Disclaimer: Jo's world, I just play here.
Summary: Stuff happened, and then stuff happened because of that stuff, which caused the original stuff.
A/N: Oh man guys, I can't tell you how excited I am for the climax of this story. Unlike MMI, where I had no idea what was going on chapter to chapter, I've known about most of this stuff for months. Hope you like!
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Chapter 38: Marching On to Battle
Charles meandered through the ministry, smiling at everyone and stopping to exchange pleasantries with those who recognized him. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to suspect he was there for any urgent business, because in the current climate it was one step from that to 'up to something'. He had a plan A, and it required his victim – the illustrious Umbridge – to be utterly unsuspecting. And he really didn't want to resort to plan B.
His wandering tour brought him, eventually, to the Improper Use of Magic office, to which Umbridge had been relegated during her recuperation from the unfortunate events of the previous term. Scrimgeour was, thankfully, wise enough not to put her back in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, but really, giving her any sort of power was just asking for trouble.
"Dolores, is that you?" Charles exclaimed in surprise, sticking his head into the office. "I didn't know you were working in this office."
"Hmm?" Umbridge peered up at him, confusion evident as she tried to remember his name. "Yes, well, Auror Higgs is it?"
"Higgins," Charles corrected good-naturedly.
"Higgins, yes, well," she simpered, looking embarrassed, "this is where the Minister believes I can do the most good."
Charles helped himself to the guest seat at her desk, looking around the room.
"I'm sure you can do good wherever this minister decides to put you," he commented, as if offhand. "Oh, and it's technically Professor Higgins now; I've had the misfortune of being assigned to your old post."
"Really? How interesting." Umbridge pulled over a scroll and pretended to be reading it intently. Charles smirked inwardly; he needed to bait the hook.
"Merlin, I don't know how you managed to last the whole year," he groaned theatrically. "They're little monsters, the lot of them. Dumbledore let them run absolutely wild, and McGonagall's no better."
Umbridge peeked up at him then. Charles rubbed his temples as if utterly exasperated by something. Sensing an ally, the toad-like woman finally smiled her broad-lipped smile and looked up.
"I'm glad someone else can see what's going on," she cooed. "It was utterly awful working there; any attempts at discipline were met by fierce resistance from the other faculty members. Especially when it came to Harry Potter." She said the name in a sarcastically prim tone.
"Ah yes, the 'Chosen One'," Charles sneered. "Did you know that McGonagall has given him a free pass from all classes? If he skips class, we are not to give detentions, take points, or say a word against him, because he has 'important extracurricular tasks fully endorsed by the Headmistress'." It was a blatant lie, and easily disproved, but the redhead only needed her trust for a few minutes more.
"Hmph," Umbridge huffed in disgust. "Who cares if You-Know-Who takes over anyway?"
She seemed to realize she'd said something terribly impolitic, and coughed lightly into her hand, but Charles graciously waved it away with a laugh, as if she'd been making a joke.
"That's all well and good for some who can prove their lineage," he said, "but I would have a hard time of it, American records being what they are. What about you, would you pass muster?"
"I most certainly would!" she insisted, inflating like a frog. "I'm as pure as they come. And if anyone doubts it, well, do you see this?" She pulled a locked with an emerald-studded 'S' out of her robe collar. "This is a family heirloom; the emeralds are hand-cut and the 'S' stands for Selwyn, my ancestral line."
The former Auror betrayed no hint of the greed and triumph he felt as the locket came into view. He glanced at it dismissively, then quirked a doubtful eyebrow.
"That would be impressive, if it were real," he said. "But I'm afraid someone in your family line has been had. It looks from here like those so-called 'emeralds' are nothing more than cut glass. My family owns a few true pieces of jewelry with rare gemstones – I can spot a fake a mile away."
Umbridge paled, knowing she had no real knowledge of whether the stones were emerald or not. She brought the locket up to one bulging eye and squinted at it, then looked rapidly between Charles and the necklace several times.
"Oh here," the former auror sighed, sounding put-upon. "Give it over, and I'll look at it more closely. Perhaps I was simply, er, mistaken."
"Yes, please do," Umbridge practically shoved the necklace into his hands.
It was just the opportunity he'd been waiting for. A flick of his wand and a whispered Obliviate later, and he was out the door.
