See disclaimers and warnings in part one.
Fugue State (part nine)
*******
Within the Isle of Watchers, Percy Weasley studied the scene before him.
Watching from a room adjacent to the interview room, behind a reflective
wall, the watchers would see everything. They recorded all conversations
on pensieves. With a quick swish of his wand, Percy deactivated the
pensieves. This was a private conversation, and surely the Headmaster
would not appreciate the recording. It was a given, however, that the
conversation would be witnessed. Even the Headmaster could not expect
complete privacy while in conference with the prisoner. It was, of
course, for the protection of the Headmaster. Snape might be restrained,
but he was still a powerful Wizard and he might be able to attack
Professor Dumbledore. Percy stood, wand in hand, at the ready to jump in
at the moment the Headmaster appeared to be in danger from the prisoner.
Snape and Dumbledore sat on opposite sides of the table, one bound, and
the other with hand outstretched with an offering of sweets. Percy
turned to the Auror beside him.
"In the future, Erik, do make sure the visitors are searched for
contraband prior to seeing the prisoners."
Erik nodded, but asked of the Minister, "Does this mean that there will
be a schedule set up for visitation sir?"
"No, but this one may be receiving some additional guests. With the
exception of the Headmaster and approved others, they are to be searched
prior to entry on the isle. Anything they are carrying must be held,
including wands."
"Is that, I mean, do we have the right to ask for a wizard's wand, sir?"
"Better people are inconvenienced a bit, then we allow for the
possibility that they might aid in the escape of the prisoners." Percy
stated with all the authority of his position. "These are the greatest
risks to our safety and peace. The world must be kept safe from these
miscreants." Percy replied, returning to the scene before him.
The Headmaster sat, still as stone, his arm outstretched before Snape,
offering the candy. Snape stared directly into the Headmaster's eyes,
the irony being, that with his hands bound, there was no way for him
accept the sweets offered to him.
Percy stood before the scene, waiting for one or the other to make the
first move. Finally, the Headmaster put the tin down and began to speak.
"So, Severus," said Albus as he leaned back into his chair, putting the
tin beside him on the table, "you are looking as well as can be
expected."
Severus remained stoic, the only sign that he was listening to the
Headmaster was the almost imperceptible twitch in his jaw, visible only
due to his emaciated features. Had there been an ounce of fat anywhere
on him, the movements would not be visible. His eyes blinked once more
as he continued to stare at the Headmaster.
"I do hope you are well."
At this comment, Snape's eyes closed, the only sign he was still hearing
the words the Headmaster spoke was the continued twitching of his jaw.
"Understand this Severus, where you are now was ordained long ago. Any
and all actions undertaken by you, in no way negated your fate. You once
understood this. I do hope that you harbor no ill will towards myself. I
do, after all, have only your best interests at heart."
Percy leaned closer to the glass, anxious that he not miss a word the
Headmaster spoke. This was Snape. The traitor. The orders Percy had
followed in sentencing him had come from the highest reaches of the
Ministry, and Snape had, in the greater scheme of things, been shown a
great deal of mercy considering the extent of his crimes.
"I do have some pleasant news for you, Severus," continued Albus,
opening the tin and popping a lemon sherbet in his mouth. "I believe you
will be seeing another guest in the near future. Do you remember Miss
Granger? There is some information she seeks of you. Shall I allow her
to visit you?"
Still, Snape's eyes remained closed, his mouth did part and within the
quiet of the room, the harsh sound of his breathing permeated the room.
It broke the silence that remained in the wake of the Headmaster's
words.
"I do believe I can trust you Severus. You have kept our secrets so well
over the years. A few visits from a former student should not alter your
path. You have been a faithful servant over the years and I expect you
to continue to do so." At the conclusion of these words, Albus rose from
his chair, circled around the table to stand next to Snape.
Percy and Erik tensed in the room. With a slight nod to the Auror, both
he and Percy held their wands at the ready, ready to protect the
Headmaster from the prisoner.
Albus crouched down next to Snape, laying a hand on Severus' bound arm.
His mouth next to Severus' ear, he spoke once again. "Remember, Severus"
Albus leaned closer to Snape, speaking directly in his ear.
Percy almost groaned aloud in frustration. The Headmaster's voice had
dropped so low, the rest of the Headmaster's statement lost to the
watchers. Percy fought to remain impassive. It would not do for an
underling to witness his frustration at the turn the conversation had
taken. Obviously the trust he had established with the Headmaster would
allow him to get the remainder of the conversation in private. He and
the Headmaster met once a week. He was in Albus' confidence. The
information would come to him soon enough. There were secrets that must
be held only by a select few. The man beside him did not qualify, he was
only a gloried guard for a prison. He, Percy Weasley, was a Minister and
candidate for the next Minister of Magic. He would learn from the great
men around him, his father and the Headmaster and be the greatest
Minister ever.
