The Time Travel Crew
Chapter 22: Important Meetings [Snape,Filius,Sprout]
Severus had expected the Death Eater's conversation to go along those lines. He had expected the others to have guessed the same and that was why he was quite surprised by their stunned silence.
No one spoke... All they did was watch the rat scurry through the sewers occasionally stopping to have a chat with one of his fellow mice-friends.
They watched him for how long, nobody knew, but when Filius entered the room Severus knew they had been there for a while.
"Why are you looking so pleased with yourself, Filius?" Pomona asked him.
"Who me?" Filius said surprised.
Pomona said drily, "I don't suppose there is another Filius in this room."
Filius chuckled, "I was merely surprised, Pomona. I hadn't realised I wore such an expression on my face."
"So?" Minerva said.
"So what?" Filius said confused.
"What have you been upto, other than eavesdropping on their plans?" Minerva said exasperatedly. "And don't say nothing, for if I know you well, you must have thought two steps ahead any of us."
Filius smiled.
"I see you cannot be fooled you at all-"
"And you will be foolish to even try." Severus said amused.
"Alright, I'll tell you. I disapperated from the bottom of the Lovegood's hill and waited outside the Crouch residence. Senior and Winky returned a few minutes after the rat's departure. I placed a portkey on Winky's clothes and Crouch's head... Two things that they won't remove."
"Why did you do that?" Severus asked with a frown. "The portkeys, I mean. Won't it disrupt Voldemort's plans?"
"The portkeys will automatically spring into action in around...," he paused to glance at his wristwatch, "an hour and Crouch and his elf will disappear from there... They're packing their bags at the moment." Filius raised his hand to silence Severus who had opened his mouth again. "All we need to do is to place some protection charms on a particular house I selected the portkey to take the two to within around an hour. Senior shall then go to work safely and return to his new home without him or the elf stopping to think about Junior."
"What about Voldemort?" Severus persisted knowing neither Voldemort nor Junior nor even Pettigrew would forget that cold blooded hypocrite.
"He doesn't have to know anything. I confunded Junior into believing himself to be the one who confunded his father and elf into leaving the house without him and living somewhere else. I also made him believe that they will never have time to remember Junior."
Severus relaxed a bit, taking the time to admire the little wizard's forethought.
"You have been busy."
"That's not all." Filius said proudly. "I took took the liberty of visiting Frank Bryce and got him to begin packing so that within the next week, he will be off to live in Number four Privet Drive in Surrey, while the current owner has been caught participating in a scandal which has now earned him fourteen years of imprisonment... just enough time for us to settle our affairs.
"Frank will be working there under the disguise I've given him. He will now be called Lenny Peters and will work as a caretaker and a gardener and he will be earning quite a sum. All his aches and pains have been taken away and once he leaves his home, he will be replaced by Harry's hologram."
"You approve of it?" Harry said looking surprised.
"Of course." Filius said kindly. "Besides, I couldn't think of any other alternative. Anyway, Minerva would you care to accompany me in placing a few protections on a house not very far from here? For Barty Senior and Winky. Perhaps a few confundo's on the neighborhood too... By the way, did you tell them?"
"No I didn't." Minerva said drily. "Barty Crouch Junior filled them in with the required details."
"About what?" Severus said, now completely confused.
Minerva sighed, "The part where Junior's mother instructed the elf to keep her son happy..."
"Won't that order hinder Winky's going abouts in anyway, now that you have confunded her?" Harry said.
"I think not." Filius said. "Junior is now as happy as he can be, with plans underway for the regeneration of his Lord and all that... Winky has nothing more to add to it."
"What are you all going to do now?" Severus said to them... They were now going to have to watch the mirrors with more vigour than ever.
"Letters." Harry said with a grimace.
"Oh." Severus said with dawning comprehension. Ever since the rat escaped Azkaban, Harry, Neville and even Draco had been bombarded with letters twice or thrice a week by their families and friends all apprehensive about the boys' well being.
"I suppose, I shall have to take the first watch then."
With a tight smile, McGonagall stood up and followed Filius out of his quarters to place that necessary protections around Senior's and Winky's new residence.
The boys soon left too after a quick word of departure, quickly followed by a yawning Pomona.
For the next few weeks Pettigrew did nothing but scurry through the drainage, steadily heading towards Albania, stopping quite often to converse with rats. Barty Crouch Senior and his elf moved ahead with life in their new home in a nearby village as though nothing happened.
Junior on the other hand took up the job of cleaning the house, making it spic and span for Voldemort's arrival. He had the forethought of disguising himself and magically robbing the nearby stores of its food in small unnoticeable amounts. But Severus and the others noticed the man begin to get restless.
