The Harry Potter universe belongs to JK Rowling. I own none of her characters – however, I own the few original ones in this story.
Thanks to PallasAthene17 for the beta job.
Thanks to the reviewers – your input is insightful.
Chapter 3
Godric's HollowPeace and quiet. As Harry sat upon the porch swing at his home in Godric's Hollow, he could only think of how his life has changed during the past 20 years.
Harry never had a normal childhood. Going up against Voldemort every year of your life since the age of 11 and living in fear for your own life and the lives of your friends was not normal. But he endured it. The difference between the Dursleys and Hogwarts was that at Hogwarts, he had friends and found his "family". It was friends like Ron and Hermione who were the family he never had growing up. They all had their fights and squabbles, but there was love and respect among them. They would die for each other, and had indeed almost done so.
The final battle was a day Harry will remember every day for the rest of his life. The Order of Phoenix had been reinstated in their 5th year, and a full-scale war was declared upon Voldemort. Of course, the Ministry denied all claims that Voldemort returned, but the Order was ready this time. Like the tides ebb and flow, the victor of each battle of the ongoing war switched from Voldemort to the Order.
The Order was always on the defense, and never decided to strike first. Until Severus Snape, potion master from hell had decided enough was enough.
Flashback: July 2004The Order's meeting had come to a standstill. The tension in the air was thick; and the people gathered in the room felt it. Snape had just awoken from the coma he had been in for the last two weeks. The last thing he remembered was attending a Death Eater's meeting, and being tried for treason. Still looking haggard and paler than he normally was, he nonetheless had command of the room as he stood, clutching at the staff he used to help him around.
"Headmaster, we have been on the defense for 20 years now. It is time for us to stand up together and fight fire with fire!" Snape's voice was dangerously low and poignant.
Sirius Black rose from his chair and stood next to Snape, "Albus, as much as I hate to agree with the git, he is right – we have to take him on. Otherwise, this will never end." Sirius looked as if he aged 10 years, worse even than he had looked even after his long stint in Azkaban, his eyes hollow and tired looking. He had been on the run all his life, and was ready to do anything to regain his freedom.
The Headmaster leaned further back into his chair, elbows on the armrests and both hands clasped in front of his face. Albus too, had lost too many students and during the war, and had no other ideas in front of him except to persevere the way they have been.
"Severus, Sirius, we have been fighting a war in a most honorable way. But as I look around this room at your faces, and realizing how many of you have sacrificed your lives for an honorable fight, I see the pain in all of your eyes. If we turn against Voldemort using the same curses, we are no better than he. Some of our finest minds are currently working on countercurses and spells that will defeat Voldemort."
Snape raised his voice, striking his staff on the floor, "Dammit Albus, there is no more time - we need to act! We can no longer be sitting ducks waiting for Hogwarts to fall. And it will fall."
Albus stood up walked over to where Snape was standing and looked him in the eye, "Severus, we will not fall. Once you admit defeat, the war is lost. Hogwarts will not fall. The bright minds and skills of those here will defend Hogwarts and all she stands for."
"We need to act now. We cannot wait anymore. I cannot return to him." Snape said quietly.
"I will not fail you my boy," Albus replied, "However, you are correct. The time has come to think of the future, and not the road traveled to get there. We will switch from a defensive tact to an offensive one."
Harry stood up next to Sirius, "If it's a war they want, then by god we're declaring it, on OUR terms."
Remus Lupin, Alastair Moody, Arabella Figg, Herman Montswamp, Minerva McGonagall, Ron Weasley, Charlie, Bill, Molly and Arthur Weasley stood up. As they stood, others in the room rose from their chairs.
"I take this as agreement to the proposed declaration of war?" Albus queried, with a nod of heads as confirmation. The twinkle that had been long lost from Albus' eyes reappeared for a moment, and the man they had know for all these years transformed before them: he stood up straighter, a look of resolve in his face, and spoke with the ferocity of the Lion that he was: "Gather all those who are known with our cause, those who we can recover from the dark ways we must protect and save."
As soon as he spoke, the Order began to move, writing letters, flooing in comrades, and starting preparing for war.
Hogwarts – Snape's roomsSnape turned his head away from the fire to look at Albus. 'This is going to be one hell of a night' he thought as he headed to a locked cupboard near his desk. He unlocked it and reached for a bottle scotch. "I was waiting for a good excuse to open this bottle," he said somberly as he poured a glass for himself and Albus.
Albus sat facing the fire looking every bit of his 162 years. Snape returned with their drinks and the bottle as Albus placed his glasses back on his nose. Snape handed the drink to Albus and raised his glass, "To complications." Albus raised his glass to Snape and added, "You have no idea," and swiftly drank the contents of the glass. Snape arched his eyebrow and raised the bottle questioning seconds as Albus held his glass up for another round.
"Very smooth scotch, Severus," Albus said noting the woodsy alcohol as he swirled the contents in his glass. Snape placed the bottle on the table between them, and sat opposite Albus.
Albus reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. Snape kept his eyes on Albus as he took a taste of the warm liquid. "Read it" Albus commanded. Snape never took his eyes of Albus as he picked up the envelope. "And what exactly is in this? I haven't seen you speak this directly this direct since Voldemort."
Albus took a sip of his drink, and replied, "Just read it."
Snape placed his drink on the table and looked at the envelope. 'Hmm, I've seen this handwriting before,' thought Snape. 'Small, legible, precise… Hermione Granger, perhaps? Ah, who else but her could it be. What kind of mess has she gotten herself into now.'
"So, what has our little Miss Know-it-All done? Hmmm?" Snape chided as he stood up. "The greatest mind of Hogwarts in a little jam and looking for assistance? Obviously Potter and Weasley couldn't clean up her little mess and she is seeking help from you."
