Disclaimer: Own what you don't know from J.K.'s books.
Dedication: to the Red Dragons Order -look what you made me write!-
Chapter 21: Things to Know
"It is time I teach you everything I know, for the elders will not listen to me" said Towers, pacing around his classroom, in front of the students he usually called for extra lessons. "Unfortunately, I have not much time."
"What do you mean, Professor?" asked Draco Malfoy.
"All my knowledge, my."
"No, no, about the not-much-time part" he said.
Towers raised an eyebrow.
"I'm afraid I'll have to leave sooner or later. Not many people like me anymore and I don't want to affect Hogwarts. Plus, I've been neglecting some of my other duties while I thought here and it's time I go back to them again."
The students stared at him. There were two new people added to their group, two first years, that was. They were both Gryffindors, Jane Chase and Mark Evans. At first, the elder ones disapproved but then they were kindly reminded that the 'Gryffindor trio', as Harry, Hermione and Ron were starting to be known, had managed to save the Philosopher's Stone in their first year. So, now they were watching the dizzyingly pacing Professor and wondering why he talked so weird.
"One of the most important things in war is never to expect your enemy to be fair. Ever. Got it?"
"Yes, sir" they answered.
"Second, you need to be cool enough to face your fears and do your best. You have no idea how many people lost in battles because their enemies were simply imposing and gave them the impression that they couldn't possibly be defeated. Understand?"
"Yes, sir"
Towers suddenly stopped pacing and looked at them, suddenly sadness on his face.
"Look at you, just teens." he whispered. "What awful times we're in."
"I'm not just a teen!" Draco proudly said and the Professor smiled, amused.
"Of course not, but you are a teen, right? And you have not yet got to the point where you can say you have loads of experience, now can you? But it will come. I do not question your skills, your power, your will. I only say that you have not yet seen all that is to be seen, you have not yet felt all that is to be felt. You are young, but it is not a great disadvantage."
"Disadvantage?!" Draco said, outraged.
"Ah, young Malfoy, do something with that pride, will you?" asked Towers. "It is a disadvantage since you have very little experience and don't you dare say anything now. In one year from now tell me if I were right or wrong."
Draco closed his mouth.
"Good. Remember to trust your hearts, young ones and don't forget to fight bravely and do your best. Have faith, always. For those who need it, there is always help. There is always a way!"
The students looked at each other, Draco extremely skeptic, Harry confused, Hermione thoughtful, Amala happy, Ron with a 'teacher-has-gone-crazy' look, Luna dreamy, Jane smiling mischievously, Mark determined, Neville also determined, but a bit more scared, Ginny brave, but also afraid.
"And now, how about practicing dueling techniques?" Towers asked. "I'll conjure up a few enemies"
The students watched awed as he took out his wand and started saying muttering spells, conjuring something. Soon, the 'somethings' started looking like humans and later they were perfectly detailed.
"How did you-" Ron asked when the figures started moving like humans. Towers sighed.
"Yeah, I guess I should explain, huh?" he asked. "Well, it's easy to understand. I can't actually do this, not by myself, but I can use my Master's power. He lets those of us who need it to do it. I sincerely love to feel his power when I'm using it. I get a certain feeling of being able to do everything I want when I use it. You could say I am a very lucky man. Or a very unlucky one, for I have to do many things."
"What kind of things?" Harry asked.
"I have to go around, find out things, protect the light. In elder times, he used to do it himself, but ever since I met him, not even fifty years ago -and yes, meeting him made me age way slower- he lets me use his power and tells me what I should do. He said that I am a lot like him and he loves me like a father. But even though he let me use his power in the first place in order to allow me to fight for the light side, I know that if I ever said I wouldn't want to listen to his orders anymore he would still let me use them. But the thing is, I like to do what he tells me to do. You get quite addicted to the adventurous life. But now, on to your training!"
The dark figures seemed to come to life fast and the students forgot their questions and amazement.
"Use anything you want on them" Towers said. "And beware the hexes!
It was incredible! The conjured-up forms seemed to be real as they sent curses and hexes and as they screamed furiously. Soon enough, the conjured up enemies were lying on the floor, some hit with hexes, but a few of the real people in the room also had problems.
"I think you should practice on your target, Jane" Towers said, while putting the fire on his robes off and repairing them. "You wouldn't want to burn your allies to a crisp, now would you?"
"Sorry, Professor" she said, with that certain look somebody has on their face when they do something like breaking a vase or a plate and expecting the sound to boom any second.
"No problem" he answered. "Gah, I'm loosing my reflexes."
Neville was just removing the 'Locomotor mortis' from himself. Amala was in huge trouble with one special hex. Oh, well, combination of hexes.
"Good punishment for somebody, hitting them with the jelly legs jinx and then the whitening spell! I look like an octopus!"
"Duopus" Towers laughed. "Octopus means with eight legs, while you still have two!"
"And the water poured on my head was great, too" she said as Hermione was removing the spells from her and drying her.
Harry, who had quickly managed to get the cheering charm off him, was laughing at his own will, while Ron was still dancing. Surprisingly, Draco was unharmed. But, soon enough, everybody was back to normal and Towers smiled pleasantly from his perfectly clean and unharmed robes.
/*-/*-/*-/*-
It was the last weekend before the school started and Harry, Ron, Hermione and Amala had decided to go to the room they had found and read different books and learn as much as they could. Well, Hermione had decided that. The others were forced to join her, no matter how much they complained about being tired after the lesson with Towers.
Now in the mentioned room, Harry and Ron were talking about the next Quiddich match -programmed in March- and were pretending to be studying the 'very interesting and useful books' as Hermione had put it.
"Yeah, I guess the Slytherins will be smashed" Harry said, turning the pages of the book in front of him.
"Definitely" Ron answered.
Harry looked at the pages in front of his very nose, flipping through them, when a few words attracted his attention. He stopped flipping the book pages and read the passage.
"The Green Flame Torch- a very powerful magical object first found in 3400 B.C. Nobody knows its origins. It is said to appear whenever darkness threatens to conquer the world, by its own free will. It cannot be found by darkness and the one who finds it will become its bearer for as long as it will remain with him. In order to make sure that the right bearer finds it, it will leave clues to itself that are only noticeable by him.
Once in possession of the bearer, he can summon it from a large range -but necessarily from the same room, if the doors are closed- and use it. One of the weirdest characteristics of the Green Flame Torch is that it will not only give power to its bearer, but will eventually cast spells itself, although nobody knows what spells it might cast.
When it decides that its meaning is over, it will disappear."
"Guys, come see this" Harry said and they all looked at the passage. "Do you think it will appear now?"
"Maybe" Hermione said. "You know it's said to be around Hogwarts?"
"Yes, I've heard that" Harry answered.
Amala looked at the others, opened her mouth, closed it and gave a small "hmmm".
"What?" asked Ron.
"The Torch hasn't been found yet, right?" she asked.
"Right" Hermione said.
"Then, how can people say it's around Hogwarts?! Isn't it peculiar?"
"You're right!" Hermione said. "Where did we hear this from?"
"I don't know" Harry answered. "I can't remember."
