The Time Travel Crew
Chapter 15: Severus's fang, Neville's friend and Draco's fruition
Severus decided that inspite of it being only nineteen eighty nine, it was time to get rid of the Basilisk.
He wanted it to be finished earlier actually, but Pomona seconded by Minerva and even Filius said that it was too risky, the lives of many students and teachers were at stake and their cover would blow off if they didn't plan their moves properly.
The Gringotts theft had created a huge scandal that lasted for days and Severus was lucky to have vanished even the tiniest sign that pinned him as the maker of the 'Deactivating-cum-imperiusing' Potion that the goblins claimed it to be. The very next week, every Potion Master in the Wizarding World was searched thoroughly and their homes and work places were raided but nothing was discovered.
Severus was very lucky they hadn't opted for the use of Veritaserum, though most unfortunately, the Ministries worldwide would need the aid of the Potion Masters for the truth potion and who but them would know if the liquid in the vial was the potion in question or just water.
In the mean time, Umbridge had been arrested, but after a few years they released her for she denied having anything to do with the theft even under Veritaserum. But she confessed having a hand in so many other deeds that as soon as she was released from the goblins prison, she was immediately transfered to a cell in Azkaban, the very cell next to Peter Pettigrew's.
Tonight, Dumbledore had been invited for an all-night meeting with the rest of the International Warlock Confederation and Severus insisted that this was the perfect opportunity to kill the Basilisk. And after a lot of pestering, the others gave in and now at twelve o'clock at night, Severus, leviating a huge cauldron of mandrake potion that revived the petrified; Filius, armed with a rooster and Pomona, carrying two broomsticks, entered Myrtle's resident bathroom, invisible to everyone but themselves.
Minerva chose to patrol the corridor outside the bathroom to keep out any rule breaking students, namely, the first year Weasley twins.
To their good luck, Myrtle wasn't around.
Very carefully, Severus who had practiced the recorded parseltongue until he could say those phrases in his sleep commanded to that tiny snake on the tap to 'Open!'
The sink gave way to a tunnel.
Now Pomona stood guard with half the contents of the cauldron in a huge flask, while Severus and Filius slid down the entrance with the other half of the restorative draught and the rooster.
They walked ahead and came across the wall with the snakes and again, Severus ordered the barrier to 'open!'
Once in the Chamber that was held up with stone pillars carved with snakes, Severus built a solid wall between the entry of the chamber and the enormous statue of Salazar Slytherin. The top of the wall and the ceiling were two feet apart, so the rooster's crows could be heard, but the basilisk wouldn't be seen. So, Severus also made sure to leave a little peephole at the bottom and cover it with glass so in case one of them made eye-contact with the monster, they would merely be petrified.
Then very loudly, so as to reach the ears of the Basilisk, Severus spoke the phrase out to the Statue and then Flitwick, who didn't even have to stand on his toes to look through the peephole exclaimed excitedly over the serpent's vicious hisses, "It's coming through!...Ooh ooh! It's nearly out!...My word it's huge!... It's come out! It's come out!"
With a loud squeak, Filius took the silencing charm of the rooster and he moved away from the peephole, giving Severus a chance to bend down and look through the hole.
Severus had no time to mentally kick himself for his rash action, for the moment he looked through the glass, his eyes made contact with large, sinister, yellow, bulbous ones and his world went black.
When Severus came to, he found Filius bending over him, with a half-empty flask of the mandrake potion. It took him a second to realise that he was soaking wet with sticky goo and another second to realize that he had been petrified. He looked up at the smirking midget in front of him and growled, "Mention a word about what happened to anyone, Flitwick, and I will make sure to drop a potion that tickles one's insides into your morning cup of coffee tomorrow!"
Filius chuckled merrily.
"Goodness, Severus," Filius commented happily, too cheerful for Severus's liking, "We're here, killing a Basilisk and the first thing you think of is your pride?"
The Basilisk!
Severus had completely forgotten about it. How else could he have been petrified? Why hadn't he thought of that?
"What has happened?" he asked jumping to his feet and noticing the absence of that hissing.
Filius straightened up and silently pointed at something behind Severus. With a start, Severus turned around and noticed the rooster, who was now sleeping a little away from a huge, yellowish fang.
"Is it dead?"
"Check and see for yourself." Filius said indicating the glass peephole.
"I'll take your word for it." Severus said stiffly.
With a flick of his wand he dried himself, then let the wall grow till it touched the roof and turned the peephole into a solid brick. Then he grabbed the rooster and headed for the exit. He heard Flitwick laugh heartily and hurry after him, probably levitating the fang behind.
