Disclaimer... Again: In case I hadn't made myself QUITE clear... I do not own anything! That goes for all of the chapters in the past, present, and the future.
Chapter Three: The One Living
Severus Snape sat in one of the deep, squashy red armchairs in Albus Dumbledore's office, staring into the cheery fire. He hadn't yet found out what was going on, because Albus had also requested the presence of Hermione Granger (much to Severus's disgust), and he insisted on waiting for her before beginning.
His peaceful reverie was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"You may come in." Dumbledore commanded.
The door opened slowly, hesitantly, and in walked Hermione Granger.
She had changed so much since Severus had seen her last. She was taller than she had been in her seventh year, and he didn't fail to notice how womanly she had become. She had curves in all the right places, but she was still thin, as she had been before. She had improved her mass of bushy hair; it was now separated, delicate loose curls that just passed the top of her shoulder. Her face was beautiful, but not in the way a model is beautiful. She had a classic, natural beauty, and a fair, clear complexion.
Hermione walked in, showing more confidence than she felt. She walked smoothly and at her full height. Her years of yoga had certainly improved her posture.
Dumbledore walked around his desk and embraced her in a warm fatherly hug. "It's been so long, dear. I wish I could have seen you under better circumstances than what the times afford us now."
Hermione stepped back and gave him an inquiring look, but before she could say anything, a deep, smooth voice addressed her from the other side of the room.
"Miss Granger..." Hermione turned around and was surprised to see Severus Snape standing behind her, his hand outstretched in a formal greeting.
She took the hand offered to her and shook it. "Good day, Professor Snape. I hope you've been well these past few years?" She was surprised by how warm and smooth his hand felt in her own. She'd always expected him to have cold, callused hands, from working with potions. He seemed to have changed a great deal. His features looked younger and more relaxed, as if all the worries that had shown on his face for the past 10 years had been lifted...
"I've been well enough..." was all the answer she received. 'Well I suppose he hasn't changed that much... always the cold, frank, snarky bast-' her thoughts were left behind as she noticed that there was a smile playing on her former potions master's lips. 'He's joking? He's joking with me?' It was enough to bring a smile to her lips as well.
She was brought back to earth when she heard Dumbledore clearing his throat rather loudly...
Her and Snape both turned to face him, almost guiltily.
Snape spoke first. "Headmaster, I'd like to know what this is about. Now."
"Patience, Severus, you shall know soon enough. Have either of you seen this morning's Daily Prophet? No? Well, luckily I have a copy here on my desk..." With that, Dumbledore handed Snape the said newspaper and sat back in his chair as the two stared in shock at the picture on the front page.
It was of a man. His robes were ripped open, and on his chest was the Dark Mark, burnt into his skin.
~~~
"Fintan..." Snape whispered.
"You knew him?" Hermione tried not to sound too curious.
"He was an acquaintance. I hadn't seen him in months. What bothers me is..." Shaking slightly, Snape turned to Dumbledore. "Headmaster. I - I have to tell you something..." Here he paused.
Dumbledore motioned for him to continue.
"Last night. I forgot to take my dreamless sleep potion... and I - I saw in my dream... I saw Fintan Ashby murdered." Snape whispered the last part almost painfully.
The old man just nodded, as if he had expected this. "And did you see his attacker?"
"No, Headmaster. His face was a blur. But I saw Mr. Ashby's reaction when the man's hood fell. He seemed to recognize him."
"Interesting..." Dumbledore murmured.
"Why? Why should that be interesting?" Hermione was fascinated by what she was hearing.
It was Snape who answered. "Because, Miss Granger, Fintan Ashby was something of a recluse. He hardly ever came out into public. To tell the truth, I don't think he knew very many people at all."
Hermione looked down at the picture on the newspaper. The one thing that puzzled her was the brand on the man's chest. The Dark Mark.
It was the end of Hermione's seventh year when Voldemort was defeated. He had been planning a full-fledged attack on Hogwarts for months and, thanks to Snape's espionage, the Order of the Pheonix had been aware of the plan for as long as the Death Eaters themselves had. When the attack did come, they were ready and waiting. They suffered few casualties. The same could not have been said of the Death Eaters, all of whom were either caught or killed. In the final moments of the battle, it had been Harry and Voldemort. According to the prophecy, if anyone were to kill the Dark Lord, it would have been Harry, and he had to do it alone.
