Authors Note: My dreadful habit of plot-thickeners (a phrase that popped
into my head right after 'and so the plot thickens') is going to – for now
anyway – come to an end. No, Lance will not be making any more appearances
(to the best of my knowledge); it was a one off. Anyone wanting similar
'cameo appearances' may request that in a review, I'll do my best.
Thanks to: Erin, my best friend, for listening while I babble about this. Also, my first reviewer.
Dedicated to: My cat, who always (well not right now, bugger the little traitor) keeps me company by the computer. My sister, Janice, and my other sister, Sorcha. To Janice for keeping in touch and being a great long- distance-sibling, and to Sorcha because she'll be nice to me for ages if she finds out I dedicated something to her.
-
Chapter Seven: Don't Stop Dancing
-
Morag had just finished getting ready for the ball. Her robes were a Les chiffons aux Richesses design that hadn't yet been released. A blue that almost sparkled, 100% pure silk. The floaty material clung, and Morag's jewelry consisted of her mother's pearl & diamond choker, with matching earrings and bracelet. She hoped that she would still look good next to Thamala's blood red and ruby finery.
She fixed the last braid carefully around her head, creating a pearl-dotted crown of silvery hair, and looked up, as there came a knock at the door.
"Lillie!" it was Thamala. She was going with a seventh year Slytherin, Lucas Morraine. "Lilli, Draco and Lucas are waiting. Are you ready?"
Adding a little color to her alabaster white cheeks, Morag opened the door. "Coming," she replied, picking up her white fur wrap.
Thamala looked her over. "Very nice," she approved, and led the way down to Draco and Lucas.
Draco's only sign of Harry's attack was that he winced occasionally, but other than that, he looked fine. Offering his arm to Morag, she and he led the group down to the ball.
-
Already there were Hermione, Ron and Harry.
Ron and Hermione came together, mostly because Harry made Ron ask her. Hermione looked marvelous, and Ron clearly had new dress robes, good ones.
"Harry," Hermione murmured warningly as Draco walked past with his arm around Morag's waist. Harry clenched his fists, silent.
Ginny was concerned. "What is it, Harry?"
He fought to regain his calm. "Nothing. That Malfoy git just rubs me the wrong way."
Kieran, standing by Ginny, said nothing. He'd written to his father about Morag – Lilli – and the truth came out. The thought of Malfoy near his sister angered him.
Harry saw the look in Kieran's eyes – but he knew Kieran liked Ginny. What was going on?
When Kieran moved away to get Ginny a drink, Harry followed.
"What made you look at Morag?" he asked quietly.
"She's my sister." Kieran blurted.
-
It took Harry a while to analyze that.
-
Draco led Morag out onto the dance floor, avoiding the jealous gaze of Pansy, who – because of her lack of options – had come with Goyle. If she hoped to make Draco jealous, she could think again.
Morag rested her chin on Draco's shoulder and watched the other dancers. Thamala danced effortlessly with Lucas Morraine, Ron was trying not to stand on Hermione's toes and – no! She wasn't going to look at Harry, or Kieran. A tight knot of guilt surged up, but nobody could see how she felt.
-
Kieran was watching her, his sister. He couldn't help but be jealous of some things – her lovely, kind mother, and the fact that nobody looked on her as second rate, or worthless. The way his mother did.
She'd noticed him.
She was looking back at him.
She knew.
-
Harry watched Morag and Draco, jealousy boiling away. Morag laughed as Draco twirled her across the floor, and spun her into his arms. Hermione came to stand next to Harry.
"I don't think Professor Dumbledore will like it much if you and Malfoy brawl in here." She said, once again going straight to the point.
"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed quietly.
"I mean it. You know she's his girlfriend. You also know why she's doing what she's doing – remember? You told me about it and got me to tell her you knew. She has about as much choice in this as you do, no matter what her personal feelings are on the matter. But you might want to find out what those personal feelings are."
Hermione was right, as she so often – always – was.
-
Draco had gone to get drinks, and Morag sat at their table, pondering her research. She knew she could summon the Keeper now – why didn't she?
Fear.
She was afraid that it wouldn't work, that the spell would backfire. Not unreasonable worries, either, there were graphic descriptions of what had happened when this most powerful spell had backfired.
