Hi! I'm slow (I know), but here is the new chapter. Pretty long one. Enjoy!
Chapter 27. Facing the consequences
Dumbledore's eyes lingered on every face, on each he found the same doubt, the same concern, the very same distrust addressed at him. That was an unfortunate consequence that he had taken into account. He examined all of his faithful followers, gathered around him again in the hall gilt by candlelight, like a bulwark of light against the coils of the night.
Albus sighed deeply. Professor McGonagall's cat eyes were fixed upon him, eyes that became sharper and harder every passing second.
"My compliments, Albus..." Aberforth commented ironically, his arms folded across his chest. Albus knew that gaze, the deep note of disappointment, of disapproval, that his brother never spared him.
Dumbledore turned his head slightly towards him, he said nothing. All those people had always trusted him unconditionally, he had always been their point of reference, the gleaming lighthouse in the middle of the storm, the infallible arrow of the compass ... all those people he had lied to. Tricked them. He had deceived each and everyone of them, he had kept them in the dark, endangered their lives… and all for what? To find out that Harry was in fact in Voldemort's hands? What value did that information hold? How could he use it against Voldemort… had his former pupil lied to him? Again?
No, Albus: stop. Your brain is doing it again. Now is not the time to think of a new plan. Now you must acknowledge your blame. You must face what you have done. And what had he done? He had forced Severus to the corner. After the great lengths he had gone through to keep him out of trouble, he had thrown him away like a sacrificial victim. Instead of helping him out of the maze, he had led him straight to the Minotaur. A monster with James Potter's blood still hot on its hands, the same monster that now was lusting for Severus' own blood. Aberforth was right. Compliments, Albus... compliments...
The old Headmaster sighed again as he began pacing the hall under the eyes of the other members of the Order. He stopped for a moment, his eyes closed, silent, thoughtful. He massaged his temples with long, withered fingers, trying to stir the thoughts stagnating in his mind. He stood like that for a few moments, then sat down wearily on one of the benches, he actually dropped on it like a rock as if suddenly crushed under the weight of age: an hoary, curved old man about to hang out the white flag. He sighed even more deeply, took off his glasses tiredly and ran a wrinkled hand over his eyes, a caress meant to soothe the cry of his soul. This was harder than he had expected.
The members of the Order remained silent, mutely observing the bowed figure of their shrewd and infallible leader. They were a court of ghosts in respectful silence, guests at the funeral wake of an ancient, powerful king, stunned by the misery that had grabbed their mentor and transformed into that silent, old lonely man. They looked at him confused, doubtful… they could not recognize the man in front of them.
Who was that old man with the long beard? Who was that ruined, powerless man who sat wearily on a simple wooden bench? That was not their iron general: that was just a pathetic old man.
They waited. They waited for him to come out of the realm of silence and shadows. They waited for his return, once again shining and unwavering captain of light. They waited, until Alastor Moody stepped forward.
"Care to explain us what your plan was, Dumbledore?" he asked.
Albus did not raised his eyes on him, he remained lost in the ashes of a kingdom he knew very, very well. Enclosed in a fog that prevent any to distinguish what was below from what was above, it was a kingdom inhabited by ghostly dreams and silent, hooded figures going in circles while murmuring psalms in made up languages . The kingdom of empty ideas, of what-ifs and maybes: Albus Dumbledore wandered aimlessly among his thoughts.
"Albus? Albus!" Moody's angry voice snatched him away from the mist. Dumbledore looked up at the Auror.
"May we know what you were trying to achieve tonight?" Alastor growled.
"I'm sorry, Alastor" Albus said, "I am sorry. I thought that by goading Voldemort out I could learn more about his plans. I thought… encouraged by what he would have believed to be a victory, I thought he would let slip something…. I thought I could trick him…"
"I thought, I thought, I thought" Alastor said, "Have you ever realized you don't walk alone? That any action of yours brings consequences down on twenty other people? Do you ever think about that?"
Aberforth grumbled. "He was too busy throwing the ball with Voldemort", he said.
"You are certainly not the right person to lecture your brother, Aberforth" Alastor retorted. Aberforth was taken aback by his statement.
