Disclaimers: Harry Potter and his world belong to J.K. Rowling and to her assorted publishers, not to me. Antonia Dumarest is mine, as are the assorted Snape and Dumarest relatives, and may be used with permission; e-mail me.
Spoilers: All five HP novels.
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MEMORIAL
Thursday evening, 18 July 1996
I. Remembrances
The atmosphere in Number 12 Grimmauld Place was far different now. House elf magic had been extensively used, as had Wizard magic. The wallpaper was no longer peeling and moldering and the carpet was fit to walk on without tripping or kicking up clouds of dust. Best of all, to the Order members gathering in the Grand Ballroom for Sirius Black's memorial, the portrait of Madam Black was no longer berating guests from the Entrance Hall; it simply wasn't there any more. Neither were the rows of house-elf heads, nor most of the other portraits.
Seated in rows of padded chairs in the Grand Ballroom were all the members of the Order and the Auxiliary who could be spared from other duties and who knew Sirius Black at all well. A podium was up front for speakers, and a large, empty candelabrum stood on a table nearby, with a box of candles. Also on the table was an enlarged portrait of Sirius as a young man, copied from one of the pictures in Harry's album. There was also a second picture of him as Padfoot. Next to the podium was a perch for Fawkes.
Albus Dumbledore led off the gathering. For once, his robes and hat were not in his usual flamboyant colors and garish patterns; he wore subdued dark purple edged in gold. "We are gathered tonight to remember the first Order loss of this second war against Lord Voldemort," he began quietly. He bowed his head for a few silent moments, then raised it again and resumed. "Last month, Sirius Black fell in combat, stunned through the Veil of Death in the Department of Mysteries at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange. She is the only one of the Death Eaters there who escaped the Order and the Aurors, only because of Tom Riddle's personal intervention.
"Because Sirius was seen fighting against the Death Eaters, and in fact fell in battle against one, he has finally been exonerated of having been one. Because Tom came to the Ministry in person, the Minister of Magic saw him and can no longer deny Tom's return. Because of that, I was able to convince the Minister that among the errors into which Tom had led him was the wrongful imprisonment of Sirius Black. He now finally believes what I have been telling him for two years: that Peter Pettigrew is alive, and confessed to the betrayal of the Potters; and that it was he who committed the murders for which Sirius was blamed; also that Sirius was never a Death Eater, but that Pettigrew was, and is one still. A 'Wanted' poster is even now being printed showing both his human and rat forms, with the addition of a silver right hand or forepaw.
"None of that, of course, will give us back a brave, clever and energetic fighter. But all this is to show that while Sirius fell against the Death Eaters, in a mission caused by a cunningly laid trap, he did not die in vain. He was part of a rescue mission, and the subjects of the rescue were indeed saved. And had he not been with Kingsley, Tonks, Alastor, and Remus, they might have been overcome before I came, and the rescue failed; four of the student fighters had already fallen and the remaining two were badly outnumbered. Sirius and Harry took down Antonin Dolohov together, after he had badly injured Alastor.
"I remember Sirius as a bright troublemaker as a student: loyal to his friends, harsh to his perceived enemies. With two others, he became an illegal Animagus in his fifth year to stand by a werewolf friend, and hid it so well I did not know of it until two years ago. He turned his back on the Dark orientation of his family, and stood steadfastly on the side of the Light all his life. Estranged from nearly all his blood kin, he found brothers among his friends. When they left school, his friends James Potter and Lily Evans married and named Sirius the Godfather for their only son, Harry. All three were members of the Order in the First War.
"After the deaths of the elder Potters, Harry became Sirius' primary loyalty; for Harry's sake he escaped from Azkaban and returned to Hogwarts when he found out about Peter's survival. He and Remus Lupin unmasked Peter's Animagus form, upon which Peter confessed to his betrayal. When Harry brought back the news of the revival of Lord Voldemort after the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Sirius and Remus Lupin were instrumental in recalling the Order of the Phoenix. And even in death, he was able to do us one last service: in his Will, he left this house to his Godson, with the intention that the Order continue to use it for our Headquarters, and that it not fall into the hands of his Death Eater relatives. Harry Potter is now Lord Black and Master of this House, and he has welcomed the Order to remain."
The Headmaster turned to the table, picked up a candle and lit it with a whispered word. "May my memory of a cherished friend light your way to the Otherworld, and may the fire warm your soul. You are not forgotten." He placed the candle in one of the sockets in the candelabrum, bowed and sat down.
Nymphadora Tonks was next. "My Mum and I are about the only blood kin Sirius would admit to, except his late Uncle Alphard," she began. "He really hated the rest of the family, their Dark leanings, and their Pureblood bigotry. When Mum was disowned for marrying a Muggleborn Wizard, Sirius was the only one who would even speak to her afterwards. I wasn't even old enough to be in Hogwarts when he went to Azkaban, but I never believed that he'd turn around so completely against what he'd been all his life and betray one of his brothers-by-choice. I'm just glad that I got to know him at least a little, this last year or so." She also picked up and lit a candle from the one already there; for a wonder, she managed to get it into the socket without tipping over the table. "I won't forget, and I won't forgive Aunt Bella; one day she'll get what she deserves. I promise this as a Black."
