Chapter Seventeen

Under the White Mark

Severus had attempted to settle in for the night, but the late autumn storm had put him on edge. He reached for the comfort of his violin, glancing through a piece of Mendelssohn before taking another go at it. A roll of thunder interrupted him and he paused a moment before continuing. But a few minutes later, just when he was ready to try and brave a new page, someone knocked upon the door. Glancing at the time, Severus went to answer it and met surprise in the face of Hermione Weasley, who had not expected him to still be awake.

"Yes? What has happened? Did they find him?" Severus asked. Hermione nodded, the expression that went with it making it obvious that they didn't find him alive.

"Under the White Mark," Hermione said. "They found a note supposedly written in Thomas' handwriting. Thurspire just brought your father-in-law in for questioning and Harry wants to know if you can come."

"Fine, let me just check on Jennifer and I'll be right out," Severus said.

"Not going to ask her along?"

"No, she hasn't been sleeping well. I would prefer just to explain in the morning when we know more," Severus explained, slipping back in and writing a quick note. He then threw on some gloves and woke Descartes, placing a hand around its beak to keep it quiet.

"Guard Jennifer, Descartes," he told the Stymphalian as he pried it off its perch and opened the door to the bedroom, placing him in a stand near the door. He glanced at Jennifer then, once again lying on her front, but very still as if from apparent exhaustion. Sighing silently, Severus patted the bird's side and left the note on the bureau, closing the door quietly behind himself.


Thomas Craw glared at Thurspire, who glared obstinately back at him. They were sitting in the Office for Law Enforcement, waiting for the lab report on the letter, and the Aurors in the room, Tonks, Harry, and Alastor Moody, looked no better for the lack of sleep that night. In fact, Tonks was snoring lightly in the chair she was sitting in.

"Ederick, please be reasonable here," Alastor yawned. "There's no way that Thomas could have cast a spell as powerful as the White Mark, let alone the Killing Curse, without all the bells and whistles we have tied to this very office going off."

"Instead of sitting here waiting for this stupid test, we should be out there looking for the real killer," Harry snapped angrily.

"I seriously doubt we will find whoever did this tonight, Harry," Alastor said gently.

"You know there are plenty of questionable individuals in my past who might have plenty of examples of my handwriting to work off of and would have the motive to do so...take Lucius Malfoy, for example."

"Let's not get into that, again please…" Ederick sighed, and then paused as someone knocked on the door. Harry went over and let Severus and Dumbledore in, nodding to them.

"Severus, would you be so good to tell this fool he needs to listen to me?" Thomas said wearily.

"Gladly. What is he ignoring this time?"

"The fact that the real person behind this is completely obvious. Damn the details; look at the facts, Thurspire! Lucius Malfoy has been on the run for months now."

"Yes, what about that, Thurspire, how is it that you haven't been able to locate him yet?" Severus asked.

"We are getting off the subject! There is no evidence he or the new head of Malfoy Magic Industries is behind this. Besides, you still haven't explained how anyone else might have learned how to cast the White Mark which you created…"

"I created it from the Dark Mark, Thurspire," Thomas Craw said evenly. "I changed the prefix and a bit of the mark design, but anyone who knew how to cast that could probably figure out my version with a little bit of trial and error, which means whoever is behind this must have been a Death Eater. Furthermore, if Harry's right and Neville Longbottom was under the Imperius Curse, the person who did this could not have been acting alone. One person is not capable of continually controlling a person for months on end without help."

"That is assuming that Neville was not acting out of his own free will," Thurspire pointed out.

"He was not acting out of his own free will!" Harry shouted angrily. Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder.

"Ederick, do you mind if we back up a bit since Severus and I just got here? What exactly did the note say?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

"Just one sentence: 'Those who turn against one's own blood must pay the ultimate price.'" Thurspire quoted. Severus' face immediately lost color, glancing at Thomas.

"Thomas is right. It is Lucius Malfoy," Severus murmured.

