Chapter 15
"That wasn't so hard, was it?" grinned Ginny as she and Harry neared The Leaky Cauldron.
Harry reddened and mumbled something under his breath. In the Muggle grocery store, Harry had been so distracted by the odd looks and comments directed towards Ginny's robes that he had tripped over a candy stand and had spectacularly fallen on his face, breaking his glasses. Ginny, meanwhile, found the vinegar and Harry, with a bump on his head, counted out the pounds and pence for the cashier. It was only a few moments ago when they were alone in the street that Harry dared to take out his wand to repair the crack in his lens.
"Hey, what's going on?" Harry asked, seeing a few wizards hovering around the entrance to The Leaky Cauldron, and more than glad to get Ginny's attention off of himself.
Ginny frowned. "I don't know… but see that tallish wizard in the dark blue robes? That's Mr. Billings, he works for the Ministry with Dad."
They approached the wizard but he was busy talking to a small, grimy man who was sitting on the ground, his head in his hands as if it ached.
"I tol yer once, an' I tol yer twice, I don't know wot 'appened to me wand. It were stole! Surely yer bungle-heads at the Ministry can see a robbery when it wallops yer in the 'ead!"
"Jack, you've been warned before about doing magic in front of Muggles. Just because you were right outside a wizarding establishment in no way exonerates you of the charge," said the wizard Ginny had pointed out, in a weary sounding voice as if what he was saying was something that had been said far too many times.
" 'Ow was I ter do magic when me wand wasn't even in me 'and?" whined Jack, "I tol yer, that rapscallion over der were the one that prolly took it!"
Harry and Ginny looked to where Jack's grimy finger pointed. Another wizard, presumably Ministry as well, was holding a teenager's arms to his sides while another ran a wand over him, muttering a searching spell. The teenager looked like he was in pain but aside from that, his lip was curled in rebellion and contempt while the wizards worked on him. Harry didn't know him but thought he might have seen his scowling face on a plaque of past Slytherin Quidditch players.
Mr. Billings finally noticed Harry and Ginny. "I'm sorry, kids, but you'll have to leave. This is Ministry business." They hesitated. "Don't make me use a Memory Charm." He raised his wand slightly and they took the hint, scurrying into The Leaky Cauldron with all possible haste.
* * *
Later that night, in the shadows of a dark doorway across the street from The Leaky Cauldron, Snape watched as another wizard strolled up to the pub and walked in. Taking a deep breath, Snape glided swiftly to the door and entered.
Pausing a moment to let his eyes adjust, Snape eventually became aware of a warm, inviting atmosphere. Various wizards, witches, and what might have been a goblin had he bothered to look closer huddled around various tables, nursing drinks and eating food. He had spent the better part of the day hovering around the area outside the pub until he was sure that it was a general place for wizards and not where those teenagers or other dangerous folk resided. He wasn't sure but somewhere in his indistinct memories, Snape thought that The Leaky Cauldron also offered rooms and that was what he was primarily interested in.
Smoothly, he walked up to the bar. The barkeeper saw him and walked over, a puzzled smile on his round face. "Evenin', Professor. Don't see you around 'ere much. What'll it be?"
"I would like a room," he answered in a low voice, listening instinctively at the noises around him. "Let me be perfectly clear: no one is to know that I am here. If anyone asks, you never saw me. I don't care if Merlin himself walks in and asks for me. I do not wish to be disturbed. Understand?" Snape narrowed his eyes dangerously.
The barkeeper gulped nervously. "Sure thing, Professor. Not a word."
* * *
Tom fidgeted nervously behind the mysteriously torn black robes of Professor Snape who stood in the doorway of the small room. Tom was an old pro at dealing with the odd folk who frequented his beloved Leaky Cauldron, but Severus Snape was one wizard that he had never felt comfortable around. He was a Death Eater once. Only reason I'll tolerate 'im is because Dumbledore trusts 'im. Wouldn't stand for 'is kind otherwise--
"It will do," Snape said in clipped tones without turning around.
Tom muttered a hurried "good evening" and scurried down the stairs. Snape, meanwhile, entered the small but clean room and glanced around at the sparse furnishings. A bed was to his right and a small chest of drawers stood by the opposite wall. A square mirror above the chest glinted with the light from a street lamp outside.
Sniffing the air and finding it slightly stuffy, Snape walked across the room and opened the window, breathing in deep.
"Don't leave it open all night, dearie, or you'll catch your death."
