Harry Potter and the Star of Senkrad
Author: l'Ciel
Fandom: Harry Potter
Disclaimer: JKR, and some more I think – I don't own anything but the plot – oh, and Ice Drakes, that's mine too! And that sexy nurse (god bless her brainless boobs)
Rating: hard R for implicit sexual content, NC-17 for explicit sexual content
Warnings: violence, brain washing, non-con,
Pairings: HP/DG, SS/LM; side pairings: HP/BZ, NM/LM
Genre: Action/Adventure, Romance, Angst
Summary : After the events of OotP, Harry runs away from the Dursleys. The only one to find him is Snape, but where do the spy's loyalties truly lie? Slash & Het, war-story
Main characters: Harry, Snape, Lucius, Voldemort, Dumbledore
22) Letters
Dumbledore's office had not changed much, although since his outburst last year the amount of silvery items on his desk had fallen dramatically. They sat in the usual places and Dumbledore rubbed his long nose, before he bore his eyes into Harry's.
Suddenly Harry felt something press into his thoughts and he knew the headmaster was using some silent form of Legilimency on him. He tried to push him out automatically and succeeded at some point, but he knew he could only to it because the headmaster let him.
"You won't like it, but I think you have to resume your Occlumency training," Dumbledore stated bluntly and Harry sighed in defeat.
"I know. But can't you do it? I mean, Snape won't take me again, so…"
"I'll talk to him. Professor Snape will certainly see the necessity it this issue. Please try to get along," he held up his hand. "I know you have difficulties, but I'll confer this with the professor also on his behalf. Still, I expect you to pay him the respect he deserves. Do I make myself clear?"
"… Yes, sir."
"And, Harry? I think you understand why you have to do this. Not only for yourself, but also for the cause. May you like it or not – you can't avoid this fight, and Severus can help you to learn many things you need. He is a very determined and clever man, a harsh man and an unfair man sometimes, a temperamental man, but a good man. And he will guard your back when you go through hell, even if it could cost his life. Please try," he got up and patted Harry's shoulder heavily.
"Now – I think you should write a letter to Remus and your friends to let them know you're well and then I suggest we get down to the great hall for lunch. Alright?"
"Yeah – I think so."
"Good. Then I'll leave you for a moment. There's parchment and ink in the top drawer on the left and some quills on the bureau. Please help yourself, I'll be back soon," the headmaster nodded, before leaving through a door behind his desk.
Hermione was packing her trunk for the next term. Tomorrow she would return to Grimmauld Place 12 for the rest of the winter holiday. Usually she would have stayed at Hogwarts, but with Harry missing and Ron going home, there was really no point in staying. Apart from that she had missed her parents. Although they were sometimes a little odd – as parents usually are – she loved them very much. Alas, it was hard to explain the war and problems of the Wizarding world to them because when she said something they were either unimpressed or afraid for her. Once her father had even threatened to keep her home if she didn't quit getting in danger at once. Luckily her mother had talked some sense into him.
Exhausted, she dropped onto her bed and closed her eyes, when she heard something scratch at the window.
Getting up she opened the window and let the eagle owl in. It dropped a letter onto her desk and flew back out immediately. Curious, she opened the letter and a strange gem fell out of it. Curiously she extended her hand to lay the stone aside and read the letter, when she felt a tug behind her navel and the swirling sensation of being portkeyed.
In the main parlour Narcissa was having tea with Lady Greengrass and Countess Montague, when the door opened and her sister burst in. Narcissa, clad in lime silk and dark emerald velvet, wrinkled her small nose slightly at Bellatrix' 'work robes' and got up from the table and followed her agitated sister into the adjourning salon.
"What's the matter now, Bella?" she asked irritated and furrowed her brow.
"Lucius," Bellatrix Lestrange spat and rolled her eyes. "He's been fighting the curse again. Snape's given Rodolphus some calming draught, but it's nearly empty. He was screaming again and I'm frankly fed up with his antics. Could you look after him for a while. I'm sure Doreen and that Montague bitch can drink their tea without you."
"Don't be ridiculous, I'm their host. For Merlin's sake…" she waved her hand helplessly. "Stun him and lock him in the master bedroom, I'll see to him as soon as I can."
Narcissa turned to go and Bellatrix chuckled.
"You're such a bitch sometimes, I can't believe Lucius ever fell for you!" the dark-haired woman laughed.
"Oh – he didn't. But he needed an heir and somebody who'd tolerate his sordid affairs. And you know I was never inclined to put up with any man anyway," she said haughtily and Bellatrix smiled evilly.
"Yeah – I know about your… inclinations well enough. A pity you and Lucius can't share your little pets, but he seems to only react to our much beloved potions master. Ironic, isn't it?" she whispered into her sister's ear from behind.
"I have no idea what you are referring to, my dear sister, but I don't think I ever want to hear such things told about me and my dear husband again in my house," she clipped and left, closing the door behind her rather firmly.
Testily, Bellatrix left the upper floor to fetch Lucius from the dungeon. The blond had not taken his son's suicide well and was either raging or drowning in misery. Since Severus had left it had gotten even worse. At night some minor Death Eater would guard the room in the dungeons where they had locked him in after one of his larger fits.
