Chapter 23
Nature granted Hogwarts an unexpected boon that first day of Christmas break. The blizzard swept in from the highlands battering the castle and grounds with its harsh winds, pelting hail and swirling snow. It had come early and decided to stay for several days. After a day of relative boredom, those students who had stayed behind were more than eager to escape the castle's confines. Professor Trelawney and Madam Pince escorted a large group to an extended outing in Edinburgh. Unfettered by the presence of students, the professors turned to their work with clear minds and determined purpose. There was a great deal of work to be done but fortune was smiling upon them. As with all things meteorological, the blizzard played havoc with magical things. The very atmosphere was charged with natural forces that made measurements, magical or muggle, unpredictable. The staff knew that the Ministry would discount any anomalies emanating from Hogwarts as weather related phenomenon as long as the blizzard continued unabated.
Professor Filius Flitwick stood on top of his desk looking out the vast windows of his classroom. He could just make out Professor Sinistra, wind whipping her robes and snow shrouding her form, making her contributions to the grounds' landscaping. Energy crackled around her as she moved earth and rock here and there placing new plants and trees appropriately. She and Filch had earlier surveyed the grounds and divided it into quadrants. Each quadrant served a specific defensive purpose - harassment, containment, entrapment, pacification or elimination. Filch had charge of those quadrants for harassment and containment while Sinistra took care of the rest. They had presented their plans and ideas to the group at large last night. Flitwick hadn't quite believed Professor Sprout's assertion that Sinistra had developed quite an affinity for plants. But after witnessing Sinistra's presentation, he was a believer. Anyone coming to Hogwarts for less than honorable reasons would be in for a rude awakening.
He approved of the passive but effective strategy that Siege and Defense was employing. Actually, he approved of anything that conserved his own finite resources. Parchment littered his desk. In the middle of his classroom, he had several three-dimensional topological maps of Hogwarts, the Dark Forest and Hogsmeade. He had asked Albus for six months to prepare. That had been wishful thinking and well he knew it. He-Who-Must- Not-Be-Named was not going to be generous. No, he had to be ready before the start of summer - a scant four months away. He turned away from the windows, levitated himself off his desk and went to study for the umpteenth time his own plans and strategies. The diminutive professor walked around and around his maps seeing the whole in his mind's eye much like a chessboard with his forces deployed in various places. The last war had proven that winning did not rely on overwhelming force or large battles but in the mundane details of war - logistics, supply lines, troop location and tactical movement. After some time, he heard the sound of footsteps coming his way and looked to the door expectantly.
"Wars are won in the moments of quiet introspection," intoned Albus Dumbledore walking into the room.
"They are just as easily lost in moments of inattentiveness," replied Flitwick. With a quick flick of his hand, a Circle of Anomi formed around them.
"True, so we shall have to eliminate as many such moments as we can," said the headmaster. He sat in a student desk peering at his friend closely. "You have been more, shall I say, edgy, since the incident with the Tree of Blessing, Filius. You and Cera normally do not snipe at each other so. Is there anything I can do?"
"I have been trying to come to a decision on something."
"What decision is that?"
"You have made me your war master, Albus. As such, I must think of the ultimate checkmate." Flitwick paused in his circle around his maps. He stood facing Dumbledore with the map of Hogwarts between them. Flitwick's earnestness and candor was plain upon his face. "If you are incapacitated, you have made arrangements for others to take your place. If we are forced into a siege, we will be prepared. If we need to evacuate Hogwarts, we have plans to do so. But, if we are truly overwhelmed and there is no hope of defeating He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, what do we do? You have given that decision to me and I have made plans for that eventuality."
"Then what part of that decision troubles you now?" Albus asked.
"My mind convinces me of the necessity of such an action but my heart pleads for another way."
"There is no other way, Filius. We must take all possible paths and turn them into victory be it immediate or delayed. You know we must. If Riddle ever took possession of Hogwarts it will be impossible to regain it or to fully defeat him." Dumbledore urged.
"Obliterating Hogwarts completely is unfathomable. I cannot in conscience do such a -"
"It is a last resort only. Things may be resolved far neater and less costly than I believe, but if things do not, then Hogwarts must be destroyed utterly." Dumbledore added.
"I suspect that Cera and Severus know what I am charged with this but neither of them has questioned me about it." Flitwick said.
"I alluded to it in my meetings with them." Dumbledore admitted. "As Heads of Houses they had to know."
"I'm an old man, Albus. I don't expect to live out this war. I still do not understand why I am the one to be given this decision? Minerva is the Deputy Headmistress after all. The decision is rightly hers."
"Let us be honest then, Filius. I regret having to put this charge solely on you but I cannot trust anyone else to do it at the right time for the right reasons. The decision must be uncolored by emotion or motive. If things go horribly wrong, our side will need another chance if only to let the truth be known. But for that to be possible the playing field must be leveled. Deny Riddle the power of Hogwarts and he can still be defeated." Dumbledore explained. "I have charged Cera with establishing a safe retreat far away from Hogwarts known only to you and she. If we fail completely, destroy Hogwarts then take yourself and whomever can come and retreat there."
"To live and fight another day?"
"Yes." Dumbledore answered simply. "If I am unable to do so, I have entrusted Minerva, Severus and Flavius to do what needs to be done to cover your retreat, if necessary."
"You're asking me to leave them behind!" Flitwick exclaimed. "That is -"
"In the end, do you expect Severus to play it safe? Or Minerva to step away from the fray? Or Flavius to surrender?"