Remus Lupin then stood. The Moon was not long past New, so he was not quite as haggard as he might have been nearer the Full Moon. "Sirius was my much-loved friend and brother; I am the Werewolf for whom he, James and Peter became Animagi. They were my Pack, and now they are all lost to death or betrayal, excepting only our lone cub, Harry. I lost Sirius once in 1981, when I believed him guilty; now I have lost him a second time. There are no words to describe everything that he was to me, and if I told the half of what we all did together it would take all night."
He lit his candle. "I'll make this short. Run free forever, Padfoot, and greet Lily and Prongs for us." He sat down next to Harry, who was watching the entire service with a face of stone.
Surprisingly, the next one who stood was Ginny Weasley. "I got to know Sirius this last summer when we were trying to clean out this house," she said. "I saw a sad and lonely man, still haunted by Azkaban, who was frustrated that being wanted forced him to stay inside a house he hated and who was only really happy at Christmas when we could all spend it with him. But he never talked down to us students or treated us as children; he believed in us. For that, and for his loyalty to Harry and the Light, I will remember him." She too lit a candle.
Ron stood next. "I didn't start off too well with him, as Padfoot broke my leg dragging me under the Whomping Willow to the Shrieking Shack," Ron began, to some chuckles. "But I also had a hard time believing that my pet rat Scabbers was what he was really after, or that he was an Animagus. When he and Professor Lupin forced Scabbers to change in front of us, I was horrified that I'd had a supposedly dead man living with me for years, and with my brother before me, even sleeping on my pillow. I'm just sorry he escaped. But after that, when Sirius also escaped, he sent his first message to Harry with a little owl that he gave me to replace Scabbers, so I guess I didn't do badly on that deal." That brought a few more chuckles from some of the members.
"Like Ginny, I got to know Sirius mainly this last summer, and a couple of times during the year. He tried to give us good advice the few times we could talk. It was to rescue him that we went to the Ministry. And while I'm more than sorry we were wrong, and were led into a trap, I'm not sorry we went; Sirius would have never forgiven us if we'd let Harry go alone."
He lit a candle and set it in its socket. "Hope you're happier on the Other Side. We started badly, but I forgive you all of that for you standing by Harry. I won't forget you."
Their mother next stood. "Sirius and I were often at odds, because we had different ideas on how to treat Harry," Molly Weasley said. "But I will not deny that all of it was out of love for Harry, who has had so little in his life; Sirius would have done anything to make Harry happy and to take care of him. I'm still outraged at the injustice of his imprisonment, and that his name was not cleared in his lifetime. But I can hope that he's at peace now; I don't think that he ever really recovered from Azkaban."
Other members stood and briefly shared memories; one by one, the candelabrum was filling with lights. What truly surprised the entire Order, however, was when Severus Snape rose and glided to the podium. Quite a few people held their breaths, wondering what this man would say who had so hated Sirius.
"It is no secret to anyone who knew either of us that Sirius Black and I detested each other from the day we met to the day he died," he began. There was no sneering or hatred in his voice; it was even and calm, not unlike his classroom lecture voice. His face, however, was not quite the usual cold mask; a hint of some deep emotion showed, shadowing the dark eyes. "Both of us had many, many scores to settle upon each other that had never been fully reckoned at the time of his death. We brought out the worst in each other, and constantly fought with neither mercy nor consideration of each other or of anyone else around us. I will not here detail all the battles he and his friends fought with me when we were all in school.
"I will say this, however: I did not know then that Peter Pettigrew was a Death Eater and the Order's traitor; at that time, we did not all know who all the others were. But I can tell you now that Sirius Black was not one, although his brother Regulus was until he was executed for trying to get free.
"Nevertheless, as others have said better than I, he was an excellent fighter, loyal to the Order's goal, and loyal to Albus and to his Godson. I am the one who tried to get him to stay behind when I alerted the Order to the Ministry debacle; he refused to abandon his Godson, and would no longer accept confinement when there was action to be had. Perhaps that was foolish and reckless of him, and I told him as much: but not even I will deny his courage. That he fell is no shame to him; Bellatrix Lestrange is a cunning, powerful and deadly fighter who personally defeated two more of the Order who went, both of them trained Aurors, and who was the only one of those in the Death Chamber who evaded Albus' confinement. And there are far worse ways to perish, if one must."
He took a candle and lit it. "I cannot honestly say that I will miss the man. Were he still alive, we would in all probability still be quarrelling. But I will say, as others have, that given the Order's goal he did not die for nothing. And, as I have painfully come to realize finally these last few weeks: the past is done and over with and immutable, and feuds with the dead are a waste of time and energy better spent on achieving the goals of the Order. I have already settled with James Potter through his son Harry, who has formally accepted the balancing of the Life-Debt I owed to James that was unpaid at his death."
He raised the lit candle to eye level for a moment; his voice rose a little and his tone grew more formal. "May this light send my words to the Other Side: Sirius Black, our feud is ended, and all scores between us are negated, with neither of us a victor. I here reaffirm my allegiance to my Order Oath, to support all of my fellow members to attain our goal. And greet Lily for me, if you would; she was the most honorable of all of you." He installed his candle, and with a slight inclination of his head toward the lights, went back to his seat.
No one spoke. The entire Order sat stunned. Snape's presence had not been expected in the first place. That he should actually speak in the Remembrance, and not at all insultingly, was a far greater shock to everyone: except for a few, who had already heard his intentions to end the useless feuds—Dumbledore, Lupin, and Harry, who now stood up and went to the podium.
