Three towers Niger had already checked and was now heading toward a fourth. He knew that a dozen more were sure to be waiting but he hoped this would be the one. As with the others he had searched, not a door was open nor was a sound to be heard. As this was his fourth tower, however, he knew what to do.
Starting with the door nearest to the stairs on his right, he checked the doorknob. It turned. He grimaced and crossed the hall. A slight wiggle confirmed his premonition. This wasn't the door either. The door containing the suspect would hardly be unlocked. Each door he checked on either side until only a handful were left in the tower. He was about to give up and try another tower when he heard something. Someone coughed from inside the door two ahead of him and on the left. Had he found him at last?
Now that he had time to ponder this trek he began to get nervous. What if someone was keeping guard from within the room? What if the person within this room was not the one he was searching for? Niger cursed silently. Too late to worry now.
Pulling out his wand, Niger pointed it at the door. "Alohamora," he whispered, a flash coming from the tip of his wand as he spoke. He heard a slight click and he reached for the doorknob.
Before the door had opened half a foot he heard a voice. "Who is it this time?" it asked savagely. "I was already brought my meal can't you at least allow me to enjoy it?"
Niger opened the door wider and stepped into the view of the only occupant in the small room. Cracked brick and pealing mortal abounded in the windowless room. There was a bed the same size as the one Niger slept in, though not nearly as elaborate, and an old latter back chair on which the speaker sat.
Snape looked at Niger confused for a few seconds before he spoke. "What are you doing here?" Niger had expected Snape's voice to soften when he saw him, but obviously the teacher's pet mentality did not exist in such a dire situation.
"I know you didn't do it," Niger whispered. He cleared his throat roughly. He had intended to speak out, but the look Snape was giving him made it difficult. Niger almost laughed at the situation. Voldemort, the most feared man alive, could only just intimidate Niger at times, but his favorite teacher could reduce him to practically stuttering just by a look.
Snape sneered, a look Niger was not at all used to on his Defense professor. "You don't do you? How very touching. With that being said, why don't you leave me to my self-pity and this poor excuse for a meal."
Niger was confused. "Don't you care that I believe you didn't do it?"
Snape shrugged absentmindedly while shoveling a spoonful of some colorless mush in his mouth. He pulled a face full of disgust that he shot at the still half-full spoon before speaking. "I assumed there would be some that would believe me, but not any that someone would listen to." He shot Niger a look that was meant to soften the bite to his words. It didn't work.
Niger bristled. No one would listen to me, would they? We'll see about that. "What if I told you that I know who planned it?" Niger bit his tongue suddenly. Stupid! An uncontrolled tongue may lead to an uncontrollable situation.
Snape was suddenly paying a lot more attention. "What do you mean by that?" he asked in a voice husky with emotion.
Niger cursed loudly. "I shouldn't have said that," he mumbled. "I can't tell anyone or I could end up getting myself killed and you'd still be stuck in here."
Snape quirked an eyebrow over that information, and sat back slightly. "Well, I wouldn't want you to risk your life just to save an innocent man." His tone implied that he wanted just that. Niger glared at him and began pacing the room.
"Look, I had nothing to do with this, I just know who planned it, and possibly who could have pulled it off." Niger grimaced slightly at the light in Snape's eye. If I keep talking he's going to expect me to bail him out. Damn it! "Besides, I've told you; it wouldn't do any good. No one would believe me, as you so kindly pointed out, and if someone did, the wrong person is bound to find out, and I'd be killed along with whoever it was that may have believed me, and so you'd still be the suspect."
"You're always around that Granger, why don't you try making her think of something." Snape had no idea what kind of effect those words would have on Niger.
Stuck between a scowl and a pitifully self-pitying look, Niger turned his back to Snape. "I'm not sure she or Ron will be wanting to talk to me for a while. I don't really care either," he lied. Lying was easy without Voldemort staring into his eyes.