"No, they don't have the temperament. If things go badly, you are correct, retreat will not be an option for them. Minerva will be relentless. Flavius will stand by her no matter what. While Severus has his own reasons to motivate him, I can see that he would be a poor choice."
"They must stand and buy you enough time. It was not easy to ask them to take on those roles but I asked and they have accepted."
"I see. You want their deaths and yours to give the illusion of defeat. In the meantime, Cera and I skulk away to regroup elsewhere." Flitwick said the words with distaste. "And the boy if he is still alive?"
"Stun him, tie him up, I don't care, but get him away." Dumbledore urged with a note of desperation evident in his tone. "Take as many of the children as you can."
"You are assuming that I will not fall in the first melee. I have every intention of being in the field, Albus. I refuse to hide in the castle." Flitwick moved around the map. He stood before his old friend with hands on hips and a meaningful glint in his eyes.
"That goes without saying, Filius. I would not rob you of that honor." Dumbledore rubbed his beard thoughtfully before continuing. "This is where Bill Weasley comes in. I have decided that he will be your partner. Your experience will be combined with his energy and courage. I believe you will each learn a great deal from the other."
"I take it you will charge him with keeping me alive?"
"Of course," said Dumbledore smoothly. "Next to me you have the most experience and wisdom among all at Hogwarts. If Riddle succeeds, your knowledge and guidance will be needed more than ever."
"Tell me straight, friend to friend, have you lost confidence that we will win this outright?"
"Yes and no." Dumbledore clasped his hands together. He looked at them for a long time. When he looked at his old friend, his eyes were troubled. "For all my skill and knowledge, I don't know what will happen. There are so many variables constantly in flux. This will be a war of attrition won by the side that survives the longest. With that in mind, I can only try to prepare for every possibility. I hope and pray that such drastic action will not be necessary."
Flitwick covered Dumbledore's hands with his. "Then be certain of this, Albus, I will fulfill my assigned role in this whatever happens and I will do my very best."
~ * ~
In the Room of Counsel, Nicholas Flamel was putting Demos through a very thorough examination. Flamel poked and prodded Demos while an Auto Quill recorded the conversation and the readings. Next to the madly moving quill, Madam Pomfrey looked on with great interest. She was not the only onlooker. Severus Snape sat on the opposite end of the table finishing some correspondence. He had woken Demos and dressed him in some extra clothes of his - white shirt, gray pants and black shoes. To anyone who did not know his origins, Demos would appear simply as a young man in his early twenties healthy and vigorous with a passing resemblance to a younger Severus Snape save for the wavy hair and hazel eyes. The examination had been going on for a full hour and was nearing its end.
"Demos, do you feel any tiredness at all?" asked Flamel.
"Tiredness, sir?"
"As if your limbs were heavy and you have no energy?"
"Yes, while I was talking to the Tree of Blessings before breakfast. Then we had breakfast and I did not feel this tiredness any more."
"You ate for three men at breakfast." Said Poppy.
"The hot chocolate was delicious much better than tea or coffee," Demos commented. A small smile played on his lips as he remembered the taste and texture of this new pleasure. "And the eggs and bacon and the, what were they again, Severus?"
"Kippers," Severus did not even look up.
"I wonder if the tree is siphoning energy through you. Your apparent link with the tree is puzzling. Cera cannot account for it either. Demos, the next time you visit the tree, take note if you feel tired afterwards." Flamel waved his wand and conjured a quill and parchment. "In fact, I prefer that you write down whatever thoughts come to you while you are with the tree."
"Write?" Demos knew what a quill and parchment were well enough. He had seen Severus and the other professors using them. But as to what they actually did with them that was a bit of a mystery.
Severus murmured. "He knows how to read though."
"On the surface, so human-like yet not quite," Poppy observed. "Severus, it would be my pleasure to teach Demos how to write."
"How much knowledge have you truly absorbed from Severus?" Flamel observed.
At this, Severus stopped his writing and stood up. He moved closer to the others. "From my testing I've found his knowledge to be selective. He has all my knowledge of potions yet knows nothing about the other magical disciplines like Charms or Transfiguration. He has read extensively though. Strangely enough, through his readings, he has acquired a good grounding on history and literature. But there remains much more for him to learn if he is to function in our world."
"Teach me then." Demos looked at them. His hazel eyes shone with eagerness. "Let me help, Severus. I want to be more useful."
Let us try an acid test first, shall we?" Flamel took out a small wand from his vest pocket. "Demos, you know what this is?"
"A wand."
"Yes and what does one do with a wand?"
"Magic and spells."
"Very good." Flamel handed the wand to Demos who gripped the wand firmly but lightly. "Now, I want you to point at that empty chair there. I am going to count to three. When I get to three, say 'accio chair.' Do you have that?"
Demos straightened and pointed his wand at the chair. "Yes, Mr. Flamel. On three I say 'accio chair'." As soon as he said the words his wand tip lit up bright blue. Every chair of every description sliced through the air occasionally colliding with each other. Flamel, Poppy and Severus quickly ducked under the table watching with alarm and amusement as chairs scattered around the room at great speed. With a wide grin forming on his face, Demos watched as the chairs landed around him each jostling for position like toy soldiers waiting for orders.
"Obviously, he does not lack for talent," said Flamel dryly as they emerged from under the table.
