Author's Note: This past weekend (Thanksgiving holiday in the US) has been all screwed up and has severely cut into my ability to devote the normal time to writing. (Grumbles more about holidays and idiotic family members…) I had twice as much planned out for this chapter, but just couldn't get the second half of it all together smoothly without rushing it and possibly bungling it. I know you all want to read something and I shan't let you starve! I'm basically placating you with the Snape/Harry/Dumbledore meeting. Here you go. I'll call it Bread and Circuses because it's what you get to make you happy for now.
Chapter 32 Bread and CircusesSaturday had dawned bright and sunny, the day more reminiscent of midsummer then mid-September. Harry and Hermione enjoyed their day of carefree bliss in a magically concealed enclosure deep within the gardens and prepared by Dobby himself. Neither would let the other's thoughts wander past the moment as they convincingly pretended that the world did not exist outside of their little magical garden space.
Outside the fragrant walls of honeysuckle and late summer roses, there was a war brewing. Inside, there were only smiles, kisses, warm touches and tender nothings whispered into nuzzled ears; well, and a few books—it was after all, Hermione's day and she did insist they at least be prepared to do some revision.
Come Sunday morning, Hermione was determined catch up to her schedule of work and had commandeered an entire table in the corner of the Gryffindor Common room. Harry was trying to take the time to complete a Charms essay on Parasitic Enchantments, which were enchantments placed upon objects that skived their magical energy from magical people that were in near proximity to it. However, Harry's mind kept wandering toward his impending afternoon meeting with Dumbledore. No, not just with Professor Dumbledore, but with the lovely and charming (gag!) countenance of Snape, as well.
"Quit chewing on your quill, already!" Hermione hissed as Harry's mind slipped yet again to the looming meeting.
His eyes flickered back from their unfocused state and he tried to read the last few lines he had written on his essay. It was no use; all he could see was Snape's sneering face saying that he should be Obliviated because he wasn't trustworthy enough to not try to humiliate Malfoy. Hah! Snape calling Harry untrustworthy? The irony was too much.
"Quit scowling," Hermione admonished him. "You're starting to look like Snape when you do that." This earned her a scowl of her very own. Hermione rolled her eyes and said airily, "You know, if you are so insistent upon holding this grudge against Professor Snape—"
"Me? I'm not the one holding a grudge!" Harry said incredulously.
Hermione gave him a pointed look and after he shut up, she said, "Well, if you really wanted to make him look bad, Harry, it would be easy." Seeing Harry's interest in the way this comment was going, Hermione went on, "All you need to do is keep yourself calm and act courteous and professional when you are with him today. If you maintain your cool, then you will make him seem like the childish one." Hermione paused, waiting for the appeal of this to sink in with Harry. "See, Dumbledore wants you both to get along, right? Well, you can bet you're not the only one he's asked to behave in a more respectful manner. Harry, you can gain much more if you humor Professor Dumbledore's request and act courteous and respectful. You'll be able to make Dumbledore happy, you'll probably make Snape irate if you manage it and make him look terrible as he gets frustrated by your lack of normal hostility towards him, and, who knows, you might even get some helpful answers out of him before the afternoon is over."
Harry watched Hermione go back to writing her fifth scroll of Transfiguration notes. Sure it sounds good in theory, he thought. And really, it isn't that far from the truth; Snape is always the one who has started things between us. Maybe if I ignore him, he'll just try even harder and make an even bigger arse of himself. Harry grinned at this thought and said, "You know, Hermione, you may just be onto something there." Harry now found it much easier to discuss the six diagnostic steps to recognising Parasitic Enchantments.
"Canary Creams," Harry announced to the gargoyle after getting the new password from the droll portrait in the hall. Apparently, Dumbledore was acquainting himself with the twins' line of treats.
Harry rode the spiral staircase up and found the door to Dumbledore's office open just a crack and he could hear voices engaged in a conversation. He thankfully noted, none sounded like Snape.
"…at the close of your meeting, it was," one female voice said clearly.
"Yes, yes, I had tears, it was so touching," said another female voice that sounded on the verge of tears just now.
