Voldemort's Assassin - Chapter 28
The owl with the Daily Prophet practically screamed its headlines just as Pratty interrupted breakfast with an urgent Floo call in 'Master Lucius' study. As Severus was not excluded he dropped his napkin on the table, and followed Lucius to his study.
Lucius cast a cushioning charm for his knees on the Travertine tiled hearth, and knelt before the green flames. Severus kept out of the sight-line, just in case it was not either Molly or Arthur. In the flames a face of defined, square jaw formed, and Severus knew that the Minister of Magic was calling.
"Good to see you, Kingsley," nodded Lucius. "What might I do for you today?"
"Before I speak plainly, is your Floo encoded?" asked Kingsley.
"It is, Kingsley. Speak plain. Tell me what this is about."
Kingsley spoke quickly, "If you have not read the Daily Prophet its headline is false. The Assassin made a mistake in going after Charlie Weasley. He is injured, but not dead, and he came away with a memory of the attack that the Aurors investigating Harry's murder say will be helpful. Would you come, and view the memory with myself, and Head Auror Oliver Wood?"
"I can do that, Kingsley. When do you want me there?" asked Lucius.
"Can you come in an hour?" asked the Minister.
Lucius nodded. "I shall be there."
Kingsley's head vanished, and the green flames faded back to normal fire. Lucius called for Pratty, ordered the news to be brought, and the elf returned with the Daily Prophet held in his hand. Severus took the paper, unfurled it, and gazed down at the large headline that proclaimed the murder of Charlie Weasley.
"I have my doubts that Berger made a mistake," muttered Severus.
"As do I, Severus. The easiest way to destroy the family would be to gather them together in one place," replied Lucius. "Hence, go after the Weasley that is furthest away, and they shall all gather to keep safe."
"And, so they must be separated." The two men left the study, and met Hermione making her way towards the parlour. She started to smile at the two men, but halted at their grimaces.
"What happened?" she asked, suddenly alert.
"Something has occurred, Hermione, but be assured that the Daily Prophet, according to a directive by the Ministry, has it wrong." He unfurled the newspaper to reveal the disturbing headline.
"NO!" Hermione snatched the newspaper from Severus. "You say this is wrong, Severus? Is Charlie all right?" she demanded hopefully.
Severus spoke calmly, "We know that Charlie survived, Hermione. Lucius, since he gave information to Kingsley about Berger, is going to see him, and we should have more information soon." Severus then took the newspaper from her. "As for now, you may be of assistance in getting the Weasleys relocated." As the wizard and witch were leaving the Potions Master could be heard to ask, "You are still on good terms with Minerva, are you not, Hermione?"
Severus Has An Office
Hermione followed Severus through the door of a room on the second floor. There was a shelf of books, one shelf that held several potions with notes attached to their bottles, an inner door with no doorknob, a fireplace, and a very large window that was arched, overlooked one of the Malfoy gardens, and let in enough light to lighten the room. Also in the room was a very large, antique desk with its surface cluttered with inkwells, parchment, quills, charts of various sort, and two rather comfortable chairs for visitors. Along the window a nook had been built for when one wanted to escape the desk but continue working.
"You have an office?" asked Hermione as her eye caught sight of a pair of silver rimmed glasses lying casually upon all the clutter on the desk.
"I do manage to work in places other than the lab, Hermione." He smirked briefly, sat at his desk, put on the reading glasses, and picked up a parchment paper scratched with black and red ink titled, WEASLEYS. Hermione Summoned a chair, sent it so that it was next to Severus, sat down, and leaned over to study the notes Severus had made.
"These are all safe houses that I knew of when Albus was... alive," began Severus.
"Why not just put them all in one?" asked Hermione.
"Normally that would be the solution but Berger tries to create the most havoc at one time as possible. He is sending a message to the Order for having been instrumental in removing the wizard who was his Master."
Hermione frowned as something puzzled her. Severus continued, "The attack on Charles Weasley was not a killing one. I have no need to see his memory of this since I am certain Berger did not intend to kill Charles."
"But, why not?"
"Berger wants the entire Weasley family in one spot so he can take care of them at once. I have no doubt that the Burrow is a primary target as it is their home. Thus, to foil Berger we must separate the family and secret them in safe houses until this is ended."
Hermione nodded. "What of the other members of the Order? Is anything being done to protect them?"
Severus grimaced as he tapped his chin with one index finger, and looked down at the paperwork he had done on the Weasleys. "Kingsley currently believes that the adult members of the Order of the Phoenix can take care of themselves. Safe houses, of which there are two known, have been offered to take care of the children not yet at Hogwarts. As Lucius updated me last night Minerva is keeping the children that are students restricted to Hogwarts."
Hermione nodded. "That is small help. What can I do, Severus?"
He laid the parchment in front of her. "I know of at least a dozen safe houses that Albus owned that no one in the Order knew of. When he..." Severus swallowed guiltily, and found Hermione's comforting touch on his arm. "When... Albus... died... none of the houses were listed in his holdings as part of his estate. Neither, as I discovered, did they go to Abernathy Dumbledore." He tapped the page. "These houses are still under Fidelius, and several other protective wards that Albus and I both crafted. We could farm out the Weasleys into these homes, and offer more protection to other members should they wish such... invulnerability."