"I can" Ron said. "Dad mentioned it. He knows about it from the Order"
"And where does the Order know from?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know that" Ron said. "It was just said. Dad said he'd heard it on the last meeting. I really have no clue. It was in the summer. Do you think anybody remembers?"
"Somebody must" Amala said. "And I have a perfect occasion to find out."
"What occasion?!" Harry asked.
"I have a date with Severus tonight. I have to be there." she said, looking at the watch and suddenly gaping. "Three minutes ago! Gotta go, see you!" she said and ran out the opening wall.
"You know, it suddenly struck me how useful this relationship is" Ron said.
"Your Slytherin side is waking up, huh?" Hermione asked and he glared at her murderously.
/*-/*-/*-/*-/*-
"I'm sorry I'm late!" Amala said, nearly jumping through the door.
"Five points from Gryffindor, Mrs. Wright" said Severus, making her look better around the room, where she could -just now- see a few people. Thank God she hadn't added 'Severus' to 'I'm sorry'!
"What is she doing here, Mr. Snape?" asked one of them, whom she immediately recognized as Cornelius Fudge.
"She has a detention with me, Minister" he answered coolly.
"We don't have time for this" Fudge said. "You shouldn't have called her now when."
"If I recall it correctly, it was you who came by unexpected" Severus said. "Maybe I should contact Madam Trelawney and ask her to predict your next coming so that my personal life will not interfere with your plans?"
Amala chuckled to herself. Yep, that was the ever sarcastic Severus Snape.
"Your personal life?" Fudge asked. "I thought it was a detention"
"It is munching on my time and I sincerely believe that it is therefore my personal life, as much as it is to live in this castle. Or would you say that I'm working 24 hours a day because I live at the very same place where I work-this castle?"
"Um, no" the Minister of Magic said. "Well, you should go, Mrs."
Amala nodded quickly and started to leave.
"Not so fast!" Severus said, making her stop and she made sure she looked surprised but disappointed at the same time. "Go to my dormitory and there you will find, on the desk I have there, two bags of thorns, mixed up with grass and other things. Please sort them."
She nodded.
"Where is your dormitory, sir?" she politely asked.
He explained the way to his dormitory -the official one, of course- and she left. Why he had sent her to his dorms was beyond her. He was probably in trouble with the Ministry and all and wouldn't finish until it was late. Well, he could come early.
She entered the dormitory and saw that it was a quite comfortable room, with a double bed, a desk with a chair and a fireplace with two armchairs in front of it. On the desk there were three bags, out of which two had thorns in them and one was filled with grass and things that probably were at first mixed up with the thorns. She smiled. He really did think of everything.
She started exploring the room, when Severus came inside.
"I said that I was checking up if you blew my bedroom up or not" he said. "I must go back, but first."
He went to his desk and opened a drawer, taking out a small orb and touched it with his wand. For her surprise, she heard the voices in Severus' office.
"They can't hear anything here, but you can hear what goes on inside" he said.
"Thank you" she said and watched him go. "Wait!"
"Yes" he asked, turning from the door.
"Why?"
"I think you have the right to know" he said and left, shutting the door behind him.
She smiled, feeling overly enthusiastic! He finally let her in one of his secrets! Yay! She collapsed on the bed and listened to the people in his office.
"I think we should question him about it under Veritaserum" one man said.
"We should indeed, but who's Veritaserum are we going to ask for? His? I haven't brought any" said another man.
"Filthy spy!"
So, that was it! They thought he was a spy!
She heard the door slam.
"The girl hasn't blown up anything yet and has managed to find the blasted things. I suppose she's smarter than she seems"
She chuckled to herself. Yep, he was his usual self!
"Maybe so, Snape. Now, back to our discussion. How do we know you're not a spy? What else do we have than your word for it?"
"I teach at this very school and."
"So did Quirrel" said Fudge.
"Very well, then. Let us not fool around then. You have the same proof that you had last time."
"Dumbledore's words do not matter much these days" a man said.
"Wasn't he the one who said first that the Dark Lord has risen?"
"Yes, but he is still human and humans make mistakes"
"Test me under Veritaserum, then"
"We don't have any"
She smiled to herself.
"I however do. I just never cease to wonder when the Ministry of Magic will actually come prepared for a questioning."
"Was that an insult, Snape?" Fudge asked.
"Of course not, Minister" Severus answered, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"How do we know the Veritaserum is real?"
Snape seemed to sigh.
"You can test it yourself, Minister."
"How do I know you won't poison me?"
"I must admit it crossed my mind and intended to do it, since murdering the Minister of Magic while having witnesses and then having to run away from the castle is quite a good idea."
She started laughing. Wow, if sarcasm would have been liquid, she was sure the whole castle would be flooded.
"You drink it first!" Fudge said, deciding not to comment on the last statement.
"Very well, sir. Let me just get it"
There was a bit of silence in the room and then Snape seemed to return with the potion and give it to the Minister. All that she got out of a few moving noises and drinking noises.
"My name is Cornelius Fudge and I am the Minister of Magic. I can't lie"
"No kidding? I had no idea" Severus said. By now, the flood of sarcasm in the castle would have long united with the lake. More drinking noises.
"And I was supposed to drink before you, but you have long forgotten, as I can see" Severus said. The flood of sarcasm must have flooded the Forest, too.
"Are you a spy?" one of the other men asked.
"I do not spy for the Dark Lord" Severus answered.
'Would you look at that?!' Amala thought. 'He didn't say he wasn't a spy. He said he wasn't Voldemort's spy! I wonder.'
"Are you positive?"
"Minister, I have a weird feeling that I would know if I were the Dark Lord's spy"
"Are you a spy?" asked the man again.
"My black eyes haven't seen the Dark Lord since June, last year"
Amala looked at the orb. Hmmm, there was something definitely wrong there.
"Are you a spy? Yes or no?" asked the man again and Amala started asking herself whether there was something wrong there.
"I spied on students in the castle in order to get them in trouble so I am a spy"
Amala laughed. So, he was saying all the other things to hide this! But what if he wasn't hiding this? What if he was a spy?
"If that is all, I'd like to go check on the student now"
"Of course" Fudge answered. "Goodbye, Snape"
"Goodbye" the Potion Master said and Amala heard the door opening and then closing. "They're gone. I'll be there quick" he said and she first gaped and then remembered that of course he knew she was listening! The door opened and then closed. She let the orb go and looked up at the ceiling from the comfortable position on the bed. What if he was a spy? Well, then he was for the light side! And he had finally let her see a secret of his. Well, if he was a spy, he was in constant danger, but then again, hadn't he always been? He could manage, he knew.
In less than two minutes, Severus came in his bedroom. Of course he had had his reasons to give her the chance of listening what was going on! One: she wouldn't bug him, asking what had happened and two: she would probably be as thick as Minister & Co. and believe he wasn't a spy. That if Potter hadn't told her. But what he hadn't thought of was Amala's reaction.
He had barely gotten through the door when he was hugged by the girl, a small "thank you" escaping her lips.
"For what?" he asked.
