"Do you think that you can go back spying for Dumbledore, after all that happened?" the boy asks me during lunch.
The boy. I try to think of him in a different way, but it's not easy. Thinking of him as "Harry" is too dangerous. And as "Potter"... well... I can't do it anymore, that's the truth. I used to call him "Potter" in my mind because I identified him with his father. Now I see how wrong I was. Harry Potter might have many flaws, but he's not like his father at all.
Why is he asking me this? Is it just curiosity or... might he be a little... worried? Nonsense, Severus. He's just making small talk. (And I hate small talk.)
"We never can be sure in these cases," I answer vaguely.
Obviously, this answer doesn't satisfy him.
"What happened on the day of the Atropos battle, when I was injured?"
Hn. Right. The time has come. I don't know how to evade the question.
"As a spy I... cannot participate in this kind of action."
He stares at me, puzzled. Then, a flash of understanding hits him.
"Oh, it's true! You have never participated in any battle!"
"This is not up to me," I declare.
He must think that I'm a coward. He's 17; he can't possibly understand.
"Right. So you... didn't see anything? Don't you know what happened? Who brought me here?"
"It was a terrible battle, with many casualties. The Order attacked one of the meeting points of the Death Eater, at the Atropos Forest area. You and the Dark Lord came face to face, and cast the Avada Kedavra at each other at the same time. Your wands connected by Priori Incantatem for a long time, till both of you lost your consciousness. The Dark Lord's body disappeared. Your friends found you, and the Headmaster brought you here."
"My friends? Ron and Hermione?"
"And Longbottom," I say, through clenched teeth.
"Oh!" He thinks a little, before insisting. "But Voldemort should have expected that you would contact him after Atropos battle, even if it was just to know if he was alive."
I push the dish away and sip my butterbeer. It's not my favourite beverage, but no doubt it's better than pumpkin juice. I'm trying to gain time. Finally, I give up. It seems that Harry Potter is going to win another battle.
"I'm in touch with a fellow Death Eater. I met him immediately after Atropos, and he ordered me to come back to Hogwarts and to... check out your actual condition."
"So you are... spying on me for the Death Eaters?"
My lips twist in one of my most sarcastic smirks.
"Isn't it an interesting situation?"
"But what are you going to tell them when you meet them? And how will you explain why you didn't answer the two latest of Voldemort's calls?"
"I will tell them that you are perfectly well, that not a hair on your head has been touched. And that I haven't been able to answer to the Dark Lord's calls because Dumbledore has been breathing down my neck all of the time. It won't be the first, nor the last time that I will have to explain my absence."
"And does Voldemort usually accept your excuses?"
"He has no option. I am most useful to him."
He stares at me with widened eyes, looking scared. If I was in his place, I would be scared too. Or worse: I *am* scared of myself.
TBC...
Author's Notes:
I had to make some last-minute changes, post-Nymphadora Tonks1's corrections,
so any remaining mistake is solely my responsibility.
Replies to Reviews:
Nymphadora Tonks1: Oh, I didn't want to hurry you, but you are always so fast! I think where I live is 3 or 4 hours later than where you are. Thanks for your help!
sev1970: Thanks, darling! I'm glad you're liking my story.
KittenBabyGirl: Thanks for your comment! Yeah, spells...
Sadraven: I'm glad you liked Sev's PoV. Thanks!
Candace, lillinfields, Kristen and koontz987: Thank you!
Faerie Fighter and: Who cares if it's wrong? Sevvy-kins do! Let's see if we
can convince him otherwise!
Lady Lorene: Let's see what I can do for you... But you have to be patient. Thank you!
Arili: Thanks for warning me about the tenses. Verbal tenses and prepositions drive a non-native speaker crazy. I'm trying to learn to use them, but it's not easy.
Anarane Anwamane: Yes, he is, but Harry's too.