Snape whirled around. There was no one in the room. In the mirror, his reflection paled.
"Sorry. Did I startle you, dearie? It's only the mirror."
Snape stepped towards the mirror, no longer startled but feeling that strange familiarity again. He hesitated. "I have been with a family of Muggles recently," he said by way of explanation, "Their mirrors don't talk." Why am I explaining myself to a mirror?
"You don't say? How extraordinarily odd! Is that why your arm is funny too, dearie? Did the Muggles do something to it?"
"My arm?" Snape looked down. His left arm was still in its white plaster although he had tucked it under his robe to hide the whiteness from prying eyes. "The bone is broken."
The mirror was silent a moment. "Don't you remember the charm for fixing broken bones, dearie? I thought most trained wizards knew it." The mirror sounded hesitant, as if trying not to sound offensive.
"You'd be surprised what I can't remember," he growled.
"Oh dear! Memory Charm gone wrong? I'm terribly sorry. Not the first time I've seen it… Anyway, dear, the spell is quite simple if you've got enough magic behind it. Raise your wand and say Ossis Reparo, tapping the arm at the same time."
Snape hesitated. "But you're only a mirror," he protested doubtfully.
The mirror made a strange "hmpf" sound. "Well! I may be 'only a mirror' but I certainly have been hanging around long enough to know a simple fracture-fixing charm. I had a trained medi-wizard stay in my room once too!"
Snape rolled his eyes and took out his wand. It's a good thing no one is here to see me take instructions from a mirror. he thought ruefully, raising the wand. "Ossis Reparo!" he said firmly, tapping the white plaster gently with the tip of his wand. Inside his arm, he felt a strange tingling sensation. Not particularly unpleasant but odd nonetheless.
"There! Good as new!" the mirror said with satisfaction.
Snape raised a black eyebrow sardonically. "And just how am I to rid myself of this?" he asked holding up the arm that was still encased in plaster.
The mirror was silent. "I'm afraid I don't know. I'm not used to Muggle medicine." Snape scowled and sat down on the bed. "Don't give up so soon, dearie! I'm sure with my knowledge and your wand we can find some spell that works. Let's start at the beginning, shall we? Hmm. Abulos? No; that's for cleaning."
Snape sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was going to be a long night.
"That wasn't so hard, was it?" grinned Ginny as she and Harry neared The Leaky Cauldron.
Harry reddened and mumbled something under his breath. In the Muggle grocery store, Harry had been so distracted by the odd looks and comments directed towards Ginny's robes that he had tripped over a candy stand and had spectacularly fallen on his face, breaking his glasses. Ginny, meanwhile, found the vinegar and Harry, with a bump on his head, counted out the pounds and pence for the cashier. It was only a few moments ago when they were alone in the street that Harry dared to take out his wand to repair the crack in his lens.
"Hey, what's going on?" Harry asked, seeing a few wizards hovering around the entrance to The Leaky Cauldron, and more than glad to get Ginny's attention off of himself.
Ginny frowned. "I don't know… but see that tallish wizard in the dark blue robes? That's Mr. Billings, he works for the Ministry with Dad."
They approached the wizard but he was busy talking to a small, grimy man who was sitting on the ground, his head in his hands as if it ached.
"I tol yer once, an' I tol yer twice, I don't know wot 'appened to me wand. It were stole! Surely yer bungle-heads at the Ministry can see a robbery when it wallops yer in the 'ead!"
"Jack, you've been warned before about doing magic in front of Muggles. Just because you were right outside a wizarding establishment in no way exonerates you of the charge," said the wizard Ginny had pointed out, in a weary sounding voice as if what he was saying was something that had been said far too many times.
" 'Ow was I ter do magic when me wand wasn't even in me 'and?" whined Jack, "I tol yer, that rapscallion over der were the one that prolly took it!"
Harry and Ginny looked to where Jack's grimy finger pointed. Another wizard, presumably Ministry as well, was holding a teenager's arms to his sides while another ran a wand over him, muttering a searching spell. The teenager looked like he was in pain but aside from that, his lip was curled in rebellion and contempt while the wizards worked on him. Harry didn't know him but thought he might have seen his scowling face on a plaque of past Slytherin Quidditch players.
Mr. Billings finally noticed Harry and Ginny. "I'm sorry, kids, but you'll have to leave. This is Ministry business." They hesitated. "Don't make me use a Memory Charm." He raised his wand slightly and they took the hint, scurrying into The Leaky Cauldron with all possible haste.