In the end, the Boy-Who-Lived lived yet again, and the great Lord Voldemort met with his doom. He had been defeated once and for all. Hermione herself had seen the body. Among the casualties that the Order suffered was the former Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, Hogwarts Professor, Madam Hooch, and Order member, Blaise Zambini.
After the battle, Arthur Weasley had been elected Minister of Magic (by a unanimous vote), and since then Hogwarts and the Ministry had coexisted peacefully. Of course, the Wizarding World had not been entirely ridded of pureblood obsessed wizards, and the Dark Mark had turned up a few times since then, but they were the empty threats of a disunited force. Individual loonies were easy to deal with... but this...
It was the first time since the fall of Voldemort that the Dark Mark had been paired with a death. The other incidents had just been a smoky symbol in the air. Nothing more. Maybe a robbery, but no murder.
Hermione was worried because she knew of another evil cult that used the Dark Mark to represent them. They would burn it into the flesh of their opponents, and then they'd kill them in a public place, as a warning to others like them. This clan however had not existed for hundreds of years. They had faded out and it just wasn't possible that this murder could have been linked to them in any way...
"Hermione, dear." She looked up to see Dumbledore regarding her with one of his knowing looks.
"Why don't you tell us about this brand." Dumbledore prompted her, looking over his spectacles.
"If I may, Headmaster, I believe I was the Death Eater turned spy..." Snape spoke up from the other side of the room. Apparently he'd been pacing and had ended up in front of the fire, once again.
"Indeed, Severus, you were, but if I am not mistaken, this mark is not that of a Death Eater. It is something else entirely, of which I have next to no knowledge about, but our dear Miss Granger... does."
Snape's gaze rested on Hermione in an almost challenging way.
Reverting back to her know-it-all days, Hermione began pouring forth information, regurgitating it as if she had swallowed all of her history texts whole. Snape rolled his eyes.
"Around the time that Hogwarts was founded," she began, "about 1000 AD, there was a group of alchemists and potions masters who were working together to discover the magical properties of snake venom... a very potent and dangerous substance, as you well know." She glanced in Snape's direction as she said this. He seemed to be pouting.
"At that time, muggles were persecuting suspected witches and wizards, so everything they did had to be secret. They kept their society a secret in the Wizarding World as well, so as not to arouse suspicion and publicity... they preferred to work quietly and undisturbed. They created a secret brotherhood called the Soladicium De Medicamentum, in English it roughly translates to the Society of Potions. As you can tell, they were a very creative bunch." This earned an amused snort from Snape's side of the room.
"Through their research the brotherhood discovered that snake venom has two effects. To cure or to kill. Half of the society was interested in the venom's ability to kill, and the other half was fascinated by its healing properties. Disagreements arose between the two groups and a rift developed. Finally, the brotherhood was split into two smaller societies.
"The secret potions society that dealt with snake venom's killing capacity was called Neconnus. Neco, which is Latin, literally means kill. Historians have now gathered enough evidence to safely say that Salazar Slytherin himself led this newly formed brotherhood. There were many famous evil wizards who had been a part of the brotherhood at one point in time, Gregory the Smarmy and Merwyn the Malicious to name a few.
"The reason that Fintan Ashby's murder relates to the Neconnus is this... They would torture their adversaries by branding them alive with the brotherhood's mark, the Skull and Serpent. The same illustration that we now refer to as the Dark Mark.
"Their rival society was the other half of the Soladicium De Medicamentum, who had formed a brotherhood called the Remmehdi. They were dedicated to finding the ways that snake venom could be used to cure. Some members were Merlin, Cornelius Agrippa, and Nicholas Flamel. They too had a mark. In fact, it is the very same that muggle healers, or doctors as they are called, now use as their symbol. It is called the caduceus. It depicts two serpents winding their way up a pole and becoming intertwined. At the top of the pole is a set of doves wings, outstretched. It is the opposite of the Skull and Serpent, it symbolizes healing and peace, while the other stands for death and suffering.