"What do you mean?" he asked carefully.
"It seems to me you were informed about important facts and you did not bother to tell any of us", he said hardly gesturing toward the other wizards and witches assembled.
Aberforth took a defensive stance. "I did not hear the prophecy if that's what you're implying, Moody. I wasn't in the same room as Trelawney. I was minding my own businesses in my own pub!" he roared.
Alastor took a step forward, menacingly. "Snape said you caught him!" he said.
"Yes. I was just going to check on Albus to see what was taking him so long. I surprised a boy eavesdropping at the door, I grabbed him from his arm and threw him out of the pub! That said, I didn't know what the prophecy was about. Only knew Trelawney made it. That's what Albus told me!" Aberforth said.
"So you knew there was a prophecy!" Alastor roared.
"Didn't you listen to me? I did not know what it was about!" Aberforth yelled back.
"Gentlemen!" McGonagall intervened, "Can we tone it down, please?"
Aberforth looked at her intensely, then gestured toward Moody and snarled: "My tone is perfectly fine! He is the one accusing me of keeping secrets!".
"I'm accusing you of being just like your brother! You're two of a kind!" Moody retorted furiously.
Aberforth's eyes flashed dangerously. "Say it again and I'll turn your tongue into a slug!" he bellowed.
"Enough!" Albus' voice thundered. "Alastor, I won't let you accuse my brother of things you know nothing about! Aberforth only knew what I told him. And that being Trelawney had made an actual prophecy in front of me. When he told me he had caught Severus eavesdropping I feared he would informed Lord Voldemort, I said so to Aberforth nothing more. I ran out of the pub. I hoped I could catch Severus before he left, but I was too late. He was already gone."
"Bah!" Alastor said, dismissing Albus' words, "That only brings up another issue. Where is Snape?"
Lily was sitting on the grass, leaning against the wall of the house, her knees close to her chest. She didn't get back inside with the others and made sure no one noticed. She needed to be alone. She still couldn't believe it. No, not him. Not Severus. Not again. It wasn't fair...
She rested her forehead against her arms, hiding her face between her knees. She hoped that desperate embrace would prevent her tears to come out. Shortly before she had clung to Severus in the same way, shocked by Sirius' revelation, then she believed Severus was her refuge. When everything had collapsed on her, she still had him. Severus' arms had welcomed her tears and dried them. Now she was alone.
She didn't know what was happening inside. She didn't mind. She thought she heard Alastor's voice but she could not make out his words. Neither she cared.
She didn't care about anything anymore. Dumbledore had disappointed not only her, but the whole Order. How could she still trust him? How could she turn to him with her own prophecy? Severus wanted her to talk to Dumbledore about it, but Severus had deceived her as well. She clutched her knees harder, warm tears falling down her eyes. She was a fool. So easily tricked. Severus was no longer the boy she knew. He was no longer the boy with whom she spent entire days chatting about the most stupid things, she had been a fool to think she had her Severus back. This Severus was a Death Eater, a former Death Eater, and everything this entailed. He was both her bane and her anchor. He was the reason she had lost her family.
Was that why he was so resolved to find Harry? Was he going to accept Voldemort's proposal and sacrifice himself to give her Harry back? Did that mean she was going to lose Severus again? She started thinking of a way to get Harry without losing Severus. There had to be another way. What could she do? The first part of the prophecy had come true: Voldemort had come and placed his conditions and now Severus would return to his side, just as Trelawney had predicted. But prophecies were treacherous, Lily knew that. Maybe there was still a way to…
New tears began pressing against the green of her eyes asking to get out. Why did it have to be so difficult? Why couldn't she live a normal life? Why was she living in these times? Why did Voldemort exist?
She felt someone's presence at her side. Someone had come looking for her, she thought.
"Lily?"
Hearing that voice was like being penetrated by a red-hot blade. She did not look up.
"Lily, can we talk?" Severus asked, but she did not want to. He couldn't cope with it, not yet...
"Lily, please ..." Severus continued, his voice hoarse. She felt Severus sitting down beside her, but not too close.
"Please, Lily, let me in. I just want to talk with you".
Lily sniffed, then she raised her head and wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her sweater. She looked at Severus with red, doe eyes.
