Old friends of long standing have more than their experiences in common. They also interact in a shorthand of looks, gestures and anecdotes known only to themselves. Conversation is quicksilver jumping from one topic to another with little reason, even less logic, punctuated by moments of nostalgia. Such was the case between the three men in the headmaster's office that morning. In the midst of another retelling of a glorious adventure in their shared pasts, Professors McGonagall and Snape entered.
Dumbledore stood up and said rather loudly, "Here they are at last. Severus, I'd like you to perform the partner bond between Minerva and Flavius here."
Mr. Ollivander also stood up, turned and seemed to try to be catching McGonagall's attention. McGonagall paused just inside the door instantly identified the occupants of the room.
She said in a voice too calm to be mistaken for anything but controlled rage by those who knew her well, "Albus, I need to speak to you about this."
The headmaster visibly flinched at the dagger of a look flung his way by her stormy eyes. "Of course, Minerva. I am at your disposal as always but after the ritual, I beg of you. Think of the plan, Minerva, please." Dumbledore caught sight of Flitwick who was already shuffling into the other room as fast as his short legs would carry him. Dumbledore decided to emulate his far-sighted colleague's strategic retreat. "Severus, we'll be in the other room. Call us after you're done."
"Of course, headmaster." Snape moved so he would be facing the two subjects.
McGonagall and Ollivander stood looking at each other one rigid as a statue the other hesitantly anxious. Mr. Ollivander held a chair out and motioned McGonagall to sit while he took a chair opposite her. "You didn't know that Albus had asked me, did you? I thought that he had told you and you were all right with it. If I had known, I would -"
"Stop apologizing, Flavius. I was not asked and it is most certainly not all right. I shall have to trust the fool's judgment on this." McGonagall sat stiff as a ramrod looking straight ahead at some point beyond Ollivander's left shoulder. "Get on with it, Severus."
Snape glanced at one then the other but kept his comments to himself. There was obviously some history between his subjects. Judging from McGonagall's expression, it was not one that he had any interest in involving himself in if he valued his life or peace of mind. "Do you have any questions before I proceed, sir?"
"I have been told that being in a partner bond will allow either party to apparate to the other when the other is in great need or is directly summoned and that some level of protection from hexes and curses is imparted to the partner, do I have that right?" Ollivander's questions were directed at Snape but his eyes flitted from McGonagall then back to his hands which were folded on his lap then back to the headmistress again.
"Yes, those are the most important effects. Now, if you are both ready, please close your eyes." His subjects closed their eyes and Snape began.
As before, magical energy rose from the floor and the crackling static noise obliterated every other sound in the room. Snape intoned the various incantations then the energy intensified, the floor shook and the room was plunged into darkness. The dark was almost a tangible thing - a thing that stopped even the sunlight. Both McGonagall and Ollivander were slumped unconscious in their chairs. As the darkness dissipated and light once again filtered into the room, Snape knelt down and shook both of them carefully, gently. Curious, none of the others had stayed unconscious for as long as these two had. After a few minutes, McGonagall and Ollivander began to stir. Mr. Ollivander woke up with a huge smile on his face and his eyes were shining hinting at mischief about to be made. Professor McGonagall, on the other hand, woke up as if from a nightmare. Snape had never seen the mixed look of absolute uncertainty and fright in her eyes before and hoped he never would.
"That was quite exhilarating, Severus. My word, I feel like a burst of energy has taken permanent residency in me." observed Mr. Ollivander standing up and walking about flexing his arms and hands. "Are you sure you haven't invented the Fountain of Youth here? I feel quite enervated. Are there any side effects or warning signs I should be aware of?"
"None that I can foresee. However, you may want to observe yourself when you make a wand or any other magical object." Snape answered. "I don't know yet if there are special effects for a wizard such as yourself. Please contact me immediately if you feel any negative symptoms."
A subdued McGonagall stood up and walked towards the main door. "If there is nothing else, Severus, I will return to my duties."
Ollivander rushed past her to open the door for her. "Minerva, we will talk about this. I'll find you before I leave, shall I ?"
Professor McGonagall looked like she was about to say something but simply nodded and left. Mr. Ollivander exhaled and turned to smile at the potions master. "Severus, when you came into my store to buy your first wand I knew you would do great things."
"I suspect that you say that to every young child when they get their first wand," Snape smiled indulgently at the genial older man.
"Perhaps. But still you have indeed done me a great favor today," Ollivander countered. At Snape's inquisitive look he replied. "Another chance, Severus, and I do not intend to waste it with foolish prattling. Take my advise when you have a woman right where you want her, do not hesitate. be primitive, be courtly, be aloof, be angry, be anything you want just don't hesitate."