"When Voldemort began his reign of terror, he adopted the Skull and Serpent, renaming it the Dark Mark. No one remembered that the very same mark evoked just as much fear hundreds of years ago. Voldemort took all of the glory for it. And, so, the Neconnus were forgotten..."
Here Hermione voiced what she had been thinking earlier when looking at the photograph of Mr. Ashby. "But this occurrence couldn't possibly have anything to do with the Neconnus or the Remmehdi, both of the brotherhoods have been dormant for at least 3 centuries. Historians are convinced that they just died out..."
Dumbledore spoke to her, looking very grave. "Hermione, dear, the Remmehdi is not extinct as you and so many others have thought. They have been alive and well all of these years, that is, until recently. Someone has been killing them off, one by one, and we're not sure how or why."
"But how do you - " Hermione tried unsuccessfully to interject.
Dumbledore continued in a low, commanding voice, "Fintan Ashby was their secret keeper. He was also the only member to be killed in a public place. There is only one known member left and right now, he's standing a few feet behind you."
~~~
As Dumbledore said this, Hermione's gaze wandered to where Snape was standing. He seemed to be looking at an indiscernible point on the floor, but as Hermione watched him, his eyes moved up and met hers.
She felt a chill creep up her spine. She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, both men were looking at her intently, watching for her reaction. She stared absently at the fire and her mouth formed the shape of a silent "O."
For the first time in years, Hermione Granger was speechless.
~~~
Author's Notes:
Pronunciation:
Neconnus = Neck-oh-nis. With an accent on the "oh"
Remmehdi = Remm-eh-dee. Accent on the "eh"
Whew! That was a tough one to write! I PROMISE... there will be more moving around in chapters to come... they've sort of just been standing there... but I had to set up for the rest of the story.
Thank you for the brilliant reviews! I love you guys so much! Getting reviews makes not only my day, but my entire week!
I swear upon my Severus Snape action figure that from now on, I will review every story that I read!
Thanks again... and don't forget to r&r!
Chapter Three: The One Living
Severus Snape sat in one of the deep, squashy red armchairs in Albus Dumbledore's office, staring into the cheery fire. He hadn't yet found out what was going on, because Albus had also requested the presence of Hermione Granger (much to Severus's disgust), and he insisted on waiting for her before beginning.
His peaceful reverie was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"You may come in." Dumbledore commanded.
The door opened slowly, hesitantly, and in walked Hermione Granger.
She had changed so much since Severus had seen her last. She was taller than she had been in her seventh year, and he didn't fail to notice how womanly she had become. She had curves in all the right places, but she was still thin, as she had been before. She had improved her mass of bushy hair; it was now separated, delicate loose curls that just passed the top of her shoulder. Her face was beautiful, but not in the way a model is beautiful. She had a classic, natural beauty, and a fair, clear complexion.
Hermione walked in, showing more confidence than she felt. She walked smoothly and at her full height. Her years of yoga had certainly improved her posture.
Dumbledore walked around his desk and embraced her in a warm fatherly hug. "It's been so long, dear. I wish I could have seen you under better circumstances than what the times afford us now."
Hermione stepped back and gave him an inquiring look, but before she could say anything, a deep, smooth voice addressed her from the other side of the room.
"Miss Granger..." Hermione turned around and was surprised to see Severus Snape standing behind her, his hand outstretched in a formal greeting.
She took the hand offered to her and shook it. "Good day, Professor Snape. I hope you've been well these past few years?" She was surprised by how warm and smooth his hand felt in her own. She'd always expected him to have cold, callused hands, from working with potions. He seemed to have changed a great deal. His features looked younger and more relaxed, as if all the worries that had shown on his face for the past 10 years had been lifted...
"I've been well enough..." was all the answer she received. 'Well I suppose he hasn't changed that much... always the cold, frank, snarky bast-' her thoughts were left behind as she noticed that there was a smile playing on her former potions master's lips. 'He's joking? He's joking with me?' It was enough to bring a smile to her lips as well.