"For this" she answered. He was about to sneer, saying that she made no sense, but he understood what she meant. Instead, he just returned the embracement. Who knew she was going to react like this?
After a while, she looked up to him, shyly. Somewhere in the back of his mind he registered that the Veritaserum's effect had probably faded away. It was supposed to after about ten minutes. Amala looked at him and then said, in a slow voice:
"It's ok if you don't want to tell me."
"Yes?" he asked.
"Are you a spy?"
"Didn't I answer that question?"
"No, not really. You know what I mean."
Yes, he knew. But what was he supposed to say: I impersonate Barty Crouch, please don't tell anybody? No, it was better for her not to know. But could he really tell her that? Could he just lie?
"Please don't ask me questions" he replied. "I don't like it."
She nodded and then got a mischievous look in her eyes.
"Then, I won't" she said and started kissing his neck, making him look at her in surprise.
"You are a weird creature" he said.
"From you, I'll take it as a compliment" she replied. "But what do you mean by it?"
Ah, yes, he spoiled it. Stupid, stupid, stupid. No, wait, he was never stupid.
"You look so innocent, so pure, so childish and harmless. And the way you act now can hardly be described as 'perfectly innocent'!"
"I'm innocent!" she said, looking innocently indeed at the walls. "I really am! I'm as pure as the dawn, Severus! What, you don't believe me?"
He chuckled and she looked at him mock-surprised, her hands still behind his neck.
"You actually chuckled and Hell hasn't frozen over yet!"
Now, he actually started laughing. How she managed to be sarcastic while looking so angelic was beyond him. Weird creature, indeed.
"Point proven" he said while she was starting to wonder if he had been hit by a cheering charm. Severus Snape, laughing?!
/*-/*-/*-
Harry yawned. It was a beautiful night, that was sure, but staying up 'till morning wasn't in his plans. Especially if the reason was listening to Hermione and on bickering. Well, theoretically they were staying up because Hermione had decided to share some information on the past presence of the Green Flame Torch, but they never got to that.
He looked at his watch. Quarter to eleven and still no sign of Amala. He watched the bickering friends in front of him and he sighed. What was Amala doing?! Maybe she could get the two apart, he was tired of trying. It had already been what? Nearly two hours? Was she going to spend the night in Snape's headquarters? Ok, bad mental image, bad mental image! Ugh. Think of the fight between Ron and Hermione, try to get them apart.
"Hey, guys, don't you think we should concentrate on the Green Flame Torch?" he asked for what seemed to be the millionth time.
"Right, Harry" Hermione agreed. "Exactly as I told you we should, Ron"
"What?! You blame it on me?!"
"Of course. I said from the beginning we were here to talk about the Green Flame Torch!"
"Yeah, and then you started arguing"
"No, you were the one who started it"
"Me?! Well, you said."
"Guys!" Harry said. "Please, back to the topic!"
"Right" the two of them said.
"So, what we know is that it's around Hogwarts and that it would be of great help" Ron said.
"How do we know it's around Hogwarts?" Harry asked. "Amala is right, nobody saw it, so."
"Maybe they saw it but couldn't get it?" suggested Ron.
"Maybe, but I don't think so" Hermione replied. "If they saw it, then they would have gotten it. It's a torch! It can't run away!"
"Are you sure about that?" Ron asked. "All this appearing and disappearing means it has a life of its own and maybe it can even run away"
Harry chuckled.
"Yeah, a torch running around with somebody chasing it. No, I don't think that's it!"
The other two chuckled a well. Nice mental image!
"Maybe it was protected by many spells and wards?" Ron asked.
"More likely" Hermione said. "But I don't know. I don't remember anything like this from those texts."
"Right, show us the texts!" Harry said, remembering that Hermione had said that she had found a few texts about previous findings of the magical object. Hermione took out a few books and showed them passages.
"Antiquity. Evil wizard trying to take over the world" she said and showed them a passage, which Harry started reading.
"And there, next to the great Water Fall, between the mountains, there was the most beautiful sight my eyes have ever seen: in the fading light of the sunset, I saw a Torch floating over the falling water. It had a green flame sprouting up in the air, lightening everything so that all seemed to be more alive. Never have my eyes seen something of this greatness, never have I felt such power and as I stood watching it, I understood it had called me. I understood that the Phoenix I was following was an illusion the Torch had made. I have no doubt that it has a life of its own and I have no doubt it wants me to use it against the rising Darkness"
"I couldn't find the author" Hermione said, "but that's not the point. Next, middle ages"
"By the Great Light of the Sun itself! I have found the Green Flamed Torch, the most beautiful magical object I could see. It made me follow it down in the Earth, in the caverns, sending me voices only I could hear, voices I had thought long lost, voices of my friends that were dead. And now it tells me in a way I can't understand to use it for destroying evil."
"No author again. And the next is recent, although I don't know from what year it is."
"God knows how I managed to get this Torch, the Green Flame Torch, that is. I didn't think it existed, I thought it was just ramblings of old fools. It's not as impressive as one might think, studying the elder texts, but it is beautiful nevertheless and it does seem to have a life of its own. I wonder who created it. The story of finding it is simple: I followed the 'mystical signs' -yeah, right, they were just obvious signs, like white bricks on black walls. I wonder how come nobody before me got it-, signs that led me to the Torch, left in an old room in an old castle. I plan to use it against Grindewald's army, since Dumbledore will take care of the wizard himself. I'll guard it greatly, so that it won't be able to disappear after it serves its purpose. I heard it never disappears into thin air, so all I must do is be careful"
"Skeptic, isn't he?" Ron asked.
"Yep" Harry answered.
Hermione was just about to say something when the portrait opened and a girl came in.
"Hi, guys!" she said.
"Hi, Amala" Harry answered, Hermione and Ron, muttering a "hi". "How was your, um, date?"
"Fine. But do you know what's weird?" she asked.
"What?" Harry said.
"Two things actually. One: he received a visit from the Ministry, which questioned him under Veritaserum if he was a spy."
"And?!" the other three asked, Harry wondering about the 'Barty Crouch' part Snape played.
"He didn't answer directly. He said he was not a spy for Voldemort."
"It's obvious he isn't then, the Veritaserum made sure he wasn't lying." Ron said, shivering after the name of 'Voldemort'.
"Yes" she said. "But the person asked if he was a spy, no matter for what side, and he answered that he wasn't a spy for Voldemort" Ron shivered "and then he was asked again and he replied that, I quote, "My black eyes haven't seen the Dark Lord since June, last year". And again he was asked and he replied he spied on students in order to get them in trouble and therefore he is a spy. If you ask me, his replies were weird. What if he spies for Dumbledore? I asked him that, but he told me not to ask questions since he didn't like them. So asking about the Green Flame Torch was out of the question."
"Then what did you do there so long?!" Harry asked. "it's eleven o' clock, it's way past curfew"
"I had a 'detention' and guess what we did" she replied. "Well, after he got rid of the Ministry."
"He just let you witness their meeting and the Ministry didn't object?" Hermione asked.
Amala smiled mischievously.
"He sent me to his bedroom where he had an orb through which you could listen to what happened in his office"
"You were in Snape's bedroom?" Ron asked. "Ew. Is it slimy and dark?"
