just as easily be yours!" Severus argued.
"No he can't, Sev, and you know it. She was my friend, but never my lover." He spoke though there was still laughter in his voice. "As much as I want to ask you about the boy, I imagine you have a lot to think about. Go brood, my friend, and contact me when you can."
Before Severus could agree or disagree his laughing friend put the mirror away; ending the conversation somewhat abruptly. He returned his mirror, books and roster to their proper places and the left his office for the night. It was as headed down to the dungeons that he realized that his house was behind 25 points. He'd need to look into that in the morning, but for now, there was too much to do and prepare for.
OK, So here's what I need. A lot of people are asking about whether or not Emery has a love interest, you can tell I set up Hermoine to be that interest but she keeps wandering to Draco and Emery. Please, leave suggestions for who you would like to see Emery with most. Guy or girl, I am open to either concept.