Title: Footsteps

Rating: G – Almost swearing, naturally.

Genre: Plans are starting to be put into operation. More Drama – no Romance, and not much Humour in this chapter – maybe the next chapter.

Summary: The eventful afternoon tea that has been mentioned in all but the first chapter finally occurs. Today's guests are Severus O Snape and Albus "Bumblebee" Dumbledore. Unexpected guests may arrived but may have a hexed look about them…

Disclaimer: Please look at Chapters I, II, III and IV. Sorry, I still do not feel inspirational at the moment.

A/N: Sorry about this chapter being delayed, but more important things (ie, Nana braking her wrist) has taken priority. Plus the fact that I have to get ready for university. Oh, and by-the-way, reading this you might recognise an outside influence. It will explain itself in later chapters.

Chapter VI – The Madness of Afternoon Tea and Disillusional Dark Lords

Severus and Albus brushed off some of the roots and parts of bushes that they both had seemed to acquire through their journey as they waited in a quiet, little glen of the overgrown forest.

"Tell me again why we took that route?" Albus asked as he tugged (, attempted to) at piece of ivy that was stuck in impossible angles within his beard.

Severus groaned under his breath. He was asked this question every single time – a role reversal that he never had enjoyed. "It is the quickest way as it is the only way."

"I'm sure that there is another way – there has to be. I cannot see some of our mutual friends using this route."

"It is the only route for five of us. Deal."

Severus muttered inside his head, 'and people say that the Great Albus Dumbledore is the brains behind all the operations…'

"I heard that, Sev."

'I knew you would tune in, nosy whatsit.'

Snort.

Albus managed to get himself in an organised state of dress (everyone had their little quirks; and his, he could admit, was to look good), as well as mind, as he knocked three times on a small cottage door that had suddenly appeared in front of the pair. A man who looked around the thirty years old mark, promptly opened the door.

"Sev! Bumblebee!" He said with a large grin on his face. "Come on in. Earl Grey all right with you? How is your impressive family, Bumblebee, since the last time I saw you?"

Replying to the random, normal greetings, Albus and Severus followed the man into a tiny, but beautiful lounge. A pot of tea pre-prepared with three cups and saucers were set on a low table in the middle of the room. Severus, Albus and Tom settled down into soft couches.

Now this doesn't seem to appear strange at all, does it? No decapitated heads hanging from hooks in the kitchen, no evil minions crawling about the place … just the sound of a hall clock click-clocking and the sound of tea being poured. Tom, or more commonly known as Voldemort in the Wizarding World, isn't the typical host to such an occasion. Or so you think. Most people forget that both his mother and father (although from different worlds) both came from that same high class and era that believed in doing things proper. Proper Victorians, indeed they were.

Over the past one and a half years, a gradual change had affected Tom. Due to the ritual involving Harry Potter's blood, he had become more human, and less snake-like (although a few spells, charms and potions from Severus had helped the process along a tad). His once dark eyes, though, would forever be glowing blood-red. That could not be helped, nor removed. Even if the glow could be removed, Albus would not allow it. He had his reasons, he always replied.

"Digestive, Albus?"

"Ooh, yes please." Albus replied to Tom's question, and took a biscuit from the tin. "Oh, and I made some butterfly cakes yesterday. I know that they are your favourites…"

As Severus took an offered Digestive, Tom said, "Thank you! I had the final cake from the last bunch on Sunday. Your wife was a genius, God rest her soul."

Albus nodded the acknowledgement.

Severus cut though the deadened silence. "Shall we talk shop before other more pleasant conversations like how poor last weeks international Quidditch match was."

Tom coughed. "Yes. Well, Albus, would you like to start?"

"Well, as you know (probably too well), Harry is in his sixth year at Hogwarts. It means we only have one and a half years until he leaves and officially becomes an adult legally. All our plans must be complete by this time. Nothing can ever get in the way – otherwise, I don't see a very bright future. Neither any afternoon tea parties, Tom.

"When I put the spell on Harry that All Hallows Eve, I knew things could still be unpredictable, that magic could, would leak, as we all know from three and a half years ago, when Harry's auntie, unfortunately,"

Cough. Cough. Cough.

"Became inflated, it was confirmed that my spells and wards around the Dursleys' household had not completely functioned in the correct manner. In some ways this is positive – he has developed minor barriers. But he cannot stay this way forever. Tom, your 'resurrection', opened the door marginally. Harry, I'm told by the portraits, has developed at a lightening rate at Charms and Divination, and it is hinted in most of his other subjects. Severus, here, can admit (on a good day) that there have been unusual improvements in his potion making and understanding. Same applies to Neville Longbottom, Simon Avery and Susan Bones, to name just some of the major players, but to a much lesser extent.

