A/N: I'm back!!!! I survived the fieldtrip to which I was forced last week!!! I don't know if I'll survive the exams coming next week, though.
Still, while I'm here, I'll take the opportunity to post this chapter; I'm afraid it's not my best one, but I was a little tired out after killing Mandy (yes, I'm sorry for her too) and I think we needed a break after all the emotion.
Thank you so much for your reviews: they give me a happy tingly feeling every time I read one!!!
Disclaimer: I wonder if I'll ever be able to convince you that I *don't*, in fact, own Harry Potter. In the meanwhile, I'll make do with repeating it over and over again, with more or less creativity, every chapter.
FAMILY MATTERS
PART XIII
"Are we all here?" asked Dumbledore loudly, to make himself heard over the raucous noise of excited conversations in his office.
"Except Minerva, we are" answered Mr Weasley after a quick look around the room.
"Very well, we may start" announced the Headmaster. Many expectant faces turned to him and he felt, more than ever, the responsibility weighing upon his shoulders "We have just received the Ministry reports"
"According to the Aurors, the wands of all of those gathered in the Great Hall were clear of Unforgivables and other curses" said Bill, reading from a bunch of parchments he held with him "The medi-wizard report is more complicated….."
"I can explain" continued Amos Diggory, taking the parchment from Bill and moving forwards. "At first, for obvious reasons, we though Mrs McGonagall had died by suffocation caused by the hanging. However, the autopsy revealed she was poisoned"
That didn't make any sense, and that was the general feeling in the room. People started talking loudly again, and Dumbledore sent red sparks from his wand to quiet the rioting reunion.
"Please, this is urgent, we haven't got time to lose!"
"Mrs McGonagall was poisoned with a very dangerous and effective substance, the commonly called Touch-and-Go Poison; this poison is know to be very lethal, of fast results and can be administrated with food, drink or, more usually, by the touch of the victim with a minimal dose of the substance; afterwards Mrs McGonagall was Petrified with a very simple spell and hung from the doorway" The room was now completely silent, and the faint screeching of the door as professor McGonagall entered was heard by all.
"Minerva, you should be in the Infirmary!" exclaimed Dumbledore; the Transfiguration teacher gave him a hard look, and motioned to Amos to continue.
"Carry on, Amos, we haven't got all night" exclaimed the old witch, avoiding everyone's eyes.
"We believe the Petrificus Totalis was used to stop the convulsions which are typical of the last stages of the death by that particular poison" continued Mr Diggory, sounding less sure of himself "This leaves several questions open: When was the poison given to the victim? Who gave it to her? When did she leave the Great Hall? Who Petrified her and hung her? How did the criminals get into the school and out again?"
"The Anti-Apparition and Anti-Portkey wards show no sign of having been broken through and the Floo Network hadn't been used until the arrival of the Ministry officials, and was shut down after they got here." informed Bill "And all wands have received clearance by the Aurors; everyone has been checked: staff, students and relatives. No-one left the Hall before being checked….."
"Someone did!" exclaimed Harry "Mrs Snape went to look for her daughter….."
"I don't think that Professor Snape's wife….." said Amos doubtfully.
"I don't think so either, Amos, but we can always check" replied Dumbledore, throwing some Floo Powder into the fire and summoning Dobby. The house-elf appeared and stood gravely by the side of the Hogwarts Headmaster. "Dobby, please tell us what happened when you left the Hall with Mrs Snape"
"I accompanies Mrs Snape down to the dungeons, sir. She runs very fast and is very worried, but Dobby goes with her and sees that the wards hasn't been broken. Mrs Snape opens them wards and goes inside and finds the little girl asleep. Mrs Snape grabs the little girl and Dobby accompanies them back to the Great Hall, Dobby does"
"Dobby, are you sure she didn't drop anything, or touch anything or go anywhere else, even for just a second?" asked Harry, loose pieces of the puzzle lining up in his mind. "We need every little detail"
"Dobby tells Harry Potter every little detail. Mrs Snape only touched Mrs McGonagall body when she went past the doorway, because it was hung in the middle and she couldn't get through….."