"Terribly sorry, Delores, but I just don't have time to chat," he said, waving goodbye as Umbridge blinked, dazed and confused. No one stopped him as he leisurely walked away, and just a few minutes later, as the sky dimmed with encroaching dusk, he was enjoying the view from his office window.
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Not so very far away, Severus was watching the sun slip below the horizon. His back ramrod straight, hands clasped behind him, he betrayed none of the myriad emotions clashing like a storm within, save the tense readiness of wartime anticipation. His nose twitched, checking the smell of the potions simmering behind him, in the upstairs bedroom of the Shrieking Shack. Enough Wolfsbane to dose forty werewolves had filled all twelve of the Dark Lord's silver cauldrons. A single ingredient added too late, a moment too long on the fire, and the potion would be ruined; Severus had not been allowed to leave for twenty four hours. He had not made it to the Safe House.
He had missed his chance.
The door creaked behind him, and Severus cocked his head just enough to catch a flash of white-blond hair out of the corner of his eye. Lucius walked up beside him, somberly watching the shadows swallow up the houses of Hogsmead.
"One more day," Severus swallowed all traces of fear and spoke instead with restrained eagerness. "The Wolfsbane is nearly finished. Soon Hogwarts will be free of the bad blood, as we spill it on her steps."
Oddly enough, this didn't seem to ease Lucius' dour mood. In fact, his shoulders slumped ever so slightly.
"The Dark Lord has ordered the Death Eaters in the Ministry to cut both Hogwarts and Hogsmead off from the floo network tomorrow night, and he intends to send Nagini to kill the owls," Lucius drawled, sounding bitter. "There will be no warning, no calling for help, and no escape."
Severus frowned as he looked at the other man. Lucius had been brought very low in the last year, but he had never before sounded like he did now…like he wished the whole war would just go away. The Potions Master could only think of one thing that could have brought about such a sudden change…but no one else was supposed to remember…
The Potions Master grabbed the aristocrat's shoulder and pulled him around, glaring chastisingly.
"Watch your tone," he commanded, casting a voiceless Legillimens. "You almost sound like there's someone you want to warn in there."
As if he had summoned it, a flickering image of Charles removing his glamour rose to the surface of Lucius' mind, and then it was gone. The blond pulled away, making a show of dusting off and straightening his robes.
"Don't be crass, Severus," he drawled, though his eyes shifted tellingly toward Hogwarts. "I'll let our Lord know of your progress with the potion."
As he watched his colleague leave with all the noble dignity he could muster, Severus couldn't help but pity the man. On the one hand, the spy knew very well how adept Charles was at fighting – his time as an Auror had served the man well – but on the other hand, Severus also knew that, if Potter couldn't figure out how to defeat Voldemort, none of that would matter.
This was an all-or-nothing battle.
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The first letter Aries got back was from Arion. It arrived with the morning sun, through the window of Charles' office where Aries had crashed for the night after retrieving the cup from the Safe House. He woke to the sound of wings fluttering against glass, and by the time the owl had landed and thought to tap, the Death Eater – or could he finally claim 'former' now? – was sitting up and waving his wand to let the messenger in.
It was the same school owl with which he'd sent the letter off, and it practically spat the reply into his lap before screeching and flying off. Aries made a mental note that owls weren't particularly fond of haste spells.
Aries, The centaur wrote,
Centaurs are like the stars of the Milky Way. From far away, we may look like a single stream of connected lights, but we are, in reality, separate, and unconnected. I can no more grant you a meeting with the herd of Dark Forest than could you grant me a meeting with a human of my choosing. You know Centaur ways, and it is time you used your knowledge.
I have, however, sent word to that herd with my recommendation that they do allow you audience. I kept silent on the amusing bit of misdirection you included as a post script, as your human humor would be underappreciated in this case. Clean manes.
Boxwood Clan,
Arion
Aries sighed in frustration, but knew his friend was right. Well, not about his true identity being a joke, but about the Milky Way comment. While Crunch was the grandson of a major clan head, Arion was merely a particularly gifted Centaur from a clan with a hoof in the door at Atlantis University. It was short-sighted and ignorant of him to try and avoid Bane by going through the only other Centaur he knew well.
But Arion was also right in that Aries knew Centaur ways, at least enough to complete this task. Leaving a note for Charles – who would be arriving soon to prepare for his classes – and asking Kreacher to get him a glass of pumpkin juice from the kitchens, the Spellsmith headed for the Forbidden Forest.