Fear – forget fear. Stark terror.
She was jolted out of her reverie as Draco tapped her on the shoulder.
"Lilli? Here's your drink." He offered her a glass.
"Thank you, Draco." She replied, taking the glass with a weak smile.
He sat down across from her, trying not to let it be so obvious that he couldn't keep his eyes off her. She sipped idly at the butterbeer, lost once more in the haze of her thoughts.
Thamala and Lucas came and sat down next to them.
"Lucas is a simply marvelous dancer, Lilli." Thamala lowered her lashes in a flirtatious way at Lucas, who put his hand possessively over hers. "I have to thank you for introducing us."
"Oh, it was a pleasure." Morag said dismissively. It was true – introducing him to Thamala meant he left her alone. Which was most certainly a good thing, she found him both boring and irritating.
"Well, thank you anyway." Thamala watched Morag the way a predator watches its prey. Morag felt it considerably disconcerting.
"Lucas, you haven't said much." Draco turned to him.
"Bemused by these two lovely ladies, Malfoy." Lucas replied, flashing the girls a charming smile.
Morag stifled a laugh. Lucas reminded her of her father – her 'natural' father, whom she'd been told so much of recently. Lucas seemed to fit the description just as well as Jonathan O'Connell did. 'A charming prat, who's nothing but talk', Gom had told her. 'Untrustworthy and irritating', he'd added.
Draco gave her a quizzical look, but didn't ask. Morag was relieved.
-
Thamala smiled to herself.
It hadn't taken that stupid owl long to give in and tell her what she wanted to know.
Snape had betrayed Voldemort.
The idea filled her with 'righteous' indignation; he had betrayed their master! Thamala, you may have guessed, was a Death Eater. A very…enthusiastic Death Eater.
She wasn't going to let him get away with it. She had told Voldemort – and helpfully provided her master with a way into Hogwarts. It was really quite simple, and it cut across protective barriers as though they weren't there.
She invited him. Formally.
She'd laughed at the simplicity of it. What it boils down to is that the protective spells and barriers are there for people and beings that are not supposed to be there. She invited him; he was supposed to be there.
She knew that she would be rewarded for such loyal work. A pleasant thought. Perhaps, when he ruled the world, she mused; he might give her a little country, or perhaps just a province. Or maybe just Morag. She'd like to torture Snape's daughter, the girl who had been so steadily working to bring Draco over to her side.
Thamala had also found out what Morag was doing in the library at all hours of the night, what she was researching. The Keeper of Secrets. An ancient and infinitely powerful being, she knew, the Keeper could protect and hide anything. Its power could also be channeled, but the Keeper was a notoriously temperamental creature. She hoped that Morag would be able to succeed – because like it or not, Morag Lillith Snape was going to summon the Keeper and have it do Voldemort's bidding.
Tonight, a lot was going to happen.
-
Kieran couldn't shake the feeling that someone was up to something, and that he wasn't going to like whatever it was. The feeling that they were all in grave danger, and they didn't even know it.
"Kieran?" Ginny looked at him with concern in her eyes. "What's the matter? You're so quiet."
"I'm fine, Ginny." He attempted a smile for her sake. "Nothing's the matter. Would you like to dance?" smoothly, Kieran distracted her from inquiring any further, and slipped one arm around her waist, leading her out to dance.
Ginny wasn't going to be put off so easily. "Something's bothering you." She insisted. "You can tell me, Kieran, please?"
"It's nothing." He replied, wishing she weren't so observant.
"If you say so. But if you want to tell me," she left it hanging in the air.
"If I want to talk to you, I will." He had won; he could afford to be gracious about it.
-
"Severus, try not to look so like a storm cloud."
Morganna's merry soprano could be heard at the top table. For a moment, you could have heard a pin drop.
Then Professor Snape let out a long sigh, and nodded. "I'm sorry, Morganna. I'm paranoid, I admit it."
"Come and dance with me," she held out her hand, "and if you don't smile, you're going to frighten the first years."
"Yes, dear." He took her hand and led her out to the dance floor. She wasn't as calm, or carefree, as she would have him believe, though. Severus, Kieran, and Morag were not the only ones worrying. Morganna was similarly fretful; she was just better at hiding it.