Focus, Potter, he sternly reminded himself. Say your piece, sit down, let Dumbledore close, and we're done except for the snacks. He took a deep breath and began to speak quietly.
"Sirius Black was my Godfather," Harry said. "He was the first person other than the Weasleys who offered me a real home and family love. He was willing to risk anything, even recapture, if he thought it would help me; he went to my aid when he believed me to be in danger. I believed him to be in danger on my behalf, so I went to his aid; I would do it again. That all of it ended up costing him his life anyway is the cruelest part of it. I have blamed myself and almost everyone else involved for his death: but the two people most responsible are Bellatrix Lestrange and her Master. They will have justice done to them; I will see it done with or without help. The house-elf Kreacher who betrayed Sirius is already dead, by his own hand and his own choice."
Holding his lit candle, he faced the candelabrum. "I'm sorry, Sirius, that I helped get you where you are; but at least maybe now you can be happy and at peace. You don't have to run, hide or starve, and no one can hurt you any more. Tell Mum and Dad 'hello' for me." He placed his candle at the top, and then sat down. Lupin put an arm around him and held him tightly.
After a moment, when no one else rose to speak, Dumbledore then rose. He stood behind the table with the candelabrum, and spread his hands wide, surrounding the candles in a gesture of benediction. Fawkes flew up onto his shoulder. When Dumbledore spoke, it was in an intonation of a ritual.
"Sirius Black, our brother in the Order, friend, brother and Godfather: you fell in honor, and not in vain; your task in this mortal world is done. The Phoenix bond is unbroken even now; you left us still loyal to your Oath, as did those of your fellow members who fell in the First War.
"May our words and our love find you on the Other Side; go in peace, and may these flames light your way and warm your soul as you join the rest of those who gave their lives for the Order. We will not forget you, and we will carry on with the mission of the Order. So say I, Albus Dumbledore, Head of the Order, in the name of the Order of the Phoenix." He bowed slightly, and brought his hands closer to the burning candles. As he did, Fawkes reached out, touched his beak to the topmost candle, and then began to sing. All the candles glowed more brightly, as from that top candle a golden thread shot down, dividing and spreading until each flame was connected. The entire network glowed brightly, and then a pillar of golden light shot from the candles up to the ceiling. As the candles glowed even more brightly, a second golden thread shot out, touching Dumbledore in the chest as he stood there. More threads came out, each one touching a member; more vanished through the walls and ceiling.
Fawkes continued to sing for a few more minutes: then he came to an ending point in his song and stopped. The golden pillar of light vanished, and with it went all of the candle flames and the network of light.
The silence that followed was profound, broken only by the flutter of Fawkes' wings as he returned to his perch. Dumbledore let his hands fall, and stood there with bowed head for a few more moments. No one was willing to break the silence, until he spoke once more, in a quieter tone.
"I thank you all for being here; this is one of the most profound Phoenix Remembrances I can recall. There is food and drink on the side tables; feel free to partake before you return home."
He made his way to one of the tables along the side walls, and picked up a plate to fill with snacks.
This seemed to break the stillness; the other members got up and straggled over to the food and drinks, and a buzz of quiet conversation arose. Several went over to where Harry and Lupin still sat. Harry wasn't sure he even wanted to get up and eat, but the Weasley twins took care of that.
"C'mon Harry, you should eat, too," Fred Weasley began as he took Harry's arm.
"Yeah—you're the host, after all," George chimed in as he took Harry's other arm. Both pulled him upright, and steered him to the food. Ron was already loading a plate; he turned and smiled at Harry.
"All right, mate?" he asked softly.
Harry closed his eyes. He did feel a bit better, in fact. He opened them again and managed a tiny smile for Ron.
"All right," he agreed. "The food should be good; Dobby and Winky did most of it." He looked up at the twins. "And if you two will let go, I can actually get some of it." When they did, he picked up a plate and selected some food and a drink. The twins pulled him over to where Lupin still sat, rearranged the chairs, and got him seated and eating. Ron joined them, devouring the food with his usual gusto.
II: Conversations
Meanwhile Hermione had cornered the Headmaster. "Sir, what was all that? I mean the golden threads and everything?" she asked eagerly. "It reminded me of our induction night. And is this normal for a Wizarding memorial?"
Dumbledore smiled kindly. "Come, Miss Granger, sit with me, and I shall explain it," he invited.
When the two were sitting together with filled plates, the old man spoke. "To answer your second question first, this is only partly normal," he began. "Absent a body, there is no burial or cremation to be done. I chose the Fire of Remembrance form of a memorial as one in which any or all could share, or not, as they pleased. The other part, however, is specific to the Order: the golden threads you saw were the bindings of each member, present or not, in their Oath to the Order. You may have noticed that you Auxiliary members were also linked. Fawkes does not always choose such a major participation, nor to make those bindings visible; that he did said a great deal about those present, about Sirius, and about Fawkes' approval of our plans to continue on with our task in unity."