"I wouldn't know what to tell you, Severus", she said.
"Then, let me do the talk" he said.
"Okay, go on" said Lily, hiding her head in her knees again.
"Lily, when I learnt that the Dark Lord would have used the information I provided him against you I… I was horrified. By what I had done. Lily, I never wanted to put you in danger", Severus began.
"Uh uh" Lily's muffled voice said.
"I went straight to Dumbledore. I warned him. I told him the Dark Lord thought your son to be the child of the prophecy".
"You keep calling him 'the Dark Lord'", Lily pointed out.
"Ah, I… I…" Severus stammered, "I am not a Death Eater anymore. I joined the Order that day. I was a spy".
Lily looked up at him. "Why should I believe you?", she asked, her voice devoided of any emotion.
"I…"
"Give me a proof I can trust you, Severus".
"I'm telling you the truth, Lily. Please, believe me" said Severus desperately.
"I believe you. But I don't trust you" said Lily, looking at him. "Severus, how long 'til I find out you were hiding something else from me? How long 'til you flip my world around again? Each time I start to think I know you I find out you are a totally different person. I don't know you anymore, Severus".
"Lily, I…" Severus started, but Lily interrupted him. Tears were running down her cheeks.
"You are a living dichotomy, Severus. You're a Death Eater, yet you are not. You're my childhood friend, yet you are not. You're the Severus I know, yet you are a completely different person each time I look at you" said Lily. She stood up abruptly and looked down at him, she cleaned her trousers swiftly.
"You are my friend, Severus" she told him, "I just wish you to be frank with me. What are you afraid of?"
Severus looked at her, contemplating for a moment then stared down again. "After that day in our fifth year, I passed every day hating myself, desperately trying to find something to hold on to. You weren't there and it was my fault. I had lost you because of my stupidity", he glanced at her, "Lily, I fear I'm going to lose you again and this time forever. There are things in my past I'm afraid would draw you away from me."
"Why don't you let me decide about that, uh?", said Lily, "You think I can't make up my mind on my own? You think I'm a puppet you can play with as you please?"
Severus looked up at her. "No, Lily. I don't", he said.
"Well, you act like you do" Lily said calmly, "I said it before: you don't keep people close to you with secrets and lies, even white lies. The people you love deserve the truth. I deserve the truth, Severus. Point is: you don't trust me. You don't trust me with your truth. You're so afraid I'd turn by back on you, you don't even give me the chance to decide on my own, you don't care about how I feel, the only thing you care is how lonely and miserable and hurt you will feel if I leave you again! You know what lies are, Severus? They're like a dog chasing its own tail: when it realizes what it's doing everyone has already left and it finds out it's standing there alone like an idiot!" she couldn't stop talking, she needed to take it all out or the fire within her would burn her inside.
"You know why I didn't accept your apologies in our fifth year?" she went on, "Not because I thought you didn't mean it, but because I needed to draw a line. I realized you were changing, Severus. You weren't the boy I knew in Cokeworth anymore, you were becoming someone I didn't like. I asked the Sorting Hat why he didn't put you in Gryffindor, but I know now: you only do what benefits you. You befriended Mulciber and that other boy, because it benefitted you. You became a Death Eater because it benefitted you. You saved me because it benefitted you! You're a Slytherin through and through Severus!" she looked down at him and realized there were tears streaming down his cheeks.
"If that's what I am, Lily", Severus whispered sadly, "what can I do about it?"
Lily shook her head sadly: "I'm sorry. I want to trust you Severus, but right now I can't. I can't trust you, and I can't trust Dumbledore. I need to sort things out on my own. You understand?".
Then her voice softened: "Come, let's get inside. Let's see what they're screaming about". She reached out and Severus grabbed her hand, Lily helped him get up and together they walked back inside.
They entered the hall just as Moody was asking where Snape was.
"There he is", said Sirius pointing at the door where Severus stood with Lily. "You still sticking with him, Lily?" Sirius asked, "seriously?"
"Whom I stick with is not your concern, Sirius" Lily said coldly.
"Aberforth just told us what happened that day at the Hog's Head", Alastor said, stepping forward, "Care to tell us your version of the story?"