Albus stood up from Snape's side, brushed a hand over the shorn head and
walked to the door, picking up the tin of sweets along his way. He gave
a sharp knock to the door, and Percy hurried to let the Headmaster out
of the room. Snape had begun to rock back and forth against the bonds,
his breathing increasing with each second. Dumbledore gave Percy a quick
nod and the two headed for the exit and passage off the island.
Waiting a discreet amount of time and assuring himself that the Minister
and the Headmaster were safely off the island, Erik summoned two
additional Aurors and the trio headed into the room to return the
prisoner to his cell. As they entered the room, the Aurors noticed the
agitation of the prisoner. He was breathing quickly and the tendons in
his neck were strained as he tested the bonds. His hands clenched
against arms of his chair and he rocked back and forth. His eyes
remained closed, but the Aurors could see Snape's teeth were clenched as
he tested the limits of his restraints. With a glance to his co-workers,
Erik cast a quick Petrifius Totalus, immobilizing the prisoner. Undoing
the bonds, and with a Mobilicorpus the trio began the trip over to
Azkaban.
The logistics of transporting the prisoners back and forth were, by
necessity, complicated. Once the prisoner was immobilized, they were
escorted to a boat which, propelled by magic, quickly sped over to
Azkaban. The wards between the two islands, were the results of years of
study from the finest minds of the Wizarding world. Once within range,
the trio of Aurors cast the strongest Patronus charms in their ability.
Having been chosen for this duty, because of their skills in this area,
the Dementors were driven back throughout the prison into specially
designed holding areas that protected the humans from the effects of the
Dementors' cries.
Moving swiftly through the prison, the men made their way down to the
cell occupied by the prisoner. Their noses crinkled in disgust as the
odors of the surrounding cells permeated their nostrils. Finally,
outside the door to Snape's cell, they straightened his body out and
pulled off the pants. Unbuttoning the shirt, one Auror gripped the
collar of the shirt while the other two opened the cell. Moving the
prisoner upright they removed the spells holding Snape immobile. He fell
into the cell, the shirt pulling off his body and into the hands of the
Auror. The Aurors quickly slammed the door shut and made their way
quickly out of the prison. Behind them they could hear the screams of
Snape as he cried his voice hoarse and slammed up against his cell door.
His fists beat with futility against the door as his cries rose in
volume. As they exited the prison, the spells holding the Dementors
captive were released and rolling after the Aurors as they boarded their
boat were the screams of the prisoners as the Dementors swept through
the corridors of the prison, feeding in a frenzy.
By the time they had reached the island and had returned to the safety
of their offices, the prison was back to normal. Erik went to his office
and activated the recording threads in Snape's cell for viewing. The man
was throwing himself against the walls of his cell, bloodying his hands
with the force of his blows. He fell to the floor writhing in agony as
the Dementors entered his cell. Erik transmitted the images to Minister
Weasley and went to join his co-workers for afternoon tea.
******
The next morning, Albus set out snacks for his visitors. Right on time
at eleven o'clock, the gargoyles signaled the arrival of Minerva and
Harry. Minerva came into his office, followed by Harry and with a quick
greeting to them both, the three sat down in front of the fireplace for
a nice chat and a few scones.
As Harry helped himself to tea and scones, Albus poured a cup for
himself and Minerva. Handing her the cup, the two chatted about the news
of the school while waiting for Harry to finish heaping his plate with
food.
Once Harry was settled, Albus graced the two before him with a smile and
began.
"Hermione will be paying me a visit in a week or so. At her convenience
of course. She is looking into the history of the trials of the Death
Eaters, particularly Severus' trial. I simply wanted to remind you two,
that although you are to help Hermione to the greatest extent possible,
you are still bound by the confidence of the testimony you have given.
Under no circumstances are you to violate the sanctity of the tribunal."
He turned to Harry with a rueful look upon his face. "I know this asking
a great deal of you Harry, but you must be careful what information you
impart to your friend. I must remind you that the safety of the general
populous is at risk should you divulge too much information."
Harry swallowed around his scone and took a sip of tea to clear his
mouth. "If I have any questions, can I come to you, Professor?"
"I believe in this instance, Professor McGonagall would be better suited
to guide you in this endeavor. You both are in the same boat as it were.
And if you help each other, this would be best."
