By Lady Lestrange
Chapter 6
Shades of Secrets
15 Reviews: I really hate blackmailing you into reviewing, but hey, I'm a Slytherin. It's in my nature, so when there are 15 reviews, for this chapter, the next one will magically appear. Love my readers and reviewers. Answers to the reviews follow the story.
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter characters and previous situations belong to JK Rowlings. No infringement is meant or implied. No money is made from this fanfic. Thanks JK.
Thank you to my faithful and hardworking beta, ennui deMorte+++
On the morning of the twenty third, the trio was sitting at Hermione's kitchen table having breakfast. Crookshanks jumped up on the table and curiously sniffed the food, but Hermione put him off of the table and onto her lap.
"Hermione," said her Mum warningly.
"I put him off of the table, Mum," said Hermione. "He just isn't used to tables full of food. He isn't allowed in the Great Hall." Hermione continued to pet the cat for a moment, but at her mother's frown, she sighed, put the cat down.
"Wash your hands," said Hermione's mum. Obediently, Hermione went to the sink to wash her hands.
Hermione's Dad had already left for work. Her Mum was planning on going in a little later that afternoon for the three o'clock rush when the phone rang.
Hermione's Mum picked up the phone and frowned. "Sure," she said reluctantly. "Tell him to come in this morning. I understand. No one wants to spend Christmas with a toothache, but make him aware he should have taken care of this last month like I told him."
"Going in to work after all?" questioned Hermione when her Mum got off the phone.
"Yes, I'm sorry, Honey," she said. "I thought we could spend a little time together. I could come back and pick you up for lunch—"
"No, it's okay," said Hermione, hugging her Mum. "You don't want to have to drive back here through the traffic during the day—"
"We'll see you tonight, by six o'clock sharp, then."
"I'll cook dinner," said Hermione, with a grin. "Seven o'clock, right."
"I said, I'm going to be out by five, and home by six, latest," said Hermione's Mum firmly.
"Right. Home by seven," repeated Hermione, still grinning.
"Ok, you're probably right," said Hermione's Mum with a sigh. "At least one more person will call in with a toothache, and I can't make them go through Christmas Day in pain, can I?"
"Of course not, Mum. I understand," said Hermione. "We'll be fine. We have a lot of work to do. We might walk over to the library. They're having a Christmas program and I want to show Ron and Harry some of the Muggle books anyway."
"More books," said Ron with a pained expression, and Harry laughed.
"I don't know how this compares with your Christmas celebrations," said Hermione's Mum, "but I hope you are enjoying yourself."
"It's great," said Ron with a grin. "No de-gnoming."
Hermione giggled and Ron put his arm around her.
A strange bump upstairs made them all look up. "That's a portkey," said Hermione uncomfortably.
"In your bedroom?" said Hermione's Mum, looking disapproving.
"No. The guest room. I had it set for the kitchen and then I thought: What if we had Muggle guests over for the holidays? Even grandma and grandpa would be nervous if someone just popped into their midst."
"Ok, I guess that's alright then," said Hermione's Mum. "Well, shouldn't you go see who it is?"
Hermione nodded and sprinted up the stairs followed by Ron and Harry.
Fred and George were standing in the hallway examining one of the Muggle pictures. "She looks a lot like you," Fred observed as Hermione came into the corridor.
"Great Grandma Granger," said Hermione.
"We weren't sure if we should come down," said George, "or just wait for you to come up. Are your parents home?"
"Yeah, Mum is. It's alright for me to have visitors though," said Hermione. "Come on downstairs."
"What happened at Hogwarts?" demanded Ron.
"That's just it," said Fred with a frown. "We searched everywhere."
"And he means everywhere," said George. "We even went in the really grungy secret passages that she hates. She's not there."
"Could you check the Map, Harry?" asked Fred.
"Sure," said Harry getting it and handing it to George, who shrugged and blushed as he ran his hand over the Map and then touched it sharply with a forefinger. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good," he said, opening the Map.
Ginny was no where to be seen.
"But the clock still says she's there, so that leaves two possibilities. Either she's in one of the warded Slytherin areas that don't show on the map, or—"
"She's in the Chamber of Secrets," finished Harry. "I'll go look—"
"I'm coming," said Ron, reaching for the portkey.
"Wait. Wait. Wait," said Hermione. "We can't just leave. We have to give my Mum some excuse. Come downstairs with me. We'll tell her—um—what should we tell her?"
"There's been word on the whereabouts of our sister. We'll be back as soon as we find out something," said Fred.
Hermione nodded, and with her Mum sending her good wishes for Ginny's safe return, they reached for the portkey. "Um—if it's late,' said Hermione, "we may just wait until tomorrow to return. Sorry about dinner."
"Ok," said Hermione's Mum hesitantly, but Hermione didn't wait for further questions, she grasped the portkey and said, Fizzing Wizzbies, the twins' activation word.
++
The twins, along with Harry, Ron and Hermione, appeared in the twins' dorm room.
"We didn't want to make this to anywhere common," said Fred, "after all, we aren't supposed to be here."
"That's correct, Mr. Weasley," said a cold familiar voice. "You are not supposed to be here."
They all whirled around to see Professor Snape standing in the doorway of their room with his wand drawn, glaring at them.
"Professor," said Hermione.
"You can't—This is Gryffindor!" said Ron.
"Our room," sputtered Fred.
"This is an invasion of privacy," snapped George indignant.