Dumbledore took a sip from his goblet, and continued. "As Harry was told by Sir Nicholas, Sirius will have gone on, and not remained as a ghost. Given the variety of beliefs and questions we mortals have about the nature of that passage, the Fire of Remembrance service is a type of memorial that does not worry about the details, but conveys a sincere farewell to the departed regardless of personal belief. Funerals and memorials, after all, are far more for the benefit of the living than of the dead; they serve to close a chapter of life so that the next one may be begun."
"Well, I thought it was impressive," Antonia Dumarest said quietly. Neither Dumbledore nor Hermione had heard her come up. "I never met the man at all, but I'm glad I came instead of staying at the school." She sat down, with a warm smile for both the Headmaster and Hermione. "Albus, you outdid yourself again."
"My dear Tish," Dumbledore said with an equally warm smile, "most of the credit should go to Fawkes for that. I am glad that you did come; there are more people for you to meet tonight than there were at the induction."
His tone changed a little, to one more serious and earnest. "Now that I have both of you here, however, I would like to discuss something more concrete, and be more specific about the Potions project I wish done this summer."
He glanced over to where Snape had quietly sat alone with his plate and a cup of tea. When he returned his gaze to the two Witches, his eyes were now serious with no twinkle. "You are both aware of what Severus does for the Order. I need not tell you of the consequences for him if he is caught. His main concern for himself is not his death, which he has accepted as a very real probability, but that he does not betray Order secrets under duress. To that end, he carries the means of a quick release on his person, commonly known as a 'Last Friend'."
Dumbledore let that sink in for a moment, and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, there was something more than mere seriousness in them. "I am not willing to so easily sacrifice Severus; he is too valuable to me at Hogwarts. Given what the probable circumstances of his betrayal will be, what I see that he needs is a means of escaping alive to return to us. To that end, I have already discussed with him the development of a potion that will give him total pain relief and restore both near-total physical and magical strength for a short time—long enough for him to activate a Portkey and escape, if he cannot Apparate. He has already started on the research, but will not have the time to do that and the summer classes and all his usual duties. Much will also depend on how long it will take to brew. I am asking you both to lend a hand; with three people doing the work we may—no, we will—find the solution more quickly. Everything I can give you for this project will be yours; I only wish I had the time to assist personally. The other thing I ask of both of you is that the nature of the potion be a secret. Only he and the three of us will know the details, until it is time to test it. Will you help?"
"Of course I will, Albus," Dumarest replied. "I can use Family resources on both sides that aren't available to just anyone, and Marcus need not be the wiser." She turned to Hermione. "That's Severus' father, dear; he doesn't much like me but I have Family rights he can't overturn. So long as we don't actually meet, he will ignore me."
"Yes, Sir," Hermione added. "I don't like him, but he doesn't deserve such a horrible death. And I think I have an idea on how he can hide it, too; after all, won't he be searched?"
Dumbledore smiled. "Tell me more, Miss Granger." The three moved closer together as Hermione detailed her idea.
Meanwhile, Ron had left where his brothers, Lupin and Harry sat, on the pretext of getting more food. He did in fact pick up more biscuits and another Butterbeer, but in reality, his mind was racing.
Snape again, he thought. That's what's bothering me. I can't believe the man is still acting like a human being, and letting go of such a deep grudge. He hated Sirius; he tried to get him killed or Kissed. Something weird is going on here. How much does Harry really know? And how much is tied up with what Harry told me about them settling their family fight—which Snape mentioned?
He knew then he could and would talk to Harry again later; what he would have to do now, though it required a hefty dose of Gryffindor courage, was best done here on neutral ground. I don't have time to get Hermione's help, thought Ron, looking over to where his other best friend was having a quiet discussion with Professor Dumarest and the Headmaster. Tonight we're fellow Order members, and ought to be able to talk to each other without drawing wands or insulting each other. And he's more likely to continue to be polite if Professor Dumbledore is here and I don't throw the first insult—or mention Sirius.
Ron finished his Butterbeer and his last biscuit; got up, and headed toward the Hogwarts Professor he despised the most. Professor Snape looked up as Ron approached.
Gathering all his courage, Ron spoke to the man. "Sir? A quiet word, please?" he asked politely.
Snape's eyebrows rose somewhat higher than usual; but he then nodded, and used his wand to bring over another chair. He then cast a Silencing Charm around them; Ron took the vacant chair.
"We are private now, Mr. Weasley, if that is what you were asking of me," said the Professor quietly. Ron nodded, and Snape continued. "What brings you to speak to me?"
Ron took a deep breath. "It's…what have you done to Harry?" he blurted out. That wasn't quite how I meant to say that, he thought, but decided it would do. He forgot for now that it echoed what he'd asked Harry after the induction.
Snape blinked. "Be more precise, Mr. Weasley," he countered. For once, he didn't correct Ron's mode of address.
"He's changed, just since I last saw him at the station in June, and I think you did something. What did you do?" Ron managed to reply.
Snape picked up his cup, took a sip and set it down; he then leaned back and steepled his hands together. "Why do you think I did something to Mr. Potter? Please elaborate," he invited, with just a hint of challenge, but none of his usual malice.
Ron took another steadying deep breath, and forced himself to look the man directly in the face. Facts, Weasley, facts; this man is as smart as Hermione, and will tear apart anything else. And above all, keep calm! "Before the induction ceremony, Harry told us most of what happened at his place, and how he got here, and about the will. But he seriously glossed over what he and you were discussing in your letter, only that it was important, and that he wasn't going to be the one to say anything about it. Then he goes and says it was you who chewed out those Dursley gits, and just left pieces for Professor Dumbledore to finish off, according to Professor Lupin—and that you two had made up your family feud. All through the telling, he's got this really serious—" Ron struggled for a word, "—uh, hint of something hard under his words. Last, before we got dressed, he hinted that he had something to do, which took precedence over everything else in his life.