"All right," agreed Hermione slowly. She then caught Severus' gaze with her own, and he thought he might just melt into the compassion that dwelled in those amber spheres. "What can I do?" She laced her fingers in his, tightened her hand, and Severus swallowed for a reason that had nothing to do with guilt. He also shifted as imperceptibly as possible in his chair.
Severus coughed to catch his breath, and to slow down his heartbeat. "I need you to contact Minerva... to see how she might react to my... resurrection."
Hermione was silent a moment as she continued to trap Severus' gaze with her own. He had spent so much time explaining to her that his life was content, and now she was uncertain of what he was implying. "You want... me? To tell Minerva that you are really alive? Severus, I..."
"No," Severus shook his head. "The articles in the Daily Prophet have painted Minerva a shrew who is glad of my death and hopes me suffering in Abbadon. You know that Rita Skeeter is more about sensationalism rather than truth. It is my... hope... that where Skeeter wrote negatively of Minerva that she did so speciously."
Hermione smiled and patted his arm as she knelt down on the hearth. "You want me to suss out the truth! I can do that, Severus. Stay out of her line of sight, and I'll see what I can discover."
Hermione checked her watch for the time, then grabbed a pinch of Floo powder, and threw it into the flames. "Minerva's office, Hogwarts!" she called.
Severus half-listened through the pleasantries until Minerva asked, "I'm curious about your mystery of Severus' old Apparation Licence. Was there ever any sort of outcome?"
"Well, I... uhm..." Hermione hedged a little too tellingly. She felt a nudge at her shoulder, saw Severus next to her under a Notice-Me-Not Charm, and glared at his teasing as he mouthed the words, 'subtle!' "Well, I sort of haven't really pursued it... uhm, why do you ask?"
Minerva sighed unhappily. "When you and I spoke ghosts of the past were stirred up." She sniffed, and Hermione wondered if she was thinking of Harry who had taken to visiting her regularly for tea after the war. "I'd started thinking of those days and how awful they were, and I thought of Severus. It was such a terrible time and there were so many, unfortunately myself included, who thought the worst of him."
"Because of Albus?" Hermione ventured.
"That certainly did not help," replied Minerva wryly.
"It must have been awful for you then..."
"Albus had been my oldest, and best friend, Hermione, and Severus... well, he might not have seen us as friends but I did."
"Really? He must have been a hard man to like," she replied very well aware of who had sat down on the hearth beside her and was listening.
Minerva chuckled, "That sums him up mildly, my dear. Severus was prickly at best but he had a sarcastic wit about him, and a sharp honesty that endeared him to me. It was a Scotswoman recognising the Scottish temper in him, I suppose..." her voice faded, and for a long moment she was awfully quiet.
Gently Hermione nudged vocally, "Minerva, what did you mean by the ghosts of the past were stirred up?"
"Severus," the older witch almost whispered.
Even though he was not touching Hermione, she felt his body tense in anticipation of what Minerva would say.
"I did not know for several hours after the Final Battle that Severus was dead. It was Harry that spoke to me, and told me of what had happened in the Shrieking Shack." Minerva took a deep breath that was of a sigh through the green flames. "Mark me, I was still very angry at Severus for... for murdering Albus, but deep inside I did not want him hurt, or to be killed. When Harry told me he had died... I think something finally died in me for both men."
"Are you saying...?" Hermione began.
Minerva finished, "I had forgiven him, Hermione. For all that he did, I still knew him as that raggedy little boy, dripping from the Black Lake because Sirius had pushed him in during the crossing." Minerva was quiet, again, and Hermione noted that Severus, sitting beside her, was as frozen as a statue. "When Harry, the Healer from St. Mungo's, and I went to retrieve Severus' body you can imagine how shocked I was to find it was not there. Your inquiry brought back those ghosts of my nightmares, Hermione. The ones where I dreamt of Severus in the hands of the Death Eaters that escaped; no dignity in death, and left forgotten."
"Except for Rita Skeeter's articles," muttered Hermione drily.
"Oh dear girl!" tutted Minerva. "I do hope you're not telling me you still read that outrageous rag now, do you?"
"Oh! Oh no, Minerva, I don't!" protested Hermione.
"It's been useless for news since that Skeeter woman bought it. Nothing but slander throughout, and very vague pieces that pretend to be news. Thank goodness Luna is running The Quibbler. But for a small piece now and then about a Blithering Humdinger, it's rather newsworthy."
Hermione smiled. She read The Quibbler, and it was very good. Severus tapped her shoulder, and whispered in her ear. Hermione nodded then continued her Floo conversation. "Minerva, might I come for a short visit? I called you to tell you about something I found but I think it might be better to show you."
"I am intrigued. Come through, Hermione. I'll have Delphine makes us tea."
Both Hermione and Severus rose to their feet; the latter massaged his recently bent knees as he noted in his thoughts to brew some new Joint Relief Potion. Hermione threw in a handful of Floo powder, called out their destination, and told Minerva, "Coming through!"