"This is also a school," said Snape, pocketing his wand. "A school which is currently closed. A school whose Anti-Apparition wards are down. An unauthorized portkey coming into and out of the school, not once, but twice—you should have realized it would be investigated. I would have thought better of you, Miss Granger. I can understand you boys are worried about your sister, but you'll have to restrain your Gryffindor urges. You cannot rescue her."
"Yes, we can!" snapped Ron.
"Ten points," began Snape, but Fred interrupted him.
"You can't take points. School isn't in session."
Snape glared at him, and said flatly, "Your sister has a Dark Mark. He can call her back at any time. She is his."
"No," said George sinking onto his bed. "She doesn't."
"She can't," echoed Fred.
Ron scowled at Snape and Hermione reached out to catch his hand. Hearing what they all feared confirmed was more than any of them could handle.
With every word that Snape spoke, the Weasley boys seemed to sink further within themselves.
"Don't interfere," Snape continued. "You will only make it more difficult for her. I suggest you go back to your family and enjoy your holiday as best you can."
"Easy for you to say!" snapped Ron. "My family is torn apart. I can't even go home without seeing her face in every one of my brothers."
"Be thankful you have a brother," said Snape coldly, glancing at the twins. "Several brothers in fact." Something in his tone brooked no argument from the Weasleys.
"Where are you going, Potter?" he snapped, looking at the boy who was nervously bouncing from one foot to the other, and backing away.
"Um—bathroom?" said Harry, rather uncertainly, trying desperately not to think of the dream he had the night before.
Snape sighed and waved him into the bathroom that was adjacent to the boys' bedroom.
Once inside, Harry locked and warded the door with the most complicated ward he knew. Then he examined the sinks. He supposed it was too much to ask to have this bathroom be an entrance to the Chamber too. It wasn't. Well, there was no help for it. He knew Snape would be on him in a minute, but hopefully he would already be out of reach by the time Snape figured it out. He was just thankful the Anti-Apparition wards were still down.
Harry raised his wand and Apparated to Myrtle's bathroom.
Myrtle screeched at him. "You're a boy! You can't just Apparate into a girl's bathroom—Oh, it's you, Harry."
"I need your help, Myrtle," said Harry. "I'm going to be followed. Can you keep someone from Apparating into your bathroom?"
"I can make them wish they didn't," said Myrtle with a sly smile.
"Would you do that for me?"
"What will you give me?" asked Myrtle, pouting.
"What do you want?"
"Well—"
"Hurry up, Myrtle. Snape will be here as soon as he gets through my ward," snapped Harry.
"You don't have to be so mean," said Myrtle, blushing. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "A kiss," she said.
Harry sputtered, a little surprised, and a lot disgusted. "Can you do that?" he asked.
"Yes," she said, blushing silver.
How did he get himself into these things? He should have just dove for the Chamber and worried about the consequences later. He thought about doing just that and hissed "{Open}" to the sink. It slowly began to sink out of sight opening the Chamber of Secrets. At the same time, the light of an Apparition appeared in the corner of the bathroom.
"Hurry. Hurry. Hurry," muttered Harry, looking at the sink.
Harry threw himself down on his belly, trying to wriggle into the opening before it was completely open. He slipped in and hissed "{Close}" before Snape could follow.
Behind him he heard the shriek of an irate ghost and Snape's spell. He hoped Myrtle was alright. For all that he didn't want to kiss her; he didn't want Snape to hex her. Could a ghost be hexed? He wondered as he slid into the Chamber, and hissed "{Open}" again to the Chamber's twin stone basilisk guardians.
"{Is the other speaker here?}" he asked immediately.
"{No,}" said the stone basilisks in unison.
"{She isn't?}"
"Har-rey?" came a singsong voice behind him. He turned. Myrtle. His heart sank. Well, a deal was a deal.
She flew rather close to him and settled down near the threshold to the Chamber. "I can't actually go in there." Her form rippled which Harry assumed was a ghost's form of a shiver. "Nasty things in there."
"Well, um—" said Harry, not exactly sure how to proceed. It crossed his mind that he could just duck into the Chamber and be rid of her, but of course, she would just be there when he came out.
"I've never been kissed," admitted Myrtle with a silvery blush. "I was almost—Tom said to close my eyes, but I just wanted a little peek at him—He was so handsome—just like you—and then I died."
"Tom Riddle?" said Harry, the memory of Voldemort in his dream appeared unbidden, and Harry took a deep breath, wondering once again if Myrtle's death was an accident or a murder.
"I thought Olive Hornby was teasing you," said Harry.
"Oh, she was. She was teasing me about Tom Riddle. She said I could never get a fellow like him. That he didn't know I existed, but he did. Of course, I think you're much handsomer," she said with another silver blush.
"After we're done—um—kissing—" asked Harry. "Do you think you could do me another favor? Help my friends—"
"You haven't even kissed me for the first favor," said Myrtle stomping her foot.
"I will," said Harry.
"Now," said Myrtle petulantly.
"Okay," said Harry licking his lips. Should you lick your lips before you kiss a ghost he wondered, but there were other questions. Where did you put your hands, when they slipped right through the girl?
She leaned in and he felt a brush of cold against his face—his lips and he attempted to participate, feeling the icy touch like a tasteless icepop in his mouth, and a shivering feeling like magic over his skin and then it was over.
"Oh, that was wonderful!" said Myrtle. "Do you think we could do it again sometime?"
"I don't know," said Harry, a little dazed by the cold.