"Then, during the ceremony: first, he swears to put everything else aside to get what the Order wants, including feuds; and second, you were one of the ones holding a wand on him, but you didn't answer when Professor Dumbledore asked for someone to speak against him. Besides Mum, you're one of the ones most opposed to Harry knowing anything about what the Order does or having anything to do with it. You've despised Harry for the whole five years he's been at Hogwarts, and here you missed a prime opportunity to slap him down in front of everyone he cares about for standing up and declaring his opinions, that you call arrogant, like you usually do.
"Afterwards, I called him on it, and he wouldn't say much but that something he'd said in his letter got your attention; he wouldn't say what. He doesn't know what happened to you, either.
"Then tonight: you stood up and spoke at a remembrance for one of the people Harry loved most in the whole world and you hated the most, and while you honestly admitted you detested Sirius, and he you, you didn't once sneer or insult his memory. No offense meant, but that isn't like you, Sir. It doesn't add up, and I don't know what pieces are missing: but I'm figuring that you do."
Snape was silent for a few minutes; then he spoke, still in the quiet and even tone he had used all evening. "There is a difference, Mr. Weasley, between knowing about a matter, and causing it. The two are not necessarily congruent. But be that as it may, I would ask you why you are coming to me with this, when I know that you despise me as much as you say I despise Mr. Potter."
Ron was unmoved outwardly; inwardly, he still struggled to hold his temper. "For Harry," he said simply. At a slight nod to continue from the other man, he elaborated. "He doesn't always look out for himself; Hermione and I have done it—or tried to, all these years. You of all people know that.
"We already knew that he's going to be involved with…with fighting Tom Riddle again. Monday night, he admitted it, that he's the one who has to do for Riddle. Well, that was no surprise; we've all kind of guessed that all along. He's somehow figured out that what we told him before we went to the Ministry, what it appears the Order is telling him, and what we told him Monday night, is true: he isn't alone. Hermione and I have told him all along that whatever comes, we're to be there with him. Until now, he's refused to listen; he wants to do it all himself, so that we don't get hurt. Now he's listening, and he's accepting that. It's only been a month since…since he lost Sirius, and saw all of us get hurt; I'm sure he's having nightmares about all that, if past history is anything to go by."
He had run out of breath; he took another deep breath. In for a Knut, in for a Galleon, he thought. Here and now of all places Snape can't harm me. "Hermione says I have the 'emotional range of a teaspoon'. I know I'm not nearly the brightest one in this room, and I'm usually too thick to see what's in front of me. But I'm looking at Harry, who's been my best friend for five years, and even I can see he's changed somehow. He's not so deep in his shell and he's not turning away from people, which is what he usually does when he hurts. He actually stood up in front of everyone tonight and spoke of something that hurts, and that isn't like him at all. Considering what's happened, he's definitely not acting normally—or not all the time. Monday, he asked Hermione to look into researching the revival ritual. That's a little more normal; Hermione's our researcher. He insisted that it's Dumbledore we have to keep alive afterwards, to win the peace. That's almost normal; but he's not the one who usually does advanced planning. And he called you brave. That isn't normal, no offense intended.
"And I look at you, Sir—and you're not behaving normally at all either. Not in what Harry was talking about, not at the induction, or at mealtimes at school, and not tonight. You aren't insulting us, or sneering at us; you haven't once told us we're wrong, or too young or too Gryffindor to be involved. You've even actually talked to us about Family matters, with the adults. So, if he's off, and you're off, it's connected—but I don't see the connection."
Snape picked up his cup and took another sip of his tea. Merlin's beard, he thought. The boy is actually thinking instead of acting first. I didn't think he had it in him. "So, based on your observations, what is your conclusion?" he asked.
Ron thought about how to say it. The fact that Snape hadn't yet insulted or snarled at him emboldened him to continue. "It would seem that you did something to him—but I'll be blamed if I can figure out what. Harry wouldn't say what he wrote to you about, except for asking for some help, and that some of it was about stuff that he won't talk about without your say-so; that's on top of what he did tell us, about settling the family feud. End of term you two were as usual, and I know he blamed you in part for Sirius. Now you're actually being civil, and not just to him but to all of us, whom you normally can't stand to be in the same room with. At the induction, you didn't once respond to the call for someone to speak against any of us joining. You haven't once sniped at Professor Lupin, when we know you despise him too; you haven't insulted Sirius, when the two of you hated each other's guts. And you've been civil to the new Potions Professor, when it's common knowledge that you detest anyone else trying to teach your subject, although maybe because she's in your Family helped."
His gaze, which had dropped to his hands, now returned to Snape's eyes. "I don't know what the regular Order swears to, but if it's anything like we did Sunday, and if tonight's finale is any indication, then we're supposed to be on the same side. I know that helping Harry isn't entirely the same thing as supporting the Order against Riddle, but I figure that you aren't supposed to hurt him either. If you know something that can help Hermione and me help Harry, I'd…I'd like to know it." There: I've actually asked him something he will have to answer, and haven't been hexed. Politeness seems to be working right now.
