Chapter 14: Practical politics consists in ignoring facts.

The staff room was abuzz with a full-blown debate as to which Quidditch team would win the cup. For a change, Ravenclaw's Head of house was supporting Slytherin's team. "Without Potter's help," Flitwick squeaked, "the Gryffindors lack heart--"

"Gryffindors have plenty of heart!" Minerva squawked from her chair by the fire. "Especially now that Potter is personally coaching Miss Weasley."

"A trainer who cannot fly and can only lecture. Hardly an awe-inspiring figure," Sinistra murmured from her mug.

Rowena rolled her eyes and went back to the mass of paperwork in front of her, most of which were undecipherable due to her brother's atrocious handwrit…hand-scrawl. The debate around her would probably end with a semi-friendly wager, and she would be asked to put her two Knuts in. She would, of course, support her old house.

She became so absorbed in her paper solitaire in front of her that she didn't notice when the Headmaster entered the room, followed by the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Only when the Headmaster bent down behind her and whispered, "Professor?" lightly in her ear, did she notice them.

"Hello, Headmaster, Minister. Is there something I can do for you, sir?"

Fudge shifted uncomfortably on his feet. Come think of it, Rowena mused, he did nearly everything uncomfortably. She had never respected the man, and being from a family that habitually did the opposite of current government policy hadn't helped Fudge to climb in her estimation. "With the return of…" Fudge started, then swallowed visibly.

"Yes, with his return?" she prompted.

"Well, it has come…it has been brought to our attention…the elder students need to…informed I should think about him…and his allies, of course…Under, of course, a proper Ministry approved instructor," Fudge added, gaining stride. "In a proper school setting and being told the official knowledge of Lord…him."

Rowena had to sort that out for a moment before summarizing, "You want me to give a lecture on Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters?"

"Well, yes…and--"

Rowena straightened up, whish really didn't do anything, as both men were quite a bit taller than her. "And why me in particular?"

Fudge started to stammer even worse than he already was. "You are…uh…are.. w-well um, best-best qualified…"

Albus was smiling into his beard by this time, but came in to rescue of the younger man. "You have a great deal of knowledge to share with the students, better than anyone else just spitting out words. You will actually know what you are talking about, so the students will listen."

Fudge nodded enthusiastically behind the Headmaster.

"Fine. Monday night?"

"An excellent idea! Start it right away. I believe, Minister, you wished to give Rowena the contents of the lecture."

Fudge pulled out a small scroll. "These are the main points. Feel free to phrase it however you will." He handed it her.

She read over the short list. "Brief."

"Concise," Fudge corrected. "A nice basic idea for the young ones. 30 minutes or so."

"Or so," she agreed, placing it on the desk.

"Well, shall we go? Leave Miss Snape to her marking."

"A pleasure as always, sirs." She waited until the doors closed behind the two before she picked the scroll back up. She laughed at it softly, muttering, "The tabloids do a better job than this." She tossed it into the fire. Gathering up her papers, she left the staffroom and deposited them in the office before coming back up lunch.

She was just stepping into the Entrance Hall when two owls flew past her and dropped two letters onto her head. Sighing, she paused and opened one.

We wish to extend our condolences on the death of Severus Snape. We think of you in your…

"Whatever," Rowena muttered, opening the second letter.

We were dismayed to hear of your brother's death…

"What is this, death by vote?" She tucked both of the letters into her cloak pocket and headed out onto the grounds for lunch with Hagrid. He had a few interesting looking creatures she'd never heard of that he was teaching the children to take of. She wanted to see the one that Nott had described as "a cat with a crab for a head."

Halfway across the snow-filled lawns, Hagrid's door opened to reveal Remus Lupin talking animatedly with the gamekeeper. He broke off when he saw her approaching and made his way down to her. "I've been looking for you, Rowena. Flitwick said you'd be out here for lunch. I couldn't find the Headmaster."

"He's out with the Minister today for lunch. The pub in Hogsmeade, I believe." They started walking away from a nearing snowball fight. Idly, Rowena began to pack her own snowball in her gloved hands. "Anything in particular you were looking for me?" Any word of Severus, she knew, would have been relayed straight to Dumbledore, meeting or not.

"I was in Oxford two nights ago on business when I wandered by your family's home."

"Must have been some dark business to be in that area, Professor. And to be there at night…" She shook her head.

"Well, it does pay to be a werewolf sometimes," Lupin said with a slight smile. "But," he continued, "when I was there, I noticed that there was a light on in one of the second story windows. Now, I thought that you had said that you closed the place up, unless you have one of those spells that turn on random lights when no one's home…" He trailed off when the color ran from her face.

"No," she whispered. "I had those lamps removed ages ago." She swallowed hard before asking, "Was there any--"

"No mark has been reported. I asked around before coming."

She nodded, but was not relieved. "They don't send up the mark for cowards or traitors. Look how much fun it was finding Karkaroff and Regulus Black. No mark for them, either." She tossed the snowball away, brushing off her gloves. "I think I should go and check the place out myself."

Dumbledore insisted she take a few Order Aurors with her, as it could very be a trap. With this delay, and arranging a place to meet when they apparated, it was nearly dusk. The hurried conference by Flow network agreed to meet in an empty sewer 20 feet from the back of the house.

Moody suggested they wait until morning, which nearly got his head ripped off by Rowena. Now decided that she needed to be there, she was unwilling to dilly-dally. In the end, Rowena and Remus would meet Kingsley Shacklebolt, Moody and Tonks. Tonks would be left behind as a lookout, with the plea of silence. Rowena knew there were a few things in her home that would bite back when knocked over.

Rowena walked beside him as they made their way to the edge of the forest. "You know," she said, "I'm going to feel like an idiot if it's just some Puffskein that managed to set fire to itself."

Lupin tried to smile. "I'll eat it for you if it is and say it was a stray clabbert, if you like."

"Thanks, but neither taste all that good."

A few paces later, they passed the castle limits and felt the slight difference in the air around them, letting them know they could Apparate. "Kingsley said we'd be going to the sewer, right? The one right by the back gate?"

Lupin blinked. "Yes. How--?"

Rowena smiled. "I used to use that to go on dates during the summer. Father's study window looks out after the willow tree, so I kept to the wall, down the grate, out down the pipe to the next street over, and meet my dates in the park."

Lupin laughed quietly, shaking his head. "Naughty girl."

"Severus knew I did it. He showed me how. See you there." She disapparted.

Author's Note:

Thanks a bunch for the people who have reviewed so far. I really appreciate it. Feel free to leave an email address, so I can answer any questions. Just so you know, this story is probably AU now, because I destroyed it once already for OotP, I won't for HBP. The library computers blew up (metaphorically) so they still have my copy of HBP! Cries they said the problem could take awhile, so I get to type this up instead. Mesa was #17 of 4396! Guaranteed to get a copy day one! cries some more

Chapter 15 soon, and in total there will 22 and Epilogue.