Severus looked at him, then Aberforth, then Dumbledore who was standing motionless between the two.
"I've already told you what happened" Severus said, his voice quivering a little.
"What did you do after Aberforth had thrown you in the street?" Moody asked.
"I ran away" Severus answered.
"Where to?" Alastor insisted.
"Are you interrogating me?" Severus said.
"Answer my question!" Moody growled, "Where did you go?"
"Cokeworth".
"Why there?"
"Because I was scared as hell Dumbledore would find me!" Severus exclaimed gesturing at Albus. "That's somewhere he would have never looked for me!"
"Why?"
Remus intervened then: "That's where he lived with his parents". Moody turned to look at him, he considered Remus' words for an instant but something in the boy's voice convinced him to drop the issue.
"You didn't go straight to Voldemort?" he asked Severus.
"No. I needed some time to understand what I had heard. Then I went to him", Severus said quietly, almost mechanically.
"And what did he do?"
"Right then? Nothing. He thanked me for the information and dismissed me. I found out later he had interpreted the prophecy the way we know".
"He thought Harry was the child the prophecy referred to?"
Severus nodded: "Could be anyone. Didn't have to be a child. But yes".
"How did you learn?"
"I eavesdrop" Severus said sarcastically, and cast an oblique glance to Aberforth.
"He came straight to me as soon as he learned what Voldemort's target was" Albus intervened.
Moody looked at him sharply. "I believe, Dumbledore, that your protégée is very capable of speaking for himself".
"And, since you knew, what have you done about it?" Lily asked Dumbledore.
Moody glanced at Albus, taken aback by Lily's question. Dumbledore stepped forward. "Lily…" he began but Lily crossed her arms and looked at him furiously. "Don't you 'Lily' me, Headmaster" she warned him, "Why didn't anyone of the Order come to help us? Where were you?".
"Lily", this time Remus was the one speaking her name, "You are accusing us of doing nothing?", he asked. Lily calmed down a little as she looked at her friend.
"No", she said, "I know you did everything in your power to help us, Remus. I'm not angry at you, I'm sorry". She shook her head sadly. Behind her, Severus scoffed.
"What's so funny, snake?", Sirius said.
"Well, she does have a point" Severus said.
"What are you implying?" Sirius roared, moving forward decisively. "I can tell you, Snape, were me or Remus there that night you'd be the one sleeping with the worms!"
Professor McGonagall could smell trouble in an instant. Having been Severus and Sirius' teacher for seven years she knew when things were about to get out of hand, and becoming nasty.
"Boys" she said sternly, "please don't start". But her two former pupils blatantly ignored her.
"And you think you could have beaten me?" Severus mocked him. "You couldn't when we were fifteen, always needed your friends to back you up. What makes you think you have a chance now?".
Sirius smirked. "Yeah", he said, "who knows what tricks your master taught you". He laughed.
Severus' face was white as wax. "Wanna find out, Black?" he threatened.
McGonagall tried to intervene again, this time with Remus' help. "Stop this at once", she ordered them while Lupin talked to Sirius directly: "Sirius you're being ridiculous, stop it".
But Sirius' attention was all for Snape. "Like James found out that night?", he said.
"What?" Severus asked, confused.
"You killed James. I know you did. You always hated him, what a great chance to get rid of him. Finally free to chase after his wife! Aren't you Snivellus? That's everything you always wanted is it not? We all know you're in love with Lily!" Sirius was a river in flood, "That's why you ran there before any of us could! So you could kill James and blame Voldemort and make Lily think you saved her!" he screamed.
Severus was completely flabbergasted. What was Black talking about? Had he gone nuts?
"I. Did. Not. Kill. Potter" Severus punctuated every word. He was so irritated by now. How stupid was Black?
"Sirius, what you're saying makes no sense. If Severus really cares for Lily as you say, why would he hurt her that way?" Remus tried to make his friend reason.
"Oh, thank you Lupin!" Severus said, "Someone with some sense at last!".
Sirius turned to Remus. "He… he left him to die!", he growled pointing at Severus. Lupin shook his head, demoralized.