Cornelius Fudge had finally resigned from his post and the new Minister of Magic was now Amelia Bones leaving the post of the DMLE to be taken up by a very surprised Reg Cattermole. All the prisoners of Azkaban, who weren't given a trial were given one and depending on their answers under the effects of Veritaserum, were either thrown back into Azkaban or released with a sincere apology and a large compensation.
Dolores Umbridge was given another trial and she was found innocent of anything to do with Voldemort and, to everyone's surprise, she was released. But
she failed to get a job even at the lowest ranks in the Ministry. Quite annoyed by that, she stood in front of the infamous fountain at the Ministry and yelled out the names of many supporters of Voldemort who happened to be working in the Ministry of Magic. That little incident had now started a whole new phase at the Ministry and every worker no matter how high or low their social status was, were now given a quick check for the Dark Mark.
Those who had the Dark Mark were given a trial and sent to Azkaban depending on the outcome. Those without the Mark were tested under Veritaserum to discover their true loyalties. Those who expressed their respect for Voldemort had their history checked. If they were innocent of any crime, they were given sessions with mind healers. Those who were suspected of any crime were given a trial and if guilty, their period of imprisonment depended on the seriousness of their crime.
The innocent secret followers of Voldemort were joined by the innocent who weren't given a trial and thrown into Azkaban for the sake of saving the name of the Ministry. And so, all in all, the Ministry was settling down into a more stringent routine than what was seen during Cornelius Fudge's time.
The dementors and the dogs at Hogwarts had been removed and the number of cats had been increased, resulting in Hagrid walking about the grounds with a huge clothespin on his red nose, his eyes were bloodshot from sneezing.
By now, Pettigrew met Voldemort and together, they were working to get himself a body...the same raw-skinned child that he had on before he completed the final ritual. With prior discussion with the others members of the crew, Severus mentioned to Dumbledore about the constant, bothersome burning of the Dark Mark on his hand.
Dumbledore seemed troubled and that was his state ever since the escapade of Peter Pettigrew was announced. Several times a week he would be sending for Severus and speaking to him over a cup of tea... A habbit the old man had in the previous time too when he was upset, only Severus wasn't as understanding then as he was now.
It was on such a visit, at six o'clock in the evening, that Dumbledore put down his cup and looked up at Severus and said, "Lucius Malfoy approached me yesterday evening."
Severus raised a genuinely curious eye brow and prompted, "And?"
Dumbledore sighed, "He's worried for his family. His burning arm triggered his coming to me and asking for protection. And, I've started teaching him Occlumency."
Severus knew there was more to it, so he put his cup down and looked at Dumbledore expectantly.
Dumbledore gave him a small smile and said, "I plan on making it look in the eyes of the public that he had a quarrel with wife about his loyalties and now they will be living separately, without any interference from the Ministry. Narcissa and the children will be placed together in the Potter's house at Godric's Hollow, the moment it is completely repaired.
"The house will be warded with great care and Lucius will be able to visit them every once in a while. I will have to ask Lily Potter's consent before I start repairing that house, though. However a charm to make the house appear in its current state to any outsider is in order."
Dumbledore seemed to be having an internal debate and Severus found himself feeling a bit nervous. He picked his cup and took a sip of tea and Dumbledore seemed to wait for him to swallow.
And Severus somehow knew that it was happening at that moment, that Dumbledore suspected something, that he was going to bring it up somehow, that something like this was bound to happen... So why did he freeze with shock when Dumbledore visibly steeled himself, took a deep breath, smiled kindly and said:
"Did this ever occur in the time you've travelled from, Severus?"
Severus's head jerked, his heart began pounding and for one moment he was afraid panic would take over him.
Very carefully and not without a mighty struggle, Severus managed to calm himself down as discreetly as possible.
He put on a questioning frown and rechecked his already very strongly constructed Occlumency shields.
"Headmaster?"
Dumbledore shook his head sadly.
"Don't be afraid, Severus, I am not upset. I have known there was something wrong with my Heads of House for a very long time and it was until a couple of months ago that the thought actually struck me. This question I asked you was merely a shot in the dark and by your previous expression, I believe I am correct."
So he hadn't been that subtle in his shock and now he felt like throwing his head back and laughing hysterically. His heart was thumping at an extraordinary pace, quashing any of Severus's hopes that assured him that this was a mere, surreal nightmare. Oh, where had they gone wrong? Why had they not prepared themselves for such a moment?
"Headmaster, I-"
Dumbledore raised his hand a plea for silence, "Please Severus. Don't try to deny it and don't try to obliviate me. I don't really want to interfere with you, Minerva, Filius or Pomona, for I trust the four of you explicitly. However, if you are in any need of help, you can approach me. I couldn't help but notice how flustered you were the day after this year's starting feast. But now, in order to save a man from a curiosity driven sleepless night, could you please relate to me what seems to be happening?