She laughed.
"No, it's not slimy, although I must say it's dark. But it's cozier than one might think. He even has a fireplace."
"And did you remain there after he came back from his meeting?" Ron asked.
"Yes, we did"
"Ok, no more details, please. I think we all understand what you did in Snape's bedroom for two hours" Ron said. "And I don't want to think about that git in bed with someone"
Amala burst into laughter.
"Oh, no, we haven't. Poor you, Ron, you must have a pretty bad mental image"
"As a matter of fact, I do" he answered. "Pleeeease let's change the subject"
"You said two things were weird. Which was the second?" Hermione asked.
"He laughed" she answered. "He laughed, just like a normal human being"
"That is weird" Ron said.
"Ok, so what were you doing before I came in?" she asked.
"Talking about the Green Flame Torch" Hermione replied. "It seems that it has left signs for all the bearers to follow to it. And it always disappeared in weird circumstances. We were just getting to that. Here are the disappearing texts"
She opened the books and showed them the disappearance from the Antiquity.
"I had not known it would go away so soon. But once my enemy was defeated, it had served its goal. I put it in the room where I have my families fortune and went for my night sleep. The next morning, when I woke up, it was gone."
"Weird" Ron said. "But maybe we should have expected this?"
"Probably. Wait to see the next" Hermione said and showed them the next fragment.
"By all Gods that exist, I have defeated my enemy! But as I cast the final spell, my wand in my right hand, the Torch in my left, its flames caught my spell in them, stretching to them and then shooting towards him with great speed. As they hit him, they spread on his body, not burning him, but catching him in a green ball. The next thing I knew, the flames uniting with the ball of green fire disappeared with the Torch itself and with him."
"Creepy" Ron said.
"I agree with you there" Harry answered. "Hermione, do you know anything about such a spell?"
"I don't know. Maybe the Green Flame Torch took him with it wherever it left?"
"Probably" Harry said. "What about the last guy?"
"That's the nicest one" Hermione said, showing them the last passage.
"I can't believe it happened this way! After I defeated the army Grindewald had with the help of the Aurors and the Green Flame Torch, I put it in a specially prepared room in order to be able to study it later. The weirdest part of all was that it managed to disappear, in spite of my preparations. When Dumbledore had the last battle with Grindewald, I was in the room where the Torch was. Its flame suddenly got bigger and transformed into a flaming sphere, in the middle of which I could see both wizards dueling. He flame got greater and greater, also including the Torch in it. I was fascinated. I saw Dumbledore cast the last spell on Grindewald -a stupefying spell, I believe- and he fell to the ground. At that moment, the Flame, because that was all that had remained from the Torch, got greater again and then it started to get smaller and smaller, quickly. Finally, it disappeared, leaving nothing behind. Grindewald killed himself a day later, using Muggle poison."
"Smart Torch" Amala said. "Always getting away from the bearers."
"Who do you think will get it this time?" Harry asked and Ron and Hermione shared a look. "What?"
"Well, um, mate, you know. We thought it might be." Ron said, finishing the last sentence in a mumble.
"Who?" Harry asked, confused.
"You" Hermione answered.
"Me?!" Harry said. "But, no, that's impossible!... Isn't it?"
"Well, considering your personal record." Hermione said. "It's probably you. I mean, you're the one who'll defeat Voldemort or at least is supposed to and you're the one who always gets into things like these"
"Supposed to defeat Voldemort?! Supposed to? You don't think I'll make it?!" Harry asked, fear and anger building up inside him. What if he lost?
"We do, mate! We really do! But maybe he'll fall off a cliff and die, or something" Ron said.
Amala just stood and looked at them, or rather past them, looking pensive. As they were arguing, she said, in a low voice:
"I don't know. But whatever happens, I'll be with you guys. And I think we should research as much as possible."
Hermione looked at her.
"She's right. There's no need to argue" Hermione said. "Anyway, Harry, if you get the signs, you'll know it's you. Shall we go to bed?"
"Sure" Ron answered quickly.
Harry sighed.
"Fine. I wish it won't be me."
/*-/*-/*-/*-
"I thought you were asleep" he said, looking at the beautiful woman coming in the kitchen.
"Not yet. I can hear Mundungus snoring from two bedrooms away" she answered and he burst into laughter.
"What about Dedalus?"
"That man could sleep while the cannons were booming over his head and he also snores, just less"
"My bedroom is away from theirs" he said.
"Why, Sirius, I didn't know you made indecent proposals to women in your house!" she said, chuckling.
"I meant we could switch bedrooms, but if that's how you understood it."
"Why are you up?"
"Couldn't sleep, Iris"
The two were at number 12, Grimmauld Place, in his house and Iris was right: there was no way she could sleep with the two snoring -even if they were two and one bedrooms away-, especially when you weren't tired.
"Want a. something?" he asked.
"Something?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.
"What do you offer somebody at two o' clock in the morning?" Sirius asked.
"I don't know" she answered. "But if you have some tea."
"Tea it is, then. Would you believe I even have it made?"
"Really? The Seer in the Black family?" she asked playfully.
"No, I was having the same thing" he answered and poured her a cup. She sat down on his left and picked up the cup.
"Good tea"
"Thanks"
She drank a bit of her tea and then put it down on the table.
"Do you usually stay up all night?" she asked.
"No, it's a one night thing"
"Then I'm lucky today"
He looked at her, smiled and put his hand on hers. Maybe he should try something? Well, she did seem interested. How about a stupid line? Would that work? 12 years in Azkaban meant a loss, that was sure. But maybe he should try something, even if it was a stupid line. He looked her in the eyes, smiling playfully.
"It might be old news" he said, in a soft voice "but I love you."
She smiled. It was old news, ever since the elf had so kindly made it obvious to her. But it was good to hear it.
"I know."
He took his hand from hers and put his arm around her shoulders. Then, he leaned towards her and kissed her. She opened her mouth under his and started kissing him back.
/*-/*-/*-/*-
Author's Note: Finished another chapter, mates! Well, not much to comment -maybe just that I actually remembered to put the Green Flame Torch in this story and also remembered my promise to the Red Dragons Order-. Oh, yeah, I managed to name this chapter right from the beginning. Almost. I changed its name once, from "Things That Need to Be Known" to "Things to Know". Random useless fact: when I started writing chapter 18 I called it first 'Christmas'. So it happened with 19, too.
Thank you:
Skillz: I hope this 'Amala and Snape' chapter satisfied your desire.
James Rickard: Just thank you, the rest of my comments were in the e-mail.
Anonymous_01: Well, if I had an 'Cho-Harry' relationship in mind, I probably would have written it that way, no matter what. And I don't think it'll be Hermione or Ginny. But it will definitely not be Cho, I agree with you there.
The Red Dragons Order: I hope they won't cast Michael Jackson in the fourth movie, or they'll rate it PG-16! Well, the elves will have a part in this story, but about vampires. I don't know. I don't think so. Oh, and by the way, do you have any idea why Akvar keeps asking me to put a scene in our coauthored story where a few Red Dragons dance around in pink tutus? He seems to have an obsession.