~ * ~
Professor Sinistra tramped through the main doors. Her cheeks and the tip of her nose were nearly blue with cold. But her eyes were bright and her smile even brighter. As she walked in, she shook her robes and hair of loose snow. Professor Sprout saw her on her way down the main staircase.
"Enjoying the weather?" Sprout called out.
"Gods, yes! It's absolutely exhilarating." Sinistra waited until Sprout reached her. Together they walked on towards the Great Hall and lunch.
"We got lucky with this storm very lucky." said Sprout.
"I want to see how the plants do in the morning. I'm sure that the hibernation spell will hold through the blizzard." Said Sinistra.
"Filch should be done later today. The both of you have done fantastically out there."
"Very different than passively taking notes on star charts I tell you." Sinistra observed. "In some ways far more gratifying."
"Yes, very hands on and tangible," Sprout said. "Have you considered switching to Herbology?"
"I have and before I make a final decision I have some questions about that." Said the younger woman.
"Let's discuss it at lunch then." They had reached the doors to the Great Hall. Since it was the holidays and there were no students about, the usual setting of the high table was dispensed with. Instead, a large round table sat in the middle of the hall. Some of their colleagues had already taken their places. Others were straggling in.
Dumbledore, Flitwick and McGonagall were in deep discussion. Seated between Pomfrey and Snape, Demos piled his plate high with everything he could see at the table. He asked the nurse about each item of food set before him. Highly amused, the nurse answered his many questions. Snape was not paying any attention to his new charge. He and Nicholas Flamel exchanged theories on the latest alchemical news. Next to Flamel, Alastor Moody and Hagrid debated the latest professional Quidditch standings. Exhausted and drawn, Filch drew up a chair and tucked in. Right behind him, Madam Hooch came in hobbling on crutches. Her latest experiments with a new war broom design were becoming perilous to body and mind. Despite Flitwick's concerns, she had doggedly kept on in her research. She knew she was close to the perfect design. It would just be a matter of time.
~ * ~
Later that afternoon, the headmaster and headmistress sought out the potions master. They found him in his office.
"Severus, a word please," said Dumbledore holding the door open for McGonagall.
"I can hardly stop you." Severus sighed and put his quill down. McGonagall activated a Circle of Anomi around them. Dumbledore waved his wand and a pitcher of pumpkin juice and some sandwiches appeared on Snape's desk.
"I've just had Nicholas and Poppy's full report on Demos' examination. You must realize why we are here." Said Dumbledore pouring himself and Minerva some juice.
"There are questions we must ask and only you have the answers," McGonagall provided.
Snape picked up a sandwich. "Yes, there are decisions to make. Proceed."
"Does Demos stay here? And if so, can we trust him?" Dumbledore asked. "You had control over him before that is not the case now."
"He is my responsibility, Albus and mine alone. I acknowledge it as much. Therefore, I've decided that Demos must stay close by. Where I go, he goes." Snape poured himself some juice and took a long sip before continuing. "As to trusting him, I can only say that I sense no malice in him. He knows much and is involved in much especially with the Tree of Blessings. I would think that we have no choice but to trust him."
"I do not like having no choices open to me, Severus. But you are correct he does know too much already." Dumbledore admitted. "The question is how much more involved should he get? How much do we need him?"
"In many ways he is still a child. That was evident after talking with Poppy." McGonagall said. "Children make mistakes - a slip of the tongue, a misguided truth uttered out loud. We still are not sure of what his link to the Tree of Blessing is. Why did it decide to put him in that pod in the first place?"
"I had him ask the Tree that very question this morning. It replied that it sensed that Demos needed help and healing. It simply provided what it could to aid him."
"Well, what did he need help with? Was he in some danger?" Dumbledore asked.
"Demos does not remember exact details. He remembers feeling very tired and in bodily pain, his head mostly. He laid down on my bed and fell into a deep sleep." Snape steepled his fingers and looked at his visitors. "The next thing he remembers is waking up inside the pod."
"Nicholas reports that there are elements within Demos that still bespoke of his demon heritage - the inhuman ways that he handles and reacts to magical energy, his immunity to certain spells, his ability to phase at will." Dumbledore rubbed his chin. "I have dealt too long with demons, Severus. Never has any one of my dealings with any of them been to my advantage."
"He is neither a true demon or a true human but his human qualities are at the forefront. His responses are genuine. That I'm sure of." Snape said.
"But he responded to Voldemort that one time. He was drawn to him and you admitted to some difficulty controlling him." McGonagall pointed out.
"Yes, that is true. But I believe that he was acting on instinct not rational thought, Minerva." Said Snape. "Were he to undergo the event again now, his reaction would be different."
"Is that a fact or a supposition?" Minerva pressed.
"A strong supposition." Snape stood up and began to pace. "He is as you say still a child in many ways. He is also an entity that is evolving and learning. We can instruct him in morals and reason. He has already made the conceptual leap in thought between what is good and what is evil."
"That does not change the fact that we know very little of what he truly is." Said Dumbledore. "I'm thinking of the school's welfare, Severus. Does Demos belong here?"
Snape stopped his pacing and whirled to face the headmaster. "You're hiding behind the school, Albus, and letting your prejudices about demons color your viewpoint. Don't deny it. Neither of you has had any problems dealing with the unexpected or the dangerous. Look at all you did to allow Lupin to study here."
"That is hardly a fair comparison, Severus." Minerva exclaimed.