"I know I will be taking action once Voldemort returns, but if my actions clash with yours...they could be different from my decisions in the previous time... Are you getting me?"
They had simply never expected this. They had all made the terrible mistake of underestimating Albus Dumbledore and what was it that they could do now? The good part was that they knew from countless experiences that they could trust him... But, Severus was unsure about what he needed to do.
Oh, what was the use? There was no point in denying it...He took a deep breath, "If you will wait for an hour headmaster, I will confer with the other Heads of House and get back to you."
Dumbledore rubbed his face with the exhausted air of a man who had finally completed a days work and only now, that it was all over, permitted himself to rest.
"You have no idea, how much of a debate I had within myself these past two months and how much I was afraid to ask you this question, not only fearing that I would be wrong, but moreover, I was afraid that I would lose your trust."
Severus let his features soften a bit, though he was unsure whether admitting to the headmaster, albeit indirectly, was the right thing to do. But leaving the aged man to look like a fool was probably not right either... It would have been cruel and cruelty was something Severus had long since begun to despise.
How much like a fool would Dumbledore feel when he realised they had acted around him while time travelling had never been the aged man's suspicions. Severus felt terrible... The guilt of playing around with the lives of many, now at that moment seemed such a cold thing to do.
Severus's despair seemed to have leaked out of him and seeped into Albus Dumbledore, for he looked at Severus and smiled genuinely.
"I assure you, Severus that you have nothing to be sorry about. This entire situation, revolving around my four most trusted employees, is enough to tell me that you have come to change something...something important...something that compelled you to come back to the past. If I'm not mistaken, you may have already changed something and are in the process of changing more for the good of the people around you. Rest assured, you have my discretion."
Dumbledore's smiled broadened.
"Go on Severus and try and bring answers."
Severus suddenly felt some sort of weight lift of him. Maybe the weight of the guilt he hadn't realized he carried on his shoulders for the last ten years... Or even more.
With a still pounding heart, Severus left Dumbledore's office and headed straight to Filius's quarters.
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Filius was using his free time to go through the last few essays of his first years. Harry, Draco, Neville and Justin seemed to write their work with as much of caution as an adult would take in order to imitate a child, and their work to an outside eye was a perfect first year essay. However, Filius found some perfect mistakes too, which anyone would take for those made by an eleven year old.
He was interrupted by a knock on his door and putting down his quill and enlarging a chair for his visitor, whoever it was, Filius went to open the door.
From the black robes Filius knew, without a second glance, that his visitor was Severus Snape, but the pale almost panicked look on his face gave Filius a sense of foreboding.
"Severus?" Filius said softly. "What's wrong?"
Severus gave him two winks and entered his office. He collapsed into the enlarged chair and rubbed his face. Immediately, Filius set a kettle on the fire and shut the door and put up the wards around the office.
Then he moved towards Severus and sat in a smaller chair.
"What is it?"
Severus looked up at him, "Dumbledore knows... He knows about the time travelling."
Filius took a moment to register this and when he did, he got a shock. Striving to keep calm by telling himself that this was bound to happen someday, he said, "My goodness, Severus. How did it happen?"
"I can't say... H-he just caught me in the middle of the conversation... He began telling me that Lucius Malfoy approached him for the protection of his family and that Albus would, after asking Lily, renovate their old house at Godric's Hollow and protect it against all evil. And then he asked me if all this happened in the previous time, Filius!
"He got me caught like a deer in the the headlights. I think for a second my face showed him all he needed to see."
Severus groaned in despair and that was quite unlike him.
Filius mulled over their situation and said, "There's nothing wrong in having another member working with us, Severus." he said. "Don't worry, we were all dreading this particular day. Go on and get the boys away from whatever they were doing there by the lake and bring Pomona and Minerva as well. I shall go fetch Luna. We shall see what their opinion is."
After he met secretly with Luna, she cast a charm on her parents seeing to it that they forgot about her until she took of the charm and together, they disapperated to the castle, invisible. How exactly Dumbledore caught on, with all the precautions they had taken was a wonder.
The boys and Luna had a tearful gathering and Severus then explained to them their situation. Minerva was the most verbal in letting out her surprise, but that wasn't something new.
"So, what do you think?" Filius said. "Should we tell him the truth or simply obliviate him?"
"He doesn't know that Draco, Neville, Justin, Luna and me are involved?" Harry said.
"He doesn't." Severus confirmed. "So what do we do?"
Harry frowned at the floor for a little while.
"There's nothing that we can actually do. If we don't tell him and simply obliviate him, we could damage him for good. But if we tell him and have him on our side, it could be a great advantage...