He could feel the moment he reached the boundary between the Hogwarts wards and the specific magic of the Dark Forest. The whole magical 'smell' of the place changed. Settling himself down on his knees at the border, Aries pulled a small knife off his arm guard and made a small cut in the back of one hand, letting the blood flow freely. It only took a few minutes for a thestral to show up, drawn by the smell, and then more. With each new thestral that joined the group, they inched a little bit closer. Aries knew that the Centaurs, ever aware of the creatures within their domain, would not be long behind.
One brave thestral stopped just feet from Aries, stretching his long neck out and sniffing. Slowly, the brunet reached out and stroked the beast's leathery muzzle. A twig snapped, and the thestral's ear twitched.
"May we speak face to face?" he asked, on a hunch.
The leathery equine winged beasts melted silently back into the forest. A moment later, the brush parted and an unfortunately familiar centaur emerged.
"And what would a human have to say that I would want to hear?" Bane demanded.
Aries raised himself to his feet as smoothly as he could, ignoring the usual twinge in his hip. He was still two heads shorter than the centaur, but he knew that staying on his feet would improve his standing.
"I speak out of respect for you and yours, Bane," he said, hoping to throw the prickly man off balance. "My name is Aries Hesuchazo, friend of Arion of the Boxwood Clan."
"You speak of respect, of friendship with centaurs," Bane snorted derisively, "what does a human know of such things?"
"I know only what I have been taught," Aries acknowledged humbly. "I know that this forest belongs to you and your herd, and thus I have not entered it uninvited. I know that when the winds of fate blow, it is best to turn your back to them, and go where they lead."
Bane snorted again, nostrils flaring. He paced a little, agitated at a human who had not given him reason to be angry or insulted.
"Speak then, human of such wisdom," he commanded sarcastically. "Tell me what you know of the stars and the fates."
Aries gathered himself for a moment, and began.
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In the tiny Hogwarts kitchen, curled up beneath a stove, a large snake slept through the cold of the night. When the House Elves stoked the fire to make breakfast, the heat slowly roused her, and by the time lunch was delivered to the students in the Great Hall, Nagini was ready for the hunt.
As she unwound her long serpentine body, causing dozens of the little elves to shriek and scatter, she felt her master's gentle presence. Using her eyes, he guided her through cupboards until she found a hole into the space between walls. Her master knew even these passages well, and he led her surely upward and onward, toward the faintest smell of owls.
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Aries reapplied his glamour before leaving the shadows of the Forbidden Forest. He spotted Hagrid working behind the stables, and took the long way around to avoid him. While he missed his old friendship with the half-giant, he was entirely not in the mood for any more awkward conversations than were strictly necessary.
The castle was abuzz with activity, and the Spellsmith wove through the crowds of students and Order Members without drawing a second glance. Apparently word had spread of the impending attack, classes had been cancelled, and reinforcements called.
Satisfied with the Order's progress on their end, Aries headed straight for Charles' office to gather all the Horcruxes. He very nearly made it, too.
"Aries, Aries!" Charles' voice stopped him at the last corner. The redhead came running down the hall, students leaping out of his way to avoid being trampled.
"Charles, what's the matter?" Aries could feel his own adrenaline level shoot up as he took in his friends' stressed face.
"Oh like that's a bloody intelligent question," Charles rolled his eyes as he tried to catch his breath. Glancing at the students staring at them, he jerked his head toward his office. "Come with me."
Aries had no problem with that. Once the door was locked behind them, he started gathering the Horcruxes from where he'd stashed them, while Charles flopped in his chair.
"Specifically now, what has you so riled up?" he asked, double- and triple- checking the list of items in his hands against the one in his head.
"Well, we've got just over twenty-four hours until the full moon, when Voldemort and his army of wizards and werewolves and Merlin only knows what else will attack. Minerva decided to start gathering Order members first, and then ask them to help evacuate the students. Well, about half our reinforcements had arrived when suddenly they just stopped. No one had come in a couple of hours, so Minerva tried to floo headquarters – to make a long story short, we've been cut off. Completely. Near as we can tell, every floo in Hogwarts is off the system; and we still have hundreds of innocent children in the castle."
Aries cursed.
"That's definitely bad news," he agreed. "Why were you so intent on finding me, though?"
