Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor am I attempting to make any personal gain from this story.
Harry Slithers-in: Not the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 12: Snape Arrested
Theodore Nott was staying at Hogwarts over Christmas which obviously meant Tracey couldn't sneak into Harry's dormitory to sleep as she had done in the past. Thus Harry spent much of his free time with Tracey trying to find a quiet room where they could be alone together.
Harry spent a lot of time with Theodore discussing his new living arrangements. He was now living with his aunt and her husband after his father had been arrested the previous summer for murdering and then replacing Ludo Bagman and then turning the Tri-Wizard Cup into a portkey which had taken Harry to the graveyard where Lord Voldemort had been restored to a body. Theo admitted he suspected his uncle might be a Death-eater but couldn't prove it. For his part he seemed to be trying distance himself from the Death-eaters and Harry was trying to help him wherever possible.
Christmas dinner at Hogwarts was the usual affair. The house tables were overflowing with food and a large number of Christmas crackers, which when pulled sounded like a cannon being fired. Harry and Tracey got their usual compliment of paper hats, trinkets other essentially useless items along with the occasional item which actually had some purpose. After dinner they returned to the Common Room where younger students would come to them with questions about various things like homework, how to correctly use wands and the like.
With Theo's help they were able to finish their own homework which meant that by the time they were scheduled to leave for Tracey's mother's house on New Year's Eve they had finished everything meaning they would be able to relax. They knew Professor Malfoy would be visiting them help with their Occlumency lessons so it wouldn't be totally relaxing but at least they wouldn't have schoolwork to worry about.
New Year's was a relatively quiet affair. Tracey's brother, Robert, came for the celebration but returned to his flat in London rather than stay the night while Sirius dropped in briefly before returning to Grimmauld Place where he had been hosting the Weasleys and Hermione Granger. He invited Harry and Tracey to stay but they both declined, saying they were planning some private study with a tutor and it would be easier to stay put for now.
On the 2nd of January Professor Malfoy arrived to speak with Harry and Tracey. "Both of you have mastered the basics of Occlumency and have learned how to shield your minds to a satisfactory level," she began. "Sometimes powerful Legilimens such as the Dark Lord have many more subtle techniques they can use, however. What we are going to practice over the next few days is maintaining your mental shields at all times. By the time we finish it should be second nature to you both that your mind is effectively closed to any intrusion. Once you return to Hogwarts I, along with Professor Snape, will be conducting a series of tests when you least expect it so you will need to prepare and be ready at all times."
Harry was going to say this wasn't fair but he immediately realised she had a point. Voldemort certainly wasn't going to tell you in advance when he was going to probe your mind.
By the time the Christmas holidays ended Harry thought he had a reasonable handle on Occlumency although Tracey seemed more proficient at it than he was.
Of more immediate concern was that Harry and Tracey were to patrol together for the first time on their very first night back after the Christmas holidays. They were patrolling with Filch who was in his usual foul mood; a fact not helped by the fact that some students were still in holiday mode and seemed to think they could stay out after curfew. By the time they finally got bed they had caught about a dozen students whom Filch had been most delighted to give detentions to, not to mention docking house points. Slytherin came out relatively lightly from this, losing the least number of points for any house.
The next morning, however, brought an event that took them completely by surprise.
Before leaving the Common Room they saw a notice saying that all students were to remain in the Great Hall for an announcement and, when they arrived there for breakfast, they realised Sirius Black was seated at the staff table.
'What's Sirius doing up there?" Harry asked no-one in particular. Nobody replied. Harry caught Sirius' eye but couldn't gain any new information. Sirius' expression remained frozen although he did nod to Harry.
"Your attention please," Dumbledore called. Immediately the general chatter died away and everybody looked at the Headmaster.
"As you will have noticed we are joined once again by Professor Black, who has covered a number classes for us in recent times. This week he will be covering potions while we attempt to resolve a matter that has arisen regarding Professor Snape. As some of you may have heard the Ministry raided Professor Snape's private residence yesterday and while there they discovered Peter Pettigrew, a mass murderer who escaped from Azkaban some 18 months ago, hiding in the house. This led to Professor Snape being arrested for harbouring a fugitive, although I believe him to be an innocent victim of circumstance. I do not believe Professor Snape was aware a fugitive had broken into his house and was hiding there.
"Slytherins please note that, until further notice, your acting Head of House will be Professor Sinistra. If you have any concerns please do not hesitate to discuss them with her." Dumbledore left the Hall immediately, leaving a lot of discussion in his wake.
"So that's where Pettigrew got to," Harry said.
"Do you reckon Snape's guilty?" Tracey asked.
"I don't know," Harry replied. "Although he is a former Death-eater so it could be true. I am surprised Snape didn't know Pettigrew was there, though. Snape is well known for having alarms and magical locks on every door and room he uses here at Hogwarts and I would assume he has the same or similar setup at his home. I just can't see how somebody could enter there without him knowing about it. I wonder how good a potions teacher Sirius is."
