Ron, Harry, and Hermione pounded up the circular stairs leading to Dumbledore's office. Ron was in the lead, his face red with worry, a note clutched in one of his big hands. Ron threw open the large door and rushed into the room.
Dumbledore looked up at them, his blue eyes unsurprised.
"Headmaster, you need to get Professor Snape," Ron gasped and held out the letter he had been clutching. "We got this five minutes ago." Dumbledore took the letter from Ron and read it slowly.
Dear Ron,
Thank you very much for your extremely informative letter. It is really nice to hear how truly gullible you are. I must notify you about the truth before you come and try to save me. I am the First Elect Ginevra that you were talking about when you tried to detain me back in Hogwarts. There is more than enough evidence supporting that fact floating around the school if you cared to look.
Next, I really must thank you for the evidence concerning our dear deceased Professor Snape. It was the information you wrote in your last letter to me that condemned him. Don't feel bad. It wasn't just your fault. I'm sure that Harry and Hermione helped you write the letter. Therefore, Snape's death is Harry's, Hermione's, and your fault.
Lots of love,
Ginevera Weasley
P.S. Tell Dumbledore that his old pal Tom is thinking about his favorite Transfiguration teacher. Tom is sending a big gift for Dumbledore with his next letter. It isn't anything dangerous, so please open it.
When Dumbledore finished reading the letter he looked up. The ever-present happy twinkle was absent from his eyes. He shook his head sadly and sighed.
"Professor Snape went to spy at a Death Eater meeting last night and hasn't returned. There hasn't been any word of his whereabouts, so I'm afraid we must assume the worst." Dumbledore said, his eyes tearing slightly as he spoke.
"So then it's my fault that Snape died. I condemned Snape because I'm an idiot!" Ron gasped. He turned around and flung himself from the room at top speeds. Hermione quickly wiped a tear off of her cheek and ran after him.
Harry collapsed on a chair in front of Dumbledore's desk and looked up at Dumbledore accusingly. "It can't have been our fault. Ginny knew that Snape was an Order member. She saw him at Sirius's home. I tried to tell Ron that, but he wouldn't listen." Harry put his head in his hands. "Ron's going to go crazy."
Dumbledore stood up and walked to the door. "It wasn't his fault at all. Mr. Weasley needs to know this. Follow me, Harry." Dumbledore walked out of his office and down into the hallways of his school. Dumbledore didn't stop to think at any intersection. He walked unwaveringly towards the North Tower, Harry trailing worriedly behind him.
They found Ron and Hermione just outside the locked door leading into the tower room.
"Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore sighed. "Whom do you blame Professor Snape's death on?"
Ron looked up, wiping his eyes on his sleeve and valiantly trying to pretend that he hadn't just been crying. "I blame myself. I sent that letter to Ginny. I'm the one who let my mouth run in the common room last week. Snape died because I'm a fool." Ron answered, his voice cracking a few times as he tried to convey his sorrow. "I didn't even like him, but I still caused Snape's death." Another tear slid down Ron's face.
"Wrong!" Dumbledore thundered suddenly. "Wrong! I am the cause of Severus Snape's demise. I am the one who sent him into such peril last night, even when I knew that Ginevra had inside information.
"Mr. Weasley," he continued in a softer voice. "This is what the Death Eaters do. They try to make you feel bad. Their goal is to hurt you. Ginevra knew that having a death on your conscience would hurt you the most. They twisted the facts to find a depiction of the incident that would do the most injury. They also knew that seeing one of my students suffer because of my folly would hurt me." Dumbledore shut his eyes and shook his head slightly. "This is war, Mr. Weasley. In war people die. One day you will be on the battlefield, leading your troops into certain death. Be prepared, Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore stood up, and walked down the tower steps. He was gone before anyone could say a word.
The next day, during breakfast, Harry, Hermione, and Ron were sitting at the Gryffindor table eating their first meal since breakfast the day before. They had missed lunch and dinner yesterday because they had spent the afternoon discussing Ginny's letter.
Ron looked up into the enchanted ceiling and sighed. "I almost wish the mail wouldn't come. Then I wont have to remember that letter." He shook his head and looked down at his plate.
A few minutes later, hundreds of owls swooped down into the Great Hall. Every single person received a package of various sizes. The trio looked at each other then turned to rip open the large boxes that had been dropped off in front of them.
Hermione got her package open and gasped. Sitting in a pool of blood was a scalp of greasy black hair. People were screaming at the contents of their packages.