Harry wasn't sure whether to enter and intrude upon the conversation so he hesitated in opening the door.
"Tripe! This is nonsense and you're a fool to even think on it, Dumbledore!" said the voice of Phineas Nigellus.
Harry now suspected it was the portraits who were conversing and he knocked softly upon the door just as Snape's louder-than-usual voice startled Harry from behind, "Eavesdropping on the Headmaster's office, now, are we, Potter?"
"Come in, come in," rang Dumbledore's voice from the office at hearing Harry's knock and no doubt, Snape's accusation. Dumbledore beamed at them both as they entered his office.
Harry ignored Snape's comment completely and greeted Dumbledore saying, "Good afternoon, Professor."
Dumbledore beamed at Harry and ambled over towards the fireplace and conjured a third armchair. "Severus, join us over here; it's much more relaxed and informal this way."
Harry seated himself as usual and glanced about to see Phineas eyeing him with one raised eyebrow. Harry turned back to see Snape glare at the overstuffed armchair before begrudgingly sinking into it. Dumbledore waved a tea tray over to them and helped himself to a plate of ginger newts as he asked Harry, "Did Miss Granger have an enjoyable birthday?"
Harry fought the blush that threatened him upon the question but then quickly convinced himself that Dumbledore couldn't possibly know everything that went on all about and around the castle. "Er, yes, I believe she did. A day full of classes; what more could she want?"
Dumbledore twinkled merrily as he nibbled his biscuit and then commented, "Oh, some time away from the demands of school and spent with one she holds dear to her heart, might also be something she would wish for."
Harry lost the fight to prevent a blush and tugged at his suddenly constrictive collar as Snape impatiently said, "Headmaster, could we spare the dalliances upon Granger and Potter's hormone-infused love affair? You asked me here to discuss Potter's violation of Mister Malfoy."
Dumbledore swallowed a sip of tea and still cheery, said, "I don't believe those were my exact choice of words, Severus, but I do apologize for my digression." The aged wizard then turned to Harry and said, "I wished to have us participate in a civil and intelligent discussion regarding the recent insights we've gained into young Malfoy's mind and doings."
Snape snorted derisively and Harry felt a thrill of triumph course through him as Dumbledore levelled a look at Snape that threatened to make sure the conversation remained civil or else. Harry merely looked on, eager to begin now and hopefully watch Snape hang himself with his own rope.
"You've read my summary of events I saw, sir?" Harry asked Dumbledore.
Dumbledore nodded and pulled a scroll from within his plum colored robes. "Yes, however, I only had opportunity to invite the Professor here to join us this morning." Dumbledore separated two parchments from the roll and handed one to Snape. "Here you go, Severus; I apologize for not getting this to you earlier."
Snape gingerly plucked the parchment from Dumbledore's outstretched hand and looked down his hooked nose to disdainfully peruse the parchment.
Harry shifted to make himself more comfortable in his seat and smiled across at Dumbledore's twinkling look.
"This!" Snape sputtered as he read, glaring at the parchment with narrowed eyes. "This is—" he snapped up his head to look at Dumbledore, "—there is no proof! Potter could have made this up! Surely…" Harry saw Snape's face grow red as he sputtered on and then stopped, clamped his mouth shut and glared across at Dumbledore.
Dumbledore smiled indulgently and said, "Severus, you were present when the spell was cast by Harry upon Mister Malfoy."
"Yes, but how do I…how can I trust…" Snape seemed to be tried to keep his anger in check and Harry watched with something akin to amusement.
Harry then spoke amenably and said, "Would you care to see for yourself, Professor? Look through my own mind so you can know I am not lying?"
Snape's lip curled into a sneer at the offer as Harry noticed out of the corner of his eye, Dumbledore beaming at him.
"Unfortunately, Harry," Dumbledore said, "that is not the best way to share the memory of what one has seen from another's mind." Harry strongly suspected Dumbledore had anticipated this event.
Snape muttered something like, "As if he didn't know that when he offered."
