The Other Side Of The Dark: Chapter 7
Aberforth Dumbledore waited only a moment after sending the others away before Disapparating from the moor to the back room of his pub. Not a moment too soon; seconds later, three Ministry wizards threw open the door of his pub and strode up to the bar as if they owned the place. Aberforth composed himself, then mooched out to meet them.
'Yes?' he grunted.
'I am Percy Weasley, junior undersecretary to the Minister for Magic,' said the first wizard, an officious young man with flaming red hair and horn-rimmed glasses. 'A sighting of the fugitive Snape has been reported, in the vicinity of this inn. We are also aware of the use of an unauthorised Portkey.'
Ah, thought Aberforth. Ten Dementors appear this close to a settlement, and the Ministry are worrying over a Portkey. Typical. But who the hell told them about Snape?
'Well?' he said. 'That must have been the fugitive Snape making good his escape before you arrived. What do you expect me to do about it?'
Weasley's eyes narrowed. 'I have Aurors searching the moor right now. And we fully intend to search every building in Hogsmeade if necessary. So,' he raised his voice to include the rest of the pub, 'anyone with information leading to the arrest of this dangerous criminal should come forward as a matter of urgency.'
'Constant vigilance, eh?' Aberforth nodded in apparent approval, and one of the Aurors, a tall black man, caught his eye. 'Well, I'm sure we're all eager to help the Ministry. I'll be happy to show you the rooms upstairs, if you'll come with me?'
'I'll do upstairs,' the black man said in a slow deep voice. 'Dawlish can stay with you and interview people down here.'
'Very well,' Weasley turned away to main body of the room, Dawlish at his elbow. Aberforth unhooked a large ring of keys from just inside the door to the back room and led the way upstairs.
'It was Moody who put us onto Snape,' said the Auror, as soon as they were out of earshot. A simple spell had told him that all the rooms were empty, and now they were standing outside Harry's room at the far end of the corridor. Aberforth drew a thoughtful breath.
'I don't believe that you and I have met?' he said.
'Kingsley Shacklebolt. And you are Albus' Dumbledore's younger brother?'
Aberforth grunted. 'That's me. The black sheep of the family.'
Shacklebolt grinned slyly. 'I heard it was a goat?'
Aberforth snorted. 'So,' he said, changing the subject, 'what's Moody doing, setting the Ministry on Snape? How the hell did he know he was up here anyway? And did you know there were Dementors on the moor tonight?'
Shacklebolt sighed. 'No, but it doesn't surprise me. Question is, were they there for Harry or Snape? Thanks for letting us know about Harry, by the way. Where is he now?'
'Back home, with Moody, Lupin and what's left of Snape. He's fine, but Snape's in a bad way. Couldn't tell any details up there in the dark, and I had to get back here before you lot arrived.'
'What happened?'
Aberforth shook his head slowly, running the evening's events before his mind's eye. 'Difficult to say. Harry turned up just after five, wanting a room. He paid for a week and went out, and I didn't see him again, but I guessed he where he was going. I let Albus know he was here, and didn't think no more of it. Then about half nine, Moody and Lupin arrived, saying there were Dementors up on the moor. I didn't want to start a panic, so I just grabbed my wand and went up there with them.
'It went dark and cold as we got to the edge of the moor, couldn't see a damn thing. Lupin summoned a Patronus then Disapparated to try and get there faster. Moody and I had to follow the hard way – as you know I'm not supposed to do much magic unless it's an emergency, and I don't think Moody's up to doing more than what's necessary these days, he's getting on a bit. Anyway'
Aberforth broke off, frowning. 'I saw the light and shape of Lupin's second Patronus, heading after the first. But then, yards away, there was another light, but it didn't look like a Patronus. It was gold, not silver, and more like a kind of firework. No real shape, just a burst of golden light. Then Potter sent his Patronus very impressive Anyway, Moody and I had got there by then, and by this time the Dementors had gone.'
'And the Portkey was to send everyone home?'
Aberforth nodded. 'Yep.'
'And a Dementor got Snape' Shacklebolt mused, his eyes sombre.
'Y'know, I'm not sure,' said Aberforth slowly. 'Thing I can't work out is, why there was so much blood. Snape was bleeding, badly, and I've never heard of a Dementor doing that kind of damage. And that light he did some kind of spell up there, but I don't know what it was.'
Shacklebolt nodded thoughtfully. 'Well, if there's any chance of finding out, Moody will find it.'
'You reckon?'
They were at the top of the stairs. Below them, voices indicated that Weasley and Dawlish had concluded their interviews and were ready to move on. Shacklebolt paused.
'Yeah. He's never actually said so, but deep down he's never been happy about Snape. I don't know exactly how he knew he was here tonight, but I do know he never completely closed the file on him, even after he retired. He spent a lot of time chasing the Malfoys, and never got any of them. Then there was Frank and Alice '
Shacklebolt broke off as Dawlish glanced up the stairs. Half under his breath, he finished, 'I almost think he'd like him to stand trial, regardless of the consequences. I do know there are questions he wants answered, in court or otherwise. So if there's any chance of Snape surviving what happened tonight, Moody will make sure of it, believe me.'
