Chapter 2: Questions... and Answers?
Harry walked along the corridor at the end of the castle and saw the familiar stone gargoyle, which guarded Dumbledore's office. Harry tried a few passwords and five minutes later the heavy gargoyle shifted to "fizzing whizbees." Ahead of Harry a door opened. Harry entered the doorway and began to climb the stairs that led to Dumbledore's office.
"No, Dumbledore! No! I refuse!"
Harry paused. He had climbed the stairs and was now standing outside Dumbledore's office. His arm was held in position to knock when he heard the raised voice inside Dumbledore's office. It was Snape.
Against his better judgement, Harry pressed his ear to the door and began to listen. "Dumbledore, I will not do this for you! Not again! You are aware of my previous situation and."
Snape's hysterical, angry voice was cut off by Dumbledore's low, calm tone. "Severus, no one is forcing you into this. I simply asked you to think about it. Please sit down and calm yourself."
Harry heard the scraping of a chair as Snape sat down. This time, Snape continued in his normal, low voice but it sounded kind of choked, as if Snape was forcing himself to say something and he didn't want to show his feelings about it, not even to Dumbledore.
"Albus," he began, "You know that the Dark Lord killed someone very dear to me."
Harry drew away from the door immediately. A cold shiver went down his spine and he felt a small pain in his scar. Snape was talking about Voldemort. The Dark wizard who had killed Harry's parents, with the help of the Death Eaters. But Harry couldn't help thinking this wasn't the reason he had just shivered. It was something else, just a feeling he had.
Snapes words ran around his head.
"You know that the Dark Lord killed someone very dear to me."
Who could ever be dear to Snape?
Harry was jolted out of his thinking when he heard the raised voice of Snape again. "Dumbledore, no! I will not consider it!"
Harry heard the soft voice of Dumbledore once more.
"Severus, listen to reason. I do not wish to pressure you. We're on the same level; we trust each other. Now listen."
Harry guessed now was a good time to knock.
~*~
"Come in" Dumbledore's voice was low and sounded disappointed. More then ever, Harry was reminded of how old Dumbledore was getting.
He entered Dumbledore's office, Snape had obviously just risen from his chair.
" I should go Professor" he said to the Headmaster.
"No" replied Dumbledore" I want you both here.
" Harry, there is some bad news. Do you remember last June, Professor Snape and your godfather - Sirius, departed from Hogwarts? Well, some months later they met with professor Lupin in South Africa. They were not long together."
"I do not see the point of my presence here." Snape interrupted standing up with a start.
"Severus, the boy needs to understand" Dumbledore said patiently "If he does not know why Sirius was put in such danger he will not be able to do what we require of him."
"Very well" sighed Snape "But make it quick, I have to cram as much knowledge as possible into my idiot 7th year tutor class in half an hour"
"Sirius" Exclaimed Harry "In danger... How?.When?.Where?.What can I do? How can I help him?
"Harry, calm down" Drawled Snape "Sirius is in no immediate danger"
Dumbledore continued. "Now, where was I? Ah yes. Well Harry, Sirius, Severus and Lupin met together in southern Africa when they were attacked by. Death Eaters.
~*~
Harry gasped. "Death Eaters? But. how? Why? Where is Sirius now? They can't have killed him! They can't! Professor Dumbledore! We have to."
"Harry! Harry calm down!"
Harry let out a few deep breaths and sat in the chair nearest him. He looked at Dumbledore and said: "Tell me everything."
Dumbledore looked at the boy before him. He was so brave, just like his father.
"Well Harry," Dumbledore began, "As I was saying, when Severus, Sirius and Lupin met in South Africa they went to a quiet Muggle pub together to discuss their. plans." Dumbledore stopped for a moment and then began again. "They thought they would be quite safe there but they were wrong. The Death Eaters attacked the Muggles 'for fun', there was a huge fight and Lupin was taken away. Sirius was of course, in his animagus form and Severus managed to Apparate before the Death Eaters saw him but there was nothing Lupin could do. Sirius returned back to Lupin's home and alerted Mundungus Fletcher, Arabella Figg and the rest but it was too late. When they got back to the pub not a trace was to be found of Lupin or the Death Eaters."
Harry swallowed and tried to digest the information he had been given. He looked up at Dumbledore and said quietly: "And now?" Harry was afraid of the answer but he had to know.
"Well Harry," began Dumbledore, "You are aware that Professor Snape used to be a Death Eater, aren't you?"
Snapes black eyes flashed but he didn't say anything.
Harry nodded. "Yes."
"Well, when Professor Snape went with Sirius to South Africa he had a reason. He was there to spy on Voldemort. But, when the Death Eaters captured Lupin, Professor Snape immediately returned to me. He told me everything and I have asked Professor Snape to spy once again on Voldemort to find out where he is hiding Lupin." "And," Harry asked quietly, "what has Professor Snape said?"