Snape reheated his tea with his wand, and sipped some more as he turned over Ron's comments in his mind. He's calling the Dark Lord by his real name, as Albus does; this from a Weasley? Things are getting interesting… "Your reasoning is not so poor, Mr. Weasley," he said after a long moment. "You correctly infer that something has changed in my relationship with Mr. Potter; and you correctly deduced that the correspondence between us was involved. What you lack are enough facts to come to the correct conclusions. I commend Mr. Potter for maintaining privacy in private matters, as I thought him incapable of doing so where you and Miss Granger are concerned; I see that I was mistaken in that." He gave Ron a long, measuring look. "Is this all your reasoning, or did Miss Granger help you?"
"It's all mine, Sir," Ron replied steadily. "I haven't bounced any of this off Hermione. In any case, she's busy already with whatever she's going to be doing; I've hardly seen her since we came with her being in the Library almost all day. Tonight she's talking to Professor Dumarest." He nodded over to where he had last seen Hermione.
"And you do not fear that I will use the information against him, either for my own reasons, or for my other Master?" Snape knew that Ron knew what he was.
Ron had thought about this—a lot. He really hated to agree with Hermione, but it was better than the alternative. "No, Sir," he replied. "I think now that Hermione's been right all along: if you had really intended to give Harry over to…to Him, or to really hurt him, you've had more than enough chances to by now. You might change again later, but right now you're on our side." I don't trust him fully yet.
"And you do not fear me?"
"Not here, and not now, with half the Order here, and not while we're supposed to be celebrating being on the same side and remembering one of the Order's own," Ron replied. "Maybe tomorrow you'll hurt me, and you probably will come term time and I'm in your Defense class. But there are three people here tonight not even you really want to cross, and who will be upset if you hurt me: Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Mum." Both smiled at that: Molly Weasley's temper was legendary, and her first priority was her children.
Snape took another sip, set down his cup, and leaned back with his fingers steepled again. "You are actually close to an answer, but you have not taken into account all the factors. But first: what did Mr. Potter tell you, exactly?"
Ron pulled up his memory of barely a few days previously. "Uh—he said that he'd written letters to you and the Headmaster." He gave a synopsis of what Harry had told them, ending with, "He went to sleep waiting for things to happen; then Professor Lupin woke him up to sign the guardianship forms and to pack. Then they came to Hogwarts. He didn't know about what all happened while he was asleep until Professor Lupin told him, the next day. That was Sunday night. Then Monday night, he told us that he'd claimed the House, and that it was you and Mad-Eye who got rid of that awful picture. Oh—and he also told us that he's the one who will have to do for Riddle in the end. We'd already guessed that."
Now I can almost believe what I saw in Potter's mind that time, and what Lupin told me about the Sorting Hat: Potter would have been worthy of my House, thought Snape. He told the Weasleys and the others enough to go on with, without telling them anything truly personal or confidential. That is very Slytherin of him. Aloud, he said, "That is all true, but he did not tell you everything. Much had to wait until you were all Oathbound to the Order. Consider this, however: remember, Mr. Potter first wrote to me, not the other way around. You think I may have done something to him: have you ever considered that he might have done something to me?"
Ron shook his head. "No offense meant, Sir, but I don't see how, even though Harry thinks he might have," he replied carefully. "You're—well, strong-willed and not easily swayed, and you do have a long history with Harry, his parents, and their friends; while he might be able to convince you of something new, I have a hard time seeing him changing your mind on anything. I'm surprised that you agreed to make peace. To do what you have to do for the Order—and yes, we have a pretty good idea of what you are—you have to be strong-minded. I figure that you came with them because the Headmaster told you to."
Ron thought for a few more minutes. "But you have had something happen, and I don't know what it is. And what else I can't figure out is you being the one to lay into the Dursleys—not that they don't deserve it. Harry told me that part of it's you being a Pureblood and them being the worst sorts of Muggles."
Snape remained impassive for a moment; inwardly, he had a little smile at Ron's blunt assessment, which was actually fairly true—as far as it went. He then leaned forward a bit. "Mr. Potter has told you one good angle from which to view the matter," he suggested. "Vernon and Petunia Dursley are indeed the absolute epitome of the type of Muggle to which the Purebloods are so opposed, and about which Salazar Slytherin left the school: Muggle anti-Magical bigots related to a Wizard. Worse, they have spent years mistreating and neglecting a Wizard child, and attempting to stifle his magic. In many old Dark families, mine for one and Black's for another, that treatment would have been grounds for immediate execution—no hearing, no defense, but summary justice—not so many decades ago. The crime is even worse in Petunia's case, as she is the sister to a well-known and respected Muggleborn Witch and knows full well what magic is. What do you think would be the reaction from the Wizarding community, Purebloods and Muggleborns alike, were this information made public?"
Ron winced. "I don't know about the rest of them, but I know that Mum would do worse than send a Howler if she ever finds out everything—and Harry hasn't told us anywhere near everything. Even I can see that. But he'd be mortally embarrassed if anything about it ever got out into our world; it'd be all over the Prophet and Witch Weekly, for starters."