"Please, Severus. Since when is Lucius Malfoy ever this blatantly obvious?" Thurspire snorted.

"I don't think he's in his right mind anymore," Harry said supportively. "Wasn't he about to be evaluated before he escaped for trying to kill Draco?"

"That wasn't supposed to leave the building," Thurspire snapped, glowering at Moody. "How does Harry know about it?"

"Wasn't me," Alastor said.

"Thurspire, Parvati herself told us about it when we noticed all the guards around her and Mary at the park," Severus said. "Suffice it to say quite a few people know about the incident now, and I do not think such a note is a coincidence considering his falling out with Draco and Danyelle. In fact, I think this could be easily be read as a warning to exactly how much danger they are in at this moment."

"This is all supposition…" Thurspire sighed.

"Perhaps, but very serious supposition," Severus said. "And if I were you, I would be especially concerned with Thomas' other point. He is not acting alone."

"More than that, he is more than likely acting with a great number of supporters," Alastor put in. "There have already been three attacks, and perhaps more we don't even know about. He wouldn't be hitting so many targets with such speed unless he was completely confident he would succeed."

"Let's not forget that we still haven't found out what Ciardoth may be doing," Severus said.

"All right, now this is getting more than a little bit carried away!" Thurspire protested. "It's bad enough you making accusations without any proof whatsoever on the Minister's father, but now you're bringing Ciardoth into this. What's next, will you-know-who come back from the dead for a final appearance?" he said with exasperation.

"No, but we may be looking at someone attempting to take his place," Alastor mused. "We may be on the verge of another dark war."

"Not if we find Lucius Malfoy now and stop this before it gets out of hand," Severus said.

"Neville and his parents are dead. I would say that it is already out of hand," Harry said. "Please, Thurspire, for once listen to reason. This isn't going to be the last death if something isn't done now."

Just then, Tonks woke up, blinking and looking around with surprise at Severus and Dumbledore and then back at the angry faces of Alastor and Harry.

"Still not listening, I take it?" she said.

"Why does this whole conversation seem strikingly familiar?" Harry said, agitated.

"Yes indeed, Harry, we have been here before, haven't we?" Dumbledore said. "Tonks, might I inquire your part in the discussion before things perhaps began to sound redundant?" Tonks grimaced apologetically.

"I was just here to offer Thomas an alibi, Albus. Thurspire was all fire ready to stick Thomas in jail until I told him I didn't drop him off home until six."

"Six? Really? Where did you go after the game?" Severus asked.

"I thought you said you were at Hogwarts until six," Thurspire squinted.

"We were. Thomas wanted to talk to Delacour before we left," Tonks shrugged. "So I entertained a few students by the gate until he was ready."

"I thought the two of you didn't get along," Thurspire said.

"Of course not! She's a hybrid!" Thomas said indignantly, but then became sullen. "But she knew Alice, and… although I'm not sure I can get anyone here to understand this… sometimes getting to hear a total stranger say they remember someone fondly means as much as hearing it from someone who was closer to her."

"I understand, Thomas," Dumbledore said gently. "Although if I were you I wouldn't be so quick to judge Fleur based on appearances. She really doesn't deserve it."

"The point is, they did speak and we were there," Tonks said after an uncomfortable pause.

"And just why isn't Delacour here as well then?" Thurspire asked.

"I couldn't convince her to come," Tonks admitted.

"Since when isn't an Auror's word good enough?" Alastor glared at him.

"By her own admission, Tonks wasn't with him the entire time. He could have ended the conversation early, done the deed, and come back to secure his alibi!" Thurspire conjectured. "Given that fact and Thomas' record, I really ought to hold him until I speak to her."

"You can't hold him, Thurspire, that's just what Malfoy wants!" Harry snapped. "Someone's gotten into Azkaban once, don't you think they can do it again? He'd be dead before morning!"

"Not without a fight," Thomas said proudly.

"Yes, I agree with Harry on that point. Ederick, you have no clear evidence against him," Dumbledore said.

"I don't need clear evidence to hold Thomas. He's on parole."