"Where did she touch her?" interrupted Sirius.
"In the arm, over the robes" answered the elf. Everyone turned to Amos.
"The Touch-and-Go doesn't leave a mark, but it has to be applied over the skin" he replied with a helpless shrug.
"Then she is touching nothing more until she opens the door to the dungeons. There was a personal-ward around the room, Mrs Snape doesn't need no wand to open it. Then she touches the little girl to pick her up, and then nothing more, because Mrs McGonagall's body was moved by one of them Aurors when they goes back into the Hall" Dobby shook his head vigorously and looked at Harry, almost expecting a pat in the head.
"No-one else had the chance to leave the Hall *and* touch Mandy, but her." insisted Harry; then he added, more hesitantly "Besides, wasn't she outside of Hogwarts when that attack in Russia happened? And she is Russian, and we know that the Ivan the Fourth movement is allied with Voldem-….. sorry, with You-Know-Who….."
"It's a very clever deduction, Harry" said Dumbledore paternally, looking at the boy with pride "but there's something that you don't know and that might change your mind. It's a very personal matter, but I suppose that Mrs Snape won't mind me publishing it if it helps clear her name of murder charges: the attack in Russia was *against* Svetlana, as she was the only relative to a member of the school who wasn't here at the time. She came back, injured, two days later."
"Oh, Ok, sorry….." mumbled Harry sheepishly, blushing a bit. Sirius squeezed his shoulder and didn't say a word.
"Besides, if she touched Mrs McGonagall robes, the poison wouldn't have effect, she would have to touch her skin" added Amos Diggory, looking at the parchment in front of him. "And her wand was clear"
"It had to be someone from outside" concluded Bill Weasley "but, upon my life, I cannot think of how he or she got inside"
"What happened, Severus?" asked Svetlana, pouring her husband a cup of tea.
"I don't know" answered the Potions Master heavily, receiving the tea with a grateful nod and sinking into his armchair. "I suppose Albus will tell us everything tomorrow"
"Is it true, you think? Isn't Hogwarts safe anymore?" Svetlana looked towards both of her children and lowered her voice "Where can we go if it isn't?"
"I don't think there *is* a safer place than the school, even taking tonight's events into account….. unless you want to hide in your Gringotts' vault with the children" Snape's tone lacked its usual cutting edge.
"I'm worried about them. Me, I can take care of, you can take care of yourself, but them….. they'd be a perfect prey for….. for whatever is hunting us" Svetlana was on the brink of tears now, but Severus' gaze was not condemning.
"We can take better care of them here that anywhere else" insisted Snape, taking a sip of the warm tea.
"Just like they took care of Mandy?" asked Svetlana, finally breaking down. Hot tears spilled down her flushed cheeks, and she bit her lower lip trying to at least contain the sobs.
Severus stood uncertainly for a moment; making up his mind, he set the cup down and made his way to where Svetlana was sitting in front of her desk. Awkwardly, he placed what he hoped was a comforting hand on her shoulder, which only shook more violently under his touch. After a minute of crying, Svetlana unconsciously leaned into her husband's contact. He raised his other hand to caress her dark hair, now contained in a single loose braid; she looked so young, so vulnerable, dressed only in her nightgown and dressing robe, her small feet shaking the slippers off, her head bowed, and he felt an odd surge of protectiveness towards her, the same sort of feeling he had tried (and succeeded) to repress when he had first married her.
"It's OK, we'll be OK" he muttered, finding himself ridiculously inexperienced in such situations.
"I didn't want her to die! I don't want my children to die, I don't want you to die, I don't want to die either…..! Oh, Merlin, what am I going to do?" Svetlana sobbed hiding her face behind her hands. Severus forced himself to look anywhere but at her, knowing that protectiveness could make him do strange things (like it had happened almost two years before, during that cold night he had managed to Apparate to her house), and met a pair of unblinking black eyes staring at him from a nearby bed. Father and son looked at each other, tension almost palpably melting between them, before Serguei closed his eyes again in a silent show of trust. "I'm sorry" said Svetlana, trying to wipe the still-flowing tears.