Dumbledore went on, "However, I made sure in our last lesson to firm up your projection skills so that you might be able to now utilize the Pensieve for a purpose such as this. Hmm," he tapped a long finger upon his lip in thought and then rose and said, "I believe I left it upstairs. Ah, you two stay here while I fetch it. It'll only be a moment." Dumbledore rose then quite quickly and retreated up a set of stairs and around a tall bookshelf.
Harry eyed the tray of ginger newts and tea but held back because he could feel Snape's presence watching him closely. Harry busied himself with straightening the pleats of his robe that hung over his knees. He felt, with relief, Snape return his gaze to the parchment.
After an interminable amount of time, punctuated by cool silence, Snape spoke casually, nearly startling Harry, as he did so. "I see here, you've made a note that you believe Bellatrix Lestrange may have been casting the Cruciatus Curse upon Mister Malfoy in order to train him to properly cast the spell?"
Harry gently smoothed a hand down his thigh and watched the pleats disappear as he said, "It seemed like a possibility…sir."
Slowly, Snape said, "Mmm, but you've not postulated a connection this might have to you. There has to be a reason why Mister Malfoy did not want you, particularly, to know about this event, no?" Snape's questioning reminded Harry of when he would corner a student in class (usually him) with a question to which the student couldn't possibly ever know the answer. It reminded Harry of a cat who'd cornered their prey and meant to play with their helpless victim before ending their torture.
Harry remained silent. He knew of one possible connection but did not feel the need to share this with Snape.
"Perhaps," Snape went on silkily, "Mister Malfoy was blaming you for his having to endure the curse." Silence. Harry felt Snape watching him closely. "Perhaps…Mister Malfoy was indeed being trained to properly cast the curse and perhaps his success, or lack thereof, was being compared to another wizard of his same age."
Harry suddenly got the distinct impression that Snape knew all the connection that Harry thought quite likely. It seemed apparent that Snape had full knowledge now all about Harry's attempt to cast the Unforgivable on Bellatrix last spring. It only made sense; he realized quickly, that Bellatrix and Voldemort would have told others about this event and surely Snape in order to give him ammunition to use against Harry. Well, there's nothing to be done for it now. Dumbledore already knows.
"You're being rather quiet, Potter; is there a reason you've not answered me?" Snape whispered with a hint of malicious glee.
Harry faced him and clearly said, "You've not asked me a question, sir."
Snape crossed his legs elegantly and let his eyes linger upon the parchment before him before drilling his gaze into Harry's and asking, "Answer me this, does the Headmaster know about your own attempt at using this same Unforgivable curse just a few months ago?"
Somehow, Harry had been expecting this and did not falter as he replied, "Yes."
Snape didn't miss a beat as he then said, "And just a mere few day after that failure of yours, which is no doubt been shrugged off as 'in the heat of the moment', you were ready, perhaps yet again, to feel enough hatred towards Mister Malfoy to such a degree that you were—what was it you said? Ah, yes, merely deciding which curse you use on him. Tell me Potter, was it this same curse or a different Unforgivable that you would have cast then…in the heat of the moment, of course?"
Harry recalled the afternoon just two days after Sirius' death at the Ministry when Draco Malfoy had tried to threaten him in the Entrance Hall and Harry had been fully prepared to curse Malfoy to hell and back without a care in the world. But it wasn't as Snape had implied; that Harry hated Malfoy to such a degree that he would have cursed him then or that he would now lie merely to humiliate him. "I believe, sir, that there is a difference between feeling hatred enough to curse another and feeling apathetic enough to disregard the consequences." Harry refused to back down from Snape's judgemental grin.
"Here we are," Dumbledore rang out as he returned carrying the stone basin carved with runes. "Now, Harry, all you need to do is hold your wand to your temple as you project forth your memory of the four different scenes you glimpsed from Mister Malfoy's mind. The thoughts will then be visualized as silver strands. I believe you have seen me do this before; you just deposit those strands into the basin. Then we can project the thoughts forth for each of us all to observe."
Dumbledore set the basin down between them and then conversationally said, "Harry has progressed extremely well with his mastery of Occlumency, Severus. Even you would be impressed."