"However, I wouldn't want to ruin his life, by letting him know about the future, you must admit that this isn't really enjoyable, knowing that you're manipulating so many people for the sake of a few - though I must say, there's very little we can actually predict now, but luckily for us, it's nearly over.
"How about you simply let him think it's just the four of you involved. Go up to his office and meet him...if you have to, give him a low down on what you have changed and leave out anything about Pettigrew and Crouch and Voldemort.
"Tell him about my parents deaths, tell him about Sirius's imprisonment, tell him about Pettigrew's place at the Weasley home and about the Longbottom's fate and that of Mrs. Lovegood.
"If he asks about Voldemort, say it is important that he doesn't know anything about it and if you want, you can also tell him that Lucius in the previous time had only one son and back then, he wasn't very keen on asking for help. If you can help it keep as much of that away from him. What say you?"
Within minutes, the answer was given and after Filius dropped Luna back home, he and Severus, Pomona and Minerva made their way up to the Headmaster's office.
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If Filius and Severus knew a day would come when they would be discovered, they must have been more clairvoyant than the rest of the crew, for Pomona and, she was certain, the others hadn't anticipated this. And it was now that Pomona started feeling very uneasy as the weight of their entire situation suddenly weighed down on her. Her main motive had always been to rid the world of its misery and nothing more.
She finally let the truth of their position hit her, the moment they arrived into the past, the future of the entire Wizarding World fell on their shoulders and Pomona had blocked her mind against the anticipated consequences they would face if they made a single mistake. This wasn't a very good situation to be in, though to be honest with herself, the rest of the job now depended solely on Severus and Harry.
And reluctant as she was, Pomona followed Minerva, Filius and Severus up to Dumbledore's office where they found him sitting at his table with his hands on the arms of his chair, looking at them with a saddened expression.
Filius cleared his throat and said, "Good evening, Headmaster."
"Hello, Filius, Pomona, Minerva, Severus. Come in and take a seat."
They did as they were told, but Pomona wished she could just pace the floor, for she was feeling to restless all of a sudden.
"As I said to Severus," Dumbledore began, "would you care to tell me about your doings?"
"Please, Headmaster," Filius began. "We do not want to burden you with information about the future, because we have made so many changes, we ourselves aren't sure what's going to happen when."
"Are you aware where the future of this world is heading to?"
"We have a fairly good idea, Headmaster."
"And if I make sudden decisions regarding the safety of this world?" Dumbledore said.
"We will know, Headmaster." Filius said simply.
Dumbledore sighed and looked at them all with a forlorn expression.
Minerva approached him and placed her hand on his left arm, "Please Albus, trust us. We know what we're doing. I promise you that once we've finished what we've come back to do, we will explain everything to you."
Dumbledore sighed sadly, "And what if I die before it is over?"
"You won't." came four very convinced answers.
"I died back then, did I?" he commented with a screwed look in his aged eyes. Pomona wasn't surprised to see that he didn't look afraid in the least.
Severus huffed, "Honestly, Headmaster, if you try to weasel answers out of us like this, we will have to change our minds about telling you what exactly happened."
The old man sighed again, "I can't help but be curious."
Pomona moved around the table and took his right hand in both of hers, "We understand, Headmaster, and it is not that we don't trust you, but it isn't safe... We're nearly done, give us a few more years and you shall know everything."
"Can you not tell me any- Ah! Sirius, Minerva, you were responsible for bringing Sirius to my office that night ten years ago! You didn't hand him over to the Ministry...I knew something was odd about that...I suppose he was arrested in place of Pettigrew... Is it right? And -'
"Dumbledore!" Severus said irritated.
"Oh, all right... Just a few more years." his voice had a sulky edge to it and Pomona's creative mind half expected him stamp his feet and throw a tantrum.
She threw her head back and laughed and then, patted his hand, "Oh, Albus. It will all be alright."
"For you." he said.
The four time travellers smiled fondly and after a quiet conversation with their eyes, Severus said, "Your earlier assumption was right."
Albus looked up at him and smiled. Then he said, "That would mean all the Potter's died?... Or at least James and Lily?"
Again Severus nodded.
"And Lily's survival... You were involved in it?"
"Indirectly." Severus said.
"Ah, that means Lily had died for her son then and-"
"That's enough for now, Albus." Minerva said severely. "Please cooperate, we're currently in a very precarious position and a wrong move could destroy it all."
For a second Dumbledore's eyes saddened again and then he smiled and nodded in understanding. "Alright. I won't bother you for now... But I shall once you've rid the world of Voldemort... And I know you will succeed, for destroying the dark needs light for every angle and the mere fact that you decided to hold the Houses United proves that you are following the right path... But, should you need my help, I shall not refuse."
To be continued...