Myrtle floated happily up through the ceiling, and Harry turned back to the stone basilisks. "{Where is the other speaker?}" he asked after a moment.
"{We do not know,}" the basilisks said in unison.
But Harry heard a sound in the Chamber ahead of him. He pulled out his wand. "Point me," he said, concentrating on the sound that he had heard. It had to be Ginny. He began to search.
Ginny wasn't in the Chamber of Secrets. Harry listened to the murmured parseltongue for several seconds until he realized without a doubt what he was listening to. It was a basilisk.
He gripped his wand a little tighter. Voldemort apparently took some of them and left some of them in the Chamber, perhaps as a safety catch, to breed later. Harry shivered, and stepped cautiously forward. Even though this basilisk was very young, it was still a threat to everything good and light. It was, after all, a basilisk.
"{Hungry,}" hissed the basilisk. "{SSSo hungry. Where is hisssuss?}"
There was very little hisssuss in the Chamber, thought Harry. Perhaps Dumbledore had spelled it to get rid of the rats after second year. Harry didn't know. But he did know there were few rodents for food available, and the Chamber was uncommonly clean.
The tiny head lifted from behind a stone, its tongue tasting the air delicately. "{Who comesss?}" it asked. "{Hisssuss?}"
Harry hesitated, looking at the iridescent colors on its head. The translucent eyelids were closed over its dangerous eyes, but it seemed to know he was there.
"{Not massster.}" The thing flicked it tongue in a decidedly petulant mood. "{Massster left Shesha. Mussst ssstay in warm sssand,}" it said. "{All thingsss necessssary are here. No. Not here. Lonely. Gone bitemates. Gone hisssus. Hungry. No hisssus.}"
Harry gritted his teeth and pointed his wand. Its name was Shesha. It was a basilisk. No matter that it was little now. It would grow into a monster like the one that had killed Mrytle and petrified so many students in second year. It was just like the one he killed in second year. It had to die.
"Avada Kadavra!" He shouted, as if shouting the words would make them truer.
The serpent twitched with the impact of the spell, and turned its head toward Harry.
"{Sheiss!}" it said weakly, and crumpled to the ground.
Panting, Harry rushed to it, uncertain of what he wanted to do. His head reeled with the idea that the basilisk had called him Sheiss, a predator, a killer, something he had never seen within himself.
"{Are you alright?}" he hissed anxiously in parseltongue. It didn't move. "{Shesha? Are you alright?}" Harry asked again. He reached out and touched the cool scales and sensed life there. It was still alive. He couldn't even kill a snake.
Just great, he said to himself. Dumbledore tells me I have to kill Voldemort or he will kill me and I don't even have a strong enough intent to kill a snake—a baby snake at that!
It twitched again painfully, and Harry knelt beside it, wand raised. He should kill it. It needed to die. He was at point blank range. He couldn't miss. He licked his lips. He could try again—a stronger intent. He could do it right now. Now, he told himself. For a moment, he let his wand drop to his side, and then he raised it again with resolve.
"Medico," he said softly.
The serpent raised its head and bit him, viciously sinking its needle like fangs into his wand arm, and pumping an impossible amount of venom into him. Immediately, the burning cascade of venom swelled his arm to twice its size. He felt as if his arm would explode with the pressure, and then his arm seized up painfully, causing him to drop his wand. He closed his eyes against the tears, and the dizziness, thinking he should have killed it while he had the chance.
With a soft sound, he fell onto the Chamber floor and was still.
++
Ginny never did fall asleep. Perhaps she should have taken Snape's suggestion that she drink a potion, but she really felt like she needed to be awake and aware of what was happening these next few hours. Visha stirred uneasily, "{Hisssusss?}"
"{You are not hungry,}" said Ginny. "{I fed you yesterday. Snakes don't need to eat everyday.}"
"{I like to,}" said Visha petulantly, but Ginny didn't answer it.
"{I'm not a snake,}" commented Visha haughtily.
Ginny sighed; it wasn't like she was sleeping anyway. And who knew when He would let her come back to Hogwarts? She settled Visha on her pillow and did a warming charm. "{I guess I will to try to find you something to eat,}" she told the basilisk in parseltongue. "{You must stay here. I will be back soon.}"
All of her plans to save Tom from Salazar seemed to have gone awry. "How can I reach the part of Him that is you?" Ginny asked Tom as they entered the corridor.
"Ginny Love," said Tom. "I really don't think you can. At least not directly, and not without His knowing that I still exist."
"Maybe He wouldn't be so angry to know you exist—"
"Pfaw! He'd kill you so fast—no, let me amend that. He'd kill you slow—Very—Slow. This is one secret He can never find out. I warned you before—"
"I know you did, Tom. It's just. Well. He scares me."
"He scares me too," commented Tom. "Hell, He even scares Snape. Sorry."
Ginny smiled. She had never quite got used to Tom apologizing for swearing in his thoughts. His 1940's manners always sharply brought back the generation differences between them. It was just one more indication that what she had hoped to do was completely hopeless.
"You probably should relieve Snape's fears," said Tom. "It's obvious that he will figure out I'm here. He's a smart man. He knew about the diary, didn't he?"
"I don't know," Ginny said softly.
"Dumbledore would have had to tell him," said Tom. "Snape couldn't have worked so closely with Salazar without that critical information, and now, you have critical information. If you are silent, Salazar will flush him out with innuendo and suggestion because Snape will doubt his safety. You have to tell him that he is safe—that you didn't reveal his spying activities to Salazar, unless, of course, you just want Salazar to kill him for us."