Ron slowly pulled open his box, scared to find what was inside. Dripping blood and pieces of brain was the middle of Snape's head. Snape's black eyes fixed open with a look of pain and sheer horror glued there forever.
Harry received the mouth and chin part of Snape's head. Next to them, Neville fainted, a finger topped by a long nail landing on the floor next to his prone body.
Another owl flapped into the Great Hall and the students watched it warily. It deposited a red, smoking envelope at Dumbledore's chest.
The letter exploded and Ginny's sweet voice, and Draco's grating one filled the entire hall.
"Did you like our gift?" Draco said; his voice magnified a hundred times.
"The body parts are the remains of your late Potions Master, Professor Snape." Ginny's voice added.
"Do us a favor," Draco started.
"Don't send any more spies into the Death Eater ranks." Ginny finished. She giggled quietly, "Actually, Do send more spies. It was so much fun watching Snape and the spy the Ministry had planted, writhe in pain, screaming until our potion ate them from the inside out." The letter blew up, sending sparks flying everywhere. Ginny and Draco's cruel laughter could be heard echoing through the now silent Great Hall.
Dumbledore lifted his head from his hands and called out, "Everyone please return to your common rooms. Classes are canceled for today. If anyone feels ill, either bodily or mentally, please go to the infirmary." Dumbledore stood up and walked out of the room, the rest of the teachers filing out behind him like good little ducklings.
Draco and Ginny were sitting together in their large flat in France, chuckling over a letter they had just received. Blaise Zabini had sent a letter describing the mayhem and terror their little "Present" had caused.
"Longbottom fainted!" Ginny gasped out, giggling uncontrollably. Draco smirked and threw an arm around Ginny's shoulders.
Seconds later, another owl came flying through their open window. It was from a loyal Death Eater at the Ministry of Magic. They had sent another special gift to the Ministry. The letter said that everything had gone as planned. The Ministry had closed down for the rest of the day, and the Aurors were in frenzy.
By the time she had finished reading the letter, Ginny was rolling on the floor, laughing.
"Oh, this was brilliant!" She gasped out. Ginny quickly wiped her eyes on Draco's shirt. Ignoring Draco's scowl, Ginny grabbed his shoulders and dragged him towards the bed. "This calls for a celebration!" Ginny smiled and kissed Draco soundly.
"They attacked the ministry in the same manner as Hogwarts," Dumbledore sighed. All of the adults were at an Order of the Phoenix meeting. They were discussing the events of the past week. First the two of the most important and influential Death Eaters, leaders of this Elect group, escaped from between their fingers. Then the Order's only spy, Severus Snape was brutally killed along with the Ministry spy. Plus, there was the bloody fiasco that had scarred the students.
"What should we do to retaliate?" Dumbledore asked hopefully.
"Find those little Elect leaders and crush them," Alastor Moody snarled. He was still upset about the Ministry policy giving the teenagers the time to escape. Next time he was planning on attacking and asking the Ministry for permission after the two were in his custody.
"Yes, but do you know where they are? Do you even know what they look like?" A dark haired Tonks asked quietly.
"We have pictures of both Draco and Ginevra from their first year at school. There have not been any recent pictures taken. Ginevra was constantly under a very large black cloak. Malfoy wore a black hat." McGonagall sighed. "Molly, you haven't seen what your daughter looks like, have you?"
Molly Weasley stood up, shaking her head. "Ginny locked herself in her room during the day or disappeared into the woods behind the house. She never took her cloak off in anyone's presence. It didn't matter how much we begged." She started crying and her husband put his arms around her.
"We never questioned Ginny. We honestly thought she was going through a phase." Arthur finished for his sobbing wife.
Dumbledore nodded sadly. "We also don't have any information about Draco. The Slytherins were most unhelpful when we tried to interrogate them. There must be something we can do!"
With a near silent pop, an advantage to the advanced form of apparating Voldemort had taught them, Draco appeared in the Slytherin common room, completely oblivious to the fact that a few floors above him the Order was talking about him. The students in the common room fell over themselves as they all tried to greet him at once.
"I need all of you to go around the school. Listen for anything suspicious. Anyone who tells me important information will get a gift. Anyone who gives information to Dumbledore or one of his followers will go the same way as dear Professor Snape." Draco scanned the room, his cold eyes fixed on anyone who he didn't feel was loyal.
"Any Elect members will need to be introduced to Ginevra," he added. "I will inform you of the time."
With an equally soft pop, he was gone.