"It's OK" answered her husband, still not taking his hand of her shoulder "I understand it must have been hard for you, you had grown quite to close to her"
"You can't imagine just how hard this is" said the Russian witch fervently.
Svetlana, with severe black robes, sat in a very uncomfortable mahogany chair with Siena playing at her feet. She regarded with red-brimmed eyes how the last arrivals settled in a disused Charms classroom, filling the benches and additional seating. Everyone was there: Valerie Sinistra, her bother-in-law, the twenty-something Sprouts, Mrs Vector, Mrs Nugyens, Mr Julius, Mr Hooch, Mr and Mrs Flitwick….. the remaining refugees of Hogwarts had spontaneously called for a meeting after Mandy's untimely demise and now they were sitting in a uncomfortable silence, waiting for someone to replace Mandy and take the lead. Mrs Flitwick, with her aged, broken voice, spoke first.
"I know this has been a harsh blow to all of us" she said, crumpling a lace handkerchief with her left hand "but I thought it might be better if at least we met to know….. to know what we'll be doing now"
"Now that Hogwarts is not safe anymore?" asked Valerie almost hysterically "We can't stay here, I'm still wondering at the fact that the Ministry hasn't closed the school down already!!!" Mr Marceau gave her a chiding look and she stopped to gather her composure and breathe "We are leaving. The post of Astronomy Professor will be left free next year at Beauxbottoms, and Genevieve is going to take it"
"But we won't wait for that" added Mr Marceau sadly "We are all leaving as soon as possible; my wife is greatly attached to this school, but not enough to risk our lives, and 'ers, for it. By the time the Christmas 'olidays are gone, we'll be gone as well"
"My husband will finish his contract, but me and my daughter will not stay a second longer than necessary in Hogwarts!" exclaimed Mrs Nugyens, thus confirming the seventh ephemeral DADA teacher for Hogwarts, and a easy target for Death Eaters and their allies once they were back in the Netherlands.
Mr Julius only looked troubled and shook his head; he was a Muggle and found himself more at risk than any other of those gathered in the room. His wife, Mrs Gwyneth Julius, the Muggle Studies teacher and a Muggle-born witch herself, was still unsure whether to flee or stay, and he waited with baited breath for her decision. Mr Hooch also felt out-of-place, but for a different reason.
"Holly and I will stay. There aren't many more places we could go to, and they aren't any safer than the school. At least here we'll be next to the best wizard of Britain, and *that*'s some comfort" The broad-shouldered man shrugged and looked away, not liking the spotlight much, and Mrs Nugyens' reproving look even less.
"We're also staying, for the time being" said Willow Vector, bowing her pretty auburn head and smiling sadly "We trust Dumbledore, no matter what happens, and we believe there's no place safer than the school, for me, for Vitrius, and for the babies"
Svetlana remained impassive and silent, regarding the girl at her feet as if she held all the answers in the world. Mrs Flitwick gave her a small smile before speaking.
"We've been through a lot, Forneus and I have" said the very old witch, smiling to her husband "Since Grindelwald's time, where things were dark, past the First Rising of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and until now. We're not afraid, and it's our duty to remain with Filius for as long as he needs us; we'll stay" There was only Svetlana left to speak, and the Sprouts, but nobody expected the Hufflepuffs to say anything "What about you, dear?"
