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Snape swore viciously and kicked apart a dead log on the forest floor. "Now what?! Potter, you idiot, you can't even call off the meeting now, can you? You need to reassure the Circle and send them all off to bed soon, before we are all found out and killed! And now you can't!"
"I- I'm sorry-" Harry started timidly, but was cut off by a fresh outburst.
"YOU HAVE MADE A COLOSSAL MESS OF EVERYTHING, AS USUAL, POTTER!" Snape yelled up at him. "AND NOW WE ARE ALL IN DANGER! I CAN'T BELIEVE-"
Harry sighed. Towering thirty feet above his old teacher, he should feel confident enough to growl an authoritative, "Shut up!"...but he couldn't manage it. Snape's tirade kept him (and everyone else too, apparently) far too cowed to get a word in edgewise.
To Harry's surprise, Sophie finally stepped forward and, by tugging timidly on Snape's sleeve, silenced him instantly. "Um, Professor, you're making a whole lot of noise," she whispered.
"Yes, calm yourself, please do," Gabrielle said firmly. "If Harry can't use magic, it will only mean a slight change of plans. I still have some Polyjuice Potion left. I can impersonate him for now, send the Dark Circle home, and then we have all the time in the world to figure out how to get Harry down."
For a long minute, nobody spoke. Then, "Wow...that's just weird," said Julien.
"Bad enough to have one Black Center in the family..." Sophie muttered.
Snape was looking a little calmer and saner now. "It's very dangerous, but it could work," he said doubtfully, "if you can play the role properly. Can you? I wouldn't think so...but then again, your husband up there surprised me - I would never have expected him to have either the stomach or the ability to make such good use of the Cruciatus Curse..."
That comment made Harry cringe a little. "Er...yes, I've been meaning to apologize for that. I really didn't know what else to do, and I-"
He was relieved to be interrupted by an impatient wave of Snape's hand. "Don't apologize. We haven't the time, and anyway it served the necessary purpose. I am alive."
"Okay. Well, anyway...Gabrielle, he's right, you'll be risking your life if you do it..." Not wanting to pressure her, he didn't beg. Please, please go through with it! Or I'll be stuck up here all night...
"I will do it," she answered finally.
Harry smiled. "Okay. The charm for your face is Obvisajate. For your voice, you should mix Bassivocus and Discordantia. Watch - I'll show you the wand movements."
Within minutes, Gabrielle was disguised to Harry's satisfaction. "You sound enough like me, you look just like me, and if you can fake the attitude, you'll be fine," he assured her. "Just remember - they're all afraid of you. You're the boss."
She nodded soberly. "I'll manage," she grated. "But we still have to worry about getting you down. We can't leave you there forever, and besides I might need you to take over if I can't control them. I've got absolutely no experience being an evil overlord, you know."
Snape broke in, "I shall go and immediately begin brewing an antidote. Where can I get a sample of the potion you took?"
"My house, in my closet. Will you be able to find it, do you think?"
To Gabrielle's dismay, Sophie piped up, "I can show you, if you want."
After this comment, a guarded argument ensued. Gabrielle, who still didn't trust the Potions master, didn't want Sophie to go anyplace alone with him - after all, it would be so easy for him to run right to the Circle with her and hand her in, to get his own self out of danger. She tried to think of excuses as to why Sophie ought not to go.
Julien, on the other hand, was immensely relieved that his sister had volunteered. He certainly didn't want to have anything more to do with Snape than was absolutely necessary. Then again, he had to pretend that he was willing to help, too, or he might look cowardly.
Snape's position was the most delicate. He had to convince a distrustful Gabrielle to hand over her little girl, insisting that she was the assistant he required...while at the same time trying not to offend the woman by explaining that her son was far too stupid to be of any help whatsoever.
Eventually the tangled arrangements were complete. Gabrielle finally conceded - Sophie would help brew the potion, while Julien stayed with Harry in case he was needed for anything.
As he was leaving, Snape managed to make Gabrielle angry one last time, by turning to Harry and asking, "And are you sure that she can manage her task alone?"
"I can manage it just fine, sir," she said icily. "I'm a grown woman with better magical capabilities than you seem to think."
"My apologies," he answered, offering a small, slightly mocking bow. "Good luck to you. Sophie, come with me."
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The Potions work would take place at the Potter house, but getting there took a lot longer than Snape would have liked. Since Sophie couldn't Apparate, it was necessary to use a combination of Muggle transportation and Floo Powder. They chose a parked car, charmed its engine to life, and stole it. Snape drove to the nearest wizarding household he knew of, knocked politely, then peremptorily informed the sleepy homeowner that an emergency had arisen and "we will need brief but immediate use of your fireplace."
Finally, nearly half an hour after leaving the Dark Circle meeting, they were ready to get down to business.