"Is it not?! A werewolf is a proven menace - uncontrollable and wild. Yet one was harbored here unbeknownst to the students or their parents. You risked attacks on any and all students here. Who was putting the school in danger then?"
"Remus was in a contained environment during his transformations, Severus." Dumbledore looked at the young man coolly.
"That is not what Black intimated!" Severus had lost his patience at last. "You said that Black told you that they released Lupin from the shrieking shack and . and cavorted through the grounds in their animagi forms - Potter, Black and Pettigrew. How can that flagrant disregard for others be tolerated and not Demos' presence? Demos has never harmed anyone or anything! Are you so afraid of him that you cower behind a shield of thoughtless intolerance?"
Dumbledore stood up suddenly with his eyes blazing. McGonagall grabbed at and took hold of Albus' sleeve. The two men faced off. A long unbroken silence stretched between them. The conversation had trodden through territory that was better left alone. Snape turned away first and placed his hands on the mantel. He looked into the fires to calm himself down. McGonagall shook her head at Albus and motioned for him to sit down once more.
"It is natural to fear what we do not understand." Said McGonagall. "You will find, Severus, that age does grant you the wisdom to recognize your mistakes as well as motivate you to not repeat them."
Dumbledore let out a slow hissing breath. "Explain. Why is Demos so important to you?"
Severus turned around and his expression was grave. "He is my responsibility, Albus. I created him for want of a better word. I am father, brother and mentor. I am all he has. I destroyed his previous existence and now I owe him another chance. I mean to give him that chance whether here or elsewhere."
"You would leave Hogwarts?" McGonagall did not bother to hide her surprise. She glanced at Dumbledore then looked back at Severus.
"Yes, I would." Snape admitted and went on with bitterness lacing his every word. "What is keeping me here, Minerva? The Library is no longer on the premises. My teaching career is lauded with venom not praise. I want nothing more but to forget my days as a Death Eater and cannot. While I am here, my life is not my own. Save for my allegiances to you, the penances I must pay and the duties to my House, what is there for me?"
Another period of silence greeted his words. The tension that had hung in the room seemed to dissipate taking the long ago memories with them. It was replaced with a melancholy that was both moving and disturbing. Severus sat back in his share exhausted. He held his hands to his forehead and stared forlornly at the top of his desk. Softly like a confession, the words came hoarse and unwilling from his lips. "It grows more difficult every day. I cannot slip. I can never relax. I must hide yet be always visible. I can't remember what I was like anymore, Albus. What shred of myself will be left after all this? Don't you understand, Demos can be the gift I leave behind? I want to try. Let me try."
"Forgive an old thoughtless man for forgetting." Dumbledore stood up and put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "So be it where you go, so will Demos."
~ * ~
The holidays were always a good time for merchants in Diagon Alley. But this year there was something new that had the shoppers buzzing with speculation. In the window display of Ollivanders was perched a black wand staff with glittering silvery runes marking its smooth, polished surface. One end was tipped in gold and the other in pure silver. A small note by the staff indicated that the wand belonged to none other than Mr. Ollivander himself. As magnificent as the staff was, it was not that which caused all the speculation. No, that was caused by an article and advertisement that had appeared in the Daily Prophet that morning. It seemed that Mr. Ollivander was soon to retire. To mark the occasion he was seeking commissions from anyone who wanted a custom Ollivander wand staff.
"They say that Albus Dumbledore has one," said a shopper gazing avidly at the display window. "That he used it against Grindelwald."
"You'd have to be fair powerful to use something like that. She is a right beauty she is." Said another shopper an older man with a small boy holding his hand. "Look at it, Neil. You may never see its like again."
Neil, the youngster, perhaps only seven or eight years of age, tugged at his grandfather's hand. "It looks just like a wand only prettier and bigger."
"Aye, it does. But, Neil, you don't ken how rare it is." The older man picked up his grandson allowing him a better look at the display. "You have to be a wand maker, a really great wand maker at that, to make one. There aren't too many Ollivanders around."
"Can you do more with it?" asked the boy innocently. "Like fly without a broom?"
The grandfather chuckled indulgently. But the other gentleman answered the boy's question first. "You can fight whole armies with that staff single- handed. They say that it can even protect you against many hexes and curses."
"But we don't have wars anymore." Neil looked at the gentleman in the long gray overcoat, muffler and wide brimmed hat. "Why would anyone need one?"
"True, one doesn't need one. But it would be very nice to have one." The gentleman's eyes never left the display. "Just in case."
"Excuse my grandson's forwardness, will you, Mr. -?"
"Radcliffe." The two gentlemen shook hands with each other then Mr. Radcliffe shook young Neil's hand. "You are very wise, young Neil. You should always question what you do not believe is right." The youth beamed at receiving such a compliment from an adult.
"Come on inside with me, Neil. Let's have a closer look." The old man opened the door of Ollivanders. "Mr. Radcliffe, coming in?"
"Ah, no, thank you. I need to be on my way much more shopping to do." Mr. Radcliffe turned and walked away. Voldemort knew what he wanted for Christmas. It would be too risky for him to speak with Mr. Ollivander himself but he knew just the man to act as go-between.
~ * ~
A/N: Yes, I've read OotP. No, I don't plan to change my plotlines accordingly. I certainly can't write in any of the OotP stuff into this story's fabric. There are some similar themes but that's it. This story will continue. I've already finished the detailed outline to the end and I don't want that to go to waste.