Minerva smiled at Harry, who gave a grin to his former head of house.
"I'll always be available to you Harry, Professor Dumbledore, is
unfortunately still rather busy between his duties here and some things
at the Ministry. My door is always open, as is my floo. Feel free to
contact me at any time."
Harry nodded in thanks and relaxed back in his chair with a deep breath
and started in on his second scone.
Minerva gave him a grin and said "Are you sure you should be eating so
much Harry? Do you not have a match against the Americans coming up?"
Harry laughed and finished his scone, looking regretfully at the
remaining one on his plate. "We're actually really worried about the
match. No one expected them to make the semis, and if we lose, we'll be
the laughing stock of the Quidditch world. Not to mention what the Daily
Prophet will do to us in the press. They'll crucify us. Me particularly.
They really look for a reason to put me on the front page. I've had to
cast so many charms around my flat to stop them from peeking in through
the windows. I miss Hogwarts, at least here I could change in private
without worrying about being shown on the front page in my underwear."
"Well, Harry, if you will accept some advice from a dithering old man,
perhaps you should concentrate on the Snitch and not the, attributes, of
the American Seeker. As I recall, you had a similar problem when you
played against Hufflepuff and was it, Cho? You were rather distracted
against her."
The three laughed together, as Harry regaled his two former teachers
with the plans of the English team as well as making sure they had
gotten the tickets for the game the following week. All in all, a
delightful conversation that everyone was sorry to see end as Harry
thanked them for the tea as he had to return to afternoon practice.
Minerva stayed behind, discussing with the Headmaster the usual problems
of the school, most of which centered around the misbehavior of a few
choice Slytherins. As always, Albus deferred to Minerva's
recommendations to the detentions and their discussion soon turned to
more pleasant matters. Biding Minerva goodbye as she went off to teach
her afternoon Transfiguration class with the third year Gryffindors, he
turned his attention to the letter sent to him by Hermione a few days
ago.
Reading over the parchment with a chuckle and a smile, he dashed off a
note inviting her to dinner at Hogwarts the following week. With a quick
summons, a school owl flew to him, and with a pat, the invitation was on
its way to Hermione. Certain of her acceptance, he contacted the house
elves and asked them to prepare a feast for the dinner a week hence,
when Miss Granger would return to Hogwarts. The first step along her
journey.
******
TBCÉ
Fugue State (part nine)
*******
Within the Isle of Watchers, Percy Weasley studied the scene before him.
Watching from a room adjacent to the interview room, behind a reflective
wall, the watchers would see everything. They recorded all conversations
on pensieves. With a quick swish of his wand, Percy deactivated the
pensieves. This was a private conversation, and surely the Headmaster
would not appreciate the recording. It was a given, however, that the
conversation would be witnessed. Even the Headmaster could not expect
complete privacy while in conference with the prisoner. It was, of
course, for the protection of the Headmaster. Snape might be restrained,
but he was still a powerful Wizard and he might be able to attack
Professor Dumbledore. Percy stood, wand in hand, at the ready to jump in
at the moment the Headmaster appeared to be in danger from the prisoner.
Snape and Dumbledore sat on opposite sides of the table, one bound, and
the other with hand outstretched with an offering of sweets. Percy
turned to the Auror beside him.
"In the future, Erik, do make sure the visitors are searched for
contraband prior to seeing the prisoners."
Erik nodded, but asked of the Minister, "Does this mean that there will
be a schedule set up for visitation sir?"
"No, but this one may be receiving some additional guests. With the
exception of the Headmaster and approved others, they are to be searched
prior to entry on the isle. Anything they are carrying must be held,
including wands."
"Is that, I mean, do we have the right to ask for a wizard's wand, sir?"
"Better people are inconvenienced a bit, then we allow for the
possibility that they might aid in the escape of the prisoners." Percy
stated with all the authority of his position. "These are the greatest
risks to our safety and peace. The world must be kept safe from these
miscreants." Percy replied, returning to the scene before him.
The Headmaster sat, still as stone, his arm outstretched before Snape,
offering the candy. Snape stared directly into the Headmaster's eyes,
the irony being, that with his hands bound, there was no way for him
accept the sweets offered to him.
Percy stood before the scene, waiting for one or the other to make the
first move. Finally, the Headmaster put the tin down and began to speak.
"So, Severus," said Albus as he leaned back into his chair, putting the
tin beside him on the table, "you are looking as well as can be
expected."
Severus remained stoic, the only sign that he was listening to the
Headmaster was the almost imperceptible twitch in his jaw, visible only
due to his emaciated features. Had there been an ounce of fat anywhere
on him, the movements would not be visible. His eyes blinked once more
as he continued to stare at the Headmaster.
