Chapter 16: Some Hard Truths
Thanks for the reviews. They do tickle my muse.
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"How do you mean?" Remus asked, a bit of a growl in his voice. Though he was too wiped out to do much of anything. There was a spark of defiance in his eyes. He had been called many things in his life, but he had never been called a fool. He wasn't sure who this man was, but who did he think he was, toying with a werewolf? Didn't he understand the danger he was in, doing something so idiotic.
"You blindly follow the person in charge," Tom said, crossing his legs in a comfortable position, "like some weak cub." He wasn't the least bit intimidated by the wolf's show of dominance. He was the alpha here.
At that Remus looked down. He did do that, and right now, he felt as weak as any cub. The man he considered his alpha was not here, and he was in a vulnerable position. He wasn't sure what to do. He hoped that Albus was looking for him. Surely, he knew that he was missing by now.
"You are not the alpha you could have been, that is to be sure, but you are not a cub," the man continued to berate him. "So, my question to you is, why are you being led like a lamb to slaughter? In this case, by a weak man like Dumbledore," he added, just to see what the wolf would do. "What is it about him that makes you look up to him?" Tom was sure it was potions in the beginning, but it turned into brainwashing after Hogwarts. The old man was good at it, after all.
"Do not talk to me about Dumbledore like that. He is a great man," the werewolf said, growling and trying once again to lift his body into a better position.
"I'll get to that," Tom said, waving the man's protest away. "You are a fool for taking risks to your life without a thought of those that you are leaving behind. Don't say that you are not. Do you really think the other werewolves will listen to you? Dumbledore's pet? Dumbledore's lapdog? The only werewolf that was allowed an education? You really are a fool," he reiterated, laughing in the other man's face. He knew all this from Greyback's ranting.
That werewolf hated what Remus Lupin had become. He wanted him to be a true werewolf and not a wizard that turned into a wolf once every twenty-eight days. He wanted Remus to embrace what he was and become the alpha he was meant to be, not the lapdog he was now. He blamed Dumbledore for breaking the cub he had turned all those years ago.
Tom just wanted the man to see that Dumbledore was not the hero that Lupin thought he was. He was a manipulative old man, who used everyone around him as pawns in a game that was for his entertainment only.
"Dumbledore is a great man," Remus said again, trying to sit up further, only to fall back to the wall. His body betraying him. He just didn't have the strength to sit unaided. He felt the sting with each question. He knew that was how the other werewolves saw him. They had called him those things and worse.
"So says his pet werewolf," Tom said, condescendingly. He crossed his arms and looked down his nose at the man.
Lupin snarled at him over that taunt, which was a good sign, but not good enough.
"Have you ever questioned why you are the only werewolf that got an education?" Voldemort continued, still looking down upon the pathetic man. "You are not the only child that was ever bitten. Greyback saw to that."
It was something that had plagued many minds that knew this man's secret. Why was Lupin picked to be the only werewolf to get the education denied so many others? Was there something different about him? Was it something in his family makeup that set him apart from other families? No one knew.
Remus had always questioned that, but he never asked the headmaster. He was too afraid of the answer. He knew a great many children were bitten by Greyback and left to fend for themselves. Their families turned against them, his had not. His heart cried whenever he had heard of a new one found dead because they had been cast out. He was so sorry for them and felt guilty that they hadn't been given the chance that he had. If only they had been taken in and given an education like he had. They would be alive today.
But who was he to question the headmaster? The man who had given him a break. Who had given him a life. Who had given him friends. He was nobody. He knew what he was worth, and it was nothing.
"Have you never questioned why the great Dumbledore has not stopped the laws, that he can stop, mind you, that prevent you from working? He is the Chief Warlock. He can stop them, no matter what lies he tells you," the man in white continued, causing the weak man to flinch.
Remus knew this too. He had asked Albus about this and was told that there was nothing to be done. He believed him, he had to. Anything else would betray the great man. He would break if he knew differently. He knew that in his heart.
"I'll tell you why. He doesn't care about you. He doesn't care about the muggleborn. All Albus Dumbledore cares about is Albus Dumbledore and his games. I should know, I am part of his greatest game. War," Tom said, getting up and vanishing his chair. "The fact that you think that the old man doesn't know this when he sends you on these missions, makes you the biggest fool of them all," he said, twisting the knife a bit further.