Enjoy and as always thank you to reviewers and readers alike. Comments and critiques always welcome.
mavidian
Nature granted Hogwarts an unexpected boon that first day of Christmas break. The blizzard swept in from the highlands battering the castle and grounds with its harsh winds, pelting hail and swirling snow. It had come early and decided to stay for several days. After a day of relative boredom, those students who had stayed behind were more than eager to escape the castle's confines. Professor Trelawney and Madam Pince escorted a large group to an extended outing in Edinburgh. Unfettered by the presence of students, the professors turned to their work with clear minds and determined purpose. There was a great deal of work to be done but fortune was smiling upon them. As with all things meteorological, the blizzard played havoc with magical things. The very atmosphere was charged with natural forces that made measurements, magical or muggle, unpredictable. The staff knew that the Ministry would discount any anomalies emanating from Hogwarts as weather related phenomenon as long as the blizzard continued unabated.
Professor Filius Flitwick stood on top of his desk looking out the vast windows of his classroom. He could just make out Professor Sinistra, wind whipping her robes and snow shrouding her form, making her contributions to the grounds' landscaping. Energy crackled around her as she moved earth and rock here and there placing new plants and trees appropriately. She and Filch had earlier surveyed the grounds and divided it into quadrants. Each quadrant served a specific defensive purpose - harassment, containment, entrapment, pacification or elimination. Filch had charge of those quadrants for harassment and containment while Sinistra took care of the rest. They had presented their plans and ideas to the group at large last night. Flitwick hadn't quite believed Professor Sprout's assertion that Sinistra had developed quite an affinity for plants. But after witnessing Sinistra's presentation, he was a believer. Anyone coming to Hogwarts for less than honorable reasons would be in for a rude awakening.
He approved of the passive but effective strategy that Siege and Defense was employing. Actually, he approved of anything that conserved his own finite resources. Parchment littered his desk. In the middle of his classroom, he had several three-dimensional topological maps of Hogwarts, the Dark Forest and Hogsmeade. He had asked Albus for six months to prepare. That had been wishful thinking and well he knew it. He-Who-Must- Not-Be-Named was not going to be generous. No, he had to be ready before the start of summer - a scant four months away. He turned away from the windows, levitated himself off his desk and went to study for the umpteenth time his own plans and strategies. The diminutive professor walked around and around his maps seeing the whole in his mind's eye much like a chessboard with his forces deployed in various places. The last war had proven that winning did not rely on overwhelming force or large battles but in the mundane details of war - logistics, supply lines, troop location and tactical movement. After some time, he heard the sound of footsteps coming his way and looked to the door expectantly.
"Wars are won in the moments of quiet introspection," intoned Albus Dumbledore walking into the room.
"They are just as easily lost in moments of inattentiveness," replied Flitwick. With a quick flick of his hand, a Circle of Anomi formed around them.
"True, so we shall have to eliminate as many such moments as we can," said the headmaster. He sat in a student desk peering at his friend closely. "You have been more, shall I say, edgy, since the incident with the Tree of Blessing, Filius. You and Cera normally do not snipe at each other so. Is there anything I can do?"
"I have been trying to come to a decision on something."
"What decision is that?"
"You have made me your war master, Albus. As such, I must think of the ultimate checkmate." Flitwick paused in his circle around his maps. He stood facing Dumbledore with the map of Hogwarts between them. Flitwick's earnestness and candor was plain upon his face. "If you are incapacitated, you have made arrangements for others to take your place. If we are forced into a siege, we will be prepared. If we need to evacuate Hogwarts, we have plans to do so. But, if we are truly overwhelmed and there is no hope of defeating He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, what do we do? You have given that decision to me and I have made plans for that eventuality."
"Then what part of that decision troubles you now?" Albus asked.
"My mind convinces me of the necessity of such an action but my heart pleads for another way."
"There is no other way, Filius. We must take all possible paths and turn them into victory be it immediate or delayed. You know we must. If Riddle ever took possession of Hogwarts it will be impossible to regain it or to fully defeat him." Dumbledore urged.
"Obliterating Hogwarts completely is unfathomable. I cannot in conscience do such a -"
"It is a last resort only. Things may be resolved far neater and less costly than I believe, but if things do not, then Hogwarts must be destroyed utterly." Dumbledore added.
"I suspect that Cera and Severus know what I am charged with this but neither of them has questioned me about it." Flitwick said.
"I alluded to it in my meetings with them." Dumbledore admitted. "As Heads of Houses they had to know."
"I'm an old man, Albus. I don't expect to live out this war. I still do not understand why I am the one to be given this decision? Minerva is the Deputy Headmistress after all. The decision is rightly hers."
"Let us be honest then, Filius. I regret having to put this charge solely on you but I cannot trust anyone else to do it at the right time for the right reasons. The decision must be uncolored by emotion or motive. If things go horribly wrong, our side will need another chance if only to let the truth be known. But for that to be possible the playing field must be leveled. Deny Riddle the power of Hogwarts and he can still be defeated." Dumbledore explained. "I have charged Cera with establishing a safe retreat far away from Hogwarts known only to you and she. If we fail completely, destroy Hogwarts then take yourself and whomever can come and retreat there."
"To live and fight another day?"
"Yes." Dumbledore answered simply. "If I am unable to do so, I have entrusted Minerva, Severus and Flavius to do what needs to be done to cover your retreat, if necessary."
"You're asking me to leave them behind!" Flitwick exclaimed. "That is -"
"In the end, do you expect Severus to play it safe? Or Minerva to step away from the fray? Or Flavius to surrender?"