"No doubt we'll find out soon enough. Whoever has him first up will be able to tell everybody else."
They didn't have potions that day; their next potions lesson would be tomorrow. However, 2nd years had potions after lunch and they found themselves having to answer to same question Harry had posed several times before people were satisfied. Apparently Professor Black taught from the book and, although competent, lacked the precise knowledge needed to understand the finer points of potion making.
Harry and his fellow students found that out for themselves the next day. Sirius sat at the front of the classroom as the students filed in.
"Welcome to your first potions lesson for the term," Sirius began. "I have reviewed Professor Snapes' notes and I know what he intended covering this week so let's get right down to it."
Sirius wrote the instructions for the potion on the board. Harry was still partnered with Neville Longbottom and he soon noticed the Gryffindor's confidence take a significant upswing. Harry realised just now nervous Neville was around Snape and just how much the standard of his work improved now that Sirius was teaching the class. Unfortunately this new, more relaxed, Neville was more observant of what Harry was doing and he soon saw Harry's textbook including all the amendments and alterations it contained. Inevitably he asked about this.
"I know someone who is an expert potion maker," Harry said by way of explanation. This person knows the types of potions we make at Hogwarts so Tracey and I took our textbooks to this person and allowed them to make any changes they felt were appropriate."
"But what if these changes turn out to be dangerous?" Neville asked.
"Tracey and I have been doing it for three years now, and as yet nothing untoward has happened. We are both convinced the person knows what they are doing and we trust them completely."
"Does Professor Snape know about this?"
"No. and, Neville, I would appreciate it if you don't tell him, or indeed anybody else about it. Snape is not likely to take kindly to somebody undermining his classes."
"I won't. Professor Snape makes me nervous. I wish Professor Black would keep teaching us, though. He is a competent teacher and he treats me well," Neville finished.
The rest of the class passed remarkably quickly. Before they knew it the bell was ringing and they were packed up and ready to go. Sirius did not set them any homework but reminded them to keep studying since Snape would probably test them upon his return.
"Professor Black?" Hermione Granger asked. "When do you think Professor Snape will return?"
"I expect he'll be back next week. Dumbledore thinks Snape was unaware Pettigrew was in his house and I tend to believe him."
The next morning brought another unpleasant surprise curtesy of The Daily Prophet. The headline read:
'Mass Breakout from Azkaban
The Ministry of Magic last night announced there had been a mass breakout from Azkaban. Speaking from his office Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge confirmed 10 maximum security prisoners had escaped in the early hours of yesterday evening and that he has already informed the muggle Prime Minister of the dangerous nature of these criminals.'
There followed a list of the names of the 10 escaped prisoners along with a brief description of their crimes. One name stood out especially for Harry: Bellatrix Lestrange; she was Sirius' cousin but it was her crimes that really caught Harry's eye.
'Bellatrix Lestrange, convicted of the torture and permanent incapacitation of Frank and Alice Longbottom.'
Harry didn't know the names of Neville's parents but it was too much of a coincidence. He knew Neville lived with his grandmother and now Harry knew why. He looked at the staff table and realised Sirius was absent, as were Dumbledore and McGonagall.
"Harry?" Tracey asked. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. I was just wondering where Sirius was. He's not at the staff table and Dumbledore and McGonagall aren't there either. I was wondering if it had something to do with that story."
After breakfast Harry was approached by Susan Bones. He remembered her uncle, aunt and cousins were killed by one the escapees and he suspected what she wanted to talk about.
"I have already been asked by a number of people how I feel, knowing the person who murdered so many members of my family is free again. It is very stressful. How do you cope with it?" she asked.
"I try not to think about it," Harry replied, "There's nothing I can do to change the past. All I can do is move forward. I'm sorry I can't offer you any advice on how to cope."
"Did you read the other story; the one about Broderick Bode?"
"No. I didn't see that."
"He was admitted to St. Mungo's after an incident that damaged his mind. Now somebody has murdered him while he was recovering there."
Harry and Tracey both gasped. Tracey pulled out the paper and turned to the page Susan mentioned. There she read. "St. Mungo's hospital promised a full inquiry after Ministry of Magic worker Broderick Bode was found dead in his bed, strangled by a pot plant."
"What kind of pot plant could strangle someone?" Harry asked.
"Devils Snare," Susan replied. "It was mentioned further down in the article. What I don't understand, and what my aunt is trying to answer as well, is how somebody smuggled Devils Snare into a secure ward and how none of the staff realised what it was. Do you think You-Know-Who is behind it?"
"Could be. He's definitely behind the breakout from Azkaban so I guess both incidents might be related. I best be getting to class. So you later, Susan, and sorry I couldn't be more help."
"It helps to just have someone to talk to. Thank you, Harry." Susan gave him a quick hug before heading off to class.
Author's Notes: Text in italics is copied or paraphrased from Order of the Phoenix chapter 25: The Beetle at Bay.
Given more time Harry would have realised himself it was Devil's Snare since he has previously encountered that plant.