Sophie found the bottle of Wit-Enhancing Potion, and Snape stared at the label for several minutes before ordering, "All right, Miss Potter, I need the following ingredients: scarab paste, crushed dodo beak, oil of..."
He continued to rattle things off as Sophie rushed around, going through cabinets and trying to keep up with his orders.
Finally she had everything. They set up a cauldron and began adding things in one by one, occasionally stirring or reciting charms to help the substance's brewing. Soon, the mixture was almost ready, and all that was left was to stir it until it reached a slow boil, pouring in a few things here and there. Snape conjured a chair to sit on, sighing and plopping down in it rather melodramatically.
"Do you want something to eat or drink or anything?" Sophie asked cautiously. He noticed with dismay that she was smothering yawns every few minutes.
"No, I am fine," he replied, glancing at the clock. "But it is almost three o'clock in the morning. You may sleep for a while if you are tired."
"May I? All right," she said delightedly. "Just wake me if you need anything." Without further ado, she dragged herself from the kitchen and fell onto a couch. Snape suspected that she was already asleep in midair, because the minute she touched the cushions, a soft wheezy sort of snoring began issuing from the living room.
Ten minutes later, the mixture still wasn't ready. Sophie's breathing was still audible, and Snape was continually annoyed to find his own breathing falling in perfect time with it.
He was vaguely concerned as to how things were going in the woods. But the woman's job wasn't difficult, he told himself firmly, and she swore she was well up to it. He pushed the events in the forest to the back of his mind - it was important now that he concentrate on the potion in front of him. But it was so hard, when his head was clouded by fatigue and the treacherously soothing cadence of a child's deep breathing!
I can't even stay awake, much less mix a potion properly, if she keeps that up! he thought, irritated. With his wand, he levitated her a few inches and dropped her again, which for a moment seemed effective. Sophie was quiet...
... for a second or two. Then she groaned in protest and began tossing and turning in her sleep, trying to wiggle her way back into the comfort Snape had apparently disrupted. Her sleep disturbed, she soon opened her eyes and looked around.
After blinking confusedly a few times, she yawned and called crossly into the kitchen, "All right, what do you want?"
"Nothi-" Snape broke off. A searing pain had just shot through his left forearm. Damn it, it's the Mark! Who is calling me now? Who else? It had to be Potter.
"Get up," he ordered sharply. "Now."
She obeyed, looking apprehensive. "What happened?"
"Your father," he answered, "seems to be trying to communicate with me. It could be important, so I'll go, and you will stay and watch over the potion. Keep mixing it, and-"
"No!" she said loudly, looking panicked. "Professor, you know how you always yell at me in class...I keep making mistakes...I'm terrible at Potions, and I'm liable to ruin it!"
He gestured impatiently for her to approach the cauldron. "I realize that, Miss Potter, and I certainly hate to leave an important and experimental potion in the hands of a first-year student... However...you know, I really shouldn't tell you this, because I'm sure it will infect you with the sickeningly self-loving attitude shared by the rest of your family...but I think you will be able to handle the potion. I have some slight faith in your abilities; at any rate I'm thankful it's you and not your brother to whom I'm entrusting things. Make sure you just stay alert and watch for any signs of change. Add more grindylow brain when it starts to thicken. I should be back in a few minutes."
She nodded. "All right," she said miserably, "but hurry. This'll probably explode soon with me at the wheel, and there's probably nothing wrong in the woods anyhow."
He Disapparated without answering.
*************************************************
What had happened in the woods during Snape and Sophie's little alchemy session? Plenty....
Gabrielle took a deep breath and shot an enormous glob of dark greenish light into the air. As she'd expected, the signal drew the Dark Circle back to her, and they all came and wordlessly took their places. Unfortunately, the others picked up immediately on the fact that Snape's spot was vacant.
"Center, it looks as though Severus has gone missing," Lucius Malfoy said with barely suppressed smugness. "Apparently I was right - he's not to be trusted."
"Let's execute him!" cried Davis enthusiastically. "He deserves it!"
She held up her hand for silence. Trying to imitate Harry's manner of speech as closely as possible, she declared, "Snape's whereabouts are not unknown to me."
"Oh, good," said Davis cheerfully. "It'll be easy to go finish him off, then."
She raised her wand as though to curse him, and he fell silent. "Do not interrupt me again," she cautioned. "I will tell you what steps I have taken to ensure his loyalty."
Steps? What steps? Dear God, what am I saying? Think of something, quickly! Luckily, her hesitation was so small it was taken for a deliberate pause. "I have sent him on a mission," she began slowly, then finished in a rush as a plausible explanation came into her head. "I have sent him, as part of his...er...probation, to deal with the Veela-woman who escaped from us tonight. He is to find her, catch her, and bring her here at eight o'clock tomorrow evening. If he does not, we will know that he's either unable or unwilling to serve us properly, and we will kill him."
