Disclaimer: Harry Potter doesn't belong to me, but I sure wish it did. I'd
be rich by now.
Showdown
Chapter 5: The Arrest
"Dreadful business, Dumbledore, dreadful business. I have got information from a man on the inside that it is incredibly likely that Voldemort has gained more power and people in the school may be playing a part."
This was Cornelius Fudge in Dumbledore's office. They were discussing the ever-rising danger of the Dark Side conquering the Light Side.
"Who is your source?"
"A trusted employee by the name of Walter Valens. He has been handing me information for over three months. He's been there before, and he knows how He Who Must Not Be Named operates. He always gives me facts on who may be...working against us at Hogwarts."
"Are you suggesting, Cornelius," Questioned Dumbledore, "that one of my staff may be working for Voldemort?"
Fudge hid his flinch of hearing the Dark Lords name by taking a large swig of tea.
"Yes...and no." He muttered, somewhat awkwardly, trying hard not to spray Dumbledore with tea.
The Headmasters eyes were not twinkling. "Yes and no? I'm sorry, Cornelius. You are going to have to be more specific than that."
"Yes, there is somebody here who may be a supporter of the Dark Lord. But no, it's not a Professor."
"Who else is there?" Stated Dumbledore. "Surely not a student?"
"I'm afraid it is." Fudge replied, not so gravely.
Now it was Dumbledore's turn to hide his surprise behind his mug of tea.
"Are you certain?"
"Positive."
There was a pause, and then Dumbledore began, "Cornelius, at any other time I would have said you were claiming some kind of falsehood, or that you had received incorrect information. But I know that the risk of a battle is increasing almost to breaking point, so I have come to the conclusion that the idea of you actually lying would be ludicrous, not the fact that someone is being unfaithful to Hogwarts."
"I do not lie."
"I believe you." Dumbledore replied. "But who do you propose it is?"
"A girl called Libby Silverman."
~*~*~*~*~*~
Ever since Draco Malfoy had found out that Libby was nothing like her other three best friends, he had decided he liked her. He knew quite a lot about the secret Deatheater meetings, and his father had once said to him that he hoped one day Draco would be able to make such noble and courageous friends such as Libby. There was no doubt in Draco's mind that if the Deatheaters respected her, she was a friend worth having. This was fine by Libby, as Draco seemed to be a nice enough guy, but she knew Harry, Ron and Hermione would hate it. Obviously, they knew Draco and Libs weren't enemies (She never got involved in the fights, and he never started them with her), but they never knew they were friends either.
The five of them were currently in Potions. Professor Snape had told them to make notes on the book he was dictating, which happened to be '101 ways to brew your own poison'. It was dull, but it could have been a lot worse. If it could possibly have been more dull (like how to make love potions), then Libby predicted that most of the students could not have stayed awake long enough to receive their own detentions...
All of a sudden, there was a rap at the door. In strode Dumbledore. He did not, however, walk over to Snape, but instead made his announcement in the doorway.
"Professor Snape, I was wondering if I could borrow Libby Silverman for a second?"
Libby shot a nervous glance at Snape, who returned one of puzzlement, as Cornelius Fudge was standing just a foot away from Dumbledore.
"Yes, of course." Snape responded, and then joined the class in staring at Libby, waiting for her to make her exit, and wondering what on Earth could have been important enough to drag the Minister of Magic out of work.
Libby took as much time as she could in making her way to the door, but struggled not to catch anyone's eye. When she finally got outside into the corridor, she discovered two other men waiting, which she had not seen previously.
"Uh...Professor? What is this about?"
Although Dumbledore's expression was not one of anger or sadness, he did not have the usual twinkle in his eye. Libby especially felt uneasy when Fudge put a Soundproof Spell on the classroom that would eliminate any noise that found its way into the classroom.
"Libby," He started. "This is Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic."
Libby nodded, but of course she already knew this.
The Headmaster obviously had a lot to say, but Fudge got there first.
"Recently, Ms Silverman, there have been many accusations of who may be a follower of He Who Must Not Be Named, or people who may be connected with him." He cleared his throat. "I have learnt from a source that some students may be...falling into the wrong path, and unfortunately, my source has put you in the spotlight."
"What are you saying?" Quizzed Libby.
Fudge cut to the chase. "You will have to accompany us back to Ministry Headquarters for further questioning."
"I don't think so!" Exclaimed Libby.
"Ms Silverman, you must come with us. If you resist further, then we will have no resort than to use force."
Dumbledore's expression was one of utter astonishment.
"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Libby announced.
"Cornelius?" Dumbledore sounded suprisingly small and insignificant in this rather loud conversation. "Couldn't this whole predicament be solved if you could prove that Libby was a supporter of Voldemort? I mean, would she not have the Dark Mark if she was?"
A great feeling of dread swept over Libby. What if they found the large, ugly temporary tattoo surrounding her arm? What was she going to do?
