Chapter Thirteen

Even the Best Laid Plans

That Friday evening, Harry found himself walking up to the ivy-covered house that Severus had explored weeks before, rapping the ornate gargoyle doorknocker. It blinked at him once as if looking to see who it was, then the door opened and Cornelius Fudge peered out. The haggard old fellow seemed quite relieved to see him, trying to usher him quickly in. But Harry lingered a bit at the door as if looking around before finally letting the man shut it.

"It is good to see you, Harry! I am so glad you decided to call. I've been meaning to speak with you," Fudge said.

"Really? Is something wrong?" Harry asked, following him into the parlor.

"Yes, that is, I'm afraid I've gotten a bit over my head in something, and I don't know where to turn," Fudge said with a sigh, sitting down.

"I don't suppose this has anything to do with the Ministry of Mysteries pardoning you, does it?" Harry asked point blank. Fudge looked at him with a frown as if pondering how much to say. "Look, Mr. Fudge, I am quite willing to hear you out, but if you expect me to help you, you're going to have to be straight with me. After the way you've been acting the last few years, everyone I know has turned against you, and I'm not sure many of them would be too keen on my being here even now."

"Yes, especially your friends the Snapes, I suppose," Fudge sighed, turning over some teacups that quickly filled with warm liquid.

"And with good reason," Harry nodded sternly. From behind Fudge's chair, a House Elf peered around the corner, looking at Harry then behind Harry and back at him again nervously. Harry smiled reassuringly at the Elf before turning back to Fudge. "Not that they would ever harm you at all, but they do think you should be held accountable for your crimes."

"Harry, if you knew half the things I knew about Severus Snape's past, you might think twice about that assessment," Fudge said, shakily taking a sip of tea. "But that is nothing in comparison to my real problem. Tell me, Harry, do you know anything about the Order of Equinox?"

"Of course," Harry nodded. "They're the Order dedicated to preserving Ancient Magic."

"More than just that, actually, but yes, that's a large part of it," Fudge nodded. "Also working to collect ancient artifacts that sometimes turn up, securing them before the Muggles have a chance to accidentally trigger them… many of the artifacts now housed in the Ministry were recovered by Equinox. Not that they turn everything in, that I know well. Especially after the cursed item raids started. That was actually Dumbledore's idea, you know. I think he was afraid even then that the Death Eaters were already reforming, and he thought that the raids might uncover a few of them."

"And he was right," Harry said, thinking back ten years ago when the diary showed up.

"Yes, of course, but then… well, you see, what he didn't understand was that I really couldn't use the raids themselves as a guide. Many of the suspected Death Eaters were also members of Equinox, so they had already acquired a few questionable items over the years, items they kept as a part of their oath, to keep them out of Muggle hands. And, being a member of the Order myself, I couldn't exactly turn any of them in. After all, I myself helped acquire some of those items," Fudge explained. "They were being kept safe for the right reasons, or so I thought. Of course, some of the raids I didn't go on myself. Items that were acquired by others, I asked them to put them in a special Ministry vault so they wouldn't be disturbed."

"I'm beginning to see why you don't want to go to Arthur now," Harry said, having a hard time masking the dislike in his voice. "You were helping some of the people you raided hide items, weren't you?"

"Not all of them," Fudge insisted fervently. "Just the ones I knew were protecting items for the Order."

"Why didn't they simply turn items over to the Ministry?" Harry asked.

"Oh, well, by that point, I'm afraid the order as a whole was a bit suspicious of us… the Ministry, I mean, especially after the raids started. They were convinced that the Order of Merlin had too much influence, and Merlin has been at odds with Equinox for ages now. Mostly over the whole Muggle issue; Equinox believes it's better to keep things the way it is, while Merlin is always advocating ways of increasing interaction between Muggles and Wizard folk. And then, you-know-who returned."

"Voldemort," Harry said, ignoring Fudge's slight cringe.

"Yes, and suddenly items started 'disappearing' from where they were kept, as well as some of the people who had been protecting them," Fudge said, rubbing his forehead. "By that time, I was already being blackmailed by someone for some mislaid files that I had attempted to replace with reasonable copies. I returned home one night after a particularly late evening at the Ministry and found my home ransacked and my safe broken into. All of the items I had been guarding, including a particularly old tome, had been taken. I didn't waste another second after that… I knew if I stayed, my life would have been forfeit, so I fled the country. Unfortunately, some of the men from the Ministry of Mysteries are quite resourceful, and a few years later one of them found me, wanting me to answer some questions they had. Before I knew it, I found myself telling him everything, and some of the things I learned in return horrified me to the point that I knew it was time to come home."

"So you had Merlin's spell book before Malfoy had it?" Harry asked. Fudge blinked at him in surprise.

"How do you know that was what the Tome was?" Fudge asked.