"Read it" Albus commanded.
As Snape's eyes fell to the letter he held in his hand and he began to read, his scowl slowly turned into a look of disbelief. His eyes narrowed at Albus, "She's done it" Snape said in a near whisper as he collapsed in his chair, "My gods she's done it. She had mentioned something of it after Voldemort's fall, and I laughed at her. I told her it couldn't be done."
He added, "She's a marked woman Albus."
"I need to you find her tonight Severus, and bring her back here. She and this, must be protected." Albus said as pointed to the letter. "She indicates that the research is not completed. The restorative is not known. That is the key Severus. Without the restorative, this is deadly to our world. Our kind, our world could cease to exist, if this were to ever fall into the wrong hands."
"Who else knows about this?"
"Harry, Ron, Neville, and her cousin, a muggle."
"We need to move fast."
"I owled Neville upon receiving the letter – he will let them know to come here. Severus, there is also the pending issue with the missing Mr. Malfoy and the untimely death of Thomas."
"Does the Ministry have any idea who murdered Greer?" Snape asked as he buttoned up his frock coat.
"The Ministry is unaware of it being a murder as of yet. They have classified it as 'unknown cause of death.' I am waiting to hear from my source what the aura of the room is. If they find the presence of dark magic, they will begin an investigation. Severus, strange things are going on right now. There is an ill wind blowing our way. I don't like the look of things."
"Neither do I. I'm off to make sure that the incompetent imp Mr. Longbottom finds the Dream Team before Malfoy or anyone else does." Snape grabbed his cloak off the chair near the doors to his chambers and was out the door before Albus could utter, "Good luck my boy – Circe knows you need it."
Snape's mind was spinning as he briskly walked out of the castle towards where the apparition barrier ended, at the edge of the campus grounds. 'What in the hell was Hermione thinking sending a letter to Albus. You would think that the High and Mighty Hermione Granger would at least know her research was just a little deadly? And where in Hades is Satan's son Draco?' As he approached the gates leading off school grounds, Snape muttered, "Does this ever end?" and apparated.
Hermione's ApartmentMonique looked at where Hermione Granger had very recently stood. 'This girl is going to get me killed – I need a new roommate.' She should contact the Ministry, but was reluctant to do so since Hermione was concerned with her research, and thought she might as well tidy the flat up a bit and think before she did anything. She pulled her wand from her pocket and did a few cleaning spells, setting the broken furniture right again. After she finished cleaning up the sitting room, she noticed Hermione's cell phone on the floor where she had fell. Monique picked it up and thought, 'No time like the present to notify the Ministry.' And with that thought, a pop sounded next to her and a very pissed off Potions Master stood beside her.
As Snape looked Monique up and down, "I assume you are Hermione's flatmate, where is she?" Snape snapped at the girl who looked to be no more than 20. Monique didn't reply, as to not knowing who she was speaking to. "I haven't got all day. Speak!"
"From the look of things, I take it you didn't ransack this place earlier. How about a few questions from me since I have no idea who the hell you are!" Monique spurted back at Snape, drawing her wand from her sleeve.
"I am Professor Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts. It is imperative that I speak with Miss Granger immediately." Snape snapped at her, narrowing his eyes and curling his lip as he stared her down.
"Oh, so you're the git, I always pictured you taller," Monique said matter of factly, and added, "with fangs", as she withdrew her wand. Snape closed his eyes and shook his head at the girl before him. "If you are looking for Mione, join the crowd. I came home to find her unconscious, our flat turned up-side-down, and her wand broken. She did leave this behind." Monique showed Snape the cell phone.
"Her wand is broken? Where is she? What is that?"
"After searching the place and finding some diskette of information, she flooed over to Ron Weasley's. This is a cell phone, you know, a form of muggle communication."
Snape snorted, "Enough. So she's with Weasley."
"Listen to me girl, if I were you, I would find a nice little place on the other side of the world and hide. You have no idea what danger you are in." Snape snatched the foreign-looking cell phone and apparated out of there following Hermione's trail.
Faced again with an excited, frantic person disappearing in front of her, Monique told herself, 'I'm in need of a vacation." And with a swish of her wand, she was packed. This was soon followed by a small pop, and she was gone.
Ron Weasley's Home"Come on Ron, we don't have that much time," Hermione was panicking as she was pacing through the Weasley living room with the thought of all the things that could happen to Sephe and Neville, as well as Albus. 'Why did I send that letter to Albus? I could have easily apparated over to tell him directly.' she thought to herself, cursing herself for making such a thoughtless mistake.
"Hermione, calm down." Ron replied from the stairs he was heading down. He began looking for his overnight bag. "Susan is going to my parent's tonight, I just flooed Neville, but he's not there so I sent him an owl. Susan's also is going to get a message to Harry to meet us at Hogwarts." Ron reappeared from upstairs looking ready, "What is Sephe's phone number?"
"I don't know, it's on my cell," she replied as she frantically reached into the pockets of her jeans and her jacket searching for her phone. "Crickey– it must have fallen out when I was attacked."
Ron gave her a concerned look, "Are you ok to be going out? You took a hit to your head. Maybe I should look for her and you should go with Susan to the Burrow."
"No, I'm fine. Lets head downtown, I know of a few of her hangouts. She mentioned this coffee house earlier today. Let's start there."
"You aren't going anywhere without saying good-bye, Ronald darling." Susan said playfully at Ron, as she entered the room. "Wouldn't dream of disappointing you," Ron said as he pulled her into a hug & kiss, "See you later. Say hello to my parents for me." "Say hello yourself tomorrow," Susan remarked as she disappeared with a pop.
"Let's go." Ron said as he grabbed Hermione into a hug in order to apparate the two of them into London.