Harry had leaned forward now and withdrew his wand. "Just the memories from his mind, sir?"
Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, just the memories from Mister Malfoy's mind. It will allow us all to then see the same thing that you saw when you originally cast the spell. This is also a very good tool to make use of whenever you need to ponder the meaning of a thought you've glimpsed through Legilimency. It, of course, cannot replicate the emotions you might have felt at that the time, but it will allow you to go over the memory with a more observant and critical eye."
Harry ignored Snape as he watched critically, trying to appear disinterested, and focused his mind upon the memories from Malfoy's mind. He then touched his wand to his temple. He felt the memories in his mind then gather where the wand was touching and he could feel them being extracted as he drew the wand tip away from his head. Harry opened his eyes to see the silver tendrils cling to the wand as they left his head and then dropped into the swirling silvery mist of the basin.
"There you go, perfect!" Dumbledore beamed. Harry couldn't help but grin at his first time using a Pensieve for his own thoughts. "Now, Harry, just look down into the basin and as you recognize your thought, touch your wand to it. It will then be replayed for all of us to see."
Harry did as instructed and soon he saw the face of Bellatrix Lestrange rise up from the basin as she pointed a wand at Draco Malfoy, making him writhe and scream upon a stone floor. The mist then changed to show Lucius Malfoy look with disgust down at his son and then striking Draco across the face while Draco was wearing Slytherin's silver and green quidditch robes. The mist shifted a third time then to show Draco Malfoy alone, nude, pale skin lying on a dark green duvet, surrounded by dark green bed hangings as he wanked, biting his pillow with a grimace upon his face. And lastly, the mist changed to show the red eyes and thin-lipped mouth of Lord Voldemort as Draco, shaking, bowed slowly and kissed the hem of the Dark Lord's robes.
They watched it again and then for a third time. Harry felt more than a bit uncomfortable being in the same room as they each watched a fellow classmate of his in such a compromising position. It was uncomfortable enough trying to think on it in his own mind and what it had to mean, but it was near unbearable in the presence of Snape and Dumbledore.
"Do you need to see it again, Severus?" Dumbledore asked.
Please, god, no, Harry prayed.
Snape must have shook his head no because Dumbledore then motioned for Harry to replace his thoughts back into his head and asked, "So, Severus, with what you've seen here now and from the emotions associated with these instances, what do you think we might make of them? Harry has already noted some possibilities that have occurred to him. What are your thoughts?"
Snape shifted in his seat and sighed heavily before he said, "The time with his father--that was after Potter beat Malfoy yet again in quidditch, allowing Gryffindor to win the Quidditch Cup. I believe it was…three years ago now. I saw it happen." He looked down at the parchment of Harry's notes and then said, "Lucius has always had a sore spot about his son never being able to best Potter." Snape sent a glare at Harry as he said this. "Surely Potter has done enough towards Mister Malfoy to garner his share of rage and hate; the derision he's suffered from his father's disappointment, however, I imagine, has added a great deal more fuel to that hatred." Snape's lip curled as he leaned forward and his glare intensified towards Harry as he sneered, "To you, it may seem a little schoolboy rivalry but to Draco Malfoy, you are his nemesis and every success you enjoy over him is, in the eyes of Lucius Malfoy, yet another failure of his only son."
Harry had to try very hard not to go off on this. He knew perfectly well that Malfoy liked to fancy himself Harry's rival and this fact had gotten beyond the point of irritating to Harry. He had a Dark Lord he was destined to rival thanks to a prophecy; did they all really think he needed a petty schoolboy rivalry as well? Struggling to keep his voice even, Harry said, "It's not my fault he's always lost to me."
Snape's eyes flared glinted dangerously as he hissed, "What about in your little duel then, hmm? It's your fault he lost to you there and not only did he lose, you stole any chance he had to lose with any sort of honour!"
Harry screwed his face up with disbelief and confusion. "What?"
Snape leaned closer towards Harry and went on, "You stole his honour when you broke into his mind and reduced him to cowering on the floor!" Harry thought this was crazy, as he believed Malfoy threw any honour and sense he had when the prat refused to concede. "Yes, but you think you've done nothing wrong, do you, Potter?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Harry said resolutely.