Ginny sputtered. "What?"
"Well, his name was mentioned in the list of cult members. Of course, he is useful at the moment, so I think he should be one of the last to die."
"Tom, I told you before. I am not going to kill anyone." How could he do that? Thought Ginny—be polite one minute and then the next be contemplating murder?
"Have you forgotten what they did to me?" spat Tom. "These are your memories now too." The thoughts of the horrors of the orphanage flashed in front of her: abuse, both physical and mental, the hours alone in the coal cellar, the fires, the lying, the times they called him demon child. The list went on and on, and she remembered it all as if it were hers. She could almost handle it, until Tom got to what they did to his mother.
"Stop," Ginny said covering her eyes as if that could make the memories go away. They didn't.
The images continued: manipulation of the Muggles by his wizarding family, the betrayal of his friends and lover. The bitterness was still there, hidden deep within him, but there nonetheless.
"I can't think about that right now, Tom," said Ginny. The cold, methodical logic with which Tom thought about killing the cult members unnerved her. Being in her head gave the thoughts an intimacy that she didn't want to admit to, and yet the thoughts also had the same impersonal yet familiar feel as a listing of potion ingredients to be used up.
"Why wouldn't I be logical, Ginny Love? Anything less would get us caught."
"Please."
"Very well," agreed Tom reluctantly. "I've waited this long. I can wait a little longer. In which case, you need to tell Snape that you did not betray him to Salazar."
Ginny hesitated, shaken by the barrage of memories. "But, how do you know for sure that I didn't betray him?" asked Ginny, as she peered out into the empty corridor.
"Because you inherited my Occlumency wards, just like you inherited my parseltongue.
"But you're not sure—" began Ginny.
"Yes, I am. It's the only explanation as to why we are still alive. He should have found out about my existence when you took the Dark Mark.
"You said that the real you, in Salazar's head, might have realized we were together and helped us.
"It seemed possible at the time, but having Occlumency wards also explains a great deal about St. Mungo's and why the memory wards had to be so strong. We can use this against Salazar."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't think you are strong enough to use the Legilimency, at least not without serious practice, but the wards are a natural gift, not a talent. That means they are equal to what Salazar has. It probably has him confused as—"
"But Salazar was an Occlumens and Legilimens too," commented Ginny. "Wouldn't that mean his powers, combined with yours, Tom, are twice as strong?"
"No," said Tom. "He—I would not share magic with Salazar. What Salazar has is only what he brought from the Chamber and what he has stolen from—Tom Riddle. I don't know the full extent of his powers and I don't want to test ours against his, but I would say you're pretty safe, especially if he doesn't want to hurt you, and he won't if he thinks you are the prophecy child."
"But I'm not," said Ginny.
"So—?"Ginny's heart did a little flip-flop. The implications of what Tom was suggesting was staggering. He wanted her to outright lie to and deceive a known Occlumens and Legilimens—deceive the Dark Lord. "That seems pretty risky," muttered Ginny.
"Risky!" shouted
Tom in her head. "Going to him was
risky, you stupid Gryffindor. You're in
now. You can't turn back. Sometimes I think you have the brain of a
flubberworm.
Ginny seethed. "If you're going to insult me—"
"OK, OK, don't get sore at me. It was just a thought—"
Ginny had reached the door to Snape's office. It was locked and warded. Uncertain of what to do, she wandered down the corridor, pausing at the third door, the opening to the haunted room. Curiously, she laid her hand on the knob, but she hesitated.
"Do you know who this ghost is?" she asked Tom.
"No, this room wasn't haunted when I was here," said Tom with certainty. "It was Carman's room."
"So you were in the girls' dorm?" she asked with a smirk.
"Occasionally," said Tom with an equal measure of smugness. "But not much after I showed her the Chamber." Memories that Ginny wasn't sure she wanted to see, inundated her.
She stepped back and attempted to shut them out.
"Don't ask if you don't want to know," Tom said with mirth.
Then all laughter died from her mind. The face of the ghost girl was pushed into the oak door as the ghost peered out at them from behind some kinds of wards that wouldn't allow her to come completely through the door. Her hooded eyes were dark and angry even in the ashen mist that was her face. It would have been a pretty face if the anger didn't mar it. Smoky wisps of blonde hair escaped the door. "Come in," she invited softly. After a while, she added, "I was going to be an Auror, you know."
"Really?" said Ginny, trying to hear the whispering that was coming from all around the ghost. The sound was elusive as mist, and repeated like the round of a song, overlapping with the previous words so that deciphering them was difficult. The voice whispered so softly it was almost out of her hearing. Ginny finally put the words together. "Die Death Eater— Die Death Eater— Die Death Eater—"
"Come in," the ghost invited again, smiling at Ginny.
"No," said Ginny, backing up quickly. "No thank you!" The ghost's high-pitched laughter followed her through the corridor as she sprinted back toward the room she had chosen, but just then she heard the banging of the outside door of Slytherin house. A second door slammed, and Ginny wondered if it was possible to make the stones of the dungeon shake.
Snape turned the corner, muttering about stupid idiotic Gryffindors, cape billowing, he came to a sudden halt as he recognized Ginny.
"Miss Weasley?" he said.
"Were you speaking about me?" Ginny asked softly.
"No, your brothers," said Snape hotly. "And Potter."
"They were here?" Ginny asked, her knees suddenly growing weak.