"He has not, and he would," Snape agreed quietly. "Now, consider what I am: a Pureblood Dark Wizard from one of the old Dark families, raised and trained with the usual Pureblood prejudices against Muggles and Muggleborns, and in the service of one who says he wishes to cleanse them from the Wizarding community."
His voice unconsciously hardened a little. "I saw Mr. Potter's sterile Muggle house; I saw his wretched room with the locks on the doors, and I heard every word of the lies the Dursleys were telling their neighbors about him, repeated back from the neighbors. Professor Dumbledore was very kind and generous to allow me to be the one to explain the facts of life to them." A slight smile, not quite a smirk, appeared on his face. "To my way of thinking, the Dursleys have gotten off far easier than they have deserved: all we actually did to them was Obliviate the memory of our faces and names, after which we removed Mr. Potter; the rest you know." He did not mention the Legilimency he had performed: that was not for any other ears but those who had already heard it.
Ron considered that for a few minutes, and then a few pieces moved together in his mind. "The Headmaster let you lay into the Dursleys because you wanted to do it—but it served his interests," he thought out loud. "Then he laid into them. I'll bet they were more scared of you than of him! How were you dressed?"
"Much as you see us tonight," Snape replied. "Once I Silenced, Stunned and Obliviated Marge Dursley—who does not know of our world, nor needs to—there was no need to maintain any disguises, as all the other Muggles had left."
Ron nodded. He couldn't believe that Snape was actually talking to him, as one Wizard to another, and not sneering and sniping. "For people so scared of our world, unless Professor Dumbledore let himself show his real power, you'd be by far the scarier one, especially if you did all that in front of them. Professor Lupin is too mild-mannered, unless he gets mad, and Professor Dumbledore wouldn't have let him get too mad."
"Indeed," Snape agreed. "Lupin proved to be very useful in providing the calm voice of reason. Dumbledore showed them only a bare hint of his true power, and that was more than enough. I treated them the way I do the dunderheads in the classroom." That last was said with just a hint of sardonic humor.
Ron shook his head in admiration. This was a side of Snape he hadn't known existed. "They would have been outclassed by any one of you. All three, they never had a chance. I really wish I'd seen that."
"Perhaps. But much of what we said, and what they said, are in regard to matters Mr. Potter prefers to keep to himself for now."
Ron nodded. "I figure I'll be told what I need to know, later." He straightened. "But even after all this, Sir, you still haven't answered my original question. Is that more Slytherin misdirection? If you don't want to answer, just say so; I'm not fool enough to push you on anything."
"And that would be the direct Gryffindor way to handle it," Snape agreed. He considered for a few minutes, and then he said, "Mr. Weasley, I can give you some of an answer, but not all of it. For a number of reasons, I will be tasked with a fair amount of the training for the Auxiliary Order this summer: not just the summer Potions class, but also Defense and combat training."
"Why you, Sir?" Ron figured that as long as Snape was still being polite, he would too. And the more civil answers I get out of him, the more information I'll have to tell Hermione.
"Because I am a Defense and Dueling Master as well as a Potions Master, and I have more actual experience than almost anyone else here except the Headmaster and the Aurors," Snape replied. He was surprised at how calm and polite the usually excitable Weasley boy was being; such behavior deserved fair treatment. The brat may actually be growing up! "As I will be the upper-level Defense Professor in the fall, this is one way for me to assess your abilities for both the Order and your fall class. You may already know about the summer DA; you in the Auxiliary Order will be the cadre for that.
"I also intend to teach you children about survival under adverse conditions: this conversation is part of that, in a way. As you obviously know, my very life depends on misdirection and deception; the Dark Lord is a demanding Master, and I must always have the right answer at hand. You six are now greater targets than ever, and you know far too much as it is; Professor Dumarest and I will also be teaching you Occlumency. She, by the way, is exactly what she said she is, and much more besides: not only is she not personally annoying, which is not the case in regards to most of the rest of my family, but she is actually my superior in Potions; I will not say that about many living people, and of those, I trust almost no one. She is also another such as Black was, and Tonks and her mother are: a Light Witch from a Dark family. All of you need to learn some of my 'Slytherin misdirection', as you call it, as not just your life or mine, but many others', not least Mr. Potter's, will depend on it. Before you can be told much more, you will need this.
"As to the how—for me to teach in my…usual manner…will take more time; I will still be as demanding as ever, but we can no longer afford to waste time in feuds and side-arguments—such as the feud between Black and me. The man is dead now, and maintaining a feud with a dead man is a waste of time. James Potter is long dead and that feud wastes time as well. That reason among others is why Mr. Potter and I have made our peace, and why Professor Lupin and I have also agreed to a truce for the duration. This is also part of why that clause in your oath was added: we all must work with people whom we dislike at the least and despise at worst."
He gave Ron a measuring, almost approving look. "In a way, you have had your first lesson in that tonight, and not done too poorly: that you put aside your considerable negative feelings for me, in an attempt to learn something with which to aid Mr. Potter. It will not be so difficult in private, but when the new fall term begins, we will all have to have a private face and a public face, often at odds with each other. To me, that is as necessary as breathing: the more that people are confused about my opinions and loyalties, the longer I will live and continue to be of use to the Order. You are not playing so complicated a game as I, but you will still need to be protected, and trained in discretion.