Before Snape could say anything the other door leading from the other office opened. Dumbledore ducked his head in looking about the room. "Is it done? Where is she? Everything all right?"
"She's gone, Albus, you may come out now," said Mr. Ollivander. "Oh, don't look so worried. The worse she can do is turn you into a horned tree frog again."
"This coming from a man who does not know how it feels to subsist on flies for weeks. I have blamed Minerva for my sugar tooth thereafter." flared the headmaster. He sat in his chair once more. "You are so blinded by her virtues that you choose to ignore how vindictive she can be."
"I think she's mellowed as we all have. Mr. Ollivander had both hands pressed on Dumbledore's desk and the two were sniping at each other at close quarters almost nose to nose. "But you've mellowed AND gotten soft headed in your dotage! You should have told me that this was going to be a surprise to her."
Snape and Flitwick followed this rapid-fire exchange with great interest. Snape turned to Flitwick and said, "This is not something I want to know about, is it?"
To which Flitwick replied "To quote you 'Your assumption is correct.' One of these days though do try to get the frog story out of Albus. It puts him in a whole new light."
"If I had, Flavius, you would have played the gallant and refused out of consideration for her feelings while she would have probably resigned to avoid having to deal with you. Pairing the two of you in this made sense. Both your roles are too integral to our plans. You'll have some added protection on your forays while I can sleep at night knowing that you won't disappear into thin air without us at least knowing about it."
"You could at least have made it her choice," piped in Flitwick.
"Et tu, Filius? You knew and never said a word against it," Dumbledore was getting rather red in the face by this point.
"Nothing. Nothing anyone could have said would have swayed you. We both know that." said Flitwick with some finality.
"She's gone all quiet. That usually means trouble ahead," posed Ollivander. He saw the dawning look of realization on Dumbledore's face and added. "We'll keep things to a dull roar, Albus. I'll do my part anyway. I'm off to catch up with Pomfrey. I'll see you all at lunch." With that he glided out of the room.
"How long are you going to hide in your office this time, Albus?" Flitwick asked hypothetically knowing that that was exactly what his friend was planning on doing. "I'll see you at lunch as well." Flitwick left to attend to other matters.
Snape had not moved from his position. He was intrigued and shocked by the revelations of his elders. Plus, he was enjoying far too much seeing the tables turned on Dumbledore. It so rarely happened.
"They are estranged, Severus," Dumbledore explained.
"As in ...?" Snape began curiosity getting the better of his survival instincts.
"Estranged, just estranged. That particular matter stays in this room. Now, I need to tell you that we have confirmed that Voldemort has contacts high up in the Ministry feeding him information knowingly or unknowingly. Misinformation is your department. How do we use this to our advantage?"
The two men settled in for what promised to be a long brainstorming session. Or at least long enough for Professor McGonagall to cool down allowing Dumbledore to emerge from his haven.
The greenhouses of Hogwarts and what it housed were often taken for granted. Plants were plants mostly benign and beautiful and all quite manageable most of the time. One forgets that of all things in existence plants are the oldest living things on earth surviving ice ages, meteors, predators, natural catastrophes and man's ascendancy and all the things that man has since wrought - acid rain, deforestation, pollution and global warming to name a few. Humanity needs plants and trees for sustenance, shelter, industry and pleasure but do plants need humanity? In fact, a heretical viewpoint could offer that plant life in general simply tolerates the human factor and goes blithely on its natural business of organic survival and evolution day in day out no matter what humanity thinks to do. No reason to panic when man invents weapons for Armageddon, after all, it is man's own Armageddon and nature will find a way to take care of its own as it always has.
As Professor Sinistra sat next to Mr. Filch in Greenhouse Five in Professor Sprout's private workroom, her worldview had taken a drastic three hundred sixty degree turn. When she had received Professor Sprout's congratulatory post assigning her as a new tactical second for Siege and Defense, Sinistra had been frankly disappointed. However, as she sat there listening to Sprout outline plans she realized that this arena was even more exciting and creative than being on the front lines. Plant life was awe-inspiring in its depth and breadth. Using plants as offensive and defensive instruments was a novel concept but already she could see the possibilities. It was ironic that she who had sought her dreams in the stars but fell headlong to the firmament now found that the earth held for her far more promise and fascination.
