Chapter 36 - Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape and Percy Weasley
It was Percy Weasley. Percy, the boy who had been prefect and Head Boy. Percy, one of a family who had so lovingly taken Harry in. Percy, a Death Eater? Harry couldn't take it in. He and Ron reeled backwards, unsure whether this was real or some sort of mirage. Behind them, Professor McGonagall blanched in shock, and even Professor Dumbledore's eyes widened in astonishment, though he covered this quickly.
"You?" Ron repeated the word Harry had said. "But... but..." Harry knew exactly what Ron was thinking, that it was impossible, and it couldn't be so, but Harry knew Percy had always been ambitious. Harry took a tighter grip on Ron's arm as Ron leapt forward.
"My own brother!" he yelled hysterically, desperately fighting Harry's grip. "Get off me Harry, I want to kill him with my own hands..." He took another step towards Percy, but then Dumbledore strode over and helped Harry move Ron backwards. Dumbledore whispered something to Kingsley, who was nearby, and the Auror walked into the great hall. Dumbledore approached Percy, took his wand, before releasing him from the full spell.
Percy stretched out slightly, his ginger hair greasy with sweat, but his face pale and set. He sat and looked stubbornly at Ron and Harry, and then his eyes swivelled onto Professor Dumbledore, and through his numb shock, Harry saw a flicker of fear.
Dumbledore gave him one word. "Why?"
"I will not talk to you Dumbledore!" Percy sneered pompously. "You or you're other fools who think they are right!" At that, Kingsley returned with a small vial in his hand, which Harry instantly recognised as Veritaserum.
"Oh but you will," murmured Dumbledore quietly. Percy saw the bottle and started to struggle, but a simple flick of the wand from Dumbledore and he took a big swallow of the potion. Dumbledore waited a few seconds before asking again.
"Why?" his tone was flat, but Harry could hear a note of rage bubbling away, which Dumbledore was obviously suppressing. Harry was also fuming, the day's intense sorrow and grief threatening to spill over at any second.
"Because I was fed up of obeying rules," Percy replied. Harry recognised the tone of voice that the Veritaserum inflicted, like when Barty Crouch had been under its influence in Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts. Percy continued. "He came for me in person at the end of last year, almost straight after his return was made public. He showed me what I could become, the power I could wield, the rewards I could get..."
Harry felt sickened at the rapt expression on Percy face and the uncanny resemblance to Barty Crouch. Ron was looking at him with an expression Harry could only describe as loathing, and even Dumbledore's mounting anger was beginning to show, but he kept his next question level.
"How did you help him?" Dumbledore asked quietly.
Percy's smile broadened. "He asked me if I would carry out one of the most important operations in his ascendancy to Lord of the earth." Percy's voice, though still flattened by the Veritaserum, still managed to sound proud and this made Harry's anger increase ten fold. Percy continued. "I set the prisoners in the Ministry free."
Harry and Ron exchanged a shock glance; this had to be a joke... a sick, sick joke...
"You killed Tonks?" Harry whispered, barely daring to believe it.
"Yes," replied Percy, "and Holloway. Neither of them suspected me of course but, by the time anyone had found out, I was back in the Auror department filing some papers."
A light clicked in Harry's head suddenly. "So it was YOU who gave the Auror's the false reports!" Dumbledore looked quizzical for a moment but then sighed softly, which told Harry in no uncertain terms that Dumbledore knew about his premonition somehow.
Percy nodded. "Yes. All the letters and facts that come into the Auror department came through the secretary... me. No one in the field gaining intelligence comes back into the office and checks their files, so all the files I changed were never noticed. They never knew that there were almost twice as many Dementors as the reports said. Plus I removed several Death Eater names from the list."
"Such as who?" Dumbledore asked, obviously interested by this news.
"Dawlish, Umbridge and Weasley," he said tonelessly. "I couldn't let them find out I was a Death Eater of course."