"I do hope you are well."
At this comment, Snape's eyes closed, the only sign he was still hearing
the words the Headmaster spoke was the continued twitching of his jaw.
"Understand this Severus, where you are now was ordained long ago. Any
and all actions undertaken by you, in no way negated your fate. You once
understood this. I do hope that you harbor no ill will towards myself. I
do, after all, have only your best interests at heart."
Percy leaned closer to the glass, anxious that he not miss a word the
Headmaster spoke. This was Snape. The traitor. The orders Percy had
followed in sentencing him had come from the highest reaches of the
Ministry, and Snape had, in the greater scheme of things, been shown a
great deal of mercy considering the extent of his crimes.
"I do have some pleasant news for you, Severus," continued Albus,
opening the tin and popping a lemon sherbet in his mouth. "I believe you
will be seeing another guest in the near future. Do you remember Miss
Granger? There is some information she seeks of you. Shall I allow her
to visit you?"
Still, Snape's eyes remained closed, his mouth did part and within the
quiet of the room, the harsh sound of his breathing permeated the room.
It broke the silence that remained in the wake of the Headmaster's
words.
"I do believe I can trust you Severus. You have kept our secrets so well
over the years. A few visits from a former student should not alter your
path. You have been a faithful servant over the years and I expect you
to continue to do so." At the conclusion of these words, Albus rose from
his chair, circled around the table to stand next to Snape.
Percy and Erik tensed in the room. With a slight nod to the Auror, both
he and Percy held their wands at the ready, ready to protect the
Headmaster from the prisoner.
Albus crouched down next to Snape, laying a hand on Severus' bound arm.
His mouth next to Severus' ear, he spoke once again. "Remember, Severus"
Albus leaned closer to Snape, speaking directly in his ear.
Percy almost groaned aloud in frustration. The Headmaster's voice had
dropped so low, the rest of the Headmaster's statement lost to the
watchers. Percy fought to remain impassive. It would not do for an
underling to witness his frustration at the turn the conversation had
taken. Obviously the trust he had established with the Headmaster would
allow him to get the remainder of the conversation in private. He and
the Headmaster met once a week. He was in Albus' confidence. The
information would come to him soon enough. There were secrets that must
be held only by a select few. The man beside him did not qualify, he was
only a gloried guard for a prison. He, Percy Weasley, was a Minister and
candidate for the next Minister of Magic. He would learn from the great
men around him, his father and the Headmaster and be the greatest
Minister ever.
Albus stood up from Snape's side, brushed a hand over the shorn head and
walked to the door, picking up the tin of sweets along his way. He gave
a sharp knock to the door, and Percy hurried to let the Headmaster out
of the room. Snape had begun to rock back and forth against the bonds,
his breathing increasing with each second. Dumbledore gave Percy a quick
nod and the two headed for the exit and passage off the island.
Waiting a discreet amount of time and assuring himself that the Minister
and the Headmaster were safely off the island, Erik summoned two
additional Aurors and the trio headed into the room to return the
prisoner to his cell. As they entered the room, the Aurors noticed the
agitation of the prisoner. He was breathing quickly and the tendons in
his neck were strained as he tested the bonds. His hands clenched
against arms of his chair and he rocked back and forth. His eyes
remained closed, but the Aurors could see Snape's teeth were clenched as
he tested the limits of his restraints. With a glance to his co-workers,
Erik cast a quick Petrifius Totalus, immobilizing the prisoner. Undoing
the bonds, and with a Mobilicorpus the trio began the trip over to
Azkaban.
The logistics of transporting the prisoners back and forth were, by
necessity, complicated. Once the prisoner was immobilized, they were
escorted to a boat which, propelled by magic, quickly sped over to
Azkaban. The wards between the two islands, were the results of years of
study from the finest minds of the Wizarding world. Once within range,
the trio of Aurors cast the strongest Patronus charms in their ability.
Having been chosen for this duty, because of their skills in this area,
the Dementors were driven back throughout the prison into specially
designed holding areas that protected the humans from the effects of the
Dementors' cries.
Moving swiftly through the prison, the men made their way down to the
cell occupied by the prisoner. Their noses crinkled in disgust as the
odors of the surrounding cells permeated their nostrils. Finally,
outside the door to Snape's cell, they straightened his body out and
pulled off the pants. Unbuttoning the shirt, one Auror gripped the
collar of the shirt while the other two opened the cell. Moving the
prisoner upright they removed the spells holding Snape immobile. He fell
into the cell, the shirt pulling off his body and into the hands of the
Auror. The Aurors quickly slammed the door shut and made their way
quickly out of the prison. Behind them they could hear the screams of
Snape as he cried his voice hoarse and slammed up against his cell door.