"He was already dead!" Severus yelled exasperated, "Wanna know why your friend died, Black? He died because Dumbledore and Moody did nothing when they could have! They hesitated when they should have acted! Ask them! ASK THEM!" he waved toward the two men.
"Don't try to blame someone else for your failings!" Sirius said, "It was you from the start! You and your stupid prophecy! You are a Death Eater to the core, Snape! You would have never joined our side had Voldemort not endangered the life of the woman you love! You only act out of selfishness!".
Severus was livid. "Will you shut up, Black? Once in your useless life! SHUT UP!" he screamed.
"Where were you when your friend needed you?" he went on, "What have you done, Black? Except from running after a rat? Whom you couldn't even catch, by the way!" he added.
That did it. Without further thought, Sirius turned into a big, black dog. His white, bared fangs snapped as he growled at Severus. He jumped forward drooling, already tasting his enemy's flesh, but Severus reacted swiftly. He took out his wand and pointed it at Black. A red lightning bolted out the tip of his wand and hit the dog in mid air. Black was pushed backwards against the table, smashing the bench in his fall. He hit it so hard that he couldn't retain a yelp of pain and needed a moment to recover.
The wizards and witches around them gasped. As they looked at Severus, they could now see why Voldemort had taken him under his wing, they could see the darker side of their spy. The side that made him their best asset and one of their most fearsome fighters. Severus was standing tall, wand at the ready, he showed no sign of fear as he faced Black. His dark eyes, burning with rage and hate, were daring his assailant to attack again, if only to get the chance to really hurt him. Permanently. As they looked at Severus Snape, they saw someone none of them would be willing to take on alone.
No one except Black. Sirius had already got back on his paws and barked ready to attack again, but before he could do it, Lily moved quickly and put herself between him and Severus, fury and disgust on her face.
"Have you lost your minds?" she roared. Sirius stopped immediately and looked at her.
She looked at both of them, like a lioness hunting for her victim. "What are you doing? We're in the middle of a war! Lord Voldemort came knocking on our door offering my child – my child! – in exchange for you Severus ", she glanced at him, "and what do you two do? You start a fight with someone who should be your ally! What were you trying to prove, Severus? How dangerous you can be? That's a piece of information we all know very well, thank you!"
"He was the one to attack me!" Severus said, pointing at Black with his wand, "I was defending myself!"
"SHUT UP!" Lily yelled, "You're both children! Grow up! All the pain, and death and war we've been through – on both sides – and you're still acting like two teenagers!" she looked furiously at both Severus and Sirius, who had turned back into his human form.
"I've had enough of Machiavellan old wizards and hysterical teenagers still whining about their school enmities! I'm gonna find Harry on my own!" with those words she turned her back on everyone and marched out of the hall.
"Lily, wait!" Sirius tried to stop her.
Severus grabbed her arm and forced her to look at him. "Lily, please", he said.
Lily turned around and looked at him murderously. "You stay away from me, Severus", she said and her words cut mercilessly through his already crushed heart, "Stay away from me" she repeated coldly.
She wrestled out of his grip and left the hall. Severus' eyes followed her turning the corner, he felt like his very soul has just been ripped out of him with every step Lily took walking away from him.
The silence that had fallen upon their unwilling audience was heavier than a winter blanket. It prevented them from breathing, as they looked everywhere but each other. Albus Dumbledore sighed and opened his arms in dismay.
Remus stepped closer to Sirius. "Are you hurt?" he asked his friend, worried, though his tone betrayed a little hint of disapproval. Sirius shrugged. In fact, his ribs were hurting badly, but after Lily's words he wasn't about to complain.
"Cool down, uh?" Remus said patting on Sirius' shoulder. He understood, he understood how Sirius felt like. But he also knew how Sirius was: his emotions came out of him like floods, dragging those around him with them, throwing them into the wildest joy or the darkest anxiety.
"Can we please resume our confrontation civilly, please?" McGonagall asked, sighing deeply.
Severus emerged from the abyss Lily's words had open inside of him and looked furiously at Black. It was his fault. All his fault. That damned mangy dog! He felt the anger rising in him, taking control over him, chasing away the anguish, filling the abyss with its fire. He could feel tears threatening to stream out of his eyes, whether they were tears of rage or despair he did not know. He fought them back: "I will if he will", Severus said.