Snape grasped her elbow and dragged her several steps forward to his office. The black dog was still sound asleep in the corner as it was earlier today. Ginny wondered if Snape had just left it there, spelled to sleep all day.
"I knew I should have given you a potion," he snapped, pulling her into his office. "You didn't sleep at all, did you?"
"No," she said. "My brothers were looking for me, weren't they?"
"Yes, and you can't see them," said Snape, sitting at his desk and motioning her to a chair, the same one she had sat in earlier. She shifted uncomfortably on it.
"Apparently, they have an enchanted clock that tells your whereabouts," Snape continued. "I sent them packing."
"Oh," said Ginny softly.
"Well, except for Potter, the little twit; I can't believe he managed to evade me. It's been ages since a Slytherin did that."
"You don't know where he is?" asked Ginny incredulous.
"Oh, I know where he is," sneered Snape. "I just can't get in. I warded the exits though, so I'll catch him when he comes out."
"The Chamber of Secrets," breathed Ginny.
Snape looked at her curiously. "Miss Weasley," he asked. "Is there something you want to tell me?"
"Not yet," she said getting to her feet.
"No," snapped Tom, in her head. "We are not going to the Chamber of Secrets."
"Yes. We are," thought Ginny.
"No."
"Last I checked I still had control of my feet," Ginny told Tom.
"Miss Weasley," said Snape. "I can't allow you to go looking for Harry Potter. First of all, Headmaster Dumbledore will be here shortly, and secondly, I know you want to go home," he sighed, "but you can't."
"But why?" asked Ginny agonized.
Snape, still sitting calmly at his desk, steepled his fingers in front of his face and asked, "Where did He tell you to go?"
"Hogwarts," she said.
"Why?" Snape persisted.
"I don't know—I can't get the emerald."
"He told you to get an emerald which He knows you cannot get. Why do you suppose he did that?"
"I don't know. Maybe he made a mistake--"
"There was no mistake," said Snape. "It's about loyalty."
"I don't understand," said Ginny.
"I do," said Tom. "I should have thought of this before, Ginny Love. Of course he was testing your loyalty. He has something in mind for you to do, but if you leave Hogwarts, you will never have another moment of freedom until he is done with you. He'll keep you in chains, physical and mental."
"He's testing my loyalty?" whispered Ginny.
"Yes," said Snape. "Giving you the illusion of freedom to see what you will do with it, and, no doubt, he wanted you out of the way for His Christmas Surprise."
"Christmas!" cried Ginny. "Oh gosh, I can't believe I forgot. He's going to kill hundreds of Muggles Professor! We have to tell Dumbledore."
"Probably thousands," said Snape.
"You know," said Ginny. "You're going to help them!"
Snape shook his head. "No. I am not."
"But you're not evil.
I know you're not. How could you—"
Snape said nothing, and it slowly dawned on Ginny that Snape really was not going to help the Muggles. He was going to let them all die. A sinking feeling invaded her heart like her blood turning to ice. "You can't," she whispered. "You can't let them all die."
"Miss Weasley, if the Order of Phoenix were to amass to protect all these Muggles, which incidentally is an enormous task, what would Voldemort think happened?"
"He would think he was betrayed—by you."
"Or you," said Snape.
"I don't care," snapped Ginny, her eyes narrowing at Snape's cowardice.
"Calm down, Ginny Love," said Tom.
"I believe you need to temper your ardor," commented Snape dryly. "You've had a long and trying day. You should rest."
"I'm not tired," Ginny said stubbornly. "Some of us have difficulty sleeping knowing that thousands of people are going to die tomorrow night, especially if we can do something to stop it."
"You can do nothing," snapped Snape. He frowned at Ginny for a moment and then seemed to reconsider his approach. "According to Beatrice's owl, the strike is extremely widespread," said Snape. "We, at the Order, have already discussed what is the best course to take. There is some weather moving in—rain. It is relatively mild weather magic to drop the temperatures and freeze the rain. Half dozen wizards who can control the Elementals can move with the front, freezing the leading edge of the storm.
"It doesn't look like we did anything and we can hope the inclement weather will keep many of the Muggles home. That is the best we can do. We can only protect so many places at once. Besides, Dumbledore is worried that this is a diversion to cover up another strike at the wizarding world. We have to make priorities."
"Where do you think He will hit the wizarding world?"
"We don't know," said Snape. "There are several possibilities."
"All those Muggles," whispered Ginny. "I can't believe Dumbledore is just letting them die—"
Snape stood in one fluid motion, went to his cupboard and pulled out his pensieve. "I want to show you something," he said, touching the liquid with his wand. In it was an aerial view; someone was flying on a broomstick, high above the craggy snow covered forest.
"This was Durmstrang," said Snape as the castle came into view. The picture changed to a warm coastline. "And this was Beauxbatons," he continued. Again the picture changed to gray stone and she recognized the island of Azkaban. Finally it lit with the icy peaks of the Snow Castle. "Now," Snape said, pulling his wand from the pensieve and drawing a rough map with his wand in the air. "If I mark the points—"
"Four points," said Ginny. "Is it his protection?"
"Partly," said Snape. "But we believe he's moving to take a fifth, making a pentagram or perhaps he will reorient the points if he tries for a sixth."
"Where?" asked Ginny.
"Hogwarts and the Ministry building," said Snape. "We believe his influence reaches as far east as Russia and as far west as America, and we know virtually nothing about either of those places. Although his influence is presently concentrated here in Europe, he is bigger than any of us thought. Some of this was planted before his downfall, fourteen years ago and has continued to grow without his active support."
