Disclaimer : - The world of Harry Potter isn't mine – wish it was – but belongs to JK Rowling… anything from the books is hers not mine…. Anything else is probably mine. Not getting anything but fun from writing this etc etc etc….

The fic is Rate R ….. if you are not old enough to read it etc then please don't

Spanning the River of Blood

By Ridley-Roo

Chapter 18 – Food for thought

Dumbledore had decided to take his evening meal in his rooms.  He knew this would raise comments with staff and students alike but he needed time to think.  He knew all about that morning's incident at breakfast, including Snape's mood in class since them.  He knew that Lupin had not brought the black cat called Jake back with him as everyone had assumed, and he knew that it had been spotted before Katrina Wilson had left.  How it had arrived he didn't know and that worried him. 

It was widely believed that he knew everything that happened at Hogwarts, which was largely true, and a belief he encouraged.  A cryptic comment here, a quiet word there, it really didn't take much to keep the idea going.  That even after all of these years's no one appeared to have worked out how amused him.  Most Witches and Wizards seemed to be so wound up in magic they missed the obvious, although he was surprised that Snape hadn't worked it out.  Leaning back in his chair he thought about one of his favourite pupils.  Severus Snape had been one of the most promising pupils of his year, his mind agile and possessing a degree of logic that was rare in the magical world.  It was such a shame that his life had turned out how it had, it could have been so different.

Sighing he added a few more memories to his pensive and swirled the contents before resting his chin on steepled fingers to watch what it might show him.

* * * * *

Lupin was pacing up and down his living room.  He felt confined but knew better than to pace the corridors before the students' curfew.  Oh they would be well meaning as they stopped him, and he'd probably end up in one of the common rooms or down in the Great Hall either watching wizards chess or something similar.  However, that wouldn't help him think.  He wished Sirius were back so that he could share his thoughts.  Despite the incident all those years ago with Snape while they were at school, Sirius had always been his friend and confidant.  I mean there was more than just the appearance of a cat that seemed to have taken a dislike to Snape to worry about.

After taking his Wolfsbane he had talked with Dumbledore and Snape.  That the headmaster wasn't telling everything he knew was obvious, and equally as obviously it was a source of great frustration to the potions master.  This of course was nothing new, the old man never placed all of his cards on the table.  Yet two things continued to bother Lupin as he strode on in his attempt to wear a hole in the carpet.  The first, protecting Hogwarts, was of paramount importance, but right now he was content to let others worry about it.  Nope, it was the second that had him most worried.  In a few days time he was picking up Katrina Wilson and bringing her to Hogwarts for the weekend.

Sighing he flopped down into a convenient armchair.  Ye Gods, how on earth was he going to manage that one without making a complete prat of himself.  Sirius would know what to do, he thought miserably.  He'd always been good with the fairer sex.  Always knew what to say, how to act, and, Lupin reflected, he'd never known him to get caught out having a stiffy in public.  Closing his eyes he leaned back and groaned.  How on earth was he going to cope on Friday?  Moaning softly to himself he opened his eyes and looked down already knowing what he was going to see.  Yup, there it was again.  That tent in his robes.  Sighing he stood up and headed off in search of a shower and some quality time with his right hand.

* * * *

Harry slipped out of the Ravenclaw common room under his invisibility cloak and headed quickly down the corridor to meets with his friends.  Firstly he picked up Ron and Neville taking them up onto the roof of the astronomy tower.  They had managed to arrange this strange meeting at dinner once it had become obvious that the cloud cover would mean no observations tonight.  Once they were safely there he headed back down into the castle making several more trips until what he still considered his Gryffindor housemates, were all sitting on a blanket and munching on some food, kindly provided for them from the kitchens by Dobby, beneath the stars.

'So, then.  What is going on and what are we going to do about it.'  As he'd known she would, Hermonie was the first to bring up the reason they were all risking so much by being out after curfew.  Continued munching sounds and the odd shuffle was her only reply.

'Oh really!' her voice took on that superior peeved sound they all knew and dreaded, a lecture was obviously on the way.  'Well perhaps we should all start by telling each other what we know.  Being in different houses gives us an excellent means of gathering information.'

'That's not quite how I would have put it,' Ron's voice was muffled by the large chicken leg he'd just pushed inside his mouth.  Hermonie glared.  'I mean you want to try being in Snape's house.  The bastard keeps forgetting all this house shift business and I've got three detentions already this week.  AND it's only Monday.'

'Well you were making kissy kissy noises in class… and after breakfast…'  Neville left the obvious hanging in the air.  Everyone sat in silence as they remembered that morning at breakfast.

'That cat could steal my bacon if it meant I got a kiss.'  All heads moved to stare at Seamus.  'Well it could!'

'That really isn't the point now is it?'  Hermione had clearly been thinking about this.  'What is more important?  That this person kisses Snape or that she sat in Dumbledore's chair?'

Harry was sure that for Hermonie it would be the latter.  He was equally sure that for Snape it had been the former, but once in full stride Hermonie wasn't going to stop without a very good reason.  So he helped himself to another sandwich as she proceeded to tell them all about her theories of what was going on, this was going to be a longer night than he imagined.

Snape perched behind a statue and listened as well.  After the whispers between tables at dinner he had rightly suspected that the former "Gryffindor mob" was planning something like this.  It was a small thing to decide that it might be worth listening in for a while before making his presence known and enjoying the look on their faces when they realised they'd been caught.  However, as Miss Granger's voice continued on into the night detailing theory after theory, with the occasional interruption from the likes of Potter, how found himself wondering where she had found the time to looking into all of this.

Eventually he decided that his own need to think was to pressing to take the time to deal with the students and silently spread his wings taking flight, circling the castle a couple of times before flying in through his open window to land on the floor and change back into his human form.  As he headed to his drinks cabinet one of Miss Granger's words kept repeating itself over and over in his mind. 

Distracted.

He had certainly been that.  Distracted by Ms Green's body, distracted by her cat and distracted by this bloody house swapping.  Knocking his drink back with resolve he headed down to the library to do a little bit more digging into some of Miss Granger's theories.