"No, they don't have the temperament. If things go badly, you are correct, retreat will not be an option for them. Minerva will be relentless. Flavius will stand by her no matter what. While Severus has his own reasons to motivate him, I can see that he would be a poor choice."
"They must stand and buy you enough time. It was not easy to ask them to take on those roles but I asked and they have accepted."
"I see. You want their deaths and yours to give the illusion of defeat. In the meantime, Cera and I skulk away to regroup elsewhere." Flitwick said the words with distaste. "And the boy if he is still alive?"
"Stun him, tie him up, I don't care, but get him away." Dumbledore urged with a note of desperation evident in his tone. "Take as many of the children as you can."
"You are assuming that I will not fall in the first melee. I have every intention of being in the field, Albus. I refuse to hide in the castle." Flitwick moved around the map. He stood before his old friend with hands on hips and a meaningful glint in his eyes.
"That goes without saying, Filius. I would not rob you of that honor." Dumbledore rubbed his beard thoughtfully before continuing. "This is where Bill Weasley comes in. I have decided that he will be your partner. Your experience will be combined with his energy and courage. I believe you will each learn a great deal from the other."
"I take it you will charge him with keeping me alive?"
"Of course," said Dumbledore smoothly. "Next to me you have the most experience and wisdom among all at Hogwarts. If Riddle succeeds, your knowledge and guidance will be needed more than ever."
"Tell me straight, friend to friend, have you lost confidence that we will win this outright?"
"Yes and no." Dumbledore clasped his hands together. He looked at them for a long time. When he looked at his old friend, his eyes were troubled. "For all my skill and knowledge, I don't know what will happen. There are so many variables constantly in flux. This will be a war of attrition won by the side that survives the longest. With that in mind, I can only try to prepare for every possibility. I hope and pray that such drastic action will not be necessary."
Flitwick covered Dumbledore's hands with his. "Then be certain of this, Albus, I will fulfill my assigned role in this whatever happens and I will do my very best."
~ * ~
In the Room of Counsel, Nicholas Flamel was putting Demos through a very thorough examination. Flamel poked and prodded Demos while an Auto Quill recorded the conversation and the readings. Next to the madly moving quill, Madam Pomfrey looked on with great interest. She was not the only onlooker. Severus Snape sat on the opposite end of the table finishing some correspondence. He had woken Demos and dressed him in some extra clothes of his - white shirt, gray pants and black shoes. To anyone who did not know his origins, Demos would appear simply as a young man in his early twenties healthy and vigorous with a passing resemblance to a younger Severus Snape save for the wavy hair and hazel eyes. The examination had been going on for a full hour and was nearing its end.
"Demos, do you feel any tiredness at all?" asked Flamel.
"Tiredness, sir?"
"As if your limbs were heavy and you have no energy?"
"Yes, while I was talking to the Tree of Blessings before breakfast. Then we had breakfast and I did not feel this tiredness any more."
"You ate for three men at breakfast." Said Poppy.
"The hot chocolate was delicious much better than tea or coffee," Demos commented. A small smile played on his lips as he remembered the taste and texture of this new pleasure. "And the eggs and bacon and the, what were they again, Severus?"
"Kippers," Severus did not even look up.
"I wonder if the tree is siphoning energy through you. Your apparent link with the tree is puzzling. Cera cannot account for it either. Demos, the next time you visit the tree, take note if you feel tired afterwards." Flamel waved his wand and conjured a quill and parchment. "In fact, I prefer that you write down whatever thoughts come to you while you are with the tree."
"Write?" Demos knew what a quill and parchment were well enough. He had seen Severus and the other professors using them. But as to what they actually did with them that was a bit of a mystery.
Severus murmured. "He knows how to read though."
"On the surface, so human-like yet not quite," Poppy observed. "Severus, it would be my pleasure to teach Demos how to write."
"How much knowledge have you truly absorbed from Severus?" Flamel observed.
At this, Severus stopped his writing and stood up. He moved closer to the others. "From my testing I've found his knowledge to be selective. He has all my knowledge of potions yet knows nothing about the other magical disciplines like Charms or Transfiguration. He has read extensively though. Strangely enough, through his readings, he has acquired a good grounding on history and literature. But there remains much more for him to learn if he is to function in our world."
"Teach me then." Demos looked at them. His hazel eyes shone with eagerness. "Let me help, Severus. I want to be more useful."
Let us try an acid test first, shall we?" Flamel took out a small wand from his vest pocket. "Demos, you know what this is?"
"A wand."
"Yes and what does one do with a wand?"
"Magic and spells."
"Very good." Flamel handed the wand to Demos who gripped the wand firmly but lightly. "Now, I want you to point at that empty chair there. I am going to count to three. When I get to three, say 'accio chair.' Do you have that?"
Demos straightened and pointed his wand at the chair. "Yes, Mr. Flamel. On three I say 'accio chair'." As soon as he said the words his wand tip lit up bright blue. Every chair of every description sliced through the air occasionally colliding with each other. Flamel, Poppy and Severus quickly ducked under the table watching with alarm and amusement as chairs scattered around the room at great speed. With a wide grin forming on his face, Demos watched as the chairs landed around him each jostling for position like toy soldiers waiting for orders.
"Obviously, he does not lack for talent," said Flamel dryly as they emerged from under the table.