"Professor Snape," it was Morag's cousin, Elysoun. She wasn't the most popular girl with the Snapes lately, but she felt she had to do this. "Professor Snape, Montgomery's harassing squirrels by the lake."
Snape swore, and let go of his wife. "When I get my hands on that damned owl," he said grimly, walking out the door.
Morganna sighed and followed quickly – Montgomery wasn't the best owl, but she'd rather that he wasn't beaten to death.
-
"Thank goodness for Polyjuice potion."
-
Elysoun Montaque, as a matter of fact, was lying unconscious in the girl's bathroom.
-
There was an explosion. Where there once was a wall, there was now a gaping hole. Having been sitting so close, Morag and Draco were flung back. Morag hit a wall, and collapsed unconscious onto a table. Draco went sliding along the floor and was knocked out by a falling picture.
There were screams, as Voldemort's stood silhouetted by the full moon.
Snape rushed back into the Hall as he realized that it had been a ruse – Montgomery was no where to be seen, and then there was the explosion…
Voldemort advanced on Morag, who was bleeding a little from a cut in her forehead.
Snape darted in front of him, intent on protecting his daughter. So many had died – he didn't want Morag to be just another casualty of war.
Almost negligently, Voldemort said "Crucio."
Morganna screamed and would have flung herself at Voldemort had she not been restrained by several Death Eaters' – Lucius Malfoy had evidently gotten over his irrational fear of her. She hadn't set fire to his robes since graduation.
Snape writhed in agony, in a crumpled heap on the floor.
Harry, Ron and Hermione stood aghast, and Dumbledore's eyes flashed. "Voldemort." He said the name quietly. "Tom Riddle."
"What are you going to do to me, Albus?" Voldemort taunted, as two of his Death Eaters' picked up Morag's limp form and Snape fell into that black night of unconsciousness. "I have hostages now, little Morag Snape and the good professor's wife." He put emphasis on 'good'. "If you, or anyone here, comes any closer without permission, Severus can kiss his family goodbye."
Morganna wept, tears of misery and resignation, and of fear for her daughter. She wasn't afraid for herself, she had cast her lot with Severus Snape years ago, knowing the circumstances, and she had thought to herself 'Come what may', but her daughter had been given no such choice. She feared for Morag, so young and full of promise.
Dumbledore looked calm as he responded. "Tom, threatening those weaker than yourself? Are you so insecure?"
That seemed to enrage the Dark Lord. "Malfoy," he said sharply.
Lucius nodded, and Morganna was suddenly in the blissful ignorance and surrender of the Imperio curse. Why should she argue? There was no reason to it. She would do exactly what they told her to do. There were no other options. She couldn't avoid doing what they said.
Harry still watched, but knew that Voldemort wouldn't hesitate to kill Morag or her mother. Hermione and Ron stood either side of him. "Harry," Hermione whispered, "I think he needs Morag. Look at him, he didn't come here just to have her killed for her father's 'treachery', or he would have killed her already. He wants something."
"You're right, Miss Granger." It was Thamala Blake, the most evil of evils. "She can summon the Keeper of Secrets. If she's as powerful as my master believes, she'll be able to control it as well."
Hermione gasped, but Harry and Ron merely looked confused.
"Don't you two read anything?" Hermione stomped her foot impatiently. "The Keeper of Secrets is a powerful being – and though a lot of the writing of it is ambiguous, what we can work out is that it is a creature, not a spell. It's infinitely powerful and if Morag can control it…in Voldemort's hands…"
"Very astute, Granger." Thamala said conversationally. "Imagine what Voldemort could do with your clever little mind,"
Hermione recoiled as if she'd been struck, and Ron and Harry were similarly revolted. Not only by Thamala's insinuation, but because they'd just realized what Voldemort could do with the power that Morag represented.
Severus Snape gave a howl of rage, terror, and misery as Voldemort and his followers vanished into the night, taking with them his family.
-
Voldemort laughed.
-
-
-
Authors Note: Hope this meets with approval. Had to rush to get it finished, but it did take longer than all the other chapters. (Except for Chapter 1, which took several weeks, and then I had to go back and tidy it up) Most of the other chapters were finished in a day or so, but I put some more effort into this one. It's not as 'cliff-hangery' as I wanted, but it'll do. Yes, I've planned out what's happening next. No, I'm not telling. You'll just have to wait for chapter 8, won't you?
