Chapter 2
Taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes, Harry sighed in frustration. Minerva had left shortly after the Minister and his party had arrived, leaving them in privacy. "I don't know what to make of half these scrolls. I wish you'd been able to get more of the Draco."
"Well it's not like I had a choice Potter. It was flee and live or stay and die. What choice would you have made?" Draco had finally been able to comb his hair and straighten his clothes.
Noticing that her husband's pants were torn, Hermione pulled out her wand and repaired his clothing, earning a small smile from him, just to see him turn back and glower at Harry. "Draco, Harry, please now is not the time for this."
"Fine," Harry said, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. "But we need to find out what all of this means. We need to see Severus."
"Snape? Are you sure that's wise Harry?" Percy was standing with Oliver, his arms crossed and watching Harry over his glasses.
"Why wouldn't it be? He came over to our side and helped us win, you should remember that Percy. You were there." Harry stood up and grabbed up the bag.
"You're right, I apologize. Besides, if Snape hadn't helped Dumbledore pair up Hermione and Draco, we wouldn't have this information."
"Yeah, and we'd probably all be dead," Oliver said quietly. He was standing over at one of the bookcases, leafing randomly through books. Never being one for serious studying, he had retreated as the four of the most powerful members of the Wizarding community had begun talking. "Is it just me, or did that sound bad?"
"Don't worry about it Oliver. We understood what you meant. Come on." Percy handed Oliver his cloak and followed Harry out of the office. Hermione glanced at her husband and sighed. She could tell he was fighting to keep his emotions in check. After all of the years they had been married she could read him like an open book, much to his frequent frustration. "Draco, don't blame yourself, you couldn't have possibly known he was still alive."
Sighing, Draco looked at her, his eyes flaring briefly with anger. Finally he smiled and looked at her. "I know. I just can't help but wonder what all he's been up to over the years. He knew about our children."
"Well, that was most likely from the plants in the Ministry. There are more names on that list that I know than I'm comfortable with." Pulling Draco into a quick hug, she kissed him on the cheek. "Come on, we need to catch up to the others."
****** "Headmaster, Minister, to what do I owe this visit?" Snape was standing at his desk with his arms crossed, looking impatient. "Ah, Ms. Granger and Malfoy. This is a pleasant surprise."
Glaring at the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Hermione glanced at Draco and found him shaking his head, a grin playing across his face. "Severus, we need your help."
"My help, whatever for?"
Harry handed Snape one of the scrolls. "This. Draco discovered that his father wasn't dead. He is now, but it's apparent that he's been busy of late."
Taking the scroll from Harry, Snape glanced at the others quickly, his landing briefly on Oliver. "Mr. Wood, shouldn't you be off playing Quidditch?" Not waiting for a reply, he began scanning the scroll in his hands.
Percy turned to smile at Oliver and found frowning at Snape. "Don't let him get to you, love," Percy whispered, reaching over and taking Oliver's hand in his own.
"This is most interesting. It appears that Lucius was trying to rebuild what he had lost with Voldemort's death. Most interesting indeed. I assume there's more?" Holding out his hand, he nodded as Harry handed over the bag.
Taking the bag from Harry, he began to pull scrolls out and scanned them quickly. He was reading one when he stopped and looked directly at Hermione and Draco. "I see you're children on this list. Along with yours Potter. This is most intriguing. I can't help but wonder what they had in mind for these children." Severus was lost in thought for several moments while the others waited silently. Draco was watching his old potions master closely. "I can't possibly be good, whatever the purpose."
"Some of the children listed are students here. Others are too young for that," Harry said in a distracted tone. "We need to figure out what they're up to."
"In the meantime, I think we need to examine these scrolls more closely," Percy said. He was standing next to Oliver, who had his hands on Percy's shoulders. His brow was knit in concentration.
"We might want to move the children to a central location where they can be protected," Hermione said.
"We could always bring them here," Draco said. "What better place to have them?"
"No, that would be exactly what they would expect us to do Malfoy. I thought I taught you better than that," Snape said, mild derision evident in his tone. "We need someplace large, but easily guarded. Some place that can handle the.ruckus.that many children are bound to provide."
As Snape finished his sentence Harry and Percy looked at one another and smiled. "The Burrow!" Laughing at each other, Oliver and Hermione nodded in agreement.
"It's the perfect place Harry," Hermione said. "Molly and Arthur would probably be thrilled to have more children around the house again."
"Yes, they would," Percy said. "But that many children? We're talking close the forty children here, all between the ages of two to ten. I'll need to contact them."
"We'll all go," Harry said. "I've been meaning to visit with them for sometime anyway. Thank you for your help Severus. I'll keep you informed."
"I am glad to have been of service Headmaster," Snape smiled. He glanced over at Draco and raised an eyebrow. "Malfoy, if you don't mind staying a bit, I think we might be able to work some of these scrolls out, that is if the Minister doesn't mind leaving them with us."
Turning to Percy, Draco waited for him to decide. After a moment of studious glances exchanged between him and Harry, Percy finally nodded. "We'll take the list of possible Deatheaters and the children. The rest can stay here. I can't think of any better place to leave than at Hogwart's."
This decided, Draco took a seat at Snape's desk as the other filed out. Once in the hallway, Oliver grabbed Percy. Turning him to look him in the face he glanced at Hermione and Harry. "I don't mean to sound overly suspicious here but do you really think it's wise to leave those with him I mean, I know Draco is trustworthy, otherwise Hermione would never have married him. But, Snape?"
"Trust me, Oliver," Harry said. "Snape can be trusted. He's saved my life too many times in the past for me not to trust him."