Dedication: to the Red Dragons Order -look what you made me write!-
Chapter 21: Things to Know
"It is time I teach you everything I know, for the elders will not listen to me" said Towers, pacing around his classroom, in front of the students he usually called for extra lessons. "Unfortunately, I have not much time."
"What do you mean, Professor?" asked Draco Malfoy.
"All my knowledge, my."
"No, no, about the not-much-time part" he said.
Towers raised an eyebrow.
"I'm afraid I'll have to leave sooner or later. Not many people like me anymore and I don't want to affect Hogwarts. Plus, I've been neglecting some of my other duties while I thought here and it's time I go back to them again."
The students stared at him. There were two new people added to their group, two first years, that was. They were both Gryffindors, Jane Chase and Mark Evans. At first, the elder ones disapproved but then they were kindly reminded that the 'Gryffindor trio', as Harry, Hermione and Ron were starting to be known, had managed to save the Philosopher's Stone in their first year. So, now they were watching the dizzyingly pacing Professor and wondering why he talked so weird.
"One of the most important things in war is never to expect your enemy to be fair. Ever. Got it?"
"Yes, sir" they answered.
"Second, you need to be cool enough to face your fears and do your best. You have no idea how many people lost in battles because their enemies were simply imposing and gave them the impression that they couldn't possibly be defeated. Understand?"
"Yes, sir"
Towers suddenly stopped pacing and looked at them, suddenly sadness on his face.
"Look at you, just teens." he whispered. "What awful times we're in."
"I'm not just a teen!" Draco proudly said and the Professor smiled, amused.
"Of course not, but you are a teen, right? And you have not yet got to the point where you can say you have loads of experience, now can you? But it will come. I do not question your skills, your power, your will. I only say that you have not yet seen all that is to be seen, you have not yet felt all that is to be felt. You are young, but it is not a great disadvantage."
"Disadvantage?!" Draco said, outraged.
"Ah, young Malfoy, do something with that pride, will you?" asked Towers. "It is a disadvantage since you have very little experience and don't you dare say anything now. In one year from now tell me if I were right or wrong."
Draco closed his mouth.
"Good. Remember to trust your hearts, young ones and don't forget to fight bravely and do your best. Have faith, always. For those who need it, there is always help. There is always a way!"
The students looked at each other, Draco extremely skeptic, Harry confused, Hermione thoughtful, Amala happy, Ron with a 'teacher-has-gone-crazy' look, Luna dreamy, Jane smiling mischievously, Mark determined, Neville also determined, but a bit more scared, Ginny brave, but also afraid.
"And now, how about practicing dueling techniques?" Towers asked. "I'll conjure up a few enemies"
The students watched awed as he took out his wand and started saying muttering spells, conjuring something. Soon, the 'somethings' started looking like humans and later they were perfectly detailed.
"How did you-" Ron asked when the figures started moving like humans. Towers sighed.
"Yeah, I guess I should explain, huh?" he asked. "Well, it's easy to understand. I can't actually do this, not by myself, but I can use my Master's power. He lets those of us who need it to do it. I sincerely love to feel his power when I'm using it. I get a certain feeling of being able to do everything I want when I use it. You could say I am a very lucky man. Or a very unlucky one, for I have to do many things."
"What kind of things?" Harry asked.
"I have to go around, find out things, protect the light. In elder times, he used to do it himself, but ever since I met him, not even fifty years ago -and yes, meeting him made me age way slower- he lets me use his power and tells me what I should do. He said that I am a lot like him and he loves me like a father. But even though he let me use his power in the first place in order to allow me to fight for the light side, I know that if I ever said I wouldn't want to listen to his orders anymore he would still let me use them. But the thing is, I like to do what he tells me to do. You get quite addicted to the adventurous life. But now, on to your training!"
The dark figures seemed to come to life fast and the students forgot their questions and amazement.
"Use anything you want on them" Towers said. "And beware the hexes!
It was incredible! The conjured-up forms seemed to be real as they sent curses and hexes and as they screamed furiously. Soon enough, the conjured up enemies were lying on the floor, some hit with hexes, but a few of the real people in the room also had problems.
"I think you should practice on your target, Jane" Towers said, while putting the fire on his robes off and repairing them. "You wouldn't want to burn your allies to a crisp, now would you?"
"Sorry, Professor" she said, with that certain look somebody has on their face when they do something like breaking a vase or a plate and expecting the sound to boom any second.
"No problem" he answered. "Gah, I'm loosing my reflexes."
Neville was just removing the 'Locomotor mortis' from himself. Amala was in huge trouble with one special hex. Oh, well, combination of hexes.
"Good punishment for somebody, hitting them with the jelly legs jinx and then the whitening spell! I look like an octopus!"
"Duopus" Towers laughed. "Octopus means with eight legs, while you still have two!"
"And the water poured on my head was great, too" she said as Hermione was removing the spells from her and drying her.
Harry, who had quickly managed to get the cheering charm off him, was laughing at his own will, while Ron was still dancing. Surprisingly, Draco was unharmed. But, soon enough, everybody was back to normal and Towers smiled pleasantly from his perfectly clean and unharmed robes.
/*-/*-/*-/*-
It was the last weekend before the school started and Harry, Ron, Hermione and Amala had decided to go to the room they had found and read different books and learn as much as they could. Well, Hermione had decided that. The others were forced to join her, no matter how much they complained about being tired after the lesson with Towers.
Now in the mentioned room, Harry and Ron were talking about the next Quiddich match -programmed in March- and were pretending to be studying the 'very interesting and useful books' as Hermione had put it.
"Yeah, I guess the Slytherins will be smashed" Harry said, turning the pages of the book in front of him.
"Definitely" Ron answered.
Harry looked at the pages in front of his very nose, flipping through them, when a few words attracted his attention. He stopped flipping the book pages and read the passage.
"The Green Flame Torch- a very powerful magical object first found in 3400 B.C. Nobody knows its origins. It is said to appear whenever darkness threatens to conquer the world, by its own free will. It cannot be found by darkness and the one who finds it will become its bearer for as long as it will remain with him. In order to make sure that the right bearer finds it, it will leave clues to itself that are only noticeable by him.
Once in possession of the bearer, he can summon it from a large range -but necessarily from the same room, if the doors are closed- and use it. One of the weirdest characteristics of the Green Flame Torch is that it will not only give power to its bearer, but will eventually cast spells itself, although nobody knows what spells it might cast.
When it decides that its meaning is over, it will disappear."
"Guys, come see this" Harry said and they all looked at the passage. "Do you think it will appear now?"
"Maybe" Hermione said. "You know it's said to be around Hogwarts?"
"Yes, I've heard that" Harry answered.
Amala looked at the others, opened her mouth, closed it and gave a small "hmmm".
"What?" asked Ron.
"The Torch hasn't been found yet, right?" she asked.
"Right" Hermione said.
"Then, how can people say it's around Hogwarts?! Isn't it peculiar?"
"You're right!" Hermione said. "Where did we hear this from?"
"I don't know" Harry answered. "I can't remember."