Now at the foot of the tunnel, Severus gave out a piercing whistle and immediately, Pomona threw in the two broomsticks and together, he and Filius flew up and out of the hole, moving out of the fang's way which followed Filius out of the Chamber and clattered onto the bathroom floor.
"What took you so long?" Pomona demanded as the bathroom door opened and Minerva rushed in.
"Long?" Severus asked as he banished the fang to the cupboard in which he kept the locket.
"You were two minutes late!" Pomona said sounding half-angry and half-panicked. "That wasn't part of the plan."
"Sometimes," Severus said, casually vanishing the rest of the mandrake potion, "things don't go as planned."
"What happened?" Minerva said.
"Nothing much," Filius said. "Killed the Basilisk...summoned the fang...brought back the rooster... And speaking of roosters, who wants a midnight snack in my quarters?"
"Filius!" the witches screeched.
"The poor bird has just helped you get rid of that snake and -"
"Now it can help us celebrate." Filius interrupted Pomona mid-rant.
Before anything else could be said, Minerva revived the bird and vanished it.
"What did you do with him?" Severus asked as he sent his cauldron and flasks his classroom.
"Sent it back to where it belonged." Minerva said. "Don't you think Hagrid will get suspicious if one of his precious roosters suddenly vanishes without even a trail of blood or feathers?"
"Alright," Filius gave in, "you win, how about a drink then? I've got Rosemerta's finest."
"I accept." Severus said.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It was almost over... Just another four Horcruxes, and half of Neville's worries would be over. All he would have to worry about next was his wonderful family and most importantly, Harry.
The locket, cup and diadem had been neatly pierced in the room of requirement, the same night the fang was retrieved... The same night, Neville's grandfather passed away.
He was old and Neville could do nothing to save him, for this was a natural, unavoidable death... The only difference was that Neville spent more time with him than he did the previous time. Neville's Gran had been devastated, but that was what happened the last time too.
Frank Longbottom was quite upset as well, and that was to be expected. But unfortunately, Neville's sisters, Sally and Edith, now had the unfortunate privilege of seeing the Threstals.
Today, Neville had a mission.
Today, he was going to trick his parents and Gran into inviting the Malfoy parents for a grown-up party to give Draco time to steal the Diary from Lucius's office. Kreacher, would be busy tending to Gerald and Alina and Draco would see to it that he put a sleeping charm on the old elf if need be. A sleeping charm on his parents, who weren't that delinquent, would immediately get them suspicious.
This had been planned by the two of them on Draco's tenth birthday last month.
The two of them had gone to play ball on the grounds as a ruse (Gerald wanted to join them too, but Draco managed to confund him and make him join the girls in their pretend tea party).
Sirius Black who had been at the party, decided to introduce Harry and his family to Neville's. He insisted about this the very next day and Neville had to use every ounce of his determination to keep from breaking down at seeing seeing his friend after nearly nine years.
Harry, Joyce and Mrs. Potter came to meet the Longbottom family the next day at Sirius Black's insistance. They met again at the Cherished Heart the following week and on it went.
Neville was happy to see Harry so free, content and whole...how he would look out for his little sister and his mother...the entire atmosphere at his house was so full of love...
The Longbottom house, on the other hand, was never like that. Neville wasn't jealous, but with his parents having to go out to work everyday and though they gave their children a lot of their time when they were at home, the air was usually filled with worry...Worry at being attacked by another band of Death Eaters...worry that their dangerous occupation would endanger their home...the worry of not returning home to see their children again...and so on.
It was nice of Draco to send Dobby over to help. He was now in charge of Neville and his sisters and that was way better than having to sit around their Gran and hear her grumble about almost everything she could think of.
Dobby was a fine elf who had begged Neville and his family to refrain from mentioning him to the Malfoys. He was funny, wonderful to have around and there was never a day the girls wouldn't get a chance of draping him in blanket, ribbon and necklace during their dress up sessions.
And all in all, Neville still considered himself the happiest boy on earth.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Draco's parents left the Manor at eight, after strictly instructing him, Gerald and Alina to be in bed at their respective bedtimes and Draco went to bed almost an hour after his siblings and Kreacher would be busy putting those two brats in bed... So he had a chance of stealing and replacing the Diary.
So at eight-thirty, when everyone was out of the way, Draco, now invisible, made his way to his father's study. With practiced skill, Draco took down every detection charm his father told him of in the previous time, and a few more that were added in this time and then, he entered the study, closing the door behind him, and carefully made his way to the golden safe that his father had always kept him away from.
Very slowly, he took off every single spell that was placed in that area and then he opened the safe. Carefully, Draco leviated the thin Diary and turned around to place it on the floor when he got the shock of his life.