Aberforth Dumbledore waited only a moment after sending the others away before Disapparating from the moor to the back room of his pub. Not a moment too soon; seconds later, three Ministry wizards threw open the door of his pub and strode up to the bar as if they owned the place. Aberforth composed himself, then mooched out to meet them.
'Yes?' he grunted.
'I am Percy Weasley, junior undersecretary to the Minister for Magic,' said the first wizard, an officious young man with flaming red hair and horn-rimmed glasses. 'A sighting of the fugitive Snape has been reported, in the vicinity of this inn. We are also aware of the use of an unauthorised Portkey.'
Ah, thought Aberforth. Ten Dementors appear this close to a settlement, and the Ministry are worrying over a Portkey. Typical. But who the hell told them about Snape?
'Well?' he said. 'That must have been the fugitive Snape making good his escape before you arrived. What do you expect me to do about it?'
Weasley's eyes narrowed. 'I have Aurors searching the moor right now. And we fully intend to search every building in Hogsmeade if necessary. So,' he raised his voice to include the rest of the pub, 'anyone with information leading to the arrest of this dangerous criminal should come forward as a matter of urgency.'
'Constant vigilance, eh?' Aberforth nodded in apparent approval, and one of the Aurors, a tall black man, caught his eye. 'Well, I'm sure we're all eager to help the Ministry. I'll be happy to show you the rooms upstairs, if you'll come with me?'
'I'll do upstairs,' the black man said in a slow deep voice. 'Dawlish can stay with you and interview people down here.'
'Very well,' Weasley turned away to main body of the room, Dawlish at his elbow. Aberforth unhooked a large ring of keys from just inside the door to the back room and led the way upstairs.
'It was Moody who put us onto Snape,' said the Auror, as soon as they were out of earshot. A simple spell had told him that all the rooms were empty, and now they were standing outside Harry's room at the far end of the corridor. Aberforth drew a thoughtful breath.
'I don't believe that you and I have met?' he said.
'Kingsley Shacklebolt. And you are Albus' Dumbledore's younger brother?'
Aberforth grunted. 'That's me. The black sheep of the family.'
Shacklebolt grinned slyly. 'I heard it was a goat?'
Aberforth snorted. 'So,' he said, changing the subject, 'what's Moody doing, setting the Ministry on Snape? How the hell did he know he was up here anyway? And did you know there were Dementors on the moor tonight?'
Shacklebolt sighed. 'No, but it doesn't surprise me. Question is, were they there for Harry or Snape? Thanks for letting us know about Harry, by the way. Where is he now?'
'Back home, with Moody, Lupin and what's left of Snape. He's fine, but Snape's in a bad way. Couldn't tell any details up there in the dark, and I had to get back here before you lot arrived.'
'What happened?'
Aberforth shook his head slowly, running the evening's events before his mind's eye. 'Difficult to say. Harry turned up just after five, wanting a room. He paid for a week and went out, and I didn't see him again, but I guessed he where he was going. I let Albus know he was here, and didn't think no more of it. Then about half nine, Moody and Lupin arrived, saying there were Dementors up on the moor. I didn't want to start a panic, so I just grabbed my wand and went up there with them.
'It went dark and cold as we got to the edge of the moor, couldn't see a damn thing. Lupin summoned a Patronus then Disapparated to try and get there faster. Moody and I had to follow the hard way – as you know I'm not supposed to do much magic unless it's an emergency, and I don't think Moody's up to doing more than what's necessary these days, he's getting on a bit. Anyway'
Aberforth broke off, frowning. 'I saw the light and shape of Lupin's second Patronus, heading after the first. But then, yards away, there was another light, but it didn't look like a Patronus. It was gold, not silver, and more like a kind of firework. No real shape, just a burst of golden light. Then Potter sent his Patronus very impressive Anyway, Moody and I had got there by then, and by this time the Dementors had gone.'
'And the Portkey was to send everyone home?'
Aberforth nodded. 'Yep.'
'And a Dementor got Snape' Shacklebolt mused, his eyes sombre.
'Y'know, I'm not sure,' said Aberforth slowly. 'Thing I can't work out is, why there was so much blood. Snape was bleeding, badly, and I've never heard of a Dementor doing that kind of damage. And that light he did some kind of spell up there, but I don't know what it was.'
Shacklebolt nodded thoughtfully. 'Well, if there's any chance of finding out, Moody will find it.'
'You reckon?'
They were at the top of the stairs. Below them, voices indicated that Weasley and Dawlish had concluded their interviews and were ready to move on. Shacklebolt paused.
'Yeah. He's never actually said so, but deep down he's never been happy about Snape. I don't know exactly how he knew he was here tonight, but I do know he never completely closed the file on him, even after he retired. He spent a lot of time chasing the Malfoys, and never got any of them. Then there was Frank and Alice '
Shacklebolt broke off as Dawlish glanced up the stairs. Half under his breath, he finished, 'I almost think he'd like him to stand trial, regardless of the consequences. I do know there are questions he wants answered, in court or otherwise. So if there's any chance of Snape surviving what happened tonight, Moody will make sure of it, believe me.'