That caused Remus to pause. Did the headmaster really know all this? Was he being setup to fail? Just how much of what this man said was true? He had had his doubts since Sirius started questioning what Albus did but could they both be right? Was he being played for a fool?
"Food and drink will be brought to you. Don't worry, it will not be potioned, or poisoned. I didn't go through cleansing you just to kill you or control you. The people who are concerned about you would not like it if I did anything nefarious to you. Until then, read this," Tom said, putting a large folder on the bed.
It was a compilation of everything he could dig up on Dumbledore. He had been finding things for years. He had it all stored in his vault before he disappeared the first time. He had been going to write a book, which he might still. For now, it would do its purpose in opening this idiot's eyes.
Remus reached for it, but he didn't pick it up. His hand just shook as it hovered over the documents. He was too scared of what he would be reading. He knew once he did, there was no going back.
Tom just shook his head and left, making sure to lock the door behind him. He would give him a few days to think it all over and then come and talk to him again. Until then, he had a few things to set up.
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Tonks came by Grimmuald Place the next afternoon. She was upset. Her hair reflected it, by being streaked in shades of grey. She was dressed in somber clothes of black slacks and a black t-shirt. They still looked like she was going to a punk rock show, but they were pretty tame for her.
"Remus is missing," she said as she slumped down in a chair in the study, where Sirius and Harry were reading. She put her booted feet up on the table and all but relaxed in relief that she was surrounded by people that cared for Remus as much as she did. She had been around those that could care less if he was dead all morning.
The two males had been looking up some nifty spells for housekeeping. Not that they needed it here, what with two, soon to be three, house elves, but they thought it might come in handy one day. They really should be training, but they were having a slacker's day. It had been meeting after meeting these last few days, and they had another tomorrow, so they were taking it easy.
"Is he?" Sirius asked with genuine surprise. He didn't think Tom would act so quickly. He knew they had asked him to act fast, but damn. He guessed when the man gave his word, he really meant it.
"Yes, he disappeared right after the meeting last night," she said, sinking lower in her chair. "I waited all last night for him to floo me, we talked about it after the meeting, but he didn't call. I went to his flat this morning, but he wasn't there. There's no sign of foul play, but I don't like it. I can't report him, since he's a werewolf," she said, despondent.
She had told Bones about it and that the mark was gone from Snape. However, like she knew would happen, her boss said there was little she could do about a missing werewolf. Amelia did say she would investigate the dark marks on the inmates in Azkaban, but in the long run, since there were no sightings of the Dark Lord, there was nothing to report, officially. She would be making an unofficial report though. For her own records.
"I wouldn't worry too much. He might be on a mission for Dumbledore," Sirius said, grasping the first thing he could think of. Remus was always asked to go and talk to the packs. They had tried to dissuade him all the time, it was a dangerous mission for the man. Remus was pigheaded though. Especially where the old man was concerned.
"No, I asked him first thing. He's worried it was You-Know-Who," Tonks said, this time her hair turned a fire engine red. Like she was angry. At whom, Voldemort or Dumbles, they didn't know. She hated it when Remus went to the werewolf packs. They didn't like him, nor did they listen to him.
"I still don't think it's him. You-Know-Who, I mean. There are a lot of werewolves that are mad at Mr. Lupin for poking around," Harry said, not wanting fingers pointed in Tom's direction. He, like Sirius, was surprised that Tom had worked so quickly. But thinking about it, it did make sense. The sooner they got it done, the better it would be for everyone.
"That's true enough," she conceded. "I told him not to poke that nest." She was angry that she just didn't know who to believe. There was no proof either way, and everyone who was involved was keeping secrets, even these two, and that just pissed her off.
"We all did," Sirius said with a sigh. "He'll be back before you know it. I'll put out some feelers," he added, thinking of asking Moody to ask around. It would look good to have someone do that. Moody was looking at him like he wanted to talk to him anyway. "Let me talk to Moody," he said, voicing his thoughts.