McGonagall eyes could have killed him on the spot. "Severus…", she warned him. Severus almost thought she was going to give him detention. Then she looked at Sirius, Alastor and Aberforth as well: "Can you all please behave like grown men? There are some imperative and urgent issues to be discussed here", she said.
"Shouldn't we wait for Lily?" Sirius ventured.
"I would suggest you to leave miss Evans alone, Sirius. You too Severus" McGonagall said. Her voice was warm and motherly, but Severus could feel the edge of the knife hiding among the words.
"Speaking of Severus, Minerva", said Elphias Doge, participating in the discussion for the first time. He had kept for himself the whole time (thing had gotten a bit too heated for his liking), but now that the main characters had stepped down, he moved to take the stage together with McGonagall. "Speaking of Severus" he repeated, "how are we going to act about him. Because I can't believe we'll let him give himself up to Voldemort".
"Why not? Good riddance if he does!" said Sirius. He had laid down on a bench, exhausted by his performance. His ribs where really hurting, he suspected some of them were cracked.
"No, Sirius" Remus said then, "however we feel about this revelation, Severus is too dangerous of a weapon in Voldemort's hands. One we can't allow him to use".
"Agreed" said Aberforth. "there must be another way".
"We don't even know if Voldemort actually has the child. Could be a ruse, for all we know" said Alastor.
"Snape could be the only way to find out" Sirius pointed out. "We could use him to infiltrate the Death Eaters".
Remus pondered his friends words. "That is" he said, "if Voldemort decides to keep him alive. And besides that, why would he trust Severus again?"
"I'm not saying he has to become a spy", said Sirius, "and he's good enough to avoid being killed. Aren't you, snakey?"
Severus was looking at him deeply. In silence.
" 'Sure you can make Voldemort fly like you did with me" Sirius was still talking.
Severus smirked. "I think you overestimate me, Black", he said.
"And I think", said Dumbeldore sternly, "this is up to Severus to decide". They all looked at him as if he were a ghost: they had completely forgot about his presence. But the Headmaster was again standing proudly, facing them, a renewed blue spark twinkling behind his spectacles.
"Forgive me, Albus" said Doge, "but the boy has just gone through a rollercoaster this evening. I don't think he would make the right choice. For his own safety."
"Severus is perfectly capable of deciding for himself" Albus said.
"But Albus…", Doge tried to make his old friend see reason.
"This is not only about him", said Moody, "it's about the Order as well. We lose Severus, we lose an asset. And as Lupin pointed out, we could gain a new enemy".
"An asset who is the main reason we're in this mess to begin with" said Sirius drawing an invisible circle with his hands, everyone turned to look at him. "Just to remind you" he added.
"Yes, but we can't force him to go. Nor to stay", said Aberforth.
"The Dark Lord talked directly to me", Severus' voice was merely a whispered, "He gave me his ultimatum. It is up to me".
"I don't like this" Hagrid said. He had been sitting in a corner the whole time, keeping away from the heated argument and the commotion, he, after all, was merely attending the funeral wake of a friend. "He… he… he doesn't have Harry. He doesn't. Can't imagine lil' Harry with him".
"Hagrid" Dumbledore said warmly, "I know. But we must contemplate the chance he does".
Hagrid shook his hairy head decidedly. "No", he said, "He lies. Sev'rus you must not go!" he added looking at Snape.
Albus then moved closer to Severus. He put an arm around the Slytherin and whispered to his ear: "Severus, this is up to you, but I beg you to consider your own safety. We need you", then after a brief moment of hesitation he added: "I need you".
Severus looked at him, bewildered. Dumbledore's eyes lost the sharp armor of light they usually wear, they were open door, seas inviting Severus to plunge inside them. They were blue hounds licking him affectionately, snuggling beside him.
"Severus… You don't have to go back to him", Dumbledore said quietly, "Don't let anyone push you in that direction if that's not what you want: the choice is yours. But don't feel obligated: don't go wrong again."