He made a soft noise that sounded like a laugh, but the Veritaserum contained it mostly. Dumbledore turned away, his disgust evident.
"Leave him with the other Death Eater's," he said to Kingsley, who promptly left. Dumbledore then turned to Professor McGonagall. "If you are feeling well enough, could you please fetch the Arthur." Professor McGonagall nodded and walked off, soon returning with Mr Weasley. He looked pale, and his gaze fell on Percy and he blanched.
"So it's true..." he said, his eyes narrowing. His normally friendly, smiling face creased into a frown, which conveyed the fear, anger and sadness of what he now had to come to terms with. Just like Mr Crouch and his son, Harry thought bitterly.
Mr Weasley's eyes then fell on Harry and Ron, and then on the body of Hermione. He blanched forwards and bent over to inspect her.
"She's dead Mr Weasley." Harry said it very quietly, as he still hadn't come to terms with it, and Mr Weasley's eyes, tear filled, shot up to meet Harry's, but then Harry watched as Mr Weasley got to his feet and pulled Ron into a tight embrace. Mr Weasley held his son close to him, as Ron wept. Through his tears Ron managed to get a few words out.
"And... he did it!" Ron said, his anger and emotions over spilling. "It was him! He killed her!" Harry put an arm out again to restrain Ron, who didn't put up much fight this time, dissolving once again into sobs. Professor McGonagall escorted him comfortingly upstairs and into another classroom.
Dumbledore turned to face Mr Weasley. "Never have I seen such a sad sight Arthur," he said, his tone grave and almost apologetic. Mr Weasley just nodded. Dumbledore continued. "However we must go to matters in hand. What would you like done with your son?"
Harry noted the way he referred to Percy as Arthur's son, as opposed to Death Eater or the condemned. Harry knew about Dumbledore and second chances, but even he was amazed by this influencing from his Headmaster. He would have said so, but his mouth seemed to have been cemented shut.
Mr Weasley stood stock still for a moment. Harry could see the enormous battle going on inside his mind. On the one hand, he would have to act as a minister is supposed to act, and punish Percy for murder. On the other, he loved his son dearly. Mr Weasley's forehead creased slightly as he made his decision.
"We will modify his memory," he said. "He is to think that he was attacked by you-know-who, and has been unconscious for a year."
"No!" Harry couldn't stop himself, but he was shaking. "He killed Hermione!"
"Harry..." It was Dumbledore who spoke, and not Mr Weasley. "That is the Minister's decision to make and not yours. I am as sorry as you are for the death of Hermione..."
"I doubt that," said Harry. His emotions were finally over spilling, and like Ron, his temper and rage were bubbling away beneath the surface.
Mr Weasley dropped his gaze from Harry. "I'm sorry." His voice was flat: flatter than Percy's had been, and beneath his rippling anger, Harry knew he meant it. "I will have to face Ron's wrath too, which may even be worse."
"Harry," said Dumbledore softly, "you have to let it go for now. I think Mr Malfoy is coming around."
Harry knew Dumbledore was trying to distract him, and he welcomed the offer. After looking down at the forlorn form of his friend, and a glance at Mr Weasley, Harry followed Dumbledore in the main hall.
Draco Malfoy was stirring on the floor. His blonde hair was covered in sweat, and he put a hand on his head, which was grimacing. None other than Fred and George Weasley were helping him to his feet.
"Mr Malfoy," Dumbledore said in a soft, concerned tone, "are you all right?"
Draco nodded dumbly. "I'm ok thanks, sir." He talked in barely more then a whisper, and Harry saw him keep shooting glances at his father, who was also stirring. He had been bound with the other Death Eaters, but his mask had fallen astray, and he didn't look too happy at his predicament. He looked at his son angrily.
"You could have got me killed!" Lucius roared, his pale face narrowed. "Why would you turn against your own father?"
Draco turned, ashamed to his father. "Because I realised that what you believe in is wrong." He said it so quietly, that they barely caught it. "Purebloods are no better."