At the now open door stood Lucius Malfoy looking at the floating Diary with fright, his wand at the ready. There had probably been another spell placed somewhere...one Draco couldn't detect. His father had been notified and when he reached the study he, most fortunately, couldn't see Draco and Draco used that as an advantage.
"Lucius" he whispered after charming his voice to sound like Voldemort's, his heart hammering in his chest
"M-M-My L-Lord," Lucius said faintly. "Where are you?"
Draco didn't bother answering the question, "You have disappointed, me Lucius! And I no longer find it fitting to leave you with one of my most important possessions."
"Please, please, MY Lord!" Lucius begged almost pitiful, knowing that if he lost Voldemort's trust, his entire family would be in danger. "Please, I beg you, give me another chance! Please!"
Draco felt a sense of shame settle in his stomach when he realised what Lucius was doing...his father was pleading for his, Draco's life and the life of his family...Draco had a sick, guilty feeling bubble up in him, his behaviour was deplorable and uncalled for, he couldn't think of anything better.
And now as his panic settled, he did the next thing that crossed his mind. He stunned his father and immediately put a replica of the Diary in the safe and shut it and put back every spell that was placed on both, the safe safe and the study.
Then very carefully, Draco obliviated his father, so he forgot ever seeing the safe open and the Diary floating and his conversation with Voldemort. Then he willed his father to stand after hastily stuffing the Horcrux in his pocket and after reviving his father, Draco hustled to his room, put an invisibility charm on the Diary and tucked it under his pillow.
Draco hurriedly put his pajamas on and taking out a book from the huge stack of books he had in his room, he threw himself onto the bed and began to read. Draco had attained the Horcrux in less than ten minutes!
He had just found an interesting paragraph when his father entered the room. Draco gave a genuine start at the sight of Lucius and said, "Father! Your back!"
Then he frowned, "Do all Grown-up parties finish this fast? It must be terribly boring."
Lucius laughed out loud and sat on the bed next to Draco and ruffled his hair with affection.
"No son, the party's still running, but I was a little worried about leaving you alone... The times aren't as safe as many believe them to be... Or at least it's not as safe as Fudge believes it to be."
Lucius sighed.
"He's a fool. I don't know how a blunderer like him could have been elected."
"Can't you get him to step down, Father?" Draco asked casually, discreetly planting the thought in Lucius's mind.
"I'm afraid not, Draco...Hmmm...But it does seem like a good idea... I'll see what I can do... I suppose Kreacher will arrive to tuck you in?"
"Oh, he tucks me in and he stares at me till I fall asleep!" Draco used the opening to complain. "It's ridiculous Father! Besides, I will be going to Hogwarts next year, I simply can't expect to be waited over there! I need practice..."
Lucius laughed again and patted Draco's shoulder twice and said, "I'll let him know, Draco...Good night, son."
"Good night, Father."
At nine-thirty, Draco put the book aside and lay down waiting for Snape to arrive for the nightly visit.
Snape arrived at two-thirty and by then, Draco was snoring. He woke up to Snape shaking him by his shoulder.
"Severus!" he whispered.
"I don't have much time, Draco. Your father's setting up charms around the house for some reason."
"Probably because of me." Draco said sheepishly, at the same time, mentally berating himself for the umpteenth time for not being careful enough. "He almost caught me... I had to obliviate him."
Draco reached under his pillow and pulled out the Horcrux. He made it visible and passed it to Snape who pocketed it immediately.
"Well done, Draco, but I wish you wouldn't have to do it. I'm sorry." Snape sighed and closed his eyes, "Back then while we were planning, it hadn't struck me that you would be stuck in a body of a child...you all seem like children, not the mature adults I saw before we left..."
"That's no problem, Severus. Anyway, I've made Father try and get Fudge to resign."
Snape opened his eyes with a start and then he smiled, "I cannot wait to see what happens...Do you have the duplicate?"
"Yes." Draco said.
Draco had made another diary besides the one he placed in the safe. They were connected to each other and if and when Ginny Weasley or anyone other troubled kid got hold of the diary and wrote in it, the ink would disappear from the page and appear in the duplicate which would be possessed by on of the crew members so as to council the deluded child if needed.
"With whom would you want to keep it?" Severus asked.
Draco answered without any hesitation.
"I think Harry would be the perfect choice. He is brilliant at counseling or at least he was in the previous time. He helped me get through a lot, you know."
Severus nodded sympathetically and gave Draco a parting squeeze.
"With the new protection your father's just begun to put up, we may not be able to meet until you come to Hogwarts, Draco. If you want to let us know something, floo to the Longbottom's residence. Neville will pass on the message."
With that Snape left, letting Draco drift back to sleep.
To be continued...