"And above all else: both you and Mr. Potter need to learn to govern your tempers; you are both too volatile, and this is too easily used against you. I will refrain as I can from needless provocation, but you must learn to endure needful provocation as part of your training; others will not be so kind, as you will remember from the Gryffindor/Slytherin Quidditch match. I will say now—in private—that Mr. Potter and your brother George were punished above what was truly deserved, although a week's detention with Professor McGonagall was too little, and that Fred was unjustly punished; but their tempers put them right into Umbridge's hands at a time when she held the power. Had the incident with Mr. Malfoy not occurred, another would have; she was truly seeking any way she could to discredit both your family and Mr. Potter. And even if I were not obliged to support Mr. Malfoy as his Head of House—as he was beaten far more than his insults deserved—there was nothing I could have done against her, so long as she had any power in the school. She is an ally of Lucius Malfoy, who is dangerous in his own right apart from what else he is, as you should know; she is also far more power-hungry than even Fudge, and that is saying rather much."
Ron thought all of that over; when put this way, in a logical order, he couldn't help but agree. Sheer temper had caused Harry and George to pound Draco Malfoy after the Quidditch match, and only the three Chasers' holding him down had kept Fred from joining in. Ron was glad now that he'd left immediately after the match, or he might have joined his brothers. And this was far more than he expected from Snape, although he knew the man had detested Umbridge as much as any of the other Professors had.
Another thought occurred to him. "Could she be a closet Death Eater?"
Snape shook his head. "No. Of this much, I am certain. But Lucius plays more than one game; the Dark Lord allows it so long as it furthers his own interests. She believes herself a true and loyal Ministry supporter, and that Lucius is one too; it will be interesting to see what her reaction will be to the events of last month—assuming she is in any condition to appreciate them. I will discuss this more at the debriefing meeting of the full Order tomorrow night, where we review the events of that night; all of you will be there."
Ron nodded, deferring that topic, and pulled back to a previous one. "So you're saying that I have to learn Occlumency, before you answer my original question?"
A faint amused glint began to appear in the dark eyes. "Ah—but I did answer some of your question. Think about what I have said, and apply it to your original question."
Ron did so. "You said that you and Harry had made your peace. OK—that explains some of how you are both acting. Same for you and Professor Lupin. But it still doesn't answer my original question, which was whether you did anything to Harry that would cause him to be so—so different."
"No, it does not," Snape agreed. "But you are paying attention, more so than you usually do in my class; you are also showing that you are more intelligent than you usually let on. As your reward, I will answer in a manner that you understand. No, I did not do anything to Mr. Potter that put him into his current frame of mind; he did that on his own. Whether he chooses to tell you how and why is up to him. I have merely offered him my support for taking a course of action of which, for once, I approve, and answered the quite intelligent questions he asked me in his letter as well as I could. None of us, including Mr. Potter, anticipated the incident with his relatives and neighbors, but all three of us adults witnessed the entirety of it, and were impressed by how well he handled it. It became obvious, however, that for him to recover fully and properly from the incidents from last month, so as to begin his training as he has asked of us, he had to be removed from that house, and new guardians assigned. As harsh as I am, even I have limits; leaving him with those Muggles was far beyond even anything I would have been willing to do. And before you ask why your parents were not chosen, realize that this is now wartime and they are already too obvious a target."
Ron nodded again; he couldn't believe how much Snape was telling him that he could actually agree with. "And now they're even more so, with Ginny and me involved; that's the whole family bar Percy-the-prat. That part makes sense, almost. And Mum would never let him anywhere near danger, either, which would put paid to any decent training."
He considered some more, and then looked up at the older man. "But Sir, you're not telling me what made you change your attitude, either. You've come to some conclusion about it, and the correspondence is involved; but you're not telling me how you got there, any more than Harry is telling me how he got there."
Snape gifted Ron with his first genuine smile that night, which somewhat unnerved the Gryffindor. "Very good, Mr. Weasley, very good. You can pay attention, sift through data, and reason to a conclusion, even if it takes a while. Professor McGonagall thinks there is more to you than you let on in my class. Perhaps I shall take up her suggestion, and invite you to play chess with me some time this summer; I understand that you need some real opposition."
Ron nodded; he was in a state of mild shock at the approving tone of his least favorite Professor. "Well, I will say this for Harry: chess is one thing he isn't good at, and I am," he replied. "Sure—I'll be glad to give you a match; I've heard that you're good." A thought occurred to him, and his face tightened a little. "However, I am not going to wager any House points or money, until I have a better idea of how good you are. I know better than that."
Snape's smile did not fade. "That is sensible and fair, Mr. Weasley," he replied. He looked as if he would say more, but both looked up at seeing Professor Dumbledore approach. Snape banished the Silencing Charm.
"I am very glad to see the two of you talking in a civilized manner for once," the Headmaster smiled at both of them. "But now I am asking everyone to finish up and go home, or return to the school; there will be much to do tomorrow and I for one need my rest. It has been a very long day and evening."
Snape and Ron stood. "Sorry, Sir," Ron said contritely. "We had a Silencing Charm up and lost track of the time." Snape nodded his agreement.
Dumbledore waved off the apology. "I understand," he said gently. "These things happen, and sometimes when they are needed. But this is the first of what I hope will be many chances to discuss things." He beamed at the two of them.
Severus, he thought, as he watched Snape and Ron rise to leave, you're making a valuable ally here: don't spoil it!