Thanks to: Erin, my best friend, for listening while I babble about this. Also, my first reviewer.
Dedicated to: My cat, who always (well not right now, bugger the little traitor) keeps me company by the computer. My sister, Janice, and my other sister, Sorcha. To Janice for keeping in touch and being a great long- distance-sibling, and to Sorcha because she'll be nice to me for ages if she finds out I dedicated something to her.
-
Chapter Seven: Don't Stop Dancing
-
Morag had just finished getting ready for the ball. Her robes were a Les chiffons aux Richesses design that hadn't yet been released. A blue that almost sparkled, 100% pure silk. The floaty material clung, and Morag's jewelry consisted of her mother's pearl & diamond choker, with matching earrings and bracelet. She hoped that she would still look good next to Thamala's blood red and ruby finery.
She fixed the last braid carefully around her head, creating a pearl-dotted crown of silvery hair, and looked up, as there came a knock at the door.
"Lillie!" it was Thamala. She was going with a seventh year Slytherin, Lucas Morraine. "Lilli, Draco and Lucas are waiting. Are you ready?"
Adding a little color to her alabaster white cheeks, Morag opened the door. "Coming," she replied, picking up her white fur wrap.
Thamala looked her over. "Very nice," she approved, and led the way down to Draco and Lucas.
Draco's only sign of Harry's attack was that he winced occasionally, but other than that, he looked fine. Offering his arm to Morag, she and he led the group down to the ball.
-
Already there were Hermione, Ron and Harry.
Ron and Hermione came together, mostly because Harry made Ron ask her. Hermione looked marvelous, and Ron clearly had new dress robes, good ones.
"Harry," Hermione murmured warningly as Draco walked past with his arm around Morag's waist. Harry clenched his fists, silent.
Ginny was concerned. "What is it, Harry?"
He fought to regain his calm. "Nothing. That Malfoy git just rubs me the wrong way."
Kieran, standing by Ginny, said nothing. He'd written to his father about Morag – Lilli – and the truth came out. The thought of Malfoy near his sister angered him.
Harry saw the look in Kieran's eyes – but he knew Kieran liked Ginny. What was going on?
When Kieran moved away to get Ginny a drink, Harry followed.
"What made you look at Morag?" he asked quietly.
"She's my sister." Kieran blurted.
-
It took Harry a while to analyze that.
-
Draco led Morag out onto the dance floor, avoiding the jealous gaze of Pansy, who – because of her lack of options – had come with Goyle. If she hoped to make Draco jealous, she could think again.
Morag rested her chin on Draco's shoulder and watched the other dancers. Thamala danced effortlessly with Lucas Morraine, Ron was trying not to stand on Hermione's toes and – no! She wasn't going to look at Harry, or Kieran. A tight knot of guilt surged up, but nobody could see how she felt.
-
Kieran was watching her, his sister. He couldn't help but be jealous of some things – her lovely, kind mother, and the fact that nobody looked on her as second rate, or worthless. The way his mother did.
She'd noticed him.
She was looking back at him.
She knew.
-
Harry watched Morag and Draco, jealousy boiling away. Morag laughed as Draco twirled her across the floor, and spun her into his arms. Hermione came to stand next to Harry.
"I don't think Professor Dumbledore will like it much if you and Malfoy brawl in here." She said, once again going straight to the point.
"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed quietly.
"I mean it. You know she's his girlfriend. You also know why she's doing what she's doing – remember? You told me about it and got me to tell her you knew. She has about as much choice in this as you do, no matter what her personal feelings are on the matter. But you might want to find out what those personal feelings are."
Hermione was right, as she so often – always – was.
-
Draco had gone to get drinks, and Morag sat at their table, pondering her research. She knew she could summon the Keeper now – why didn't she?
Fear.
She was afraid that it wouldn't work, that the spell would backfire. Not unreasonable worries, either, there were graphic descriptions of what had happened when this most powerful spell had backfired.
Fear – forget fear. Stark terror.
She was jolted out of her reverie as Draco tapped her on the shoulder.
"Lilli? Here's your drink." He offered her a glass.