"You!" Snape snapped his mouth shut and after a quick glance at Dumbledore who was watching them closely, said, "You stole any chance Draco Malfoy had of conceding the match with honour when you refused to duel him properly."
Harry did not hide the confusion he felt as he said, "I still do not understand; no one else had a problem conceding when they knew they were beat."
"No one else cared to prove themselves against you, Potter! No one else had as much to prove against you! He even told you what to do! But, no, you refused to allow him to endure any sort of test of his courage, resiliency or honour! Why didn't you just curse him or hex him? Let him take the torture so he could show himself as capable of withstanding it and then, and only then, would he be allowed to concede with honour and his dignity intact!"
"That's mad," Harry said. As far as Harry was concerned, Malfoy had about as much dignity and honour as a Mountain Troll.
"That's the honour of the classic Wizards' Duel, Potter! You've read enough to be able to analyse and critique everyone else's duels but you fail so miserably to understand your own breech of conduct? With all your training and teaching Defense to other students you mean to tell me you're so blind and naïve when it comes to the codes of conduct when it comes to a Wizards' Duel?"
"Severus," Dumbledore said mildly, "I do believe we all have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to seeing our own faults."
"What? No, I've never--no one ever said—those weren't the rules you stated for the duels in class! And they were hardly classic by any means—groups and all, not even evenly matched in number—how was I to know?" Harry had half a mind to believe Snape was making this all up. No one had said anything about this to him before now.
"How were you to know, Potter? Can't you read?" Snape sneered.
"Read? Of course, I read--how else would I have known how to counter his curses? But I haven't been wasting my time learning the rules and honour codes of classical duelling—I think Voldemort's quite given up on trying to duel with me after the last time! I've been busy reading more practical stuff, like Duelling With Wizards Who Play Dirty! And it's a good thing, too, that's were I read about the Apotosus curse." Harry was just gathering steam now and he went on, "The rules of the duels, as you set forth, were to make your opponents concede—Malfoy was not about to concede no matter what I did to him; I could see it in his eyes. And if Malfoy thinks he's my rival and wants to blame me for his inability to beat me at anything, then perhaps he should choose his rivals more carefully. I have no problem whatsoever if he ignores me for the next two years here. I've got quite enough to deal with without his egocentric tantrums and petty unrequited rivalry."
Harry couldn't believe Dumbledore was allowing him go on like this but sure enough, Snape was allowed to counter again with, "And so, after seeing that one of the things Draco Malfoy least wants you to know about is just why he would feel such shame when…pleasuring himself, perhaps, Potter, you might now begin to realize why ignoring Mister Malfoy is quite possibly the most insulting thing you could possibly do?"
Snape lifted one eyebrow at this and Harry felt his jaw drop in horror. "You can't mean--! No! There's no way…" Harry's voice dropped away as he saw the pointed looks both Dumbledore and Snape were now giving him. Noooo, why? Oh, no. "Surely there's got to be other possibilities for…that…" Harry protested weakly.
Dumbledore merely reached for another ginger newt as he said, "I believe I mentioned earlier this year, Harry, how I thought young Malfoy was rather obsessed with you. Now, how about these other two thoughts—Severus, I'm most interested in finding out the meaning and purpose of this meeting between Draco and Lord Voldemort. Have you any ideas?"
Snape seemed to be much more comfortable now that Harry was truly squicked out by the notion that Draco Malfoy wanked off while thinking of him. "No, sir, I know of no meeting such as the one we've just now seen. I believe it is very possible that the Dark Lord would not wish to Mark any student here even if he had taken them into his service. He would not wish to risk such an open and blatant mark of allegiance where it could so easily be exposed. It is possible…that Draco has entered, unofficially of course, into his service." Snape tapped his fingers upon his knee and said, "It is disconcerting that I was not made aware of this, if this is indeed the case."
"Might he be assigned to be watching you, sir?" Harry asked, pointedly looking at Snape.