~*~
Harry walked along the corridor at the end of the castle and saw the familiar stone gargoyle, which guarded Dumbledore's office. Harry tried a few passwords and five minutes later the heavy gargoyle shifted to "fizzing whizbees." Ahead of Harry a door opened. Harry entered the doorway and began to climb the stairs that led to Dumbledore's office.
"No, Dumbledore! No! I refuse!"
Harry paused. He had climbed the stairs and was now standing outside Dumbledore's office. His arm was held in position to knock when he heard the raised voice inside Dumbledore's office. It was Snape.
Against his better judgement, Harry pressed his ear to the door and began to listen. "Dumbledore, I will not do this for you! Not again! You are aware of my previous situation and."
Snape's hysterical, angry voice was cut off by Dumbledore's low, calm tone. "Severus, no one is forcing you into this. I simply asked you to think about it. Please sit down and calm yourself."
Harry heard the scraping of a chair as Snape sat down. This time, Snape continued in his normal, low voice but it sounded kind of choked, as if Snape was forcing himself to say something and he didn't want to show his feelings about it, not even to Dumbledore.
"Albus," he began, "You know that the Dark Lord killed someone very dear to me."
Harry drew away from the door immediately. A cold shiver went down his spine and he felt a small pain in his scar. Snape was talking about Voldemort. The Dark wizard who had killed Harry's parents, with the help of the Death Eaters. But Harry couldn't help thinking this wasn't the reason he had just shivered. It was something else, just a feeling he had.
Snapes words ran around his head.
"You know that the Dark Lord killed someone very dear to me."
Who could ever be dear to Snape?
Harry was jolted out of his thinking when he heard the raised voice of Snape again. "Dumbledore, no! I will not consider it!"
Harry heard the soft voice of Dumbledore once more.
"Severus, listen to reason. I do not wish to pressure you. We're on the same level; we trust each other. Now listen."
Harry guessed now was a good time to knock.
~*~
"Come in" Dumbledore's voice was low and sounded disappointed. More then ever, Harry was reminded of how old Dumbledore was getting.
He entered Dumbledore's office, Snape had obviously just risen from his chair.
" I should go Professor" he said to the Headmaster.
"No" replied Dumbledore" I want you both here.
" Harry, there is some bad news. Do you remember last June, Professor Snape and your godfather - Sirius, departed from Hogwarts? Well, some months later they met with professor Lupin in South Africa. They were not long together."
"I do not see the point of my presence here." Snape interrupted standing up with a start.
"Severus, the boy needs to understand" Dumbledore said patiently "If he does not know why Sirius was put in such danger he will not be able to do what we require of him."
"Very well" sighed Snape "But make it quick, I have to cram as much knowledge as possible into my idiot 7th year tutor class in half an hour"
"Sirius" Exclaimed Harry "In danger... How?.When?.Where?.What can I do? How can I help him?
"Harry, calm down" Drawled Snape "Sirius is in no immediate danger"
Dumbledore continued. "Now, where was I? Ah yes. Well Harry, Sirius, Severus and Lupin met together in southern Africa when they were attacked by. Death Eaters.
~*~
Harry gasped. "Death Eaters? But. how? Why? Where is Sirius now? They can't have killed him! They can't! Professor Dumbledore! We have to."
"Harry! Harry calm down!"
Harry let out a few deep breaths and sat in the chair nearest him. He looked at Dumbledore and said: "Tell me everything."
Dumbledore looked at the boy before him. He was so brave, just like his father.
"Well Harry," Dumbledore began, "As I was saying, when Severus, Sirius and Lupin met in South Africa they went to a quiet Muggle pub together to discuss their. plans." Dumbledore stopped for a moment and then began again. "They thought they would be quite safe there but they were wrong. The Death Eaters attacked the Muggles 'for fun', there was a huge fight and Lupin was taken away. Sirius was of course, in his animagus form and Severus managed to Apparate before the Death Eaters saw him but there was nothing Lupin could do. Sirius returned back to Lupin's home and alerted Mundungus Fletcher, Arabella Figg and the rest but it was too late. When they got back to the pub not a trace was to be found of Lupin or the Death Eaters."
Harry swallowed and tried to digest the information he had been given. He looked up at Dumbledore and said quietly: "And now?" Harry was afraid of the answer but he had to know.
"Well Harry," began Dumbledore, "You are aware that Professor Snape used to be a Death Eater, aren't you?"
Snapes black eyes flashed but he didn't say anything.
Harry nodded. "Yes."
"Well, when Professor Snape went with Sirius to South Africa he had a reason. He was there to spy on Voldemort. But, when the Death Eaters captured Lupin, Professor Snape immediately returned to me. He told me everything and I have asked Professor Snape to spy once again on Voldemort to find out where he is hiding Lupin." "And," Harry asked quietly, "what has Professor Snape said?"
~*~