Severus kept silent. He could see the others looking at them curiously, wondering what they were saying to each other.
"I know what you're going to do", the Headmaster said, "I don't think it's the best decision. Not for you." He sighed resignedly when Severus continued to ignore him.
"Hagrid is right. We don't even know if Harry is truly in his grasp", said Albus soothingly.
"Who cares?" Severus said eventually, his voice empty.
"Severus, I won't let you sacrifice yourself for nothing" Albus said.
"Why? Who cares about me? Look at them, Albus", Severus said sadly nodding to the people gathered around them, "All they want is to get rid of me. "
Dumbledore moved away from him and glanced around. "I care", Dumbledore said to him with a fatherly tone. "And they do too. Aberforth, Elphias, Hagrid… they care." He added, gesturing toward the men he mentioned.
"It's a trap." Moody said suddenly, drawing all the attention to himself.
"I know your opinion, Alastor", Dumbledore dismissed him quickly, "thanks". Moody raised his hands in surrender.
"Severus's not the only issue here", said Aberforth then.
Albus looked up at him and met eyes with Professor McGonagall who nodded firmly.
"You left important information lying around like breadcrumbs. Did it even occur to you that the Death Eaters could have brought battle here? " Aberforth continued, "A tempting morsel for Voldemort: a good part of his enemies gathered in one place. He could have reaped us like ripe grain!".
"He didn't come here with that purpose", Albus pointed out. now on the corner. On the corner ... like Severus, together with Severus: the two accused. It was strange for him to be there: he wasn't used to being at the dock, he was the judge, he had always been the judge, he had always had the last word. Now, however, he had to bow his head under
"Sure! And you knew, didn't you? The Great Albus Dumbledore! Always a step ahead! " Aberforth laughed at him. But Albus could sense the disappointment hidden in that laugh. He could see it in Aberforth's accusatory gaze, those eyes so similar to his. He had let down his brother once already, now he was disappointing him again. He always did.
"You put us all in grave danger, Albus", Minerva said then, "What we gained was not worth the risk".
"Not to mention the position you put Severus in", said Aberforth, hinting at the silent young man still standing next to the headmaster. "I am sorry, but if there is someone to blame here it is you". Everyone else's silent agreement mirrored only for a second in Albus' blue eyes. He bowed his head. The sentence had been passed. The court ruled: guilty.
Albus took a step back, handing the stage to his brother. It was strange, it was as if suddenly the roles of the two brothers had reversed, Aberforth had taken upon himself the authority that he had never wanted to show in the Order, the authority from which he had always shunned. But not now. Now the same constellation shining in Albus' eyes was twinkling in his irises.
"Gentlemen!" Aberforth said, addressing the other members of the Order, his arms outstretched as if to grab and drag the attention of the others onto himself. "I reckon our presence is no longer necessary here. Whether Severus decides to go back to Voldemort or not, it does not concern us: it is a matter between him and the Dark Lord."
That said, he cast a last blameful glance at his brother, then turned his back on him and started walking out the hall, but Sirius Black's voice held him back.
"What about Harry?" he asked. Aberforth slowly turned to face him. The young man had gotten up sitting on the bench but was still clutching at his left side in pain.
"Well? Does Voldemort have Harry, or is it just a trap?" Black continued.
Aberforth watched him silently for a few moments, as if the answer to the question was written on Sirius' face, written in a foreign language and Aberforth was trying to decipher.
"I'm not my brother, Mr. Black", Aberforth eventually said, calmly, "I don't have all the answers".
"Do you know the price of treason, Lucius?" the Dark Lord hissed soothingly as he circled his prey like a predator.
Lucius swallowed. He couldn't understand whether Voldemort was talking about him or Severus, but it didn't make any difference really: even if it was Severus the thought didn't make him feel any better. When Voldemort had called him, he had felt dread slither down his back like a cold, silky snake. The Dark Lord did not usually invite people to his private quarters, and if he did, it was to discuss something very private and very serious. It was not the first time Lucius had been in that gloomy room, lit by ashy candelabra. The darkness enveloped every corner, deepening between the pages of the Dark Arts books orderly watching him from a huge and elegant black bookcase. There were no bare walls in that study, as if making up for the emptiness of the great hall where Voldemort met his Death Eaters: each wall there was covered with books. Books whispering among themselves under the pale light of the candles. Books murmuring evil, terrible, depraved words. And watching.