She was brought back to earth when she heard Dumbledore clearing his throat rather loudly...
Her and Snape both turned to face him, almost guiltily.
Snape spoke first. "Headmaster, I'd like to know what this is about. Now."
"Patience, Severus, you shall know soon enough. Have either of you seen this morning's Daily Prophet? No? Well, luckily I have a copy here on my desk..." With that, Dumbledore handed Snape the said newspaper and sat back in his chair as the two stared in shock at the picture on the front page.
It was of a man. His robes were ripped open, and on his chest was the Dark Mark, burnt into his skin.
~~~
"Fintan..." Snape whispered.
"You knew him?" Hermione tried not to sound too curious.
"He was an acquaintance. I hadn't seen him in months. What bothers me is..." Shaking slightly, Snape turned to Dumbledore. "Headmaster. I - I have to tell you something..." Here he paused.
Dumbledore motioned for him to continue.
"Last night. I forgot to take my dreamless sleep potion... and I - I saw in my dream... I saw Fintan Ashby murdered." Snape whispered the last part almost painfully.
The old man just nodded, as if he had expected this. "And did you see his attacker?"
"No, Headmaster. His face was a blur. But I saw Mr. Ashby's reaction when the man's hood fell. He seemed to recognize him."
"Interesting..." Dumbledore murmured.
"Why? Why should that be interesting?" Hermione was fascinated by what she was hearing.
It was Snape who answered. "Because, Miss Granger, Fintan Ashby was something of a recluse. He hardly ever came out into public. To tell the truth, I don't think he knew very many people at all."
Hermione looked down at the picture on the newspaper. The one thing that puzzled her was the brand on the man's chest. The Dark Mark.
It was the end of Hermione's seventh year when Voldemort was defeated. He had been planning a full-fledged attack on Hogwarts for months and, thanks to Snape's espionage, the Order of the Pheonix had been aware of the plan for as long as the Death Eaters themselves had. When the attack did come, they were ready and waiting. They suffered few casualties. The same could not have been said of the Death Eaters, all of whom were either caught or killed. In the final moments of the battle, it had been Harry and Voldemort. According to the prophecy, if anyone were to kill the Dark Lord, it would have been Harry, and he had to do it alone.
In the end, the Boy-Who-Lived lived yet again, and the great Lord Voldemort met with his doom. He had been defeated once and for all. Hermione herself had seen the body. Among the casualties that the Order suffered was the former Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, Hogwarts Professor, Madam Hooch, and Order member, Blaise Zambini.
After the battle, Arthur Weasley had been elected Minister of Magic (by a unanimous vote), and since then Hogwarts and the Ministry had coexisted peacefully. Of course, the Wizarding World had not been entirely ridded of pureblood obsessed wizards, and the Dark Mark had turned up a few times since then, but they were the empty threats of a disunited force. Individual loonies were easy to deal with... but this...
It was the first time since the fall of Voldemort that the Dark Mark had been paired with a death. The other incidents had just been a smoky symbol in the air. Nothing more. Maybe a robbery, but no murder.
Hermione was worried because she knew of another evil cult that used the Dark Mark to represent them. They would burn it into the flesh of their opponents, and then they'd kill them in a public place, as a warning to others like them. This clan however had not existed for hundreds of years. They had faded out and it just wasn't possible that this murder could have been linked to them in any way...
"Hermione, dear." She looked up to see Dumbledore regarding her with one of his knowing looks.
"Why don't you tell us about this brand." Dumbledore prompted her, looking over his spectacles.
"If I may, Headmaster, I believe I was the Death Eater turned spy..." Snape spoke up from the other side of the room. Apparently he'd been pacing and had ended up in front of the fire, once again.
"Indeed, Severus, you were, but if I am not mistaken, this mark is not that of a Death Eater. It is something else entirely, of which I have next to no knowledge about, but our dear Miss Granger... does."
Snape's gaze rested on Hermione in an almost challenging way.
Reverting back to her know-it-all days, Hermione began pouring forth information, regurgitating it as if she had swallowed all of her history texts whole. Snape rolled his eyes.