"Thank you, Draco." She replied, taking the glass with a weak smile.
He sat down across from her, trying not to let it be so obvious that he couldn't keep his eyes off her. She sipped idly at the butterbeer, lost once more in the haze of her thoughts.
Thamala and Lucas came and sat down next to them.
"Lucas is a simply marvelous dancer, Lilli." Thamala lowered her lashes in a flirtatious way at Lucas, who put his hand possessively over hers. "I have to thank you for introducing us."
"Oh, it was a pleasure." Morag said dismissively. It was true – introducing him to Thamala meant he left her alone. Which was most certainly a good thing, she found him both boring and irritating.
"Well, thank you anyway." Thamala watched Morag the way a predator watches its prey. Morag felt it considerably disconcerting.
"Lucas, you haven't said much." Draco turned to him.
"Bemused by these two lovely ladies, Malfoy." Lucas replied, flashing the girls a charming smile.
Morag stifled a laugh. Lucas reminded her of her father – her 'natural' father, whom she'd been told so much of recently. Lucas seemed to fit the description just as well as Jonathan O'Connell did. 'A charming prat, who's nothing but talk', Gom had told her. 'Untrustworthy and irritating', he'd added.
Draco gave her a quizzical look, but didn't ask. Morag was relieved.
-
Thamala smiled to herself.
It hadn't taken that stupid owl long to give in and tell her what she wanted to know.
Snape had betrayed Voldemort.
The idea filled her with 'righteous' indignation; he had betrayed their master! Thamala, you may have guessed, was a Death Eater. A very…enthusiastic Death Eater.
She wasn't going to let him get away with it. She had told Voldemort – and helpfully provided her master with a way into Hogwarts. It was really quite simple, and it cut across protective barriers as though they weren't there.
She invited him. Formally.
She'd laughed at the simplicity of it. What it boils down to is that the protective spells and barriers are there for people and beings that are not supposed to be there. She invited him; he was supposed to be there.
She knew that she would be rewarded for such loyal work. A pleasant thought. Perhaps, when he ruled the world, she mused; he might give her a little country, or perhaps just a province. Or maybe just Morag. She'd like to torture Snape's daughter, the girl who had been so steadily working to bring Draco over to her side.
Thamala had also found out what Morag was doing in the library at all hours of the night, what she was researching. The Keeper of Secrets. An ancient and infinitely powerful being, she knew, the Keeper could protect and hide anything. Its power could also be channeled, but the Keeper was a notoriously temperamental creature. She hoped that Morag would be able to succeed – because like it or not, Morag Lillith Snape was going to summon the Keeper and have it do Voldemort's bidding.
Tonight, a lot was going to happen.
-
Kieran couldn't shake the feeling that someone was up to something, and that he wasn't going to like whatever it was. The feeling that they were all in grave danger, and they didn't even know it.
"Kieran?" Ginny looked at him with concern in her eyes. "What's the matter? You're so quiet."
"I'm fine, Ginny." He attempted a smile for her sake. "Nothing's the matter. Would you like to dance?" smoothly, Kieran distracted her from inquiring any further, and slipped one arm around her waist, leading her out to dance.
Ginny wasn't going to be put off so easily. "Something's bothering you." She insisted. "You can tell me, Kieran, please?"
"It's nothing." He replied, wishing she weren't so observant.
"If you say so. But if you want to tell me," she left it hanging in the air.
"If I want to talk to you, I will." He had won; he could afford to be gracious about it.
-
"Severus, try not to look so like a storm cloud."
Morganna's merry soprano could be heard at the top table. For a moment, you could have heard a pin drop.
Then Professor Snape let out a long sigh, and nodded. "I'm sorry, Morganna. I'm paranoid, I admit it."
"Come and dance with me," she held out her hand, "and if you don't smile, you're going to frighten the first years."
"Yes, dear." He took her hand and led her out to the dance floor. She wasn't as calm, or carefree, as she would have him believe, though. Severus, Kieran, and Morag were not the only ones worrying. Morganna was similarly fretful; she was just better at hiding it.
"Professor Snape," it was Morag's cousin, Elysoun. She wasn't the most popular girl with the Snapes lately, but she felt she had to do this. "Professor Snape, Montgomery's harassing squirrels by the lake."