"Thanks, Sirius. I'm going to go home and get my stuff. I gave your note to Bones, and she said she'll be there. I don't know what's going on, but I hope you know what you're doing," she said, moving to go to the door. As she moved her hair turned a dull blue streaked with pink, like she was feeling better, but not 100%. Still sad, but not angry.
"I still need to talk to a few people," Sirius said, watching the sad girl leave the house. "I promise you I will tell you what I can when I can," he yelled at her retreating back.
She just closed the door on her way out. That was a promising sign to Sirius. At least she didn't slam it. He was happy that she was coming to stay. He really needed her here to help with Hermione.
"I hope Tom doesn't hurt Mr. Lupin," Harry said, after she left. He made sure that she had left and wasn't just waiting in the hallway, by getting up and checking. He wouldn't put it past her to do that.
"He wants to stay on your good side, so he'll treat him okay," Sirius said, not saying that okay to a Dark Lord was a lot different than okay to what Harry would consider the word to mean.
"I hope so. So, we'll hold that meeting tomorrow?" the teen asked, wanting it to be over with soon, just like everyone else. He was hoping that the parley would move the war to the next level, which would mean the arresting of the more deadly Death Eaters. Though he wanted to see that Umbridge woman dead, and maybe the Greyback werewolf, if he was as bad as Lupin claimed him to be.
"Yes, and I for one will be glad to get it out of the way," Sirius said, echoing everyone's thoughts.
"You and everyone else," Harry said, picking up his book and started reading on how to dust an entire room with one spell.
"I'm going to go talk to Moody," Sirius said, getting up and going to the floo. He threw the powder in and put his foot in the flames. Alastor didn't like people to see into his house. "Moody, it's Sirius," he said, when he felt the floo connect.
"What do you want?" the grumpy man said, putting his own foot in the fire.
"Remus has disappeared," the dogman said, trying to sound worried, which wasn't that hard since he had no idea how Tom was going to treat his friend.
"I'll look into it. Does Albus know?" Moody asked, a strange infliction in his tone.
"Tonks told him this morning," Sirius said, wondering what Mad-eye was thinking.
"Right. Like I said, I'll look into it. I'll contact you soon," the grump said and then pulled his foot from the fire.
Sirius did the same and wondered what was wrong with the other man. He knew that being kept in a trunk as a prisoner had to have affected him, but how was the question. Was he upset with Dumbledore? More than he let on? If so, would he be of use to them? He'd have to feel the bloke out.
With a sigh, he went back to Harry and tried to keep a stiff upper lip. He was worried about Remus though.
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Amelia was not a happy person. She had had Susan tested yesterday and there were traces of potions in her blood, but not enough to say what they were. Only that they were mind-altering, which meant anything from a calming draught to a loyalty potion. There was no proof either way. That was not enough to bring charges against Dumbledore.
She had the Abbots do the same for Hannah, and there were some there as well. This was enough to send a notice to others to have their kids tested, but not enough to accuse anyone specific. Parents would have to draw their own conclusions. She was sure someone would go to the papers soon. It would not stay silent long. It was what she was hoping for.
She could however start an investigation on Hogwarts. There would be questions asked, and evidence gathered. The kitchens would be gone over with fine a tooth comb and the house elves would be questioned immediately. She had Aurors there right now, doing just that. She only hoped they had not been ordered to be silent. That would put a damper on the investigation.
She had also been bombarded with questions all morning, from people who were wanting to know things she didn't have the answers to. Like did the Death Eaters in Azkaban still have their dark mark? Why did Snape's mark disappear? Why was there a restaffing going on at the Ministry? Who were the new people being hired and why? Did she know where Remus Lupin was? And other strange questions. Well, they were strange to her, because they came out of the blue.
Who was asking these questions? The Order of the Phoenix, that's who. They thought they were being subtle, but they were anything but. The only one who came right out and told her why he was asking was Mad-eye Moody. He told her that Albus had asked him to ask around. The rest were trying to pass it off as gossip.
She told all, but Moody, to bugger off. She didn't gossip. She told Moody that she didn't know any of the answers, which was true.
Now she was on her way to Azkaban to see if the dark marks were still on the inmates. It was not one of her favorite places to be. She was sailing on the ferry in the freezing cold waters in the North Sea. The island was dark and the dementors hung over it like dark thunderous clouds.