~ * ~
Professor Sinistra tramped through the main doors. Her cheeks and the tip of her nose were nearly blue with cold. But her eyes were bright and her smile even brighter. As she walked in, she shook her robes and hair of loose snow. Professor Sprout saw her on her way down the main staircase.
"Enjoying the weather?" Sprout called out.
"Gods, yes! It's absolutely exhilarating." Sinistra waited until Sprout reached her. Together they walked on towards the Great Hall and lunch.
"We got lucky with this storm very lucky." said Sprout.
"I want to see how the plants do in the morning. I'm sure that the hibernation spell will hold through the blizzard." Said Sinistra.
"Filch should be done later today. The both of you have done fantastically out there."
"Very different than passively taking notes on star charts I tell you." Sinistra observed. "In some ways far more gratifying."
"Yes, very hands on and tangible," Sprout said. "Have you considered switching to Herbology?"
"I have and before I make a final decision I have some questions about that." Said the younger woman.
"Let's discuss it at lunch then." They had reached the doors to the Great Hall. Since it was the holidays and there were no students about, the usual setting of the high table was dispensed with. Instead, a large round table sat in the middle of the hall. Some of their colleagues had already taken their places. Others were straggling in.
Dumbledore, Flitwick and McGonagall were in deep discussion. Seated between Pomfrey and Snape, Demos piled his plate high with everything he could see at the table. He asked the nurse about each item of food set before him. Highly amused, the nurse answered his many questions. Snape was not paying any attention to his new charge. He and Nicholas Flamel exchanged theories on the latest alchemical news. Next to Flamel, Alastor Moody and Hagrid debated the latest professional Quidditch standings. Exhausted and drawn, Filch drew up a chair and tucked in. Right behind him, Madam Hooch came in hobbling on crutches. Her latest experiments with a new war broom design were becoming perilous to body and mind. Despite Flitwick's concerns, she had doggedly kept on in her research. She knew she was close to the perfect design. It would just be a matter of time.
~ * ~
Later that afternoon, the headmaster and headmistress sought out the potions master. They found him in his office.
"Severus, a word please," said Dumbledore holding the door open for McGonagall.
"I can hardly stop you." Severus sighed and put his quill down. McGonagall activated a Circle of Anomi around them. Dumbledore waved his wand and a pitcher of pumpkin juice and some sandwiches appeared on Snape's desk.
"I've just had Nicholas and Poppy's full report on Demos' examination. You must realize why we are here." Said Dumbledore pouring himself and Minerva some juice.
"There are questions we must ask and only you have the answers," McGonagall provided.
Snape picked up a sandwich. "Yes, there are decisions to make. Proceed."
"Does Demos stay here? And if so, can we trust him?" Dumbledore asked. "You had control over him before that is not the case now."
"He is my responsibility, Albus and mine alone. I acknowledge it as much. Therefore, I've decided that Demos must stay close by. Where I go, he goes." Snape poured himself some juice and took a long sip before continuing. "As to trusting him, I can only say that I sense no malice in him. He knows much and is involved in much especially with the Tree of Blessings. I would think that we have no choice but to trust him."
"I do not like having no choices open to me, Severus. But you are correct he does know too much already." Dumbledore admitted. "The question is how much more involved should he get? How much do we need him?"
"In many ways he is still a child. That was evident after talking with Poppy." McGonagall said. "Children make mistakes - a slip of the tongue, a misguided truth uttered out loud. We still are not sure of what his link to the Tree of Blessing is. Why did it decide to put him in that pod in the first place?"
"I had him ask the Tree that very question this morning. It replied that it sensed that Demos needed help and healing. It simply provided what it could to aid him."
"Well, what did he need help with? Was he in some danger?" Dumbledore asked.
"Demos does not remember exact details. He remembers feeling very tired and in bodily pain, his head mostly. He laid down on my bed and fell into a deep sleep." Snape steepled his fingers and looked at his visitors. "The next thing he remembers is waking up inside the pod."
"Nicholas reports that there are elements within Demos that still bespoke of his demon heritage - the inhuman ways that he handles and reacts to magical energy, his immunity to certain spells, his ability to phase at will." Dumbledore rubbed his chin. "I have dealt too long with demons, Severus. Never has any one of my dealings with any of them been to my advantage."
"He is neither a true demon or a true human but his human qualities are at the forefront. His responses are genuine. That I'm sure of." Snape said.
"But he responded to Voldemort that one time. He was drawn to him and you admitted to some difficulty controlling him." McGonagall pointed out.
"Yes, that is true. But I believe that he was acting on instinct not rational thought, Minerva." Said Snape. "Were he to undergo the event again now, his reaction would be different."
"Is that a fact or a supposition?" Minerva pressed.
"A strong supposition." Snape stood up and began to pace. "He is as you say still a child in many ways. He is also an entity that is evolving and learning. We can instruct him in morals and reason. He has already made the conceptual leap in thought between what is good and what is evil."
"That does not change the fact that we know very little of what he truly is." Said Dumbledore. "I'm thinking of the school's welfare, Severus. Does Demos belong here?"
Snape stopped his pacing and whirled to face the headmaster. "You're hiding behind the school, Albus, and letting your prejudices about demons color your viewpoint. Don't deny it. Neither of you has had any problems dealing with the unexpected or the dangerous. Look at all you did to allow Lupin to study here."
"That is hardly a fair comparison, Severus." Minerva exclaimed.