"Well, what else could it have been, considering how Lorcan used it at Stonehenge?" Harry explained quickly.

"Oh yes, that. What a regrettable mess that was!" Fudge admitted, sipping his tea. "Harry, you must believe me, I never meant for it to go that far."

"But then, I suppose it served you as a way to get the book back, didn't it?" Harry said. "Strange that the Ministry never found it when they looked for it."

"Yes, well, suffice it to say I called in a few favors, but it has put me in a horrible position. Many of the members of the Order want me to hand it over. They don't think they can trust me with it anymore. But I won't do it. I can't risk it falling into the wrong hands again."

"Then why don't you give it to someone more capable of guarding it? Like Dumbledore?"

"Because Dumbledore would probably want it destroyed! But don't you see? It can't be destroyed now! It's our one great link to Ancient Magic, a link that has faltered over time. We've lost a lot of knowledge, Harry, knowledge that should never have been lost, and that book holds the key to finding it. But now everyone knows I have the Tome, and many would kill me to get their hands on it. I need protection, Harry, now more than ever. I've left the Order, and with that went their protection against those that would steal it."

"All right," Harry said with a nod. "Give me the Tome, and I will look after it for you."

"No, Harry, this is too big of a responsibility, even for you," Fudge said, getting up and pacing the floor, turning to lift the curtain to peek suspiciously out the window. "Perhaps it is too big even for me. I must take it away somewhere safe," he said, sitting back down with a sigh. "What times we live in, Harry! They say when legends of old begin to roam the Earth again that the end of the world is near. Is that what we are facing now?"

"If it is, it wouldn't be anything I haven't faced before," Harry said calmly. "Look, if it'll make you feel any better, I'll stay in Britain for a while and help keep an eye on things, and you can call me if you need me. But I still think you'd be better off handing the book over to Dumbledore."

"Thank you, Harry! Yes, it'll make me feel much better if you could, that is, if it's not too much trouble! I'm sure they'd think twice about coming anywhere near me if you were about," Fudge said gratefully, shaking his hand.

"Don't worry, Mr. Fudge. I'll do everything in my power to make sure you and that book both stay safe," Harry said, getting up. Fudge showed him to the door, a curious shiver running down his spine, causing him to pause and look over his shoulder again. "Do you want me to come check up on you in the morning before I go to Hogsmeade?" Harry asked, leaning on the open door.

"Oh! The school is going to Hogsmeade tomorrow? I wouldn't keep you from that. Perhaps I'll come... no, but then if Snape sees me…"

"Come anyway, and let me worry about Snape. You just try to relax for a while. You look as if you need it," Harry said. "And maybe you'll have enough sense to tell Dumbledore about all of this while you're at it," he couldn't help adding.

"Perhaps," Fudge nodded reluctantly. "Although after the last talk I had with him, I doubt he will want to hear from me again."

"What have you got to lose?" Harry asked, walking out the door. A dark look came over Fudge's face but he simply nodded silently, shutting the door after him.

Harry sighed, walking around the corner.

"You know, I almost feel sorry for him, even as much trouble as he's caused, and of course I know he wasn't telling us everything. I still can't help but feel bad about reassuring him like that, considering," Harry said out loud.

"You told him that you would keep the book safe, and that's exactly what we're doing," Severus' voice said quietly from right beside him. "With any luck, he won't even notice it's missing."

Corey and Doug raced to Honeydukes ahead of the crowd, getting in and out of there seconds before the rest of the students crowded inside, carrying several bags with them. Danny and Taylor finally ran up to them, thanking Corey as he handed them their bags.

"Last on, first off," Corey grinned. "See, I told you that it'd pay to be late."

"Yes, but we nearly missed the bus altogether," Doug pointed out. "We might have gotten left back with the kiddies."

"Essie really hates getting left behind. I really don't think I'd have minded, so long as someone remembered to bring us some candy," Corey grinned. "I promised her I'd stop by Divine Vision, though, do you wanna go? She's really interested in that sort of stuff. She's even thinking about taking it next year."

"Really?" Danny said. "I never even considered it myself. It's rather beneath Hogwarts to even teach it, if you ask me. There's a lot of Muggle superstition mixed up in that."

"I dunno, it might be fun, but I think it's probably better if I don't. I don't think my parents care too much about Professor Trelawney," Corey said. "Not sure why."

The new divination shop had built where the old one had been, destroyed several years before by a pair of brawling Ettins. A gypsy couple ran the shop, each wearing countless rings and necklaces and silky smiles that seemed to never leave their face. Taylor had always found it unnerving how they always scanned the room, hovering over interested customers and suggesting 'accessories' for anything the customers glanced at. Corey picked up the Encyclopedia of Dreams and Their Meanings, and looked thoughtfully at a boxed My First Crystal Ball set, complete with incense, a silk cloth, scarf, and how-to manual.