Mr. Filch, the second most loathed man in Hogwarts after Professor Snape, had not been disappointed at his appointment. Actually, he had Sprout's post framed and in a secure place. He planned to show it off at his next family reunion after the war and, if he missed the reunion but not the war, well, at least, his family would know he'd turned out decent. He loved Hogwarts even more than the headmaster, he suspected. If anyone was going to defend it to the death, he was honored to be among those in a position to do so. He cannily approved of Professor Sprout's strategy of using natural things for defense and offense and admired the Hufflepuff professor's guile and hidden aggressiveness just now coming to the fore. He really shouldn't be surprised, he thought, in nature the female was often stronger and more dangerous than the male. He then looked at Sinistra and noticed the change in the astronomer's body language. She had entered rather distant but now her elbows were on the table, eyes straight on at Sprout and writing down notes eagerly. Heh, the young one is finally realizing that her elders do know a thing or two and she'd do well to listen now and again.
"I think that we should vary the degree of the effects in proportion to its position to the castle. The furthest ones should do the least harm and the closer ones should outright kill," Sprout pronounced.
"Why not just set all of them to kill?" asked Sinistra.
"Though expedient it would expose our hand too early. Any attacker would learn to blast any plant or flower in their vicinity before advancing." Sprout sat back and looked at her blackboard scribbled with a myriad series of notes and diagrams. Contrary to popular opinion, her personal working office was spotless and organized to the nth degree. Her bookcase was filled with volumes ranging from archeology to modern muggle engineering. An angled drafting table in one corner drew the eye because of its incongruity with the image of what one expects of the Herbology professor. Detailed, technical diagrams adorned the walls. A large-scale true to life model of Hogwarts and the grounds served as a center table in the room and beside it was a Hogsmeade model that was almost complete. The ordered directness of the place was eerily unlike the pleasant, soothing chaos of the greenhouses. "No, subtlety is the sure way. Remember, it has to look natural."
"Perhaps, make 'em a little tired, then confuse 'em a bit. As they get closer, we hit 'em with the real disorientation spells, then body weakening effects followed by body poisons and then if they're a mite stubborn the painfully permanent effects." Filch suggested with apparent relish.
Sprout looked down at her model moving pieces around trying to find the most effective arrangements. "I like the ideas so far. I want you, Sinistra, to brainstorm the actual plants and delivery mechanisms. Filch, you know the terrain, study how to best implement what we come up with and decide the best places to deploy them include the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade in your plans. Remember our main goal is prevent the attacker from knowing that he or she is under attack. Think of softening them up for the attack teams. Better they surrender than risk any more of us than necessary. If they do get too close, then we use the hard stuff but only as a last resort."
"Define last resort, Cera." asked Sinistra. "How close is close?
"Too close is crossbow range. Last resort is a siege at the front doors of the castle, but before they get in. I want twice weekly meetings with you both and individual daily meetings one on one maybe at mealtimes. We will appropriate other resources as needed. Filch continue to work with Hagrid and the Baron. Sinistra get together with Pince and maybe Vector. Our optimal timeline is four months, five at the latest."
"Are we tryin' to beat Flitwick's time, Cera?" asked Filch.
"Not exactly but a little competition never hurts." Sprout smiled and winked. "Defense needs to be ready before arms and armor simply because we need to be ready to hold them off. We stay alive until Filius gets a chance to attack. Besides, I think we're going to be tested before the six months time frame, after all our secondary charge is protecting Harry Potter without him knowing we are. We're going to need Granger, Longbottom and Snape for that."
"I still don't understand Vector and Longbottom as his seconds but Severus must know what he's doing," said Sinistra doubtfully.
"Oh, Longbottom's all right, sensible chap. I'd worry more if it were Malfoy. That one definitely worries me." commented Filch.
"What's wrong with Malfoy other than his family?" asked Professor Sprout.
"He's the one, Cera, whose been testing the Blessing. The Baron saw him a few months ago setting up his equipment in one of the buried dungeons. Reported it to me and Snape. Don't know how he got to them dungeons. They're buried for a reason." informed Filch. "Too bad Malfoy hasn't met up with what lives down there."
Sprout grinned suddenly enlightened. "So, Malfoy is Snape's combined bird dog and stalking goat. I must give Severus my compliments at lunch. Excellent strategy and Malfoy doesn't know a thing.
Lunch was an eternity for Hermione. She longed to continue reading the other documents given by Professor McGonagall but how could she do so in the crowded hall. She had so many questions but had had no time to put them all on parchment. But what was really setting her teeth on edge were the lectures and seminars she was attending taught by seemingly incompetent people. Oh, most of them were average but what they were saying sounded like it had come straight out of a textbook almost verbatim. Text books which she had already read. It seemed so pointless at least to her. Everyone else prattled on about how amazing their seminars had been. Across from her Ron was regaling Harry with stories about his wizards chess seminar. Harry was going on and on about wandless magic. She spied Neville down the table and firmly squelched the urge to talk to him remembering Professor McGonagall's instruction to wait until after the meeting.