"Severus, would you please go find the Minister of Magic and bring him here?" Dumbledore asked. Immediately, Severus slipped out.

"You hardly need to bring him into this," Thurspire said.

"Oh, yes I do. As regrettable as it is, it is imperative that somehow both of you accept the gravity of what it is these people have been trying to tell you," Dumbledore said. "Lucius Malfoy is gathering supporters… I have proof of that beyond what has even already been mentioned here… and he is without a doubt the force behind these attacks and perhaps even done with Ciardoth's help. If we don't get past this regrettable bureaucracy and get to the point of the matter soon, it may be too late for all of us."


One by one, the Snapes arrived at Jennifer's sitting room until at last Andrew, Zoë and Zack arrived, everyone attempting to get comfortable as they could on the floor or leaning against the wall as Severus stepped to the front, raising the light levels dramatically, while Jennifer sat quietly beside her desk, leaning back thoughtfully in her red high-backed chair.

"First off, I want to say this is a family meeting, and you can treat it accordingly. But it is something that was best not postponed, for all of our lives may be at stake. Neville Longbottom's corpse has been found under the guise that it was done by the Ivory Skull. However, it is the opinion of myself, most of the Aurors involved in the case, and Professor Dumbledore, that the true culprit, even though perhaps not directly, is Lucius Malfoy," Severus said. No one said a word. "It is our belief that he has severed his ties directly from his estate for the sole purpose of hiding his true goal of attempting to reorganize the Death Eaters under his command to strike out at many who once opposed him and Voldemort. I do not think I am exaggerating in the slightest to say that we are probably close to the top of that list."

"But what about the curse?" Alicia asked.

"The curse has already proven itself not to be completely effective," Severus said, glancing at Aurelius and back to her. "Which brings us to the first of a few new family rules I am about to put into place; forget that that curse exists. Yes, it did its job well protecting you in your younger years, but now we have seen we can no longer take it for granted. Lucius Malfoy is dangerous and would stop at nothing to cause harm to any one of you. If given the opportunity, he would kill all of us. We cannot hide behind the curse any longer. Do not in any way, shape or form, depend on its protecting you." Aurelius nodded at that.

"The second rule," Severus continued, "deals with giving Lucius and his forces the opportunity. We must not allow ourselves to give him that opportunity. First and foremost, until further notice, no more traveling by unconventional means for any reason. That includes all of you," Severus said, looking between Alicia and the twins. "No matter what the reason, no matter how innocent or how urgent. If it is urgent, I suggest instead of instantly attempting to correct a problem, I suggest that you instead instantly come to me or another adult you trust in the castle to remedy it. Furthermore, there will be no traveling out of the castle by even conventional means without Jennifer, myself, or an adult that we approve of to go with you."

"What about Hogsmeade?" Alex asked.

"Those of you who haven't lost that privilege will be allowed to go on one condition, and that is the four of you stay together. The moment any of you lose sight of one member, you are immediately to come to us rather than go on a wild goose chase for the missing sibling. And, in case you are curious, if you are found out to have intentionally wandered off, you will lose all Hogsmeade privileges, as well as face some personal consequences for causing undue panic in the family," Severus warned. "Consequently, since you do have to stay together, Aurelius, you are relieved from any duties relating to keeping track of students on the bus and so on… the other prefects can take care of that, and Weasley is already aware of that change."

"And what about Pali and the others?" Aurelius asked.

"Provided that Doctor Sagittari is going with you, you stay together, and the visits are scheduled in a way that your mother and I know you're going, we do not have a problem with it," Severus said, and then continued.