His fists beat with futility against the door as his cries rose in
volume. As they exited the prison, the spells holding the Dementors
captive were released and rolling after the Aurors as they boarded their
boat were the screams of the prisoners as the Dementors swept through
the corridors of the prison, feeding in a frenzy.
By the time they had reached the island and had returned to the safety
of their offices, the prison was back to normal. Erik went to his office
and activated the recording threads in Snape's cell for viewing. The man
was throwing himself against the walls of his cell, bloodying his hands
with the force of his blows. He fell to the floor writhing in agony as
the Dementors entered his cell. Erik transmitted the images to Minister
Weasley and went to join his co-workers for afternoon tea.
******
The next morning, Albus set out snacks for his visitors. Right on time
at eleven o'clock, the gargoyles signaled the arrival of Minerva and
Harry. Minerva came into his office, followed by Harry and with a quick
greeting to them both, the three sat down in front of the fireplace for
a nice chat and a few scones.
As Harry helped himself to tea and scones, Albus poured a cup for
himself and Minerva. Handing her the cup, the two chatted about the news
of the school while waiting for Harry to finish heaping his plate with
food.
Once Harry was settled, Albus graced the two before him with a smile and
began.
"Hermione will be paying me a visit in a week or so. At her convenience
of course. She is looking into the history of the trials of the Death
Eaters, particularly Severus' trial. I simply wanted to remind you two,
that although you are to help Hermione to the greatest extent possible,
you are still bound by the confidence of the testimony you have given.
Under no circumstances are you to violate the sanctity of the tribunal."
He turned to Harry with a rueful look upon his face. "I know this asking
a great deal of you Harry, but you must be careful what information you
impart to your friend. I must remind you that the safety of the general
populous is at risk should you divulge too much information."
Harry swallowed around his scone and took a sip of tea to clear his
mouth. "If I have any questions, can I come to you, Professor?"
"I believe in this instance, Professor McGonagall would be better suited
to guide you in this endeavor. You both are in the same boat as it were.
And if you help each other, this would be best."
Minerva smiled at Harry, who gave a grin to his former head of house.
"I'll always be available to you Harry, Professor Dumbledore, is
unfortunately still rather busy between his duties here and some things
at the Ministry. My door is always open, as is my floo. Feel free to
contact me at any time."
Harry nodded in thanks and relaxed back in his chair with a deep breath
and started in on his second scone.
Minerva gave him a grin and said "Are you sure you should be eating so
much Harry? Do you not have a match against the Americans coming up?"
Harry laughed and finished his scone, looking regretfully at the
remaining one on his plate. "We're actually really worried about the
match. No one expected them to make the semis, and if we lose, we'll be
the laughing stock of the Quidditch world. Not to mention what the Daily
Prophet will do to us in the press. They'll crucify us. Me particularly.
They really look for a reason to put me on the front page. I've had to
cast so many charms around my flat to stop them from peeking in through
the windows. I miss Hogwarts, at least here I could change in private
without worrying about being shown on the front page in my underwear."
"Well, Harry, if you will accept some advice from a dithering old man,
perhaps you should concentrate on the Snitch and not the, attributes, of
the American Seeker. As I recall, you had a similar problem when you
played against Hufflepuff and was it, Cho? You were rather distracted
against her."
The three laughed together, as Harry regaled his two former teachers
with the plans of the English team as well as making sure they had
gotten the tickets for the game the following week. All in all, a
delightful conversation that everyone was sorry to see end as Harry
thanked them for the tea as he had to return to afternoon practice.
Minerva stayed behind, discussing with the Headmaster the usual problems
of the school, most of which centered around the misbehavior of a few
choice Slytherins. As always, Albus deferred to Minerva's
recommendations to the detentions and their discussion soon turned to
more pleasant matters. Biding Minerva goodbye as she went off to teach
her afternoon Transfiguration class with the third year Gryffindors, he
turned his attention to the letter sent to him by Hermione a few days
ago.
Reading over the parchment with a chuckle and a smile, he dashed off a
note inviting her to dinner at Hogwarts the following week. With a quick
summons, a school owl flew to him, and with a pat, the invitation was on
its way to Hermione. Certain of her acceptance, he contacted the house
elves and asked them to prepare a feast for the dinner a week hence,
when Miss Granger would return to Hogwarts. The first step along her
journey.
******
TBCÉ