"Have you checked already then, Albus?" Said Cornelius, rather stiffly.
"Well, no, but-" Before Dumbledore could finish his sentence, the two Ministry men had cornered Libby next to the wall. Before she could stop them, they had lifted up the sleeve of her robe...and revealed the tattoo.
There were gasps all around. Fudge looked contempt and angry at the same time, with a kind of 'Guess I was right' expression on his face, whilst Dumbledore looked completely saddened that one of his students that he had had complete faith in had let him down in this way.
"Libby Silverman, you are now under arrest by the decree of the Minister of Magic. If you desist then, as I have said, we will use force."
All the while, Libby was struggling. She tried to make a run for it, but the two men were quite hefty.
"Libby-" Dumbledore was trying to say, but was ignored.
Once again she was cornered, and the men were so close, there was nowhere to run to. One of them then took out his wand and conjured a rope in mid- air. With a slight nod from Fudge, he was given the authority to use 'force'. He approached Libby with the rope, only to be kicked in the stomach.
"Libby!" Tried Dumbledore again.
The other man advanced on Libby, only to receive a punch in the face. Whilst this man was gathering his wits after the blow, the other had successfully got hold of Libby, and had got her facing the wall. He tried to get hold of both of her hands, but she was still struggling.
"LIBBY!" Dumbledore shouted. Libby was slightly stunned. She had hardly ever heard him raise his voice. Everyone stopped. "Please...don't make this harder on yourself..." He finished sadly.
The Ministry employee had got hold of both of her arms, and was tying them together. He then took out a second rope, and tied one of his wrists to hers, to prevent her escape. The two men dragged her slowly down the corridor, with Fudge following, as Dumbledore looked on desolately.
She looked back at him and screamed, "Professor Dumbledore! You can't let this happen! Please! Help me!" She then saw Snape come out of the classroom, and- seeing the astonishing scene in front of him- started to run after Libby. After three steps, Dumbledore blocked his path and held him by the shoulders. "No, Severus." He said. "I can't let you go. Its not worth it. I will explain everything to you later, but please, you cannot go."
Snape looked from Dumbledore to Libby. His only relative was being taken away by the Ministry, and he couldn't do a thing. Libby took one last look at Snape, No help was coming from either of them. She couldn't help it- a tear was running down her face. And as she was still being taken down the hall, she burst into sobs. 'It's not worth it.' Dumbledore had said. That was it. She wasn't worth anything to either of them anymore.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Showdown
Chapter 5: The Arrest
"Dreadful business, Dumbledore, dreadful business. I have got information from a man on the inside that it is incredibly likely that Voldemort has gained more power and people in the school may be playing a part."
This was Cornelius Fudge in Dumbledore's office. They were discussing the ever-rising danger of the Dark Side conquering the Light Side.
"Who is your source?"
"A trusted employee by the name of Walter Valens. He has been handing me information for over three months. He's been there before, and he knows how He Who Must Not Be Named operates. He always gives me facts on who may be...working against us at Hogwarts."
"Are you suggesting, Cornelius," Questioned Dumbledore, "that one of my staff may be working for Voldemort?"
Fudge hid his flinch of hearing the Dark Lords name by taking a large swig of tea.
"Yes...and no." He muttered, somewhat awkwardly, trying hard not to spray Dumbledore with tea.
The Headmasters eyes were not twinkling. "Yes and no? I'm sorry, Cornelius. You are going to have to be more specific than that."
"Yes, there is somebody here who may be a supporter of the Dark Lord. But no, it's not a Professor."
"Who else is there?" Stated Dumbledore. "Surely not a student?"
"I'm afraid it is." Fudge replied, not so gravely.
Now it was Dumbledore's turn to hide his surprise behind his mug of tea.
"Are you certain?"
"Positive."
There was a pause, and then Dumbledore began, "Cornelius, at any other time I would have said you were claiming some kind of falsehood, or that you had received incorrect information. But I know that the risk of a battle is increasing almost to breaking point, so I have come to the conclusion that the idea of you actually lying would be ludicrous, not the fact that someone is being unfaithful to Hogwarts."
"I do not lie."
"I believe you." Dumbledore replied. "But who do you propose it is?"
"A girl called Libby Silverman."
~*~*~*~*~*~
Ever since Draco Malfoy had found out that Libby was nothing like her other three best friends, he had decided he liked her. He knew quite a lot about the secret Deatheater meetings, and his father had once said to him that he hoped one day Draco would be able to make such noble and courageous friends such as Libby. There was no doubt in Draco's mind that if the Deatheaters respected her, she was a friend worth having. This was fine by Libby, as Draco seemed to be a nice enough guy, but she knew Harry, Ron and Hermione would hate it. Obviously, they knew Draco and Libs weren't enemies (She never got involved in the fights, and he never started them with her), but they never knew they were friends either.