Lucius choked on these words. "What... What are you saying?"
"I'm saying there are more important things!" His voice was growing with confidence that Harry had never heard before, and Harry could tell this had been brewing all year. "I realised when we were on the train to school at the beginning of the year. Harry and I had a race on brooms outside the train and at the end of it I crashed into the track in front of the train. Harry flew down and picked me up from in front of the train to save me from being run over." Malfoy glanced at Harry before continuing. "After it happened, when I was by myself in the common room, I asked myself if I would have done the same thing for him, or if a Death Eater would have, and I was ashamed of the answer. I didn't want to become a Death Eater."
"A wise decision," remarked Dumbledore, his pale eyes on Draco. "I must say, I knew about the race, but not about the incident at the end." He turned to Harry. "Your father would have been proud."
Harry smiled slightly at this though. He remembered that, as a schoolboy like Harry, his father had saved Snape's life after Sirius had played a trick on him. Snape... Harry hadn't seen him since the before the Quidditch match. Before the discovery of Percy being a Death Eater, Harry had been sure that Snape had been one also. But now he knew that Snape did not kill Tonks and Holloway, or feed the Auror's any reports, he only had one bit of evidence against Snape. Dumbledore seemed to sense that Harry wanted to speak to him, but Draco hadn't quite finished.
"Thanks Harry," he said, his expression clearing slightly. "I think I'll go and apologise to Granger too."
Harry blanched. At Draco's inquisitive look, Harry looked away. "You're too late for that Draco. She's dead." Draco's eyes widened in shock, but Dumbledore spoke.
"On that sad note," he said gravely, "could you send this message to Mr and Mrs Granger. It says I will be with them shortly." Draco stared for a moment, but then nodded dumbly and left. Dumbledore beckoned Harry and they left the room. They walked outside to the rubble that was the Quidditch stadium, where the Auror's were helping the injured to get to their feet, or to St Mungo's. Dumbledore sighed as they walked through the carnage.
Harry broke the silence. "Professor..." he said, unsure of where to begin, "I- I think that Professor Snape may be... you know... bad."
Professor Dumbledore smiled slightly, the first smile Harry had seen since Hermione had been found, and it was comforting. "Without meaning any offence Harry, but you do seem to always accuse Professor Snape."
Harry coughed slightly to cover his grin. "But sir... he was at the Ministry at the time the Death Eaters were released. Also, I saw him talking to Dawlish during the exams, and a few days later, the Aurors received their fake reports. Now I know that Percy may have doctored them, but if Dawlish was a Death Eater also, why couldn't Snape have been."
Dumbledore smiled sadly. "We know those two events to be the responsibility of Percy Weasley. Even under Veritaserum he did not mention Professor Snape. Also, I trust Snape."
Harry decided to throw in his final piece of evidence. "There's another thing... During a detention with him, I saw him writing a letter to Voldemort."
This got Dumbledore's attention. "But I told him not to write to him... how do you know this?"
"Well," Harry began, eager now to see if Snape truly was a Death Eater, "I was in my detention and he was writing on a bit of parchment, but as he wrote further, the top part bent over the edge of the desk and I saw the words, "To L.V"..."
Inexplicably, Dumbledore's face cleared and he let out a soft laugh. "My dear Harry," he said softly, "he was NOT writing to Voldemort. He was writing to me." Seeing Harry's shocked expression, Dumbledore went on.
"Yes," he said, as he guided Harry away from a nearby Auror for a moment. "I don't mind telling YOU this, but they may be interested to hear that I live in a place called Luno Valley. It is where I was hiding out last year when the Auror's tried to arrest me."
"Then where was Snape during the battle?" Harry asked quietly.
"He obviously had to look like he was helping Voldemort didn't he?" Dumbledore murmured in response. "If you had seen him, you would have known that he was secretly helping us by attacking some of the Death Eaters from behind." He sighed, but then he eyed Harry again. "On another note, your transformation was brilliant."