Fatigued and tired, she ordered the guard to stun the miserable man inside and to take him up, before she left the dungeons and retired to her and her husband's assigned quarters. A light smile stole its way into the crook of her mouth while she undressed. The thick wool of her Death Eater robes was discarded on the way into the bathroom. After soaking in a hot bath for half an hour, she banished the last remains of make-up from her face – particles from the black eyeliner always got stuck in her long lashes – and dressed in a soft mauve gown, before rolling up to get some sleep.
She heard Rodolphus enter some time later and shed his clothes, before he spooned up behind her with a low sigh and sneaked his arm around her waist. Content for the moment, she placed a soft kiss onto his arm and soon dozed off to his rhythmic breathing.
'Dear Remus,' he wrote, 'Dumbledore tells me you have been worried' – No. he could not phrase it like that. It seemed so impersonal and cold. He did not want Remus to think he was cold and unfeeling. The werewolf would be disappointed once he heard the truth anyway, but at least Harry could claim that he had not acted on his free will most of the time.
'Dear Moony' – neither, it was too unserious. And it reminded him of Sirius and he did not want to remind Lupin on that. He was losing track here…
'Dear Remus,
I heard you were terribly worried about me and I just wanted you to know I'm back, more or less in once piece. I'm sorry I had you worried, but everything is fine for now. At least I'm back with Dumbledore.'
Thinking about it, he added:
'I visited my parent's house at some point. I found my father's wand under a table in the living room and I saw a portrait of my mother. It didn't speak, though.
I'll probably see you soon,
Love, Harry'
Sighing, he sealed the envelope with a flick of his wand and laid it aside for later. The letters to Ron and Hermione were even more difficult, but he tried his best to sound like the "old Harry" and soon all his letters were finished. Just then Dumbledore returned in a silky, blue robe with colourful Chinese letters stitched onto the hems.
"Ready? Then I'll call a house-elf to deliver them. I am afraid Hedwig went with Hermione this winter and apart from that I feel it's safer not to have an owl fly to London. It might get intercepted and the risk is becoming greater since Voldemort can move more freely as of last year," the headmaster said gravely and motioned Harry to follow him.
There was only one big table in the Great Hall during the holiday break and since only two Ravenclaw seventh years had remained to study, there were only nine persons currently residing at Hogwarts, save the house-elves and ghosts.
Eight of them where sitting around that table in silence. Sybill Trewlaney obviously preferred to stay inside her tower. Therefore seven pairs of eyes stared at Harry Potter, who had just sat down next to Madam Pomfrey. The headmaster clapped and food appeared on the golden platters and dishes.
Filius, Minerva and Poppy looked at him, the Charms teacher with relief, the women with teary eyes. Swallowing audibly Potter smiled at his head of house. White-faced, the Transfiguration professor got up and walked around the table towards him. Sitting on the empty seat next to him, she looked him over for any scratches and, finding none, she pulled him into a tight hug.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again, Mr. Potter, or I…" her voice broke and she sighed deeply before she let him go. Fondly, Poppy patted his shoulder and Harry felt like he was suffocating from all the kindness he surely did not deserve.
"Thank you," he mumbled and the headmaster cleared his throat.
"Well – now that everyone is back, I believe it's time to tuck in," the impossible man said cheerfully and Minerva returned to her seat. Filius regarded him with a warm look and Severus scowled at him.
"So will you finally spill what happened?" Minerva turned to Albus after they had left the hall.
"You already knew most of it. Harry left his relative's home after his uncle threatened him-"
Minerva threw him a sour glance that clearly said: I TOLD YOU SO!
"-and Severus found him in Knockturne Alley, where he ran into Pettigrew, but fortunately managed not to blow his cover. The false prophecy we fed Voldemort for such emergencies kept Harry alive and when Harry broke the Imperius, he left. I'm not sure how he did it. After Tom paid Harry so much attention we could not get him out earlier. I will ask him tomorrow, after he has slept a bit. From what Severus told me, he went through hell."
"I can only imagine that…" Minerva whispered and they parted in silence in front of the stone gargoyle. "I can only imagine…"
Hermione had landed on her bum in a dark stone chamber. She had no idea where she was or what time it was, but she had been in the room for quite some time now. A smoke-less torch was put into a ring in the wall and a large wooden door with iron angles had no lock, so it must be a Wizarding house.
Oh – how could she have been so careless?
Crying she curled up on an old table in one corner of the cell and pulled her legs to her chest. She was cold, frightened, hungry and she had to use the loo…
Narcissa smiled at her newest toy. The mudblood was huddled in the corner of the room, crying silently. She fully intended to make her suffer from the unknown situation a bit longer. Of course, officially she belonged to her master, but that didn't mean she could not have some fun with her first.
Combing her long tidy hair, she smiled into the mirror and put the last little diamond clip into the long strands before she got up and put a nice white gown over her new robes.
Humming, she twirled a small bottle in her hand, before descending the stairs to the dungeon…
Muahahhaha eep Smarsch!
