It is much more secure to be feared than to be loved.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Chapter 3 A Visit Back at Hogwarts
The rain poured all around the threstral drawn carriage as it carried Misty Lewis to Hogwarts. The sky was a grey teal color and lightning flashed across it like skinny white fingers. It had been sixteen years since she ridden in one of the carriages that always gave her a slightly morbid feeling. After she rode for what it seemed like an eternity in the downpour, she just barely saw the castle begin to creep up from behind the hill that they were going up. It was absolutely breathtaking to see the great establishment grow larger until it was in full view. Misty actually wondered why she ever left. I could have been a teacher, she thought to herself. Right, like that would ever become a reality. A woman who didn't like to talk to strangers and was in danger of becoming an alcoholic, Dumbledore would have laughed in her face. Wait, this Dumbledore I'm talking about, she remembered. The man that hired a werewolf to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts and singlehandedly made Voldemort second guess himself. Let's give him some freaking credit here.
At that moment the bottom dropped out and the rain came down harder than it ever had. It sounded like somebody up in the sky was pounding the earth with it's fury. The carriage suddenly stopped at the front of the castle and Misty looked outside pondering how she was going to get out without getting drenched. At the last moment she decided to make a run for it and she leaped out the carriage running at full speed up the stone steps. When she got to the front door of gigantic proportions she took out her wand and tapped the door lightly. The sound that erupted from the door was like a giant had punched the door with all it's strength. Misty stood there with the rain dripping from her hair and her dress sticking to her body. Slowly the door opened with delayed creak that made her jump as she made her way in. She glanced around and quickly saw Dumbledore rushing forward to greet her.
"That certainly was one way to get our attention that you were here." he said with a smile that could melt dry ice.
"I have never been here during the summer so I did the first thing that came to mind. I am sorry if I startled anyone who might have heard me. Which come to think of it, was probably everyone." she explained while pulling her cloak out of an extremely tattered acid green bag.
"No need for that." he said.
A very tiny house elf then tapped Misty on the back of her leg. She turned around and saw the house elf hold out a towel and a bottle of an amber substance. She took the towel and dried her hair and dabbed her face. She then took the amber potion and, with nod of approval from Dumbledore, drank all of the contents of the bottle. Misty immediately felt a strong wing blow all around her. She was not cold but she could felt the wind swirl around her drying her clothes and hair. When the wind went away she was completely dry and back to what she looked like before she had braved the elements outside.
"Interesting." she remarked.
"Indeed. You can thank Professor Snape personally for that concoction as you are here to interview him, is that right?" he asked with that familiar twinkle in his eye.
"Yes. I wish to ask him a couple of questions about Sirius Black and the night of May, twenty third of last year. If that's possible." she replied with her business tone.
"Oh, yes. Severus has agreed to allow you to ask him about whatever you wish. Do you wish for me to walk you down to his office?"
"No, that's ok. I think I remember where the potions master's office is. I was there a couple of times in my youth. Horrible man he was." she shuddered.
"If you need anything just ask." and with that he walked up a stairwell and disappeared from sight.
Misty turned on her heel and made her way down the dungeons. She had always had a macabre fascination with the dark gloomy nature of the school dungeons. She liked the way in a tight corner she could not see a thing in front of her face. She liked the constant drip all around her no matter where you went. She also liked the way her heart rate quickened just enough to confirm that she was still alive. Misty could see the attraction of working down here but there had always been a tradition of monstrous witches and wizards to fill the position of potions master. Severus Snape was more than likely not an exception.
The Snape that Misty remembered was a quiet boy with a high level of intelligence. Of course he had his flaws, like being the first person in the history of man kind not to have a personality, but hey so did everyone. He was the only person of the old Slytherin crowd to actually have head on his shoulders. He didn't fly off the handle and kill someone if they gave him a so called suspicious glance. Misty gave a little chuckle at the poor kids that were tortured until they would cry for their mothers. It wasn't nice but still it could be amusing at times. Snape was never a looker and that was something Misty was very sure about. Mabie distinguished looking but not handsome.
What would he think of her? After all they hadn't laid eyes on each other in sixteen years. Would he be angry that she had never sent him an owl just to catch up on lost time? That wasn't old Snape's style. He would rather rot then make it obvious that he missed someone. Did he miss her? Misty considered these questions just as she turned the corner and reached the ebony door to the potions master's office. Here I go, she thought. She reached out to turn the door handle and even had her finger tips in the cold rusty iron when it swung open to reveal the man that she had thought about the entire way.
"Your late." he said. Just like I remember him, Misty thought.
"I thought I would let you sweat a little just to see if your human and would get ticked off. It seemed to have worked." she said in retribution.
"You could have sent an owl. I have things to do. I usually don't give interviews to women that never send word in fifteen years." he said. So he did remember me. Score.
"I love you too. By the way it was sixteen years."she quipped. Snape just scowled.
"Are you going to let me in or are we going to talk out in the corridor all night." Misty continued.
"It wouldn't be nighttime if you had come here at the time you said you would." he said.