Snape just arched an eyebrow and merely conceded, "It is possible."
Dumbledore then asked, "And what of these emotions—fear and loathing—what do you make of them, Severus? Who is it you think he feared and whom did he loathe?"
Snape drew a long finger across his lips and then answered; "We have to connect it back to Potter, again. He most likely feared the Dark Lord, especially if it was his first face-to-face meeting; it would not be uncommon. Perhaps he feared the Dark Lord's knowledge of Malfoy's feelings towards Potter." Harry felt the heat rise to his cheeks again at this. "Then again, perhaps, and this is quite likely, that the Dark Lord knows of the rivalry between the two here at school and had stoked the fire of hatred within Mister Malfoy and it was Potter whom he loathed while yet fearing the Dark Lord."
Harry grumbled, "Well, which is it? He can't fancy me and then loathe me all at the same time."
Dumbledore raised a finger at this and said, "On the contrary, Harry. It's entirely possible to be unable to resist a compelled attraction towards someone or something that one fully knows is neither proper nor acceptable. This would explain Mister Malfoy's feelings of shame and his full knowledge of how unacceptable it is for him to feel this way, well, that is more than enough for one to loathe both oneself for feeling this way and also to loath the unavoidable object of their affection. Of course, I should say, it would be unacceptable for him merely based upon the fact of how he has been raised and just who you are."
Harry sighed deeply and dropped his head into his hands.
"About this last one," Snape said shifting and holding out the parchment to point towards the description of Bellatrix Lestrange's cursing of Malfoy, "I have knowledge of this event and can tell you," Harry's head snapped up at this and he saw Snape smirk at him and then go on. "Bellatrix was indeed intent upon training Draco upon the proper casting of the Cruciatus Curse and she most enjoyed building up his rage with the knowledge that Potter's first attempt at the curse was more successful that his repeated attempts even after hours of training. She's a most exacting tutor."
Harry shifted uncomfortably now as the subject turned towards this awful memory of his. He frowned and then said, "But how could… upon whom was he trying to cast it?"
Snape gave Harry a considering look and answered, "Bellatrix. She claims to rather enjoy the feeling of the curse." He turned then to Professor Dumbledore and said, "Are we quite finished here yet? I have several papers to fail."
"Wait," Harry said. "What's going to be done about Malfoy?"
"Done?" Snape said archly.
"I think, what Harry means, Severus, is what kind of conclusions can we draw from all of this," Dumbledore offered.
Harry said, "Well, not just that, but what are we going to do about this? He's obviously in contact with Death Eaters and I think it's quite obvious he's ripe to be in the thick of whatever's being plotted next if it concerns me. Shouldn't he be monitored or something?"
Snape looked down his aquiline nose at Harry with great displeasure and said, "I shall handle the monitoring of my students, Potter, thank you very much."
"And what am I supposed to do about…about this thing?" Harry asked, referring to Malfoy's apparent obsession with him.
"Deal with it, Potter. I'm sure he's not the first fan of yours to use you as fantasy fodder." And with that, Snape rose to depart; leaving Harry with a very disgusted and disturbed look on his face.
Dumbledore then merrily went over Harry's letter that he and Hermione had written to be sent off to Gringotts, communicating his counsel on the Goblins' dealings with Fudge on the issue of not granting him garnishment rights. Hermione's help had yet again proved to be more than satisfactory and Dumbledore was very pleased with the letter and saw to its delivery.
By the time Harry left the office, he was quite numb and returned back to his dormitory, unwilling to discuss the days' disturbing events with anyone but his journal.
Of course, when he finally did give in to Hermione' pestering about what had happened in the meeting with Snape and Dumbledore, he regretted it immediately. Apparently, she found the idea of Draco "Junior Death Eater" Malfoy pining away over The Boy Who Lived to be exceedingly amusing and laughed so hard she cried for over an hour.
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AN: So sorry again that it's only like a half chapter, but now you know what Dumbledore and Snape think about Malfoy and now Harry is quick disturbed by this. (Heheehee) Anyway….next up, the Order prepares to expand it's numbers and finally, the war begins.