"That looks like something right out of a squib shop," Danny said distastefully. "You're not seriously thinking of getting her that, are you? It's more of a toy than anything."

"It's a little expensive," Corey admitted, "but not a bad Christmas present, I think. I wonder what my Aunt Rebecca would say?"

"I wonder what your parents would say?" Doug chuckled.

"Well it's my spending money, so I'm going to get it. I think she'd get a kick out of it."

"It'll never work. It's probably not even real crystal," Danny said, shaking her head. But nothing that his friends could say would talk Corey out of it, and they came out of the shop with him carrying several large bags.

"You know, I think you spoil your sister," Taylor said.

"Well she deserves to be spoiled sometimes, and I know my Aunt would never get her something like this. What did you get for your sister, Doug?"

"Oh, I uh. I didn't want to try and get that here, you know, she might notice."

"You got her socks and a new Hufflepuff tie last year, didn't you?" Taylor inquired.

"Well, after I got done buying gifts for all the girls I'd been studying with, I kind of ran short," Doug admitted. "But I'll get her something good this year, now that I have one less girl on my list."

"I knew it, you're still steamed about losing Gail to Perry, aren't you?" Corey grinned at him. "I thought you were getting a bit hooked on her last year."

"I was not!" Doug said indignantly. "I just don't like crossing names off my list is all. And then Katie still won't go out with me, even though I'm not studying with Gail anymore. Just once I wish she'd give in and study with me."

"Doug, you know, maybe it's time you tried settling down and find one girl you like," Danny suggested. "Most girls don't like guys that date more than one girl at a time, you know. How would you like it if a girl went and started collecting boys like crazy and you were just one of a dozen?"

"I wouldn't date a girl like that," Doug said.

"That's exactly my point," Danny said. "Surely there's got to be one girl you wouldn't mind seeing exclusively." Doug thought about it.

"Nope, can't think of one," he said, and the others rolled their eyes at him. Just then, Danny looked up to see her Uncle Lucius, leaning on his cane in front of the Three Broomsticks, searching the crowd in the street.

"I need to go, guys," Danny said, and the others' gazes quickly followed her own.

"Corey, aren't your parents in there?" Doug muttered as Danny hurried off to meet him.

"He wouldn't cause any trouble here, Doug, not in public and all that. Still, maybe we ought to take a break from shopping and go in. Somebody's going to need to keep an eye on things," Corey suggested, putting his bags away.

"But why does that 'somebody' always end up being us?" Taylor wanted to know, throwing up his arms in resignation.

Inside the pub it was already filling up with students, and Corey had to wade through the crowd to finally find a tiny table near the fireplace that hadn't been taken yet. Somehow the three of them managed to squeeze in, only to notice that Danny and her uncle were still just standing to one side of the door. Rosmerta, passing by the boys' table and tossing out three butterbeers before they even had time to say a word, worked her way to the front, pausing in front of Danny and Malfoy as if she had just noticed them.

"Oh it's you again," Rosmerta said. "Don't tell me, you're going to request a clean table with an uncrowded view of the room and order food that isn't too spicy, isn't too overcooked, cold, old, soggy, greasy, or tasteless," she said, ignoring the sudden surprised glare she was receiving. "Fortunately, Albus warned me you'd probably be showing up, so I saved you a spot on the balcony. I even washed the glasses twice already so you didn't have to send them back the first time," Rosmerta added with a charming smile. Danny barely held back her laughter as she followed behind him, taking on a more serious expression when her uncle glanced back at her. But Danny knew that her uncle had a way of getting precisely what he wanted no matter where he was…whether it was how he held himself or the money in his pocket, Danny was never quite sure, although she suspected it was the former more than the latter.

Across the room where the professors were sitting Jennifer happened to glance up, looking slightly annoyed when she saw who was making their way in that direction. Of course he would be here, she told herself. He wasn't allowed in Hogwarts, so it was the best time to see his niece. That didn't mean she liked it. She glanced over at Severus, who was listening to Hermione tell Anna an account of how she finally got her class to pay attention. Distractedly he took out his wand and used it to chill his customary glass of anise wine, slipping it back in his cloak. He then glanced over at Jennifer, noticing the irritated frown on her face. Picking up his glass and twirling it in his hand, he scanned the room in the direction of where her gaze had been fixed. But instead of the usual look of dislike and disdain that he normally reserved for Lucius Malfoy, Severus' expression was calculating. He turned at once to Sirius, exchanging glances with him from across the table.

"You see, Hermione? We told you all you had to do was get them involved," Anna said, breaking Severus' chain of thought.

"And I hope this has taught you once and for all that some things can't be learned from a book," Minerva added from where she was sitting on the other side of Jennifer. Jennifer was still eyeing Malfoy, watching Rosmerta take them up and settle them at a table above them.