It was Percy Weasley. Percy, the boy who had been prefect and Head Boy. Percy, one of a family who had so lovingly taken Harry in. Percy, a Death Eater? Harry couldn't take it in. He and Ron reeled backwards, unsure whether this was real or some sort of mirage. Behind them, Professor McGonagall blanched in shock, and even Professor Dumbledore's eyes widened in astonishment, though he covered this quickly.
"You?" Ron repeated the word Harry had said. "But... but..." Harry knew exactly what Ron was thinking, that it was impossible, and it couldn't be so, but Harry knew Percy had always been ambitious. Harry took a tighter grip on Ron's arm as Ron leapt forward.
"My own brother!" he yelled hysterically, desperately fighting Harry's grip. "Get off me Harry, I want to kill him with my own hands..." He took another step towards Percy, but then Dumbledore strode over and helped Harry move Ron backwards. Dumbledore whispered something to Kingsley, who was nearby, and the Auror walked into the great hall. Dumbledore approached Percy, took his wand, before releasing him from the full spell.
Percy stretched out slightly, his ginger hair greasy with sweat, but his face pale and set. He sat and looked stubbornly at Ron and Harry, and then his eyes swivelled onto Professor Dumbledore, and through his numb shock, Harry saw a flicker of fear.
Dumbledore gave him one word. "Why?"
"I will not talk to you Dumbledore!" Percy sneered pompously. "You or you're other fools who think they are right!" At that, Kingsley returned with a small vial in his hand, which Harry instantly recognised as Veritaserum.
"Oh but you will," murmured Dumbledore quietly. Percy saw the bottle and started to struggle, but a simple flick of the wand from Dumbledore and he took a big swallow of the potion. Dumbledore waited a few seconds before asking again.
"Why?" his tone was flat, but Harry could hear a note of rage bubbling away, which Dumbledore was obviously suppressing. Harry was also fuming, the day's intense sorrow and grief threatening to spill over at any second.
"Because I was fed up of obeying rules," Percy replied. Harry recognised the tone of voice that the Veritaserum inflicted, like when Barty Crouch had been under its influence in Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts. Percy continued. "He came for me in person at the end of last year, almost straight after his return was made public. He showed me what I could become, the power I could wield, the rewards I could get..."
Harry felt sickened at the rapt expression on Percy face and the uncanny resemblance to Barty Crouch. Ron was looking at him with an expression Harry could only describe as loathing, and even Dumbledore's mounting anger was beginning to show, but he kept his next question level.
"How did you help him?" Dumbledore asked quietly.
Percy's smile broadened. "He asked me if I would carry out one of the most important operations in his ascendancy to Lord of the earth." Percy's voice, though still flattened by the Veritaserum, still managed to sound proud and this made Harry's anger increase ten fold. Percy continued. "I set the prisoners in the Ministry free."
Harry and Ron exchanged a shock glance; this had to be a joke... a sick, sick joke...
"You killed Tonks?" Harry whispered, barely daring to believe it.
"Yes," replied Percy, "and Holloway. Neither of them suspected me of course but, by the time anyone had found out, I was back in the Auror department filing some papers."
A light clicked in Harry's head suddenly. "So it was YOU who gave the Auror's the false reports!" Dumbledore looked quizzical for a moment but then sighed softly, which told Harry in no uncertain terms that Dumbledore knew about his premonition somehow.
Percy nodded. "Yes. All the letters and facts that come into the Auror department came through the secretary... me. No one in the field gaining intelligence comes back into the office and checks their files, so all the files I changed were never noticed. They never knew that there were almost twice as many Dementors as the reports said. Plus I removed several Death Eater names from the list."
"Such as who?" Dumbledore asked, obviously interested by this news.
"Dawlish, Umbridge and Weasley," he said tonelessly. "I couldn't let them find out I was a Death Eater of course."
He made a soft noise that sounded like a laugh, but the Veritaserum contained it mostly. Dumbledore turned away, his disgust evident.