Later that night, in the shadows of a dark doorway across the street from The Leaky Cauldron, Snape watched as another wizard strolled up to the pub and walked in. Taking a deep breath, Snape glided swiftly to the door and entered.
Pausing a moment to let his eyes adjust, Snape eventually became aware of a warm, inviting atmosphere. Various wizards, witches, and what might have been a goblin had he bothered to look closer huddled around various tables, nursing drinks and eating food. He had spent the better part of the day hovering around the area outside the pub until he was sure that it was a general place for wizards and not where those teenagers or other dangerous folk resided. He wasn't sure but somewhere in his indistinct memories, Snape thought that The Leaky Cauldron also offered rooms and that was what he was primarily interested in.
Smoothly, he walked up to the bar. The barkeeper saw him and walked over, a puzzled smile on his round face. "Evenin', Professor. Don't see you around 'ere much. What'll it be?"
"I would like a room," he answered in a low voice, listening instinctively at the noises around him. "Let me be perfectly clear: no one is to know that I am here. If anyone asks, you never saw me. I don't care if Merlin himself walks in and asks for me. I do not wish to be disturbed. Understand?" Snape narrowed his eyes dangerously.
The barkeeper gulped nervously. "Sure thing, Professor. Not a word."
Tom fidgeted nervously behind the mysteriously torn black robes of Professor Snape who stood in the doorway of the small room. Tom was an old pro at dealing with the odd folk who frequented his beloved Leaky Cauldron, but Severus Snape was one wizard that he had never felt comfortable around. He was a Death Eater once. Only reason I'll tolerate 'im is because Dumbledore trusts 'im. Wouldn't stand for 'is kind otherwise--
"It will do," Snape said in clipped tones without turning around.
Tom muttered a hurried "good evening" and scurried down the stairs. Snape, meanwhile, entered the small but clean room and glanced around at the sparse furnishings. A bed was to his right and a small chest of drawers stood by the opposite wall. A square mirror above the chest glinted with the light from a street lamp outside.
Sniffing the air and finding it slightly stuffy, Snape walked across the room and opened the window, breathing in deep.
"Don't leave it open all night, dearie, or you'll catch your death."
Snape whirled around. There was no one in the room. In the mirror, his reflection paled.
"Sorry. Did I startle you, dearie? It's only the mirror."
Snape stepped towards the mirror, no longer startled but feeling that strange familiarity again. He hesitated. "I have been with a family of Muggles recently," he said by way of explanation, "Their mirrors don't talk." Why am I explaining myself to a mirror?
"You don't say? How extraordinarily odd! Is that why your arm is funny too, dearie? Did the Muggles do something to it?"
"My arm?" Snape looked down. His left arm was still in its white plaster although he had tucked it under his robe to hide the whiteness from prying eyes. "The bone is broken."
The mirror was silent a moment. "Don't you remember the charm for fixing broken bones, dearie? I thought most trained wizards knew it." The mirror sounded hesitant, as if trying not to sound offensive.
"You'd be surprised what I can't remember," he growled.
"Oh dear! Memory Charm gone wrong? I'm terribly sorry. Not the first time I've seen it… Anyway, dear, the spell is quite simple if you've got enough magic behind it. Raise your wand and say Ossis Reparo, tapping the arm at the same time."
Snape hesitated. "But you're only a mirror," he protested doubtfully.
The mirror made a strange "hmpf" sound. "Well! I may be 'only a mirror' but I certainly have been hanging around long enough to know a simple fracture-fixing charm. I had a trained medi-wizard stay in my room once too!"
Snape rolled his eyes and took out his wand. It's a good thing no one is here to see me take instructions from a mirror. he thought ruefully, raising the wand. "Ossis Reparo!" he said firmly, tapping the white plaster gently with the tip of his wand. Inside his arm, he felt a strange tingling sensation. Not particularly unpleasant but odd nonetheless.
"There! Good as new!" the mirror said with satisfaction.
Snape raised a black eyebrow sardonically. "And just how am I to rid myself of this?" he asked holding up the arm that was still encased in plaster.
The mirror was silent. "I'm afraid I don't know. I'm not used to Muggle medicine." Snape scowled and sat down on the bed. "Don't give up so soon, dearie! I'm sure with my knowledge and your wand we can find some spell that works. Let's start at the beginning, shall we? Hmm. Abulos? No; that's for cleaning."
Snape sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was going to be a long night.