"Experience is the better teacher. I know, I know, I already heard that line from Dumbledore," Hermione said with a slight smile.

"If it saves me from hearing you quoting out of those teachers manuals all the time, I'm all for it," Ron said, earning a dirty look from his fiancée. Just then, there was a flashing light coming from Ron's jacket pocket and he took out some paper and a Never-dry Quill, whose tip was flickering with light.

"What in the world is that?" Anna asked him.

"It's a Newsflash, of course. It means a story is about to break and I'm in the right place at the right time to catch it," Ron explained, looking around expectantly. Anna repeated the word 'Newsflash' to herself as if in disbelief, but decided not to comment.

"A Newsflash here?" Minerva said, growing concerned. "Good heavens, I wonder what student did what now?"

Severus and Jennifer instinctively looked around the room, only relaxing after they spotted Corey and his friends sitting a few tables away. Their eyes then trailed up to where Malfoy was sitting, too busy complaining about his drink to one of the waitresses to be the one at the cause of the problem.

"Well, whatever it is, don't let it break without me, Ron," Sirius said, getting up.

"Where are you going?" Anna asked.

"I need to talk to Malfoy about some property he owns to see if he's in the market to sell it, and I'd rather do it here in a safe environment," Sirius explained, excusing himself and heading up to the balcony.

Jennifer watched him go, glancing over at Severus, knowing from Sirius' face that he had something to do with what Sirius wanted to talk to him about. Severus wasn't looking at her, however. Instead, he was intently glancing around with Ron and Minerva, trying to figure out what the pen had homed in on. It was then that he noticed the Ministry officers who had come in led by Minister Brown from Law Enforcement.

"Ron, look, it's Rhys Brown himself," Hermione hissed.

"If he's here and not Ederick, it must be something really major," Ron said, jumping up to see where he was going. Soon he realized he needn't have bothered, for Rhys glanced over at the table they were sitting at and walked over, a very serious expression on his face. Jennifer looked into his eyes in pure disbelief at what she was seeing, the color draining from her and her already churning stomach feeling even tighter as she read what was happening.

Severus, seeing how steadily Brown was looking at him, gazed over at him expressionlessly, nodding to him.

"Good morning, Minister. Care to join us?" he asked casually.

"I'm afraid I really don't have time for that, Severus. In fact, you don't really have time for that either. I need to ask you to come down to the Ministry with me for questioning," Rhys informed him.

"Pardon me, Minister, but exactly on what grounds do you want to question Professor Snape?" Minerva asked in surprise.

"On the grounds that we believe that Severus Snape was one of the last people to see Cornelius Fudge alive," Rhys said promptly. "He was found dead in his house this morning and the evidence would suggest that he was murdered."

"That's absolutely ridiculous! My brother wouldn't murder anybody!" Anna said in an outburst, gaining the attention of the rest of the inn.

"Calm down, Anna, he only said he was going to be questioned," Minerva said, getting up.

"If it was only for questioning, what's with the armed escort?" Hermione asked.

"You must have a lot of evidence on him," Ron agreed, making a note.

"I can't discuss such things outside of a court," Brown warned Ron sternly, glancing back at Severus. "So, are you going to come along quietly? I for one would rather not make a big deal out of this in front of the students."

"Definitely not," Severus agreed, finishing off his Black Anise wine and glancing over at his wife. She stared back at him intensely for a long moment before he got up, reading his face silently. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

"Mind if I tag along?" Ron said, intending to do so in any case.

"I am going to get Dumbledore," Minerva said, getting up.

"Well, I'm going to go get Vallid," Anna said firmly, standing up herself.

"Severus Snape? Being questioned for murder?" asked a delighted Lucius Malfoy who had come down the stairs behind them. "How the mighty have fallen."

Jennifer scrambled to her feet but Sirius was a step quicker, grabbing Jennifer's sleeve before she could pull a wand out and holding her back while Hermione stood in front of her, quietly reminding her where she was.

"Mr. Malfoy, might I remind you that since you knew that Professor Craw was going to be here today that you're in direct violation of your own restraining order?" Rhys said, not bothering to hide his dislike for the man.

"Quite alright, this place has proven to be beneath me anyhow. It probably should have been condemned years ago," he said, ignoring Rosmerta's flashing eyes from where she stood off to the side. "Come along, Danyelle. When you graduate, perhaps I'll buy you your own inn here, and then we can put this rat's nest out of business," he sneered as they headed towards the door.

"Jennifer, if he shows up in here again, you have my permission to throw him out," Rosmerta said, making sure Brown and Malfoy both had heard as well.

"Since that matter is settled, let's get going, shall we?" Rhys suggested, nodding to the guards as they took out their keys and ported Severus and themselves out. Standing in the middle of the crowded inn with her friends around her, Jennifer still couldn't remember the last time she felt so alone.