9. Conspiracy

Because of Dumbledore's absence, it was much easier for the ghosts to work on breaking the spells binding Severus. McGonagall might be deputy headmistress, but she was in no way as to attuned to Hogwarts as Dumbledore. It was simple for the ghosts to remain unseen by any of the castle's living occupants, and they were careful to avoid being sighted by any Hogwarts' portraits.

Peeves' help proved to be invaluable, as he was the only one of them who could physically move things. The headmaster's geas on Severus had shocked the poltergeist, and his willingness to aid Severus, Nicholas and Joseph multiplied fourfold after a meeting with the Bloody Baron. Nicholas and Joseph spent days in the library, searching for likely books that might aid their endeavours. The wards on the restricted section prevented them from searching for helpful books there, but even in the generally accessible part of the library the two ghosts were able to find a number of promising books.

Peeves' greatest contribution, apart from messing up the hallways and keeping both Filch and Mrs Norris preoccupied, came on Christmas Eve when he toppled nearly half the library's bookcases, and set loose a cage of Cornish Pixies. In the general confusion and mayhem this caused, he stole the books that Nicholas and Joseph had pointed out and brought them to the Shrieking Shack. It would take at least a week for Madam Pince to sort out and repair the damage done, and there was little chance she would notice the missing books before then.

No doubt the headmaster would be informed, but he was not due back until a day before term's start, and by that time things should have been put back to order and the books returned. Dumbledore would probably leave disciplining Peeves to the Bloody Baron. For once, Peeves had nothing to fear from Slytherin's House ghost.

In the meantime, Peeves hid out in the Shack with Severus. This way he could keep out of McGonagall, Pince and Filch's way, and Severus needed him to turn the pages of whatever book he was reading. Being stuck in the Shack with Severus did nothing to improve the poltergeist's behaviour. He bounced around the Shack singing 'Snivelly Snapey Weepy Baby' for the hundredth time, crept up behind Severus and tried to startle him, and asked the most outrageous and annoying questions whenever Severus called him to turn a page. Severus ignored Peeves as best he could, and in the end, he decided the poltergeist's help was well worth putting up with his obnoxious behaviour.

The week passed too quickly. Severus did find some useful information, but by the time Peeves had to return the books, he was still little closer to finding a means of escape.

From what he had been able to gather from the texts on binding spells, it was likely that Dumbledore had tied both into Hogwarts' wards. That first time he cast the geas on Severus for Nicholas' Death Day party he would have maintained the spell himself, but to shoulder a permanent geas would be too much of a strain on any wizard. By tying both geas and binding spells into Hogwarts' wards, Dumbledore could forget about them until he decided it was time to end them. This meant that, even if Severus found a wizard or witch prepared to break the spells binding him, the effect that would have on the castle's wards would immediately notify the headmaster of what had been done.

One of the texts on the nature of ghosts revealed that a wizard's ghost might still be able to use magic, provided he had his wand. Unfortunately, Severus had no idea what had happened to his wand, or his body for that matter, because by the time he had been able to manifest himself Dumbledore had already taken care of both.

Nicholas and Joseph told Severus that he should be able to find his last resting place. Unless his body had been cremated and the ashes scattered, his ghost would naturally be pulled toward it, just like there would be a similar connection with the place of his death. Severus concentrated and tried to find within himself any pull towards his bodily remains, but there was none.

Perhaps the geas and binding spells blocked that link out, but that was a small hope. If Dumbledore had gone to all the trouble of trapping Severus in the Shack and keeping secret what had happened that night over two decades ago, then he most likely would have cast an Incendio on both body and wand. He had not paid the least respect to Severus' ghost, why would he pay any to Severus' remains.

Severus did find a spell that would prevent any wizard from summoning or detecting him, and thus keep him safe from Dumbledore should he ever escape and find his wand. Dumbledore had only been able to trap Severus at the Shrieking Shack because Severus had died there, and he would naturally have been inclined to stay there. Should Severus ever manage to escape his prison, the spell would ensure that no witch or wizard would ever again be able to bind him against his will.

But none of this would do Severus any good unless the geas and binding spells were broken, and that was the one problem they had been unable to solve.

Nicholas argued with Severus that they should ask Harry for help. Even though he was only a fifth year student, he was quite powerful. He was also one of Dumbledore's favourites, and it was unlikely the headmaster would punish him.

"This stubborn refusal to involve Harry just doesn't make any sense, Severus. You told me what he said before he left: he has practically said he wants to be your boyfriend. You're a Slytherin, shouldn't you be using that?"

"Harry has enough problems of his own. I'm not going to burden him with mine as well, and that's final."

While this reasoning did appeal to Nicholas' Gryffindor sentiments, he remained convinced that Harry was their only chance of breaking the geas and binding spells. Severus knew that Nicholas was liable to approach Harry himself if he thought that was the right thing to do, but he managed to extract a promise from the other ghost not to do so. Asking Harry for help was Severus' decision to make.

Severus did indeed not want to bother Harry with his own problems on top of all that the other boy had to deal with already. But his refusal to ask for Harry's help rested on more than that. Asking for help would mean admitting that he could not solve this himself. That might be true, and the fact that he so readily accepted the help of Nicholas and the other ghosts didn't make much sense if he tried to explain it that way, but asking Harry for help was different. He didn't want to owe Harry anything, didn't want Harry to feel pressured to help, or responsible for Severus.

Finally, if he asked Harry to help and they failed, all would be revealed. Severus just knew that it would mean the end of every last good thing he had left. Dumbledore would ward the Shack against all entry; he would never see Nicholas or any of the other ghosts again. He would never see Harry again. Severus was a Slytherin; he was not brave like Nicholas. He was not prepared to risk the little he had unless he was certain it would yield the results he wanted.

Nicholas let the subject rest, but it was obvious he did not quite agree. To make matters worse, Peeves had overheard them talking, and Severus had to endure endless renditions of his new song: 'Potty Wee Potty and Snivelly Snapey both together sitting in a tree, kay eye ess ess eye en gee.'

It was nearly a relief when Dumbledore returned and Peeves had to take the books back to the library. The Headmaster returned two days before the start of term, and Peeves was indeed sent to the Bloody Baron for disciplining. Severus, Nicholas and Joseph nervously waited for any sign that Dumbledore might have discovered what they had done. However, there was no visit from an irate headmaster, and all three ghosts sighed in relief. Their explorations had not been an entire failure, but Severus was still not much closer to escaping.