"And if he does?" someone prompted eagerly.
"If he does... then we can have a little fun with her before heading out on our various elimination tasks," she answered with a harsh laugh.
"So the massacre's definitely tomorrow?" Davis asked.
"Yes. We will meet here at seven o'clock - an hour earlier than I told Snape to appear - deal with him first, then get to work...I'll expect our enemies all dead by about midnight. Of course, if our dear slippery friend Severus decides to turn on us, our early arrival will ensure that we catch any Ministry forces off-guard. Depending which way Snape's loyalties lie, we may very well find ourselves with a rousing fight against Aurors here before we go for the easier kills later. Be prepared."
Nods came from around the circle. "And one more thing," she rasped. "Do not spoil our plans by acting early. If I hear that any one of you has taken premature steps to kill his victim before our meeting, I will be...most displeased. And I will exhibit my displeasure in the most graphic manner imaginable. Do you all understand?"
More nods. "Good. Then I will see you all tomorrow evening. Go home and get some sleep... you won't be doing much sleeping tomorrow night. We are adjourned."
She folded her arms and stood impassively for a moment, then Disapparated, expecting the Circle to do the same.
And for the most part, they did. The clearing emptied itself rather quickly, until all that was left was a few stragglers milling about the dying torches, and one shadowy figure leaning against a tree watching them intently. "Malfoy! Are you still around?" the person asked.
One of the wizards turned to face him. "Yes, Davis, I am. What do you want?" The contempt in his tone was evident, and Davis began to seethe. Who the hell does he think he is? I was the one who brought the Circle together in the first place!
"I want to talk to you. Alone. Send your buddies home." Davis was pleased to notice that he sounded dire and frightening, like the hero cowboy in an old Western movie.
A nod from Malfoy was all it took to make the other wizards Disapparate. He took a few steps forward, and Davis warned, "Think you're slick? I see you reaching for that wand. And don't think I'm not covering you." He uncrossed his arms and shot a few sparks from his wand, which was pointed directly at Malfoy's chest.
"Are you trying to frighten me?" Malfoy laughed rudely. "It's not working. Stop trying to sound threatening - you're terrible at it - and just tell me what you want."
Davis felt himself flush. "What I want is for you to lose that attitude! You think you're sooooo hot, don't you? You think you run the place. Well, you don't! You and your stupid British buddies would still be at home, uh, knitting, or whatever you people do here, if I hadn't come and assembled you all! I! Me! I deserve some recognition here, and instead everyone bows down to you. You're old. You're a has-been. And I'm warning you...I've had it!"
Infuriatingly enough, his rage seemed at first only to amuse Malfoy, who chuckled and shook his head. Then, he grew serious, took off his Death Eater mask and narrowed his eyes. Walking forward slowly, he whispered, "You had better watch your mouth, young man, or I will curse you. And then...then we will see how much of a 'has-been' I am..." He gave a chilling smile which made Davis back away a few feet. "Or rather, I will see... once I get through with you, there will no longer be a 'we'..."
"All right - stay back!" Davis ordered, voice shaking. He tried to raise his wand and hold it steady, but he was trembling too much. Malfoy started laughing yet again. That's it! He's going down! In a minute, the fear vanished and was replaced with anger.
Davis shot an enormous fireball from his wand. Unfortunately, his enemy had been expecting something of the kind, and dove for the ground expertly. Not only did the fireball miss Malfoy completely, it also slammed into one of the torches and blazed into the bushes nearby.
"Oh, crap!"
Wood and pitch and magical fire roared to life as a huge mass of voracious flame. As the fire started catching on trees, brush, and fallen leaves, the two wizards stood speechless. In a few seconds' time, they'd started a big forest fire that neither could put out with simple extinguishing spells.
"We'd better think up a good story, or we're gonna be in so much trouble when the Center finds out..." Davis muttered to Malfoy, then realized that Malfoy was already gone. "He Disapparated on me, the snake!" Davis exclaimed. "When the Center sees this mess, he'll have my head!"
All by himself, facing a wall of flame which seemed to be growing every minute, Davis debated his next move. Should I try to put it out? No, I'll never be able to. Should I leave? Yeah. Why not? Who cares if the trees burn down? Should I admit to the Center that it was my fault? No, not unless I have a death wish. I'll go and pretend I don't know anything about this. Once he made his decision, he too disappeared into thin air, leaving the fire to eat through the abandoned forest unchecked. Although....
The forest was not quite as abandoned as he believed.
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Hey, I warned you last time about the danger of spontaneous combustion.
Speaking of last time, did nobody like the last chapter? (pouts). Nobody reviewed. We're getting near the end - only a few more chapters left - so if you are ever going to have a heart and write me... do it soon!
I really want to know what you all think.
Thanks for reading.