"Ah, shut up. You sound like my grandmother." she said.
Misty pushed Snape out of the way, taking in what his office looked like. It was predictably weird as she expected. On the shelves, which were mounted all around the room, were glass jars of gruesome body parts of things Misty didn't even know existed. His desk was located in the back of the office and was covered in rolls of parchment. She could only guess that they contained lesson plans. At last she twirled around to again look at Snape. He was not very tall but he still taller than she was. That didn't really say much though. His long black robes seemed to be in style in about eighteen fifty six, Misty observed as Snape just stared at her with an expression that was hard to read.
"Are you done?" he said curtly.
"Yes." she said with a dignified air.
"Take a seat then." He pointed toward a chair in front of his desk. Misty proceeded to sit down in the chair and saw that Snape was not sitting down also. He was standing in front of her with the same unrecognizable expression he had on before.
"Are you going to sit down or are going to make me kill you." she said. He grudgingly walked around his desk and sat in his much more comfortable chair. This must be a way to torment his students, she thought. All he'd have to do is abuse them to death with his unbearably hard chair.
"So tell me, did you know Sirius Black in school?" she asked.
"You know this already." he said with an edge.
"Just answer the damn question, Severus." she answered. She stared down the man and noticed how old he looked. The lines were forming by his mouth and crows feet were beginning to arise by his eyes. God is this how I look, Misty wondered. She bent down to pull out the piece of parchment she had used with Kingsley out of her black leather boot. She continued to search for her quill but it seemed to be missing.
"Yes, I did know hi...." Snape started.
"Sorry, but I need a quill real quick." she interrupted. She could see the soundless fury building in his eyes. He bent down to examined a drawer behind his desk. He pulled a small quill out and handed it to Misty.
"Keep going." she said.
"As I said before, Yes, I knew him."
"And...?"
"Let's cut the crap, Misty. Why are you really here?" Snape demanded.
"Alright, Severus. I'll be honest with you. I think that the Ministry is giving me shit leads on purpose to keep me off the track of Black for some reason. They didn't want me even to come over here to talk to you. That makes me question their motives you see. You must have something that they don't me to know. Where Black is. So I figured I pop by and ask what you think of all this and if you really have any idea where he is. There you go. It's all laid out on the table for you." she explained at an incredibly fast pace.
"Your right the Ministry is probably hiding something but when has that ever been news."he said without breaking a sweat.
"Come on Snape. I know you know something. So either you tell me or I go find out on my own. Either way I'll find out. This way's just faster." she pleaded. Snape sighed deeply and again stared at her as if he was scrutinizing her. He seemed to decide on something because he started on something that Misty never in her wildest dreams expected.
"Misty, the dark lord has come back to power and he plans on returning to what he had before his demise. Less than a month ago Harry Potter witnessed him regain his body. All of the Death Eaters rushed to his side. Except me of course. " he said with urgency.
"No it can't be." Misty mumbled to herself shaking her head furiously.
The world can't be going back to the way it was twelve years ago, she thought disbelievingly. Snape pulled up the sleeve of his left forearm and showed her where the dark mark was jet black. She couldn't believe that she was seeing the dark mark just as dark as it was twelve years ago on her husband's arm. All of the horrible memories that she had kept hidden in side were beginning to come loose. Things were coming to her that she had long forgotten and never again wanted to relive.
"See this. It's like it was when he was in power is it not?" he asked.
"Ok, ok. I'm still in shock, Severus, but what does this have to do with Black?" she asked wanting to get off the subject as quickly as possible.
"Remember the secret order of witches and wizards lead by Dumbledore who plotted against the dark lord?"
"Uh, yeah I think so. The Order of the Phoenix or something like that." she said still in a daze but she started writing notes on her parchment.
"Black has rejoined that order, Misty." he said simply. Misty just sat there thinking. What a fucking development huh?
"So Dumbledore believes him to be innocent?" she asked. How could he believe that. After all the witnesses that testified against him. Could he know something I don't?
"Yes he does, unfortunately."
Misty let the memories flow about the man that she barely knew but had touched in a small way. She had kissed Sirius only once but she had never forgotten what it felt like. Even while she was married, every now and then Sirius would drift in to her thoughts. When he was sent to Askaban she was devastated. How could the man that showed her so much tenderness turn out to betray his best friend and kill half a dozen people on the street. It had haunted her dreams for years but now there was a doubt in her mind about his guilt. If Dumbledore believed he was innocent he very well could be. She pushed this out of her mind abruptly. She had a job to do and a Dumbledore's reputation was not hard core evidence.
"I....uh.....have to go but thank you for your cooperation, Professor."
"Your welcome." Snape said with an evil glint in his eye that Misty did not notice.
Misty got up slowly from her chair and stretched noticeably. That chair is from the devil himself she thought while looking at Snape. She leaned over and picked up her bag.
"Don't fall all over yourself escorting me out, Severus." she said before making her way toward the door. She suddenly changed her mind and turned around to face Snape again.
"Do you think he really did it, Snape?" she asked intently.
"Yes." he said and Misty strolled out of the potions master's office.