Nodding, Oliver motioned for the others to lead the way. Heading back up the stairs toward Harry's office, Oliver still couldn't help but wonder if they hadn't gotten in over their heads
Taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes, Harry sighed in frustration. Minerva had left shortly after the Minister and his party had arrived, leaving them in privacy. "I don't know what to make of half these scrolls. I wish you'd been able to get more of the Draco."
"Well it's not like I had a choice Potter. It was flee and live or stay and die. What choice would you have made?" Draco had finally been able to comb his hair and straighten his clothes.
Noticing that her husband's pants were torn, Hermione pulled out her wand and repaired his clothing, earning a small smile from him, just to see him turn back and glower at Harry. "Draco, Harry, please now is not the time for this."
"Fine," Harry said, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. "But we need to find out what all of this means. We need to see Severus."
"Snape? Are you sure that's wise Harry?" Percy was standing with Oliver, his arms crossed and watching Harry over his glasses.
"Why wouldn't it be? He came over to our side and helped us win, you should remember that Percy. You were there." Harry stood up and grabbed up the bag.
"You're right, I apologize. Besides, if Snape hadn't helped Dumbledore pair up Hermione and Draco, we wouldn't have this information."
"Yeah, and we'd probably all be dead," Oliver said quietly. He was standing over at one of the bookcases, leafing randomly through books. Never being one for serious studying, he had retreated as the four of the most powerful members of the Wizarding community had begun talking. "Is it just me, or did that sound bad?"
"Don't worry about it Oliver. We understood what you meant. Come on." Percy handed Oliver his cloak and followed Harry out of the office. Hermione glanced at her husband and sighed. She could tell he was fighting to keep his emotions in check. After all of the years they had been married she could read him like an open book, much to his frequent frustration. "Draco, don't blame yourself, you couldn't have possibly known he was still alive."
Sighing, Draco looked at her, his eyes flaring briefly with anger. Finally he smiled and looked at her. "I know. I just can't help but wonder what all he's been up to over the years. He knew about our children."
"Well, that was most likely from the plants in the Ministry. There are more names on that list that I know than I'm comfortable with." Pulling Draco into a quick hug, she kissed him on the cheek. "Come on, we need to catch up to the others."
****** "Headmaster, Minister, to what do I owe this visit?" Snape was standing at his desk with his arms crossed, looking impatient. "Ah, Ms. Granger and Malfoy. This is a pleasant surprise."
Glaring at the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Hermione glanced at Draco and found him shaking his head, a grin playing across his face. "Severus, we need your help."
"My help, whatever for?"
Harry handed Snape one of the scrolls. "This. Draco discovered that his father wasn't dead. He is now, but it's apparent that he's been busy of late."
Taking the scroll from Harry, Snape glanced at the others quickly, his landing briefly on Oliver. "Mr. Wood, shouldn't you be off playing Quidditch?" Not waiting for a reply, he began scanning the scroll in his hands.
Percy turned to smile at Oliver and found frowning at Snape. "Don't let him get to you, love," Percy whispered, reaching over and taking Oliver's hand in his own.
"This is most interesting. It appears that Lucius was trying to rebuild what he had lost with Voldemort's death. Most interesting indeed. I assume there's more?" Holding out his hand, he nodded as Harry handed over the bag.
Taking the bag from Harry, he began to pull scrolls out and scanned them quickly. He was reading one when he stopped and looked directly at Hermione and Draco. "I see you're children on this list. Along with yours Potter. This is most intriguing. I can't help but wonder what they had in mind for these children." Severus was lost in thought for several moments while the others waited silently. Draco was watching his old potions master closely. "I can't possibly be good, whatever the purpose."
"Some of the children listed are students here. Others are too young for that," Harry said in a distracted tone. "We need to figure out what they're up to."
"In the meantime, I think we need to examine these scrolls more closely," Percy said. He was standing next to Oliver, who had his hands on Percy's shoulders. His brow was knit in concentration.
"We might want to move the children to a central location where they can be protected," Hermione said.
"We could always bring them here," Draco said. "What better place to have them?"
"No, that would be exactly what they would expect us to do Malfoy. I thought I taught you better than that," Snape said, mild derision evident in his tone. "We need someplace large, but easily guarded. Some place that can handle the.ruckus.that many children are bound to provide."
As Snape finished his sentence Harry and Percy looked at one another and smiled. "The Burrow!" Laughing at each other, Oliver and Hermione nodded in agreement.
"It's the perfect place Harry," Hermione said. "Molly and Arthur would probably be thrilled to have more children around the house again."
"Yes, they would," Percy said. "But that many children? We're talking close the forty children here, all between the ages of two to ten. I'll need to contact them."
"We'll all go," Harry said. "I've been meaning to visit with them for sometime anyway. Thank you for your help Severus. I'll keep you informed."
"I am glad to have been of service Headmaster," Snape smiled. He glanced over at Draco and raised an eyebrow. "Malfoy, if you don't mind staying a bit, I think we might be able to work some of these scrolls out, that is if the Minister doesn't mind leaving them with us."
Turning to Percy, Draco waited for him to decide. After a moment of studious glances exchanged between him and Harry, Percy finally nodded. "We'll take the list of possible Deatheaters and the children. The rest can stay here. I can't think of any better place to leave than at Hogwart's."
This decided, Draco took a seat at Snape's desk as the other filed out. Once in the hallway, Oliver grabbed Percy. Turning him to look him in the face he glanced at Hermione and Harry. "I don't mean to sound overly suspicious here but do you really think it's wise to leave those with him I mean, I know Draco is trustworthy, otherwise Hermione would never have married him. But, Snape?"
"Trust me, Oliver," Harry said. "Snape can be trusted. He's saved my life too many times in the past for me not to trust him."
Nodding, Oliver motioned for the others to lead the way. Heading back up the stairs toward Harry's office, Oliver still couldn't help but wonder if they hadn't gotten in over their heads