She got off when the ferry touch ground. It was colder on the island than it had been over the water. That was due to the dementors. She cast her Patronus and kept it near her. It did much to warm her up. She made her way to the warden's office. Her Patronus following her, keeping the dementors away from her. It circled her body in a constant motion, making a moving shield.
"Clarkson, I need to examine the Death Eaters," she said without ceremony. She didn't want to be here, and she didn't want to waste time on pleasantries.
"Right away, Madam Bones," the skinny elderly man said, casting his own Patronus and leading the way to the cells that held the dangerous prisoners. They were at the top of the prison where the dementors were wont to hang out more.
Up the stairs they went, and the prison got grimier and grimier as they went. It was like the people who took care of the inmates were less diligent the further they had to climb. In truth it was the house elves were susceptible to dementors and were only required to drop off food to the worst offenders. Who happened to be at the top.
Amelia shivered as the demons flew around her and Clarkson, though they were held off by the two Patronus. The dementors were closer than she liked.
After a long climb, they came to where the Death Eaters were housed. Screams and shrieks were heard. Now that the dementors weren't tormenting them, they were taunting the visitors with vile words. Crazy the lot of them.
"Which is the most coherent?" Bones asked, wanting one that wasn't likely to bite her.
"Lestrange, the younger," Clarkson said, pointing to the younger brother.
Rabastan Lestrange looked at them as they came and bared his crooked black teeth at them. "Blood-traitors," he spat at them, knowing they were purebloods, but not followers of the Dark Lord. "My lord will come for us, and you will feel our wrath again," he vowed, snarling at them as he grabbed the bars to his cell and shook them.
"I need to see your arm," Bones said, not meeting the man's crazy eyes. She stared at his arm as if to will it to rise and show itself. She was hoping that it was bare.
"I will comply, if only to prove to you that my lord will return," the man said, lifting it and using his other hand to move the dirty torn sleeve and revealing the dark mark.
Suddenly the mark faded, and all the Death Eaters started screaming in pain. They all fell to their knees grasping their arms and screaming in denial. Bellatrix the loudest.
"No, my lord, I have not forsaken you!" she screeched to the sky, scratching at her face. She could feel him taking away her only link to him. It was the worst feeling she had ever had. It was the only thing that kept her sane in this hellhole. When it faded, there was a tentative connection, but barely there. It was just out of reach, but she could feel it and it gave her hope.
"What is happening?" Clarkson asked, moving away from the crazy woman, and backing his way away from the cells.
"It seems that the dark mark is fading," Bones said, not sure if that meant that the Dark Lord was removing it on purpose, or if he was indeed dead. She didn't hold on to hope it was the latter. She had a meeting with him the next day. She would know the truth then. If he showed, then of course he was not dead. If he didn't, then she wouldn't know what to think.
She decided that she would regulate this news though. She would only tell those that she wanted to know, like the Order and those that were saying that the Dark Lord was back. It wouldn't do for the warmongers to have the upper hand.
If only she and a few people knew the truth, then they could control what was going on. And if Tom Riddle was telling the truth, then this would only help. If he wasn't then Merlin help her. She was taking a leap of faith in Harry Potter and Sirius Black. She only hoped they had her back if they were wrong. She would know for sure tomorrow.
Right now, she had work to do. Clarkson didn't understand what this meant, and she could bullshit him. He never left Azkaban anyway. She placed a mild Confundus charm on the warden, so he would believe what she was telling him.
"Clarkson, not a word," she said, leading him away. "They are just going crazy," she said, holding his arm as she dragged him to his office. It was a shorter walk going down than it had been going up. They hurried their steps trying to get away from the screams.
Their Patronus Charms were still holding off the dementors, though the demons did return to the Death Eaters, which caused them to scream for different reasons.
"Yes, they were crazy before you came. They are just crazier now," he agreed, nodding his head. He hated going up there. He was not a brave man, and the only reason he had this job was because his cousin was friends with the Minister.
"I'm going to go back to my office. Not a word," she reminded him, leaving the office and heading back to the ferry. She had a lot to talk about with Voldemort tomorrow, and he had a lot to explain.