She chanced a quick look at the High Table. There was Professor Snape sitting next to Vector. Professor Flitwick had Professors Hooch and Pince on either side. Professor McGonagall had Professor Trelawney on her left and Dumbledore to the right. Professor Sprout was talking animatedly with Professor Sinistra. Well, she knew what they must be talking about however obliquely. She also saw the Bloody Baron appear by Professor Snape. Snape quickly stood up and strode out of the side door almost at a run. Professor Sinistra followed him out after getting a quickly whispered instruction from Professor Sprout.
The cause of the hurried conversations at the High table was someone prowling about in the dungeons. The young man had been in dungeons before but none were this forbidding or extensive. The map was hardly adequate what with inner dungeons, subterranean dungeons, the sunken dungeons, the buried dungeons and Merlin only knew what wasn't on the map. He told himself that it was just inhibitor wards making him feel uncomfortable. He shook his head saying to himself that he was being ridiculous seeing shadows were there were none. The sounds he was hearing was just the wind. If his navigation was correct the way to the subterranean dungeons was somewhere close by. He walked on his wand alight.
Further down the he heard a female voice say "Don't be in such a rush."
"Someone advised me to never hesitate," a man's deep voice replied. Having nowhere else to go he followed the voices.
"Some things are better slow and steady," said the female voice not shrill, pleasant in fact.
"Fast and furious gets the job done, too." the male voice replied.
"Maybe where you come from but -" The young man saw Professors Sinistra and Professor Snape examining a wall. Most curiously water dripped from the walls and collecting as watery pools on the floor.
Professor Snape saw him and said, "Mr. Douglas, isn't it? As you can see we are having a slight plumbing problem. This part of the dungeon is close to an underwater river. It gets leaks all the time."
Sinistra said on cue, "Know anything about plumbing, Mr. Douglas? This is the second restraining wall we've had to put up. It's always flooding in."
"I'm afraid you're on your own, Professors." replied Douglas.
Sinistra suggested "Severus, let's just ward this entire corridor off until Filch gets to fixing it."
"Sounds like the only thing we can do for now," Snape conjectured inspecting the fragmentary cracks. "I'll suggest to the headmaster that we just collapse this entire corridor and fill it in. No one uses it anyway."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Douglas, we're ignoring you. Is there anything you need?" Sinistra said her voice dripping with apology.
"No, no, I just got lost is all. This castle is enormous. How do I get back to the main hall?"
"I would be happy to show you the way back," Sinistra smiled her most becoming smile and led Douglas down the way he came.
In the background they could hear Snape saying the ward spells however with no wand it was rather pointless. Snape waited a few minutes to make sure that they were gone before he removed the illusion spells from the corridor revealing a clean and definitely dry corridor.
At the far end of the corridor one could see an intimidating portcullis that gleamed silver and a few meters behind that was a very solid looking door. Demos stood by the portcullis trying to materialize through but on the first try he was rebuffed. It tried to push through one transparent finger through the bars. A flash of light and a sharp buzzing sound greeted him and he found himself thrown on his back a few meters away. Snape laughed and said "I did tell you that there was one place even you couldn't get into."
As Demos and Snape were merging, the Fat Friar materialized. The Friar waited a minute for the joining to be completed before saying "Professor Snape, Madam Genevieve Longbottom has arrived and is awaiting you in your office. May I ask, is that painful? What does he feel like?"
"The merging with Demos? It's not painful, not anymore." Snape's long strides were fast getting them to his office. "It used to feel rather clammy but now it just feels like I've swallowed a lot of wind."
"Curious young fellow. Been asking questions of all the ghosts and house elves," the Friar informed.
"Really, what kind of questions?" Snape asked.
"You mean you don't share the same consciousness?" said the Friar.
"No, we are distinct personalities and I only get impressions of what Demos is thinking or doing." said Snape. "So, what questions is he asking?"
"Oh, like what's the difference between him and a ghost. He's most curious about food," the Friar looked at Snape. "Funny the things he knows and the things he doesn't. Peeves is scared to near death of him."
"Friar, I would appreciate it if you would spread the word to the others that Demos is like a child in many ways. There are aspects of being a human being that he knows nothing about,"
"Why not? I though lost souls retained their memories surely ." but Snape didn't let the Friar continue.