"I can" Ron said. "Dad mentioned it. He knows about it from the Order"
"And where does the Order know from?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know that" Ron said. "It was just said. Dad said he'd heard it on the last meeting. I really have no clue. It was in the summer. Do you think anybody remembers?"
"Somebody must" Amala said. "And I have a perfect occasion to find out."
"What occasion?!" Harry asked.
"I have a date with Severus tonight. I have to be there." she said, looking at the watch and suddenly gaping. "Three minutes ago! Gotta go, see you!" she said and ran out the opening wall.
"You know, it suddenly struck me how useful this relationship is" Ron said.
"Your Slytherin side is waking up, huh?" Hermione asked and he glared at her murderously.
/*-/*-/*-/*-/*-
"I'm sorry I'm late!" Amala said, nearly jumping through the door.
"Five points from Gryffindor, Mrs. Wright" said Severus, making her look better around the room, where she could -just now- see a few people. Thank God she hadn't added 'Severus' to 'I'm sorry'!
"What is she doing here, Mr. Snape?" asked one of them, whom she immediately recognized as Cornelius Fudge.
"She has a detention with me, Minister" he answered coolly.
"We don't have time for this" Fudge said. "You shouldn't have called her now when."
"If I recall it correctly, it was you who came by unexpected" Severus said. "Maybe I should contact Madam Trelawney and ask her to predict your next coming so that my personal life will not interfere with your plans?"
Amala chuckled to herself. Yep, that was the ever sarcastic Severus Snape.
"Your personal life?" Fudge asked. "I thought it was a detention"
"It is munching on my time and I sincerely believe that it is therefore my personal life, as much as it is to live in this castle. Or would you say that I'm working 24 hours a day because I live at the very same place where I work-this castle?"
"Um, no" the Minister of Magic said. "Well, you should go, Mrs."
Amala nodded quickly and started to leave.
"Not so fast!" Severus said, making her stop and she made sure she looked surprised but disappointed at the same time. "Go to my dormitory and there you will find, on the desk I have there, two bags of thorns, mixed up with grass and other things. Please sort them."
She nodded.
"Where is your dormitory, sir?" she politely asked.
He explained the way to his dormitory -the official one, of course- and she left. Why he had sent her to his dorms was beyond her. He was probably in trouble with the Ministry and all and wouldn't finish until it was late. Well, he could come early.
She entered the dormitory and saw that it was a quite comfortable room, with a double bed, a desk with a chair and a fireplace with two armchairs in front of it. On the desk there were three bags, out of which two had thorns in them and one was filled with grass and things that probably were at first mixed up with the thorns. She smiled. He really did think of everything.
She started exploring the room, when Severus came inside.
"I said that I was checking up if you blew my bedroom up or not" he said. "I must go back, but first."
He went to his desk and opened a drawer, taking out a small orb and touched it with his wand. For her surprise, she heard the voices in Severus' office.
"They can't hear anything here, but you can hear what goes on inside" he said.
"Thank you" she said and watched him go. "Wait!"
"Yes" he asked, turning from the door.
"Why?"
"I think you have the right to know" he said and left, shutting the door behind him.
She smiled, feeling overly enthusiastic! He finally let her in one of his secrets! Yay! She collapsed on the bed and listened to the people in his office.
"I think we should question him about it under Veritaserum" one man said.
"We should indeed, but who's Veritaserum are we going to ask for? His? I haven't brought any" said another man.
"Filthy spy!"
So, that was it! They thought he was a spy!
She heard the door slam.
"The girl hasn't blown up anything yet and has managed to find the blasted things. I suppose she's smarter than she seems"
She chuckled to herself. Yep, he was his usual self!
"Maybe so, Snape. Now, back to our discussion. How do we know you're not a spy? What else do we have than your word for it?"
"I teach at this very school and."
"So did Quirrel" said Fudge.
"Very well, then. Let us not fool around then. You have the same proof that you had last time."
"Dumbledore's words do not matter much these days" a man said.
"Wasn't he the one who said first that the Dark Lord has risen?"
"Yes, but he is still human and humans make mistakes"
"Test me under Veritaserum, then"
"We don't have any"
She smiled to herself.
"I however do. I just never cease to wonder when the Ministry of Magic will actually come prepared for a questioning."
"Was that an insult, Snape?" Fudge asked.
"Of course not, Minister" Severus answered, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"How do we know the Veritaserum is real?"
Snape seemed to sigh.
"You can test it yourself, Minister."
"How do I know you won't poison me?"
"I must admit it crossed my mind and intended to do it, since murdering the Minister of Magic while having witnesses and then having to run away from the castle is quite a good idea."
She started laughing. Wow, if sarcasm would have been liquid, she was sure the whole castle would be flooded.
"You drink it first!" Fudge said, deciding not to comment on the last statement.
"Very well, sir. Let me just get it"
There was a bit of silence in the room and then Snape seemed to return with the potion and give it to the Minister. All that she got out of a few moving noises and drinking noises.
"My name is Cornelius Fudge and I am the Minister of Magic. I can't lie"
"No kidding? I had no idea" Severus said. By now, the flood of sarcasm in the castle would have long united with the lake. More drinking noises.
"And I was supposed to drink before you, but you have long forgotten, as I can see" Severus said. The flood of sarcasm must have flooded the Forest, too.
"Are you a spy?" one of the other men asked.
"I do not spy for the Dark Lord" Severus answered.
'Would you look at that?!' Amala thought. 'He didn't say he wasn't a spy. He said he wasn't Voldemort's spy! I wonder.'
"Are you positive?"
"Minister, I have a weird feeling that I would know if I were the Dark Lord's spy"
"Are you a spy?" asked the man again.
"My black eyes haven't seen the Dark Lord since June, last year"
Amala looked at the orb. Hmmm, there was something definitely wrong there.
"Are you a spy? Yes or no?" asked the man again and Amala started asking herself whether there was something wrong there.
"I spied on students in the castle in order to get them in trouble so I am a spy"
Amala laughed. So, he was saying all the other things to hide this! But what if he wasn't hiding this? What if he was a spy?
"If that is all, I'd like to go check on the student now"
"Of course" Fudge answered. "Goodbye, Snape"
"Goodbye" the Potion Master said and Amala heard the door opening and then closing. "They're gone. I'll be there quick" he said and she first gaped and then remembered that of course he knew she was listening! The door opened and then closed. She let the orb go and looked up at the ceiling from the comfortable position on the bed. What if he was a spy? Well, then he was for the light side! And he had finally let her see a secret of his. Well, if he was a spy, he was in constant danger, but then again, hadn't he always been? He could manage, he knew.
In less than two minutes, Severus came in his bedroom. Of course he had had his reasons to give her the chance of listening what was going on! One: she wouldn't bug him, asking what had happened and two: she would probably be as thick as Minister & Co. and believe he wasn't a spy. That if Potter hadn't told her. But what he hadn't thought of was Amala's reaction.
He had barely gotten through the door when he was hugged by the girl, a small "thank you" escaping her lips.
"For what?" he asked.
"For this" she answered. He was about to sneer, saying that she made no sense, but he understood what she meant. Instead, he just returned the embracement. Who knew she was going to react like this?