"My husband and son are part of this school" said Svetlana, finally raising her head "One is a teacher, another a student, and neither are leaving the place in time of danger. My father was Headmaster of Drumstrang and I studied in Beauxbottoms, but Hogwarts is my home now, and I will defend it till my last breath. 'Death before dishonour' is my family motto." She gave those who were leaving a flaming look and the returned her gaze to her daughter, who was smiling beatifically at her. A moment's silence followed, and she spoke again, more softly "I was thinking that, maybe, those of us who remained could help the school more than we've been doing until now. There'll be a shortage of teachers" Sharp look to the relatives of Professor Marceau, née Sinistra "and in case of an attack or a similar event, students will follow with more ease the orders from an adult"
"It's a wonderful idea, Svetlana, if you allow me saying so" said Dumbledore form the doorway; he was wearing dark robes and his silent entrance, a long time before this comment, had passed unnoticed "We will need all the help we can get in the days to come, and I appreciate the bravery of all of you who will remain with us. To those who are leaving, I give you my most heart-felt 'thank you' for residing in this school and for helping while you could; there'll be no rancour held from both parties, I hope, and I wish you the best of lucks wherever you choose to go. And remember: you will always be welcome back at any time you wish or need to return"
There was a silent warning in the words of the old wizard, and the deserters shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Siena was looking in awe at the white beard of the Headmaster, and made a small noise of surprise as Dumbledore's glasses glinted gold in the torchlight. Albus smiled to the child and turned to her mother.
"Beautiful child you have here, Svetlana," The witch thanked him timidly, fighting a losing battle with the feeling of guilt uncoiling in her chest "but maybe you wouldn't mind leaving her with Willow while I talk to you for a moment, would you?"
"Of course not, Headmaster" smiled the red-haired witch, holding her arms out to Siena, who walked to her only after receiving a look of permission from her mother "We were already talking about setting shifts at looking after the children, I won't mind taking the first one" Willow smiled to Svetlana, who returned the smile not altogether coldly "Go on ahead, I'll be in my quarters, Vitrius must be already wondering why I'm late, and he'll be late for class too"
"Thank you, Willow" said Svetlana a bit stiffly "Shall we go to your office, Headmaster?"
"Yes, that would be lovely" said Dumbledore, gallantly holding out his arm for her to take.
In the Gryffindor seventh-year boy's dorm, things weren't quite as tranquil. Neville had already fled to the Library, Ron was busy with Hermione, and it was up to Dean and Seamus to deal with a irascible Harry throwing things in, back out, and once again into his trunk.
"Leave us for a moment, Dean" said Seamus with a charming grin; the Muggle-born boy complied, shooting a last look to Harry, who had already tired himself with mistreating his things and was now pulling at his bed's curtains. "Harry, it wasn't the curtains' fault"
"I know that" spat the dark-haired boy "You want to know whose fault it is? I'll tell you, Seamus….."
"It wasn't you fault either, mate!" exclaimed the Irish wizard, falling back on his bed "I know you're probably not going to listen to anything I say, and will instead run around the castle, destroying everything in you way, but I will tell you that it wasn't your fault"
"I told her everything" muttered Harry, plopping down between the tousled pillows "I cried with her, I talked to her, I confided in her, and what did she get in return?! Dead, hung for everyone to see….."
"It wasn't because you talked to her, Harry. You know there's a plot on the teachers' families since the summer, it could have been any of them….."
"Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence?" Harry had a maddened shine in his eyes now, and was pulling feverishly at the bed-clothes around him. "The one relative I care about, the only one who has been seen with me….." Harry paused in the middle of his desperate rant as a crazed thought formed in his mind: no-one had seen him with Mandy after all. The only times he had visited her, he hadn't told anyone where he was going; anyone but the very same person who had told him to go and see her in the first place. "How did you find out about Mandy?" he asked in an aggressive tone.
"I overheard when she invited you, that time in the Common Room….." Seamus trailed off under the suspicious stare he was getting from Harry "Come on, mate, what are you trying to say?! That I went and told some Death Eaters to kill her because she offered you chocolate?" The sandy-haired boy was torn between disbelief and rage, and his friend's silence only angered him more "Fine! I'm leaving! You can stay on you bloody own, sulking and beating yourself over something you didn't do….. I'm only trying to help you, Harry, but if don't trust me….."
Harry didn't answer anything once again, and Seamus shot him a desperate and disappointed look before storming down the stairs and out to the portrait. Harry remained where he was, pulling at his already messy hair and blinking away angry tears.
"Can't you see I can trust no-one, Seamus?" he whispered "Can't you see that even Dumbledore is losing his touch? Can't you see they're closing up on me? Oh, Merlin, what am I going to do?" And Harry began crying again, this time without anyone to hold him.