"He was never human, Friar, lost or otherwise." Snape stepped into his office.
He left behinda dumbfounded friar hovering by the door muttering, "Never human? Not a ghost or a misplaced soul. Then what is he?"
Professor Severus Snape entered his office to find a formidable matriarch of the Longbottom family waiting for him. "Madam, a pleasure. Thank you for coming."
"Cut to the chase, Professor, your time is valuable and so is mine. What did you want to discuss about Neville that has both Albus and Minerva so tight-lipped?" The matriarch looked directly at Snape.
Snape walked around her and perched himself on one corner of the desk. "The last time we spoke it was about Neville's progress at the beginning of the term. I have since observed him in class and out, as well as testing his abilities obliquely. His power levels are near the high end of the scale and -"
"They are ?!" Madam Longbottom's surprise was genuine. "But he can hardly do anything right except for herbology and sometimes potions now. Even a simple accio is dangerous. There must be a mistake."
"The mistake is that he was never shown the extent of his powers and never taught to fully control that power. Through his lack of full control coupled with his rather high failure rate he has convinced himself that he is hopeless. To avoid more failures he subconsciously suppresses his power. But magic is a law onto itself, it finds a way to express itself thus explosions, bad charms and so forth." Snape explained.
"He's never shown signs of his powers. I've told you how we used to try anything to provoke a response from him." she explained.
"There are cases of those who come into their magic later in life. However, in the case of your grandson based on the tests I've performed, I am more of the opinion that he is afraid of his magic and I do not believe that he even knows that. Neville, I have observed, goes out of his way to be gentle and it has, unfortunately, made him the brunt of many jokes, especially from my own House. However, he is a very resilient personality, very grounded. Now, were his magic properly harnessed his self doubts would be erased."
"If you are right, what do we do?" she asked her concern and love evident in her face. "I love Neville though I know I am far too strict with him. I have sheltered him and kept him out of harms way as best I can."
"The only thing I can advise is to stop sheltering him and let him grow. I propose and with your permission I would very much like to take on the task of becoming his mentor. I will teach and train him about his magic and his control." said Snape. "As part of that training, I would have him involved in projects. I assure you he will be completely safe."
"I am peripherally aware of your projects, Professor, through Arabella Figg. Money transfers especially muggle to wizard take much work to be transparent and fooling Gringotts is no small skill." With a quick movement of her wand, the door was warded closed and a Circle of Anomi invoked.
"I see another club member. You have my compliments, Madame," Snape relaxed imperceptibly.
"What kinds of projects do you have in mind for him?" she queried.
"Under the guise of an independent study Potions class, Neville would be helping me sift and analyze through the information from our various sources. Keep track of operative activities and generally know where most of the skeletons are buried. As a student, he will be able to observe and report on activity from that quarter. He would not be a field agent that I promise you."
"Why Neville?" She studied the potions master carefully.
"I need a student contact. But, more importantly, I need someone I can trust and someone that I am convinced is pathologically incapable of doing the morally wrong thing. He is also psychologically strong with a balanced well adjusted personality and ego all traits suitable for intelligence work."
"As you say, I cannot shelter him any more and throwing him to the wolves at once or slowly makes little difference." she concluded. "You seem to genuinely care about Neville, Professor, contrary to what I've heard about you. I will trust your judgment on this. However, I want you to fully explain to him everything he needs to know so he can make a rational decision. He is fifteen now and he should be the one to make that decision."
"Agreed," Snape said. "I can summon him now and we can both talk to him."
Madame Longbottom nodded her agreement. Snape wrote a quick note and had it delivered to Neville via a house elf. While they waited, Snape made some tea. Madame Longbottom said stirring her tea "Professor, how did you test Neville without his consent or knowledge?"
"In the only way I could. In class, I subjected him to the most rigorous and perilous of situations. Stress under fire is a good judge of character." Snape answered. "No matter what I did to him in class, he would keep coming back!"
When Neville Longbottom arrived short of breath and more than a little apprehensive it was to a sight that would be forever emblazoned on his memory - his grandmother and potions master sipping tea and laughing like they had known each other for years.
The staff breathed a collective sigh of relief as the last visitor was escorted to the Hogwarts gates. The Baron's team of ghosts and house elves, Filch and Hagrid did a complete sweep of the castle and grounds after the visitors left.
At exactly 8pm that night, all the members of the Club including their two most junior student members filed silently pass the portcullis, through the massive door of wood and dwarvish steel into the most secure and ancient place in all of Hogwarts - the Founders Room of Counsel.