"Leave him with the other Death Eater's," he said to Kingsley, who promptly left. Dumbledore then turned to Professor McGonagall. "If you are feeling well enough, could you please fetch the Arthur." Professor McGonagall nodded and walked off, soon returning with Mr Weasley. He looked pale, and his gaze fell on Percy and he blanched.
"So it's true..." he said, his eyes narrowing. His normally friendly, smiling face creased into a frown, which conveyed the fear, anger and sadness of what he now had to come to terms with. Just like Mr Crouch and his son, Harry thought bitterly.
Mr Weasley's eyes then fell on Harry and Ron, and then on the body of Hermione. He blanched forwards and bent over to inspect her.
"She's dead Mr Weasley." Harry said it very quietly, as he still hadn't come to terms with it, and Mr Weasley's eyes, tear filled, shot up to meet Harry's, but then Harry watched as Mr Weasley got to his feet and pulled Ron into a tight embrace. Mr Weasley held his son close to him, as Ron wept. Through his tears Ron managed to get a few words out.
"And... he did it!" Ron said, his anger and emotions over spilling. "It was him! He killed her!" Harry put an arm out again to restrain Ron, who didn't put up much fight this time, dissolving once again into sobs. Professor McGonagall escorted him comfortingly upstairs and into another classroom.
Dumbledore turned to face Mr Weasley. "Never have I seen such a sad sight Arthur," he said, his tone grave and almost apologetic. Mr Weasley just nodded. Dumbledore continued. "However we must go to matters in hand. What would you like done with your son?"
Harry noted the way he referred to Percy as Arthur's son, as opposed to Death Eater or the condemned. Harry knew about Dumbledore and second chances, but even he was amazed by this influencing from his Headmaster. He would have said so, but his mouth seemed to have been cemented shut.
Mr Weasley stood stock still for a moment. Harry could see the enormous battle going on inside his mind. On the one hand, he would have to act as a minister is supposed to act, and punish Percy for murder. On the other, he loved his son dearly. Mr Weasley's forehead creased slightly as he made his decision.
"We will modify his memory," he said. "He is to think that he was attacked by you-know-who, and has been unconscious for a year."
"No!" Harry couldn't stop himself, but he was shaking. "He killed Hermione!"
"Harry..." It was Dumbledore who spoke, and not Mr Weasley. "That is the Minister's decision to make and not yours. I am as sorry as you are for the death of Hermione..."
"I doubt that," said Harry. His emotions were finally over spilling, and like Ron, his temper and rage were bubbling away beneath the surface.
Mr Weasley dropped his gaze from Harry. "I'm sorry." His voice was flat: flatter than Percy's had been, and beneath his rippling anger, Harry knew he meant it. "I will have to face Ron's wrath too, which may even be worse."
"Harry," said Dumbledore softly, "you have to let it go for now. I think Mr Malfoy is coming around."
Harry knew Dumbledore was trying to distract him, and he welcomed the offer. After looking down at the forlorn form of his friend, and a glance at Mr Weasley, Harry followed Dumbledore in the main hall.
Draco Malfoy was stirring on the floor. His blonde hair was covered in sweat, and he put a hand on his head, which was grimacing. None other than Fred and George Weasley were helping him to his feet.
"Mr Malfoy," Dumbledore said in a soft, concerned tone, "are you all right?"
Draco nodded dumbly. "I'm ok thanks, sir." He talked in barely more then a whisper, and Harry saw him keep shooting glances at his father, who was also stirring. He had been bound with the other Death Eaters, but his mask had fallen astray, and he didn't look too happy at his predicament. He looked at his son angrily.
"You could have got me killed!" Lucius roared, his pale face narrowed. "Why would you turn against your own father?"
Draco turned, ashamed to his father. "Because I realised that what you believe in is wrong." He said it so quietly, that they barely caught it. "Purebloods are no better."