"Third rule… more consistent family awareness. No matter where you are going…inside or outside of the castle, you will notify a member of a family where you will be at all times. I realize this may be a bit of a pain for those of you in differing houses, but until further notice, I must insist you do this. However, you may pick whoever is most convenient; the exception to this is of course if you leave school grounds, but then I will refer you to rule two and the fact that I should know about those circumstances regardless. If you are the recipient of information and the information giver is not where they stated they were going to be, you will report that to Jennifer or me immediately. Also, I would like each of you to note any unusual changes of behavior in your siblings…no, this does not mean you need to panic because someone changed and started eating a different flavor of ice cream, and no it doesn't mean the fact that certain siblings may act differently around other people," Severus said, noting Alex turning to stare accusingly at Aurelius. "But if a sibling starts behaving differently within the family circle for no known cause, I would like to hear about it. I would also like to know if you notice a sudden shift in friendships. If Andrew decided to detach himself from Halbert and began hanging out with Meyers, I think that should give you reason to pause," he said, several of them grinning at that.

"And now the last point. No one, and I do mean no one," he said, glancing at Jennifer, "Including myself, Jennifer, and if I have my way your grandfather, is allowed to get involved with the search for Malfoy in any way. You are not to search for him. You are not to research him," he said, looking at Alex who merely stared back expressionlessly. "You are also not to get involved with any attempts to uncover who may be working with him, no matter how obvious a connection may seem. You will concentrate on your schoolwork and under no terms will we get ourselves involved in current affairs other than taking the necessary precautions to protect ourselves from them. Is that quite clear?"

"What about Ciardoth?" Alex asked.

"Ciardoth is my affair," Severus said evenly. "No one else besides myself should be getting involved with that either. Any other questions?" No one spoke. "Good. Since this is for your own protection and those around you, I expect you will be motivated to follow them. Even so, Jennifer and I will be watching to make sure that you are. I realize there are times when the last thing you want to bother with is to seek out a younger or older sibling, but considering how tight the six of you have been in the past, I'm sure you'll manage without killing each other. That said, I suggest you return to your rooms and finish your studies for the evening, and do not discuss this situation with anyone. Not everyone yet understands the gravity of what's going on… Aurelius, see to it, please."

"Why? I mean, shouldn't everyone be aware this is going on?" Alex asked.

"Until the Ministry has undeniable legal evidence that Malfoy is behind this, they cannot say a word about his guilt or innocence in this matter. You are being informed now so that none of us are put in danger in the interim. Remember to report anything out of the ordinary to me. See you in the morning," Severus said. Glancing at each other they nodded and got up, Severus getting the door for them as they filed out.

As they walked towards the stairwell, Zoë began to shake her head in irritation.

"Does he always do that?" Zoë asked. Andrew glanced at her curiously.

"Do what?"

"Order you all around like that, like you were a bunch of troops in an army or something," Zoë said.

"Oh! No, not usually. Mum's normally the one doing that," Andrew said thoughtfully.

"He didn't give you any say at all in the matter. You will do this. You will do that. It's like what you might have wanted didn't even matter!" Zoë said.

"He did answer all of our questions," Andrew said. "And I'm not sure what you mean by us… I mean, wasn't it obvious he meant those rules to apply to the two of you as well?"

"Yes, it was," Zack said.

"It's bad enough the way he treats us in the classroom. We shouldn't let him treat us like that in private as well," Zoë argued.

"Zoë, this isn't a case of just ordering us about out of a whim. This is a serious life and death matter," Zacchius said.

"Maybe for them, but not for us. What would Malfoy care about what we do, anyhow? Besides, with our powers, we could get away from him easy," Zoë said. Andrew and Zack stared at her then looked at each other.

"Zoë, this is not the time for this," Zack said at last. "I think we ought to listen to Uncle Severus and do what he says. If you don't follow the rules, I will tell him."

"And if Zack doesn't, I will," Andrew agreed. "It's for your own safety, Zoë. Please don't make a big deal out of this!"

"I am so tired of everyone here dictating my life!" Zoë said angrily, picking up speed to get ahead of them but kept walking towards the rooms. Andrew and Zack shared a worried look between each other, and then Andrew sighed softly.

"When we get back to the rooms, let's talk," Andrew whispered to him. Zack nodded to him quickly, feeling a bit better knowing that at least he had Andrew to talk to.