The five of them were currently in Potions. Professor Snape had told them to make notes on the book he was dictating, which happened to be '101 ways to brew your own poison'. It was dull, but it could have been a lot worse. If it could possibly have been more dull (like how to make love potions), then Libby predicted that most of the students could not have stayed awake long enough to receive their own detentions...
All of a sudden, there was a rap at the door. In strode Dumbledore. He did not, however, walk over to Snape, but instead made his announcement in the doorway.
"Professor Snape, I was wondering if I could borrow Libby Silverman for a second?"
Libby shot a nervous glance at Snape, who returned one of puzzlement, as Cornelius Fudge was standing just a foot away from Dumbledore.
"Yes, of course." Snape responded, and then joined the class in staring at Libby, waiting for her to make her exit, and wondering what on Earth could have been important enough to drag the Minister of Magic out of work.
Libby took as much time as she could in making her way to the door, but struggled not to catch anyone's eye. When she finally got outside into the corridor, she discovered two other men waiting, which she had not seen previously.
"Uh...Professor? What is this about?"
Although Dumbledore's expression was not one of anger or sadness, he did not have the usual twinkle in his eye. Libby especially felt uneasy when Fudge put a Soundproof Spell on the classroom that would eliminate any noise that found its way into the classroom.
"Libby," He started. "This is Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic."
Libby nodded, but of course she already knew this.
The Headmaster obviously had a lot to say, but Fudge got there first.
"Recently, Ms Silverman, there have been many accusations of who may be a follower of He Who Must Not Be Named, or people who may be connected with him." He cleared his throat. "I have learnt from a source that some students may be...falling into the wrong path, and unfortunately, my source has put you in the spotlight."
"What are you saying?" Quizzed Libby.
Fudge cut to the chase. "You will have to accompany us back to Ministry Headquarters for further questioning."
"I don't think so!" Exclaimed Libby.
"Ms Silverman, you must come with us. If you resist further, then we will have no resort than to use force."
Dumbledore's expression was one of utter astonishment.
"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Libby announced.
"Cornelius?" Dumbledore sounded suprisingly small and insignificant in this rather loud conversation. "Couldn't this whole predicament be solved if you could prove that Libby was a supporter of Voldemort? I mean, would she not have the Dark Mark if she was?"
A great feeling of dread swept over Libby. What if they found the large, ugly temporary tattoo surrounding her arm? What was she going to do?
"Have you checked already then, Albus?" Said Cornelius, rather stiffly.
"Well, no, but-" Before Dumbledore could finish his sentence, the two Ministry men had cornered Libby next to the wall. Before she could stop them, they had lifted up the sleeve of her robe...and revealed the tattoo.
There were gasps all around. Fudge looked contempt and angry at the same time, with a kind of 'Guess I was right' expression on his face, whilst Dumbledore looked completely saddened that one of his students that he had had complete faith in had let him down in this way.
"Libby Silverman, you are now under arrest by the decree of the Minister of Magic. If you desist then, as I have said, we will use force."
All the while, Libby was struggling. She tried to make a run for it, but the two men were quite hefty.
"Libby-" Dumbledore was trying to say, but was ignored.
Once again she was cornered, and the men were so close, there was nowhere to run to. One of them then took out his wand and conjured a rope in mid- air. With a slight nod from Fudge, he was given the authority to use 'force'. He approached Libby with the rope, only to be kicked in the stomach.
"Libby!" Tried Dumbledore again.
The other man advanced on Libby, only to receive a punch in the face. Whilst this man was gathering his wits after the blow, the other had successfully got hold of Libby, and had got her facing the wall. He tried to get hold of both of her hands, but she was still struggling.
"LIBBY!" Dumbledore shouted. Libby was slightly stunned. She had hardly ever heard him raise his voice. Everyone stopped. "Please...don't make this harder on yourself..." He finished sadly.
The Ministry employee had got hold of both of her arms, and was tying them together. He then took out a second rope, and tied one of his wrists to hers, to prevent her escape. The two men dragged her slowly down the corridor, with Fudge following, as Dumbledore looked on desolately.
She looked back at him and screamed, "Professor Dumbledore! You can't let this happen! Please! Help me!" She then saw Snape come out of the classroom, and- seeing the astonishing scene in front of him- started to run after Libby. After three steps, Dumbledore blocked his path and held him by the shoulders. "No, Severus." He said. "I can't let you go. Its not worth it. I will explain everything to you later, but please, you cannot go."
Snape looked from Dumbledore to Libby. His only relative was being taken away by the Ministry, and he couldn't do a thing. Libby took one last look at Snape, No help was coming from either of them. She couldn't help it- a tear was running down her face. And as she was still being taken down the hall, she burst into sobs. 'It's not worth it.' Dumbledore had said. That was it. She wasn't worth anything to either of them anymore.
~*~*~*~*~*~