Lucius choked on these words. "What... What are you saying?"
"I'm saying there are more important things!" His voice was growing with confidence that Harry had never heard before, and Harry could tell this had been brewing all year. "I realised when we were on the train to school at the beginning of the year. Harry and I had a race on brooms outside the train and at the end of it I crashed into the track in front of the train. Harry flew down and picked me up from in front of the train to save me from being run over." Malfoy glanced at Harry before continuing. "After it happened, when I was by myself in the common room, I asked myself if I would have done the same thing for him, or if a Death Eater would have, and I was ashamed of the answer. I didn't want to become a Death Eater."
"A wise decision," remarked Dumbledore, his pale eyes on Draco. "I must say, I knew about the race, but not about the incident at the end." He turned to Harry. "Your father would have been proud."
Harry smiled slightly at this though. He remembered that, as a schoolboy like Harry, his father had saved Snape's life after Sirius had played a trick on him. Snape... Harry hadn't seen him since the before the Quidditch match. Before the discovery of Percy being a Death Eater, Harry had been sure that Snape had been one also. But now he knew that Snape did not kill Tonks and Holloway, or feed the Auror's any reports, he only had one bit of evidence against Snape. Dumbledore seemed to sense that Harry wanted to speak to him, but Draco hadn't quite finished.
"Thanks Harry," he said, his expression clearing slightly. "I think I'll go and apologise to Granger too."
Harry blanched. At Draco's inquisitive look, Harry looked away. "You're too late for that Draco. She's dead." Draco's eyes widened in shock, but Dumbledore spoke.
"On that sad note," he said gravely, "could you send this message to Mr and Mrs Granger. It says I will be with them shortly." Draco stared for a moment, but then nodded dumbly and left. Dumbledore beckoned Harry and they left the room. They walked outside to the rubble that was the Quidditch stadium, where the Auror's were helping the injured to get to their feet, or to St Mungo's. Dumbledore sighed as they walked through the carnage.
Harry broke the silence. "Professor..." he said, unsure of where to begin, "I- I think that Professor Snape may be... you know... bad."
Professor Dumbledore smiled slightly, the first smile Harry had seen since Hermione had been found, and it was comforting. "Without meaning any offence Harry, but you do seem to always accuse Professor Snape."
Harry coughed slightly to cover his grin. "But sir... he was at the Ministry at the time the Death Eaters were released. Also, I saw him talking to Dawlish during the exams, and a few days later, the Aurors received their fake reports. Now I know that Percy may have doctored them, but if Dawlish was a Death Eater also, why couldn't Snape have been."
Dumbledore smiled sadly. "We know those two events to be the responsibility of Percy Weasley. Even under Veritaserum he did not mention Professor Snape. Also, I trust Snape."
Harry decided to throw in his final piece of evidence. "There's another thing... During a detention with him, I saw him writing a letter to Voldemort."
This got Dumbledore's attention. "But I told him not to write to him... how do you know this?"
"Well," Harry began, eager now to see if Snape truly was a Death Eater, "I was in my detention and he was writing on a bit of parchment, but as he wrote further, the top part bent over the edge of the desk and I saw the words, "To L.V"..."
Inexplicably, Dumbledore's face cleared and he let out a soft laugh. "My dear Harry," he said softly, "he was NOT writing to Voldemort. He was writing to me." Seeing Harry's shocked expression, Dumbledore went on.
"Yes," he said, as he guided Harry away from a nearby Auror for a moment. "I don't mind telling YOU this, but they may be interested to hear that I live in a place called Luno Valley. It is where I was hiding out last year when the Auror's tried to arrest me."
"Then where was Snape during the battle?" Harry asked quietly.
"He obviously had to look like he was helping Voldemort didn't he?" Dumbledore murmured in response. "If you had seen him, you would have known that he was secretly helping us by attacking some of the Death Eaters from behind." He sighed, but then he eyed Harry again. "On another note, your transformation was brilliant."