After a while, she looked up to him, shyly. Somewhere in the back of his mind he registered that the Veritaserum's effect had probably faded away. It was supposed to after about ten minutes. Amala looked at him and then said, in a slow voice:
"It's ok if you don't want to tell me."
"Yes?" he asked.
"Are you a spy?"
"Didn't I answer that question?"
"No, not really. You know what I mean."
Yes, he knew. But what was he supposed to say: I impersonate Barty Crouch, please don't tell anybody? No, it was better for her not to know. But could he really tell her that? Could he just lie?
"Please don't ask me questions" he replied. "I don't like it."
She nodded and then got a mischievous look in her eyes.
"Then, I won't" she said and started kissing his neck, making him look at her in surprise.
"You are a weird creature" he said.
"From you, I'll take it as a compliment" she replied. "But what do you mean by it?"
Ah, yes, he spoiled it. Stupid, stupid, stupid. No, wait, he was never stupid.
"You look so innocent, so pure, so childish and harmless. And the way you act now can hardly be described as 'perfectly innocent'!"
"I'm innocent!" she said, looking innocently indeed at the walls. "I really am! I'm as pure as the dawn, Severus! What, you don't believe me?"
He chuckled and she looked at him mock-surprised, her hands still behind his neck.
"You actually chuckled and Hell hasn't frozen over yet!"
Now, he actually started laughing. How she managed to be sarcastic while looking so angelic was beyond him. Weird creature, indeed.
"Point proven" he said while she was starting to wonder if he had been hit by a cheering charm. Severus Snape, laughing?!
/*-/*-/*-
Harry yawned. It was a beautiful night, that was sure, but staying up 'till morning wasn't in his plans. Especially if the reason was listening to Hermione and on bickering. Well, theoretically they were staying up because Hermione had decided to share some information on the past presence of the Green Flame Torch, but they never got to that.
He looked at his watch. Quarter to eleven and still no sign of Amala. He watched the bickering friends in front of him and he sighed. What was Amala doing?! Maybe she could get the two apart, he was tired of trying. It had already been what? Nearly two hours? Was she going to spend the night in Snape's headquarters? Ok, bad mental image, bad mental image! Ugh. Think of the fight between Ron and Hermione, try to get them apart.
"Hey, guys, don't you think we should concentrate on the Green Flame Torch?" he asked for what seemed to be the millionth time.
"Right, Harry" Hermione agreed. "Exactly as I told you we should, Ron"
"What?! You blame it on me?!"
"Of course. I said from the beginning we were here to talk about the Green Flame Torch!"
"Yeah, and then you started arguing"
"No, you were the one who started it"
"Me?! Well, you said."
"Guys!" Harry said. "Please, back to the topic!"
"Right" the two of them said.
"So, what we know is that it's around Hogwarts and that it would be of great help" Ron said.
"How do we know it's around Hogwarts?" Harry asked. "Amala is right, nobody saw it, so."
"Maybe they saw it but couldn't get it?" suggested Ron.
"Maybe, but I don't think so" Hermione replied. "If they saw it, then they would have gotten it. It's a torch! It can't run away!"
"Are you sure about that?" Ron asked. "All this appearing and disappearing means it has a life of its own and maybe it can even run away"
Harry chuckled.
"Yeah, a torch running around with somebody chasing it. No, I don't think that's it!"
The other two chuckled a well. Nice mental image!
"Maybe it was protected by many spells and wards?" Ron asked.
"More likely" Hermione said. "But I don't know. I don't remember anything like this from those texts."
"Right, show us the texts!" Harry said, remembering that Hermione had said that she had found a few texts about previous findings of the magical object. Hermione took out a few books and showed them passages.
"Antiquity. Evil wizard trying to take over the world" she said and showed them a passage, which Harry started reading.
"And there, next to the great Water Fall, between the mountains, there was the most beautiful sight my eyes have ever seen: in the fading light of the sunset, I saw a Torch floating over the falling water. It had a green flame sprouting up in the air, lightening everything so that all seemed to be more alive. Never have my eyes seen something of this greatness, never have I felt such power and as I stood watching it, I understood it had called me. I understood that the Phoenix I was following was an illusion the Torch had made. I have no doubt that it has a life of its own and I have no doubt it wants me to use it against the rising Darkness"
"I couldn't find the author" Hermione said, "but that's not the point. Next, middle ages"
"By the Great Light of the Sun itself! I have found the Green Flamed Torch, the most beautiful magical object I could see. It made me follow it down in the Earth, in the caverns, sending me voices only I could hear, voices I had thought long lost, voices of my friends that were dead. And now it tells me in a way I can't understand to use it for destroying evil."
"No author again. And the next is recent, although I don't know from what year it is."
"God knows how I managed to get this Torch, the Green Flame Torch, that is. I didn't think it existed, I thought it was just ramblings of old fools. It's not as impressive as one might think, studying the elder texts, but it is beautiful nevertheless and it does seem to have a life of its own. I wonder who created it. The story of finding it is simple: I followed the 'mystical signs' -yeah, right, they were just obvious signs, like white bricks on black walls. I wonder how come nobody before me got it-, signs that led me to the Torch, left in an old room in an old castle. I plan to use it against Grindewald's army, since Dumbledore will take care of the wizard himself. I'll guard it greatly, so that it won't be able to disappear after it serves its purpose. I heard it never disappears into thin air, so all I must do is be careful"
"Skeptic, isn't he?" Ron asked.
"Yep" Harry answered.
Hermione was just about to say something when the portrait opened and a girl came in.
"Hi, guys!" she said.
"Hi, Amala" Harry answered, Hermione and Ron, muttering a "hi". "How was your, um, date?"
"Fine. But do you know what's weird?" she asked.
"What?" Harry said.
"Two things actually. One: he received a visit from the Ministry, which questioned him under Veritaserum if he was a spy."
"And?!" the other three asked, Harry wondering about the 'Barty Crouch' part Snape played.
"He didn't answer directly. He said he was not a spy for Voldemort."
"It's obvious he isn't then, the Veritaserum made sure he wasn't lying." Ron said, shivering after the name of 'Voldemort'.
"Yes" she said. "But the person asked if he was a spy, no matter for what side, and he answered that he wasn't a spy for Voldemort" Ron shivered "and then he was asked again and he replied that, I quote, "My black eyes haven't seen the Dark Lord since June, last year". And again he was asked and he replied he spied on students in order to get them in trouble and therefore he is a spy. If you ask me, his replies were weird. What if he spies for Dumbledore? I asked him that, but he told me not to ask questions since he didn't like them. So asking about the Green Flame Torch was out of the question."
"Then what did you do there so long?!" Harry asked. "it's eleven o' clock, it's way past curfew"
"I had a 'detention' and guess what we did" she replied. "Well, after he got rid of the Ministry."
"He just let you witness their meeting and the Ministry didn't object?" Hermione asked.
Amala smiled mischievously.
"He sent me to his bedroom where he had an orb through which you could listen to what happened in his office"
"You were in Snape's bedroom?" Ron asked. "Ew. Is it slimy and dark?"