Snape swore, and let go of his wife. "When I get my hands on that damned owl," he said grimly, walking out the door.
Morganna sighed and followed quickly – Montgomery wasn't the best owl, but she'd rather that he wasn't beaten to death.
-
"Thank goodness for Polyjuice potion."
-
Elysoun Montaque, as a matter of fact, was lying unconscious in the girl's bathroom.
-
There was an explosion. Where there once was a wall, there was now a gaping hole. Having been sitting so close, Morag and Draco were flung back. Morag hit a wall, and collapsed unconscious onto a table. Draco went sliding along the floor and was knocked out by a falling picture.
There were screams, as Voldemort's stood silhouetted by the full moon.
Snape rushed back into the Hall as he realized that it had been a ruse – Montgomery was no where to be seen, and then there was the explosion…
Voldemort advanced on Morag, who was bleeding a little from a cut in her forehead.
Snape darted in front of him, intent on protecting his daughter. So many had died – he didn't want Morag to be just another casualty of war.
Almost negligently, Voldemort said "Crucio."
Morganna screamed and would have flung herself at Voldemort had she not been restrained by several Death Eaters' – Lucius Malfoy had evidently gotten over his irrational fear of her. She hadn't set fire to his robes since graduation.
Snape writhed in agony, in a crumpled heap on the floor.
Harry, Ron and Hermione stood aghast, and Dumbledore's eyes flashed. "Voldemort." He said the name quietly. "Tom Riddle."
"What are you going to do to me, Albus?" Voldemort taunted, as two of his Death Eaters' picked up Morag's limp form and Snape fell into that black night of unconsciousness. "I have hostages now, little Morag Snape and the good professor's wife." He put emphasis on 'good'. "If you, or anyone here, comes any closer without permission, Severus can kiss his family goodbye."
Morganna wept, tears of misery and resignation, and of fear for her daughter. She wasn't afraid for herself, she had cast her lot with Severus Snape years ago, knowing the circumstances, and she had thought to herself 'Come what may', but her daughter had been given no such choice. She feared for Morag, so young and full of promise.
Dumbledore looked calm as he responded. "Tom, threatening those weaker than yourself? Are you so insecure?"
That seemed to enrage the Dark Lord. "Malfoy," he said sharply.
Lucius nodded, and Morganna was suddenly in the blissful ignorance and surrender of the Imperio curse. Why should she argue? There was no reason to it. She would do exactly what they told her to do. There were no other options. She couldn't avoid doing what they said.
Harry still watched, but knew that Voldemort wouldn't hesitate to kill Morag or her mother. Hermione and Ron stood either side of him. "Harry," Hermione whispered, "I think he needs Morag. Look at him, he didn't come here just to have her killed for her father's 'treachery', or he would have killed her already. He wants something."
"You're right, Miss Granger." It was Thamala Blake, the most evil of evils. "She can summon the Keeper of Secrets. If she's as powerful as my master believes, she'll be able to control it as well."
Hermione gasped, but Harry and Ron merely looked confused.
"Don't you two read anything?" Hermione stomped her foot impatiently. "The Keeper of Secrets is a powerful being – and though a lot of the writing of it is ambiguous, what we can work out is that it is a creature, not a spell. It's infinitely powerful and if Morag can control it…in Voldemort's hands…"
"Very astute, Granger." Thamala said conversationally. "Imagine what Voldemort could do with your clever little mind,"
Hermione recoiled as if she'd been struck, and Ron and Harry were similarly revolted. Not only by Thamala's insinuation, but because they'd just realized what Voldemort could do with the power that Morag represented.
Severus Snape gave a howl of rage, terror, and misery as Voldemort and his followers vanished into the night, taking with them his family.
-
Voldemort laughed.
-
-
-
Authors Note: Hope this meets with approval. Had to rush to get it finished, but it did take longer than all the other chapters. (Except for Chapter 1, which took several weeks, and then I had to go back and tidy it up) Most of the other chapters were finished in a day or so, but I put some more effort into this one. It's not as 'cliff-hangery' as I wanted, but it'll do. Yes, I've planned out what's happening next. No, I'm not telling. You'll just have to wait for chapter 8, won't you?