"You both need to remember the importance of this operation that has lasted since the middle stages of the Second World War. We will not – cannot – fail now.

"This improved sense of Divination has been mostly ignored by Harry (thank the gods for Sybil), and as long as he and Ron do not discuss their dreams in detail, we should be safe – Harry isn't normally the most open of people." A 'look' from the potions master made Dumbledore add, "I know it isn't very moral, Sev, about Ron. Not to tell the boy he's a seer and train him, but there are events occurring that we do not want him to See.

"I know that Tom didn't have much to do last year except order rich almost-pure-blooders around, and I'm sure it was tough … but now, Tom, you can put all those years worth of acting in the West End to use – and as close to the summer holidays as possible. Severus?"

(Buttercup, safely pretending to snooze in her hometree with her siblings, listened intently to the humans' conversation. Hopefully her luck would continue in her remaining undetected)

Severus cleared his throat and took a sip of his black, two sugars, tea. "Twenty four years ago, and subsequent years after, we were positive that we had identified all the children affected at various degrees. This is not the case. There are two more that I have discovered. One so minor we do not even need to consider her, but one I think could easily rival Harry for many reasons."

Tom cleared his throat. "Why do you think this?" he asked.

"One is from a muggle family, and so all that has happened is that she has become more, specialised, with her use of magic. She will never know. The male is the son of one of your 'loyal' deatheaters."

"That cannot be." Tom shook his head in denial. "They would not keep such a valuable asset away from me."

Severus smirked. Tom could be so daft at times. He seemed to believe that he was all-powerful in the eyes of his deatheaters and the world – that there was no one who could ever disobey him. "You know too well, Thomas," (Tom growled at the use of his full name) "that there are always power-plays in every society. Remember whom you over-ruled to get your position of 'Dark Lord'. Remember how you did it and the fact that he is six feet under. Some people are naturally power hungry and will do anything to get what they want."

Tom stammered, "B-But why…" It slowly dawned upon him, and resignedly declared;

"Lucius."

Severus nodded. "I'm surprised that he did not brag about it before to me. It shows how serious he is about this. He would let a little thing like the death of his only heir and son get in his way."

"Does Draco know?" Albus asked. This was news to him as well. The walls of Hogwarts did have one too many ears. This little cottage in the deepest part of the Dark Forest was the only place they could talk freely.

"All he knows is that his father is unimpressed about his grades and is giving him 'extracurricular' studies. At least that is what I have summarised. But he has a sharp mind – he won't be ignorant for long…"

"What you say does make sense. It would answer a few questions that some of the members of staff have."

Tom jumped into the conversation. "It does answer a few questions for us, also. Helps to answer one of my theories…"

"And which theory is that, Tom?" Sev asked, chuckling.

After a glare from the Dark Lord (his theories were not to be taken lightly), "Well, I need to gather enough data to substantiate what I have learnt today. I need his statistics and also the girl's to add to my database. Once you get back to Hogwarts, if you could send it to me via e-mail … it is so much faster than owl-mail. Just the usual bog standard information. I can hack into additional material if needs dictate."

After a round of sips at the Earl Grey, Albus continued the conversation. "This could cause some problems…"

Tom laughed out loud at the fact. "Voldemort doesn't mind dealing with this situation, you should know that, Bumblebee. You do know that Deatheaters have particular roles, obligations so to speak, to keep on the good side of their Lord. There has been a rumour about an uprise in the south of France that I received via my spy-network that needs to be dealt with. Lucius is French – he and a small select group should accompany him. If an accident occurred, then the effects of the situation would be diminished."

Albus turned towards his great-grandson. "Do you believe that this is the only action that we may take?"

Severus slowly nodded.

"We have done it before. Lucius is a problem on several levels. First his position within the deatheaters – officially and unofficially. Not all are happy about the current affairs … that not too much is happening action-wise. Officially he has a level three access. Within the other deatheaters he is the person below Voldemort, himself. Then you have the influence he has over the Ministry. His position within the Hogwarts' governors was taken away four years ago, so that is not so much a factor, but then there is his underhandedness with his son – which in the way Lucius is handling the situation is going to turn out messily. Lucius did used to be a good person, but a person, once corrupted cannot easily be changed. They do not want to be changed. Lucius and his father brought shame to the Malfoy name. If Draco wasn't so devoted towards his father and the Malfoy family, then I guess he would have broke years ago. His, um, devotion, has left him slightly blind."