Ginny stared in horror at the glowing sections of the map that Snape had drawn. It looked like the Dark Magic had invaded the entire world, fanning out in all directions.
Snape took a deep breath. "I cannot change what I have to do in order to save a thousand Muggles, just like you cannot go home right now. You have a task that Fate has given you."
"But I'm just one person—" Ginny interrupted. "How much can it matter?"
Snape held up his hand, stopping her speech. "Fourteen years ago, the Order had a plan—a three part plan, three members of the Order to protect a woman, a child and a potion. A three part plan carried out for nearly a year, the woman, the child and the potion, never in the same place at the same time.
"But because the mother—an Auror, felt the need to be with her child, she broke protocol, risking her life, the life of her child and the whole wizarding world. She and her arrogant husband thought they were invincible. They thought the Fidelius Charm would be enough to protect them. It wasn't and because of that—incident—the spell nearly a year of work was forfeit. The spell was incomplete when Voldemort arrived. Salazar was supposed to be killed." Snape finished viciously.
Then Snape hesitated, as if uncertain whether or not he should continue.
"Harry," muttered Ginny, feeling as all of the air had just gone from her lungs. "This is about Harry Potter."
"Isn't it always about Potter," sneered Snape.
"But what about the Order member protecting Harry? Why would he give the baby to Lily when he knew it would endanger them?"
Snape made a strangled sound. "Perhaps she cried all over his robes, and told him she needed to be near her family," said Snape, staring fixedly at the wall. "Perhaps he was stupid and weak, and did what was easy instead of what was right." Snape turned to face her, his dark eyes intense.
Ginny stared at him.
"Why are you telling me this?" Ginny asked. "Why hasn't Professor Dumbledore told Harry? This doesn't have anything to do with me."
"I cannot answer for Professor Dumbledore's actions," said Snape shortly. "He doesn't want Harry to know the details, but you are in a precarious position, Miss Weasley. Knowing these details gives you an edge.
"Keep it from Voldemort as long as you can, but when you are threatened, you can let him know that the Order had a potion to allow the power transfer to work. It's an important potion. He will let you live because of it."
"It's a potion? But if he thinks it's a potion—"
"Let's get back to your problem," Snape interrupted. "The question really is why he could not see whether or not you were loyal. You said he searched you with his Legilimency."
"Yes, but there is something you should know," said Ginny, sitting back on the chair and gathering her courage. She said evenly, "I have the same Occlumency wards as he has--exactly the same."
A puzzled look crossed Snape's face, but he didn't look as surprised as she thought he would. The puzzled look dissolved as she revealed the whole story of first year. She told him about the diary and would have revealed that Tom spoke to her in her head now, but Tom stopped her.
"Let's not give him too many details, Ginny Love."
Finally she admitted why she had gone to the Dark Lord in the first place.
Her voice dropped to barely a whisper. "I wanted to save him—to save Tom—I—" Her voice faltered, and dwindled to nothing, but her thoughts did not. "I—I love him."
Such tenderness washed over her from Tom's thoughts that she caught her breath. "Oh Ginny Love—"
"Tom Riddle cannot be saved," Snape said bluntly.
Ginny stood mutely shaking her head.
"I believe, Tom Riddle exists only as a memory," said Snape his black eyes boring into hers, willing her to sacrifice Tom.
"I can't do this," muttered Ginny in a panic.
"Yes you can, Miss Weasley," said Snape, grasping her by her shoulders and turning her face to meet his. "You must strengthen your resolve, Miss Weasley, or you will die. Will you truly do what you must? Or bend to His Will and become a Death Eater in fact, as well as name? Make the decision now and never doubt it.
"He's testing your loyalty, Miss Weasley. If you pass his test, you will be a tremendous asset to the Light. If you don't, you will be dead and the Muggles you died to save will still die. You have a chance to do great things for the wizarding world, but there will be personal sacrifices. Never forget there is always a cost."
"He's not telling you the whole story," said Tom. "He's hiding something. Something significant.
"This time," Snape continued, "we aren't going to damage the magic of the monster. We are going to destroy it, whatever the cost."
++
When Harry awoke, he ached all over. He tried to move his arm, to grasp his wand but it was too much effort. The last time he hurt this much was when Samara's book bit him. Carefully he came to a sitting position and opened and closed his hand, forcing the fingers around his wand. He wondered how long he had lay unconscious on the floor. It was hard to tell the passage of time in the Chamber. He shifted uncomfortably.
The little basilisk was wrapped around his good arm and facing him with its flickering tongue.
"{Massster awakesss,}" it said.
Harry startled. "{I'm not your Master,}" replied Harry in parseltongue.
"{Yessss. Massster hass much magic. Massster hass much venom.}"
"{I feel like I've been run over by a herd of rampaging Hippogriffs,}" hissed Harry.
"{Ssssorry. Isss good magic, shared. Better than Sissahauss-A-Sissahauss. Now Masster take Shesha to bitematessss.}"
"{Bitemates? I don't understand.}"
"{Others of her kind—hive—pack—pride—}" the little basilisk continued to describe.