"Death, my lord?" Lucius Malfoy ventured, fearfully.
Voldemort stopped in front of him. He observed him carefully, savouring the terror on Lucius' handsome face, a terror forged by the fiery hammer of Voldemort's serpentine eyes.
"Oh, that only comes at the end", the Dark Lord whispered.
Lucius could feel Voldemort's cold breath brushing on his face. He was petrified. The dark aura hovering in that room, in that chapel of evil, was preventing him from moving, preventing him from breathing. It was like invisible ropes were wrapping around his throat, strangling him.
"You have been very useful so far, Lucius." the Dark Lord spoke softly, his voice mingling with the darkness surrounding them.
Malfoy tried to bow his head, but the gesture only resulted in a pathetic jerk of his head. Chills slid down his back.
"My Lord..." he stammered.
Voldemort looked at him, intrigued.
"Are you afraid, Lucius?" he asked, his eyes glimmering so strongly Lucius could almost feel the warmth of their flames.
"Yes my Lord" Lucius answered, glancing at the floor. He knew that the Dark Lord enjoyed hearing his servants admitting their fear, seeing them humiliate themselves before him pleased him to no end.
"Is there something you wish to tell me, Lucius?", Voldemort asked, frowning.
Lucius' eyes twinkled around on the curve of that last question mark. Voldemort had hit the mark. Lucius panicked. What did he know? He knew about… ? No, it couldn't be. He had played his part well, he had given nothing away. Did he? He took a deep breath.
"No, my Lord" He replied. He raised his chin and looked at Voldemort, mustering all his bravery in doing so. Showing a confidence he did not have. "You know I am a faithful servant. I would never hide anything from you."
Voldemort pondered his answer silently, then he turned his back on Lucius. Was he satisfied with his answer? Lucius wondered. But after a brief moment, Voldemort turned again to face him, his red eyes melting away the blue walls of Malfoy's mind, sliding inside without Lucius even noticing.
The Dark Lord rummaged discreetly in his servant's mind: with Wormtail he could afford being brutal and careless, but Malfoy was different. He was shrewd and not stupid and powerful enough to fight back. Besides, alarming him so soon would ruin the game. He searched in silence among thoughts and memories unawares of the robbery, the he found it: a sealed trunk in a corner, hidden under the curtains of Occlumency. Voldemort discreetly cracked the lock. Under his precise and secure touch, Malfoy's most guarded secret was no longer such.
Voldemort grinned joyfully. He looked at Malfoy's tense face: he hadn't noticed anything. Legilimency was an art and the Dark Lord was the master of it.
"My Lord?" Lucius said, breaking the silence between them. Voldemort, however, didn't acknowledge him, he was still too delighted by the gem he had just found. So his suspicions were true. He was overjoyed. All the pieces were perfectly placed just where he needed them, it was time to move onto the next phase.
"Lucius!" he thundered, making Lucius jump. "Spread words among my followers: tomorrow night I want you all here… to welcome back my prodigal son."
"But, my Lord..." Lucius hesitated, "Are you… are you sure he will come?"
Voldemort smiled at him, amused.
"Sure as the sun will rise again, my friend", he said, giggling wickedly, "Now leave". He turned his back on Malfoy and sat down on the comfortable leather armchair, behind the heavy black. The smile on his pale lips suddenly gone.
Lucius bowed stiffly and left, barely holding a sigh of relief.
As Voldemort sat alone in his study, somehow hilarity caught him and he gushed into a deep, chilling laugh.
As the sun will rise again...
He laughed. The notes of his complacency soaking the dark books.
He laughed at Malfoy, his secret now revealed.
He laughed at Dumbledore, and his ridiculous attempt to turn the tide in his favour.
He laughed, pleased by the smooth, sweet unfolding of his plan.
He laughed, savouring Severus' blood on his lips. Oh, if only Dumbledore knew what he had in store for his precious pupil!
"Ah!" he laughed, "Death only comes at the end… "