Albus sighed. "I know we have done it before. You don't need to tell me that, young Severus." (That comment felt very patronising to Severus) "Do you agree, Tom?"

"I know that I am one of those 'corrupted' people that Sev mentioned, but I say that we should do it. Another tea?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

Albus decided he felt extremely old as he itched his ear. "Do it."

During the next minute, silenced reigned in the lounge, as the trio sipped on the tea.

Albus washed away the feeling the 'official' meeting that had just occurred. He always felt strange after them. It was time to adjourn and change the subject.

"Severus and I were having a little chat the other day, about such random things that you would not be interested in – mainly family matters. Very pleasant evening it was, indeed. And Severus was kind enough to bring up the subject of bossy wives and how that he is completely under Diana's thumb…"

"I am not!"

Albus ignored him. "Ignore him, Tom. Anyway, what comes up, but Wilma…"

Tom turned white as a sheet.

Ignoring now everybody in the room, Albus continued. "Had a lovely talk with her the other day, and I found out about her very colourful Hollywood career, and the reasons that she decided to fake her own death…"

Tom discovered that he had lost all feeling in his tongue and was unable to squeak a single word.

"I knew you were powerful, but like Lucius, you have been keeping things from me."

Tom gulped. He felt he was back in Transfiguration in first grade, with the teacher (a much younger, redheaded, Professor Dumbledore) glaring down at him because he transfigured his pincushion into a cushion that fired pins across at the Gryffindors. "You know I made some experiments into longer life, immortality … she has an old version of what I now use. It's permanent. You cannot remove the incantation. It means her ageing is decreased dramatically – not as much as me though."

"That is why apparently she cut off her career in such a fashion. She looked too youthful for her age. But that wasn't the only reason."

Another gulp from Tom, an amused look upon Severus. You did not often get the chance to see Voldemort squirm in his seat, and Severus was going to enjoy this as much as he could milk it.

Albus continued. "She told me that she had no contact with you. You disappeared into thin air. You faked your own dead, and Tom Riddle became no more. Think how hurt she was. She loved you. She gave up so much so she could marry you. And you know what? What is amazing? She still loves you. She believes that one day she will find you. And everything will be find and dandy and perfect. She has never had another marriage, another relationship or affair. For forty years she has done this. You are disgusting. I know some might say that we are cut from the same cloth, and we do get on well, but – well, I cannot tell you how I feel. I know I could have never done that to my Daisy."

"I'm sorry, I really am. But sometimes not all wounds can be healed and disappear. Some kill, some leaves scars."

Severus looked sympathetically at the older male. "But all we can ever say is that we tried."

Albus and Severus stood up and made their way to the front door.

Tom jumped up, "Wait! You are not going already?"

"I think we need to," said Sev, smirking – he always loved having the upper hand.

"But what about Backgammon? I thought…"

Tom faded off as the front door was opened.

"Hi."

A young-looking lady with white-blonde hair stood at the door with a shy look on her face.

"Hi," Echoed the lady.

Silence.

Albus coughed, "well, see you soon – two weeks from today, yes?"

Severus and Albus made their way out of the glen as quickly as they could. Before they were out of sight, the lady shouted. "Thank you, Bumblebee! Oh, and those Butterfly Cakes were gorgeous."

"Thank you!"

And finally the two professors made their way into the forest (mildly grumbling along the way), the other couple making their way to the kitchen (Tom looking like a freshly starched white sheet, Wilma looking too purposeful for Tom's liking).

Buttercup, the red squirrel (still pretending to sleep), pondered upon all that she had learnt from the powerful wizards. This would take time to analyse, and thank goodness, the Merlin-beard-rival wizard hadn't noticed anything too different. Thinking about her ears-dropping spell, she realised something fundamental. She just pictured it in her head. There was not any fancy words or tail waving. She just decided it. Could she just do the same with becoming a human? It would take a lot more power. Plus she would have to find one of those stripy, textured things that the wizards had worn as Humans didn't appear to have fur all over their bodies, stupid people.

She then realised the most important discovery of the day. There had been a female wizard. She had felt five sources of magic, and one of the voices was female. She wouldn't be out of place in their world, which had initially scared her – that magic devoted itself to the male population of the humans on this earth.

She giggled, making her mama look at the sleeping figure strangely. Buttercup had always been an odd one.

A/N2: The trio are becoming too over-confident. They believe that they cannot be heard, but Buttercup has proved them wrong. I sense that some things are going to go downhill from now on. ::Smirk::