Voldemort. Not father. Never again would he call him father. Niger was suddenly hit with an emotion so strong he felt his legs collapse beneath him and deposited himself on the cold stone floor. Hopelessness. It welled from within him and Niger began playing through all the emotions he had been suppressing for so long. He remembered, with a bitter taste in his mouth, Voldemort giving Quentin the right to kill Niger if he got in the way; Voldemort telling him the story of his parents; flat out lying about what had happened that night 10 years ago. Niger felt bile rise to his throat as he recalled the hatred he had had for James and Lily Potter up until his conversation with Ron and Hermione. They hadn't abandoned him. They had loved him.
"I don't care!" he croaked, but he meant something different from when he had said it before. He was still lying though. Niger was surprised to feel dampness on his face and even more surprised to feel a hand resting lightly on his shoulder. He looked up at Snape, daring him to make some comment about his tears.
Snape's face, however, was softened beyond what Niger had even seen on him before. It almost looked empathetic. It looked very odd on him.
"I won't ask you to explain any of what you're thinking to me. It's clear you don't want to talk about it. I can't tell you that I'm okay with being framed for a crime I didn't commit, but more than that I want to see Dumbledore safe. If you can promise me that you'll try to help him, then I can accept that you won't help me."
Niger stared at him, not knowing what to say. "I don't want to help Dumbledore," Niger whispered, barely audible. "He knows. I don't want him to know. If he knows, I'm not safe if he awakens." Even if he knows, I'm not safe unless he does awaken. Niger almost screamed in frustration.
"No one is safe," he added, remembering the complaints of the students not long ago. It seemed years since he had been in the Great Hall listening to McGonagall. "If I don't tell anyone, we're all in danger. If I do, I am." He exhaled slowly. Why do I have to make this decision? Why do I care about everyone else? Damn it, Niger, be selfish! He found himself chuckling mirthlessly and chanced a glance up at Snape who looked at him as though he was wondering whether or not Niger was still sane. Maybe I'm not.
Making up his mind, Niger stood suddenly. If I'm going mad, I may as well go all the way. "Who do you think might believe me?"
Snape looked at him with a puzzled face. "Are you sure about this?"
Niger growled. "Don't ask questions, just answer them."
Tilting his head to one side, Snape thought, staring directly at Niger as he did so. "Other than me…I'm not sure."
"Is that your way of making me tell you?"
"Well, it would be helpful in deciding who might believe you, would it not?" The look on Snape's face was one that brooked no argument. Niger sighed.
"Alright. Let's start at the beginning." He took a deep breath before admitting the damnable truth. "My name isn't really Niger Noctum." Another deep breath. "My name is Harry Potter."
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Hermione HP: Well, than this one can't be anything more than good either, 'cause I think it's even shorter than the last… Thanks for the reviews!
Emmy: lol I guess that line is from the Lion King. Seems I keep using clichés…oh well, if it fits, I'll use it ;) Don't worry, you'll figure out Dumbledore soon…I think… lol I know what's going on, but I'm not sure how many chapters it'll be before everyone else knows.
Spaced Out Space Cadet: H'mmmm…is the question 'when will she tell' or 'who will she tell?' Or, even 'will she tell?' Well, here's the beginning of the talk with Snape; next chapter gets a little mushy (not slash! ICK!) and you get to learn a bit more about Snape's background. Hehehe
Dumbledore's Army: Well, I'm posting this chapter, but I can't post chapter 13 until after I finish is –nervous laughs- I'll try to finish it while I'm in Oregon and post it as soon as I get home.
Diamond004: Here's the next post. Thanks for reviewing!
Sami1010220: Well, it's less about what Snape can do for Niger and more what Snape can help Niger figure out. Or, uh…something like that, yeah? Hehehe I can't think of any more witty "thickness" jokes, so, er…pretend like I just did, k?
Chapter 13 will be up as soon as I get home from Oregon, hopefully…if I've finished writing it by then. It's going to be a hard chapter and I have to decide where I really want to take Snape and Niger as characters before I finish writing it… Anywha, reviews would be great, as always, and I just wanted to thank all of you so much for the support you've given me! My stories don't get nearly this many reviews at the other site that I post them on, so thank you! Jaa, mata ne!