"Is it not?! A werewolf is a proven menace - uncontrollable and wild. Yet one was harbored here unbeknownst to the students or their parents. You risked attacks on any and all students here. Who was putting the school in danger then?"
"Remus was in a contained environment during his transformations, Severus." Dumbledore looked at the young man coolly.
"That is not what Black intimated!" Severus had lost his patience at last. "You said that Black told you that they released Lupin from the shrieking shack and . and cavorted through the grounds in their animagi forms - Potter, Black and Pettigrew. How can that flagrant disregard for others be tolerated and not Demos' presence? Demos has never harmed anyone or anything! Are you so afraid of him that you cower behind a shield of thoughtless intolerance?"
Dumbledore stood up suddenly with his eyes blazing. McGonagall grabbed at and took hold of Albus' sleeve. The two men faced off. A long unbroken silence stretched between them. The conversation had trodden through territory that was better left alone. Snape turned away first and placed his hands on the mantel. He looked into the fires to calm himself down. McGonagall shook her head at Albus and motioned for him to sit down once more.
"It is natural to fear what we do not understand." Said McGonagall. "You will find, Severus, that age does grant you the wisdom to recognize your mistakes as well as motivate you to not repeat them."
Dumbledore let out a slow hissing breath. "Explain. Why is Demos so important to you?"
Severus turned around and his expression was grave. "He is my responsibility, Albus. I created him for want of a better word. I am father, brother and mentor. I am all he has. I destroyed his previous existence and now I owe him another chance. I mean to give him that chance whether here or elsewhere."
"You would leave Hogwarts?" McGonagall did not bother to hide her surprise. She glanced at Dumbledore then looked back at Severus.
"Yes, I would." Snape admitted and went on with bitterness lacing his every word. "What is keeping me here, Minerva? The Library is no longer on the premises. My teaching career is lauded with venom not praise. I want nothing more but to forget my days as a Death Eater and cannot. While I am here, my life is not my own. Save for my allegiances to you, the penances I must pay and the duties to my House, what is there for me?"
Another period of silence greeted his words. The tension that had hung in the room seemed to dissipate taking the long ago memories with them. It was replaced with a melancholy that was both moving and disturbing. Severus sat back in his share exhausted. He held his hands to his forehead and stared forlornly at the top of his desk. Softly like a confession, the words came hoarse and unwilling from his lips. "It grows more difficult every day. I cannot slip. I can never relax. I must hide yet be always visible. I can't remember what I was like anymore, Albus. What shred of myself will be left after all this? Don't you understand, Demos can be the gift I leave behind? I want to try. Let me try."
"Forgive an old thoughtless man for forgetting." Dumbledore stood up and put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "So be it where you go, so will Demos."
~ * ~
The holidays were always a good time for merchants in Diagon Alley. But this year there was something new that had the shoppers buzzing with speculation. In the window display of Ollivanders was perched a black wand staff with glittering silvery runes marking its smooth, polished surface. One end was tipped in gold and the other in pure silver. A small note by the staff indicated that the wand belonged to none other than Mr. Ollivander himself. As magnificent as the staff was, it was not that which caused all the speculation. No, that was caused by an article and advertisement that had appeared in the Daily Prophet that morning. It seemed that Mr. Ollivander was soon to retire. To mark the occasion he was seeking commissions from anyone who wanted a custom Ollivander wand staff.
"They say that Albus Dumbledore has one," said a shopper gazing avidly at the display window. "That he used it against Grindelwald."
"You'd have to be fair powerful to use something like that. She is a right beauty she is." Said another shopper an older man with a small boy holding his hand. "Look at it, Neil. You may never see its like again."
Neil, the youngster, perhaps only seven or eight years of age, tugged at his grandfather's hand. "It looks just like a wand only prettier and bigger."
"Aye, it does. But, Neil, you don't ken how rare it is." The older man picked up his grandson allowing him a better look at the display. "You have to be a wand maker, a really great wand maker at that, to make one. There aren't too many Ollivanders around."
"Can you do more with it?" asked the boy innocently. "Like fly without a broom?"
The grandfather chuckled indulgently. But the other gentleman answered the boy's question first. "You can fight whole armies with that staff single- handed. They say that it can even protect you against many hexes and curses."
"But we don't have wars anymore." Neil looked at the gentleman in the long gray overcoat, muffler and wide brimmed hat. "Why would anyone need one?"
"True, one doesn't need one. But it would be very nice to have one." The gentleman's eyes never left the display. "Just in case."
"Excuse my grandson's forwardness, will you, Mr. -?"
"Radcliffe." The two gentlemen shook hands with each other then Mr. Radcliffe shook young Neil's hand. "You are very wise, young Neil. You should always question what you do not believe is right." The youth beamed at receiving such a compliment from an adult.
"Come on inside with me, Neil. Let's have a closer look." The old man opened the door of Ollivanders. "Mr. Radcliffe, coming in?"
"Ah, no, thank you. I need to be on my way much more shopping to do." Mr. Radcliffe turned and walked away. Voldemort knew what he wanted for Christmas. It would be too risky for him to speak with Mr. Ollivander himself but he knew just the man to act as go-between.
~ * ~
A/N: Yes, I've read OotP. No, I don't plan to change my plotlines accordingly. I certainly can't write in any of the OotP stuff into this story's fabric. There are some similar themes but that's it. This story will continue. I've already finished the detailed outline to the end and I don't want that to go to waste.
Enjoy and as always thank you to reviewers and readers alike. Comments and critiques always welcome.
mavidian