"Around the time that Hogwarts was founded," she began, "about 1000 AD, there was a group of alchemists and potions masters who were working together to discover the magical properties of snake venom... a very potent and dangerous substance, as you well know." She glanced in Snape's direction as she said this. He seemed to be pouting.
"At that time, muggles were persecuting suspected witches and wizards, so everything they did had to be secret. They kept their society a secret in the Wizarding World as well, so as not to arouse suspicion and publicity... they preferred to work quietly and undisturbed. They created a secret brotherhood called the Soladicium De Medicamentum, in English it roughly translates to the Society of Potions. As you can tell, they were a very creative bunch." This earned an amused snort from Snape's side of the room.
"Through their research the brotherhood discovered that snake venom has two effects. To cure or to kill. Half of the society was interested in the venom's ability to kill, and the other half was fascinated by its healing properties. Disagreements arose between the two groups and a rift developed. Finally, the brotherhood was split into two smaller societies.
"The secret potions society that dealt with snake venom's killing capacity was called Neconnus. Neco, which is Latin, literally means kill. Historians have now gathered enough evidence to safely say that Salazar Slytherin himself led this newly formed brotherhood. There were many famous evil wizards who had been a part of the brotherhood at one point in time, Gregory the Smarmy and Merwyn the Malicious to name a few.
"The reason that Fintan Ashby's murder relates to the Neconnus is this... They would torture their adversaries by branding them alive with the brotherhood's mark, the Skull and Serpent. The same illustration that we now refer to as the Dark Mark.
"Their rival society was the other half of the Soladicium De Medicamentum, who had formed a brotherhood called the Remmehdi. They were dedicated to finding the ways that snake venom could be used to cure. Some members were Merlin, Cornelius Agrippa, and Nicholas Flamel. They too had a mark. In fact, it is the very same that muggle healers, or doctors as they are called, now use as their symbol. It is called the caduceus. It depicts two serpents winding their way up a pole and becoming intertwined. At the top of the pole is a set of doves wings, outstretched. It is the opposite of the Skull and Serpent, it symbolizes healing and peace, while the other stands for death and suffering.
"When Voldemort began his reign of terror, he adopted the Skull and Serpent, renaming it the Dark Mark. No one remembered that the very same mark evoked just as much fear hundreds of years ago. Voldemort took all of the glory for it. And, so, the Neconnus were forgotten..."
Here Hermione voiced what she had been thinking earlier when looking at the photograph of Mr. Ashby. "But this occurrence couldn't possibly have anything to do with the Neconnus or the Remmehdi, both of the brotherhoods have been dormant for at least 3 centuries. Historians are convinced that they just died out..."
Dumbledore spoke to her, looking very grave. "Hermione, dear, the Remmehdi is not extinct as you and so many others have thought. They have been alive and well all of these years, that is, until recently. Someone has been killing them off, one by one, and we're not sure how or why."
"But how do you - " Hermione tried unsuccessfully to interject.
Dumbledore continued in a low, commanding voice, "Fintan Ashby was their secret keeper. He was also the only member to be killed in a public place. There is only one known member left and right now, he's standing a few feet behind you."
~~~
As Dumbledore said this, Hermione's gaze wandered to where Snape was standing. He seemed to be looking at an indiscernible point on the floor, but as Hermione watched him, his eyes moved up and met hers.
She felt a chill creep up her spine. She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, both men were looking at her intently, watching for her reaction. She stared absently at the fire and her mouth formed the shape of a silent "O."
For the first time in years, Hermione Granger was speechless.
~~~
Author's Notes:
Pronunciation:
Neconnus = Neck-oh-nis. With an accent on the "oh"
Remmehdi = Remm-eh-dee. Accent on the "eh"
Whew! That was a tough one to write! I PROMISE... there will be more moving around in chapters to come... they've sort of just been standing there... but I had to set up for the rest of the story.
Thank you for the brilliant reviews! I love you guys so much! Getting reviews makes not only my day, but my entire week!
I swear upon my Severus Snape action figure that from now on, I will review every story that I read!
Thanks again... and don't forget to r&r!