"Must you be so thick?" Charles muttered; Aries paid him no mind, as the Auror often resorted to mindless insults when stressed. "You know every secret passage in this place, don't you? Surely there's one that will take the students to safety, and preferably also allow for incoming reinforcements."
The hope in his voice made it that much more difficult for Aries to shake his head no.
"Every secret tunnel I know I learned from the map Potter and his friends made, which means Pettigrew knows them, too. Voldemort will have them watched as closely as the road into Hogsmead."
Even as he said it though, he could feel Hogwarts' wards pulling at him, like a child tugging at his sleeve. Charles started to say something, but Aries held up a hand for silence, falling into his connection to the castle's magic. Once the bond had firmed up a bit, he caught a sliver of a glimpse of a memory from within Gryffindor Tower; it was wrapped in elf magic with a high affinity for Aries' own, else wards wouldn't have been able to let even that through.
"-elves call it the Come and Go room-"
Well. Wasn't that interesting? Aries' brain buzzed with more questions, but he recognized from Charles' impatient glare that now would not be the time to quiz the castle.
"Do you remember the room we used for the Minimus Animagi spell?" he asked the redhead.
"Of course I do," Charles nodded. "There wasn't a secret passage hidden in there the whole time, was there?"
"Well, yes and no," Aries pushed away the intricate complexities of the spells on the Room, trying for a simple explanation. "Basically the room can be whatever the person outside needs it to be. The passage may already exist, though. I don't know if the Room can affect a place outside the castle like that to magic up a tunnel that didn't exist before. And I don't know where it comes out, so definitely be a little cautious. But all you have to do is go up to the corridor outside the room and pace back and forth thinking about exactly what you need until a door appears."
"What, you're not going to go do it?" the former Auror was startled that his friend would shy away from a potential adventure, but Aries shook his head.
"I'm afraid I have other things to do, lots of them, and I'd best be about them."
Charles took the hint and left, clapping the brunet on the shoulder on his way out and giving him a bracing sort of look. One that Aries took to mean 'good luck', and not 'don't do anything stupid', although the latter was more likely from the Slytherin-at-heart.
Alone in the office, Horcruxes in hand, the Spellsmith grabbed a bit of parchment and a quill.
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Ron and Hermione were stationed in the Great Hall. McGonagall had asked all the prefects to gather there with the younger years and try to keep their minds off things by helping them with homework or playing games. Technically, the pair had been relieved of prefect duty pending a heroic departure from school (which now seemed distinctly unlikely), but they didn't exactly have anywhere better to be.
Morning post had come and gone, with nothing more expected, so when a single paper airplane soared through the doors, all eyes followed it to the redheaded young man and his bushy haired companion. Hermione caught it gently and peeked at it, before quickly stuffing it in a pocket and hurrying out of the hall, Ron on her heels.
"What is it?" he asked quietly, once they were away from the crowds. "Who's it from."
"Ha- Ar – oh, you know," she stammered, ending in a moan. "Here, let me just read it:
"Dear Ron and Hermione,
"I have a crucial task to take care of and could very much use a pair of able wands. If you're interested, please meet me in the astronomy tower as soon as you get this. I promise you won't have to cast any Dark spells.
"If not, you can just crumple this up and throw it away, it will appear to anyone else as a request for sweets from Hogsmead.
"It's signed just 'your friend'," she concluded, "but I'd know his handwriting anywhere. What do you think?"
"What do you mean what do I think?" Ron blinked. "Do you think we shouldn't go?"
Hermione bit her lip.
"I don't know," she admitted. "I mean, he says we won't be casting any Dark spells, which suggest he will be…"
"Hermione," Ron sighed gruffly, scratching one ear. "Look, I don't know if this bloke is our friend or not. I don't know if I like him or not. But he is the one person I'd trust to always be against You-Know-Who, and right now that's all I need to know. Now come on!"
He took off toward the tower, without a backward glance, safe in the knowledge that Hermione would be on his heels as quickly as her shorter legs could carry her.
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Nagini tasted the air as she emerged from the space between the walls. The floor beneath her scales was soft with droppings and pellets, and she could smell dead rodents and living owls, the one below and the other above. Her master guided her to a pole that would lead up to the birds' perches.
Climb my pet, he whispered sweetly in her mind, climb and kill.
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A/N: You know, it feels pretty good to end on a cliffhanger again (wink emoticon that ffnet can't render properly).
Thanks again for your support. You readers really lift me up.
PANTZ,
Emy