She laughed.
"No, it's not slimy, although I must say it's dark. But it's cozier than one might think. He even has a fireplace."
"And did you remain there after he came back from his meeting?" Ron asked.
"Yes, we did"
"Ok, no more details, please. I think we all understand what you did in Snape's bedroom for two hours" Ron said. "And I don't want to think about that git in bed with someone"
Amala burst into laughter.
"Oh, no, we haven't. Poor you, Ron, you must have a pretty bad mental image"
"As a matter of fact, I do" he answered. "Pleeeease let's change the subject"
"You said two things were weird. Which was the second?" Hermione asked.
"He laughed" she answered. "He laughed, just like a normal human being"
"That is weird" Ron said.
"Ok, so what were you doing before I came in?" she asked.
"Talking about the Green Flame Torch" Hermione replied. "It seems that it has left signs for all the bearers to follow to it. And it always disappeared in weird circumstances. We were just getting to that. Here are the disappearing texts"
She opened the books and showed them the disappearance from the Antiquity.
"I had not known it would go away so soon. But once my enemy was defeated, it had served its goal. I put it in the room where I have my families fortune and went for my night sleep. The next morning, when I woke up, it was gone."
"Weird" Ron said. "But maybe we should have expected this?"
"Probably. Wait to see the next" Hermione said and showed them the next fragment.
"By all Gods that exist, I have defeated my enemy! But as I cast the final spell, my wand in my right hand, the Torch in my left, its flames caught my spell in them, stretching to them and then shooting towards him with great speed. As they hit him, they spread on his body, not burning him, but catching him in a green ball. The next thing I knew, the flames uniting with the ball of green fire disappeared with the Torch itself and with him."
"Creepy" Ron said.
"I agree with you there" Harry answered. "Hermione, do you know anything about such a spell?"
"I don't know. Maybe the Green Flame Torch took him with it wherever it left?"
"Probably" Harry said. "What about the last guy?"
"That's the nicest one" Hermione said, showing them the last passage.
"I can't believe it happened this way! After I defeated the army Grindewald had with the help of the Aurors and the Green Flame Torch, I put it in a specially prepared room in order to be able to study it later. The weirdest part of all was that it managed to disappear, in spite of my preparations. When Dumbledore had the last battle with Grindewald, I was in the room where the Torch was. Its flame suddenly got bigger and transformed into a flaming sphere, in the middle of which I could see both wizards dueling. He flame got greater and greater, also including the Torch in it. I was fascinated. I saw Dumbledore cast the last spell on Grindewald -a stupefying spell, I believe- and he fell to the ground. At that moment, the Flame, because that was all that had remained from the Torch, got greater again and then it started to get smaller and smaller, quickly. Finally, it disappeared, leaving nothing behind. Grindewald killed himself a day later, using Muggle poison."
"Smart Torch" Amala said. "Always getting away from the bearers."
"Who do you think will get it this time?" Harry asked and Ron and Hermione shared a look. "What?"
"Well, um, mate, you know. We thought it might be." Ron said, finishing the last sentence in a mumble.
"Who?" Harry asked, confused.
"You" Hermione answered.
"Me?!" Harry said. "But, no, that's impossible!... Isn't it?"
"Well, considering your personal record." Hermione said. "It's probably you. I mean, you're the one who'll defeat Voldemort or at least is supposed to and you're the one who always gets into things like these"
"Supposed to defeat Voldemort?! Supposed to? You don't think I'll make it?!" Harry asked, fear and anger building up inside him. What if he lost?
"We do, mate! We really do! But maybe he'll fall off a cliff and die, or something" Ron said.
Amala just stood and looked at them, or rather past them, looking pensive. As they were arguing, she said, in a low voice:
"I don't know. But whatever happens, I'll be with you guys. And I think we should research as much as possible."
Hermione looked at her.
"She's right. There's no need to argue" Hermione said. "Anyway, Harry, if you get the signs, you'll know it's you. Shall we go to bed?"
"Sure" Ron answered quickly.
Harry sighed.
"Fine. I wish it won't be me."
/*-/*-/*-/*-
"I thought you were asleep" he said, looking at the beautiful woman coming in the kitchen.
"Not yet. I can hear Mundungus snoring from two bedrooms away" she answered and he burst into laughter.
"What about Dedalus?"
"That man could sleep while the cannons were booming over his head and he also snores, just less"
"My bedroom is away from theirs" he said.
"Why, Sirius, I didn't know you made indecent proposals to women in your house!" she said, chuckling.
"I meant we could switch bedrooms, but if that's how you understood it."
"Why are you up?"
"Couldn't sleep, Iris"
The two were at number 12, Grimmauld Place, in his house and Iris was right: there was no way she could sleep with the two snoring -even if they were two and one bedrooms away-, especially when you weren't tired.
"Want a. something?" he asked.
"Something?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.
"What do you offer somebody at two o' clock in the morning?" Sirius asked.
"I don't know" she answered. "But if you have some tea."
"Tea it is, then. Would you believe I even have it made?"
"Really? The Seer in the Black family?" she asked playfully.
"No, I was having the same thing" he answered and poured her a cup. She sat down on his left and picked up the cup.
"Good tea"
"Thanks"
She drank a bit of her tea and then put it down on the table.
"Do you usually stay up all night?" she asked.
"No, it's a one night thing"
"Then I'm lucky today"
He looked at her, smiled and put his hand on hers. Maybe he should try something? Well, she did seem interested. How about a stupid line? Would that work? 12 years in Azkaban meant a loss, that was sure. But maybe he should try something, even if it was a stupid line. He looked her in the eyes, smiling playfully.
"It might be old news" he said, in a soft voice "but I love you."
She smiled. It was old news, ever since the elf had so kindly made it obvious to her. But it was good to hear it.
"I know."
He took his hand from hers and put his arm around her shoulders. Then, he leaned towards her and kissed her. She opened her mouth under his and started kissing him back.
/*-/*-/*-/*-
Author's Note: Finished another chapter, mates! Well, not much to comment -maybe just that I actually remembered to put the Green Flame Torch in this story and also remembered my promise to the Red Dragons Order-. Oh, yeah, I managed to name this chapter right from the beginning. Almost. I changed its name once, from "Things That Need to Be Known" to "Things to Know". Random useless fact: when I started writing chapter 18 I called it first 'Christmas'. So it happened with 19, too.
Thank you:
Skillz: I hope this 'Amala and Snape' chapter satisfied your desire.
James Rickard: Just thank you, the rest of my comments were in the e-mail.
Anonymous_01: Well, if I had an 'Cho-Harry' relationship in mind, I probably would have written it that way, no matter what. And I don't think it'll be Hermione or Ginny. But it will definitely not be Cho, I agree with you there.
The Red Dragons Order: I hope they won't cast Michael Jackson in the fourth movie, or they'll rate it PG-16! Well, the elves will have a part in this story, but about vampires. I don't know. I don't think so. Oh, and by the way, do you have any idea why Akvar keeps asking me to put a scene in our coauthored story where a few Red Dragons dance around in pink tutus? He seems to have an obsession.