Harry choked. He couldn't imagine the basilisk describing its relation to its littermates like a pride, a typically lion group. "{I don't think so,}" said Harry, thinking of Voldemort. "{Anyway, don't you eat your–littermates—um—bitemates.}"
"{Only before eating the toad. Very hungry before toad. Thinking sissshauss. Eat and make them part of my power. Only sisshauss.}"
"{I see, so if you eat the toad first you no longer want to bite your siblings.}"
"{Oh, no. Biting shares self.}"
"{Ah-Then you no longer want to eat, destroy, Sissshauss your siblings.}"
"{Master is correct. Now, Master gives Shesha hisssus.}"
"{I don't have any hisssus,}" hissed Harry.
"{Hisssus,}" insisted the little basilisk, "{hisssus now. Shesha hungry. Sissshauss.}"
"{I'll see what I can do,}" said Harry. After several false starts, he climbed laboriously to his feet and placed his wand on his swollen hand. "Point me," he said, thinking of the exit between Slytherin and Hufflepuff. He dreaded the climb to Gryffindor Tower, but doubted that he could Apparate there in his exhausted state. How on earth was he going to explain Shesha to Ron and Hermione?
"{Master is sssad,}" said the basilisk.
"{Not sad,}" said Harry. "{Worried about the other speaker. I thought she would be here in the Chamber.}" Harry was thinking about Ginny and then his thoughts wandered to Beatrice and then Samara, covered with Voldemort's basilisks. "{And the speaker who holds your bitemates,}" said Harry. He decided it was prudent to say nothing to the hungry basilisk about Beatrice.
"{Yesss,}" replied the basilisk. "{Three speakers. They are worried too.}"
Harry stopped suddenly. "{They are worried? The speakers or the basilisks are worried? You know this?}" Harry hissed anxiously.
"{Worried,}" repeated the basilisk. "{No ssheiss, but much magic. Perhaps death.}"
"{Is Samara still near death?}" Harry asked, knowing as soon as he asked, this conversation would yield no information. Even if the basilisk sensed something from its litter mates, it wouldn't understand Harry's concept of time, so he would have no idea if what it told him was in the past or present.
"{Death,}" intoned the small serpent. "{Smells death.}" And then abruptly, the snake was back to its present concern. "{Needsss hisssuss.}"
Harry climbed out of the Chamber to be met by Myrtle in the corridor that connected the Chamber with the bathroom.
"Hello Harry," she said in her singsong voice.
"You're out of your bathroom," said Harry.
"They're all gone," she said softly. "But the Weasley twins left a portkey in your room. They were marvelous, working their way around Minnie. I don't think a Slytherin could have done better," she beamed.
"Minnie?" asked Harry.
"Oh, Minerva McGonagall," said Myrtle. "But, of course, they didn't even say thank you for my help. She sent them home and Snape set a ward for you in the bathroom.
"Where's Dumbledore?" he asked.
"I don't know everything," said Myrtle. "But you might want to use the entrance in the kitchen, if you want to avoid Severus Snape.."
"I do. Thanks Myrtle." Harry grinned at her.
"That's not much of a thanks," Myrtle pouted, as he reversed track and headed for the kitchen.
"Oh, I'm really grateful," repeated Harry, "but I have to hurry. Maybe I can get a snack," He muttered more to himself than to Myrtle.
"{Hisssus,}" said the basilisk.
Myrtle stared wide-eyed at the little serpent on Harry's wrist. "What are you doing with that thing?!" she screeched.
"Well, I thought first I'd get us both something to eat," said Harry.
Myrtle shot up through the ceiling, leaving him alone with his basilisk.
++
Harry left the kitchen laden with food from the house elves. They even managed to find a live mouse for his snake. Although he missed his invisibility cloak, and had several close shaves with Peeves, he did make it back to Gryffindor Tower. When he got back to his room, it took him a while to find the portkey. Finally he saw it—the unmistakable shape of a Canary Cream.
He touched it, and rather than waiting for an activation word, the portkey immediately activated. He felt the familiar tug behind his navel and he was spiraling forward to some unknown destination. When the movement stopped he was in Hermione's kitchen and Sirius was sitting between Ron and Hermione.
"Well, it's about time, Harry," said Sirius irritably.
"Me?" returned Harry. "You were supposed to be here two days ago."
"Sh-h-h! Don't argue," said Hermione.
"Sorry," muttered Harry, looking around. "Where's your Mum and Dad?"
"Dental Association Christmas Party," said Hermione. "They weren't going to go." Hermione blushed and looked at Ron. "But Sirius showed up and said he'd stick around and chaperone."
"So, what took you so long Harry?" persisted Sirius.
"I couldn't find Ginny in the Chamber. It—um, just took me a while." He shifted uncomfortably, trying to push the basilisk further up his arm under his robe. No one seemed to notice and the basilisk, sated with food and the warmth from his arm, was sound asleep. He would, of course, have to tell Ron and Hermione about the basilisk, but he wasn't sure he wanted to tell Sirius.
"I'm sorry too," said Sirius. "I couldn't get away from the Order though. I was just telling Ron and Hermione about Fudge's latest trick. He wants all dangerous creatures to undergo a census. They have to list all their powers and be checked out and documented by medi-wizards. There are rumors that any that are deemed too dangerous will be relocated to holding camps, but Fudge denies it."
"I wouldn't believe a word that man says," snapped Ron.
"Professor Lupin," said Harry.
"Yes," answered Sirius, "and Hagrid too. Fudge even wants to screen the merpeople in the Lake to see if any of them have siren blood, but mostly that only occurs in oceangoing merpeople, not freshwater. Dumbledore told him he was being ridiculous, but Fudge wasn't inclined to listen."
"What about getting the girls back?" asked Harry.
Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "That, Harry, is a mighty difficult task. We had a plan. Actually, I was a big part of it, being an unregistered animagus, but I think we have to scrap it."
"Why?" asked Harry.
"Snape bought a Labrador mix—a real dog. It's a big ugly mutt. I told him it looks nothing like me."
"The plan," Hermione urged.
"Well, Snape took it with him twice now to Voldemort. He was going to take me the next time, along with some pain killers and a Living Death Potion for the child. We were going to stage a little dog catching a rabbit scene and then Snape could bring us both home." Sirius stopped and hung his head, a small sound caught in his throat that sounded much like a dog's whine.
"But Voldemort found the little girl who is a rabbit Animagus," Sirius said sadly. "She sent us an owl. We don't know if that was when she was captured or not, but she was Crucioed in her Animagus form." Sirius slapped the table with his open palm. "Why she didn't just transform—" Sirius shook his head sadly.
"Sirius? What does that mean?" asked Hermione. "Professor McGonagall said any spell done on an Animagus is dangerous—"
Sirius shook his head. "Cruciatus is different," he said. "You should know Harry, that in Crucio, the wizard thinks he is dying. If the wizard thinks he is dying, certainly the Animagus brain will think it is dying. The wizard loses control and the link between the two is shattered.
"When it is over, the wizard remains—not an Animagus—something less than an Animagus. Every Animagi knows he is a wizard even when he is in animal form. Cruciatus destroys that awareness. Medi-wizards believe that the wizard can't get back to human form because the wizard thinks he has died."
"Poor Beatrice," said Hermione. "Have they told her Mum?"
"I don't know," said Sirius.
"Well, we have to get the others out before something bad happens to them too," said Ron.
Sirius shook his head. "We need someone on the inside to help us, and it can't be Snape. His cover is already worn thin."
Hermione glanced at Harry, raising her eyebrows. Harry didn't need to be a legilmens to know what she was thinking. She thought they should take Malfoy's help. Of course, Ron was totally opposed to that. Harry hated being the tie breaker. He turned back to Sirius.
"What did the owl say?" asked Harry.
"Oh, I can't tell you that, Harry. Order business," said Sirius. "But Dumbledore is taking care of it."
"But—" said Harry.
"Yooo—Hooo," called a voice from the other room.
Harry glared at Sirius.
"Hey Mum," Hermione called back. "We're in the kitchen."
Hermione's Mum and Dad came in and kissed their daughter. "Did you have a nice chat?" her Mum asked.
"Oh, yes," said Hermione. "Sirius was just telling us how –um certain spells affect Animagi."
"Oh, right," said Mr. Granger, pouring himself a cup of tea and sitting at the table with the others. "Hermione says some witches and wizards can turn into animals. She's been working on it for quite a while now—"
"DAD!" Hermione snapped.
"Oh. Was that a secret, dear?" he asked innocently.
"I didn't know you were trying to become an Animagus, Hermione," said Sirius. "It's really hard to do on your own." He rolled his eyes. "I should know. I could help you if you like."
"That would be very nice," Hermione said softly. "Excuse me." She turned and hurried up the stairs after her mother, leaving Sirius, her Dad and the boys sitting at the kitchen table.
"Women," said Hermione's Dad shaking his head. "Who can understand them?"
"That's the same, wizard or Muggle," laughed Sirius. "Well, I should be leaving too," said Sirius.
"Good night, then," said Hermione's Dad, shaking Sirius' hand and then pulling at the tie at his neck. "I'll leave you to say good bye to your godfather," he told Harry as he followed the women up the stairs.
Sirius hugged Harry, and Harry panicked, trying to keep the basilisk on his arm from touching him or waking. He need not have worried. The little serpent was apparently exceedingly tired.
"I hope you'll come over to my place on Christmas Eve," Sirius was saying. "I have to tell you, it's sort of a zoo. Dumbledore thought that it would be the best place for Order of the Phoenix Headquarters." Sirius pulled a piece of parchment from his robe and touched it with his wand, making the ink appear before passing it to Harry. On it read:
Number 12 Grimmauld Place is the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters.
"You can show this to Hermione and then be sure to Incendio it. Only people who have been told the location by Dumbledore can see the place, and this was written by Dumbledore."
Harry nodded, and Ron reached out to take the parchment. "I'll go show this to Hermione right now and then Incendio it," he said, "so we don't forget about it."
Ron turned and hurried from the room, parchment in hand.
"And this is a portkey," Sirius added, putting a broken snitch wing into his hand. "The activation word is 'Fawkes.' It will only work on Christmas Eve, and you will find yourself on the street outside of 12 Grummauld Place. There's no floo and you can't portkey or Apparate directly. Otherwise I might have uninvited visitors."
"Uninvited? Who?" asked Harry.
"My relatives," said Sirius. "Aunt Carman or even cousin Narcissa."
Harry choked. "They're related to you?" he asked in amazement. "Malfoy is related to you?"
"Yes," sighed Sirius, "well, you and I both know, you can't choose your relatives."
"But Sirius, if they're related to you, couldn't you find out where they are right now? Isn't there some spell—"
"No," said Sirius shortly.
"But Sirius—"
"I have to go, Harry. I'll see you tomorrow." He reached out and ruffled Harry's already messy hair. "I love you," he said softly and Disapparated.
"Love you too," Harry quietly murmured to the empty room.
+++
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We have some fun and awesome discussions, and if fanfic is being ornery, I'll post the next chapter there.)
Trillium: Oh no. The whole point of the chapter was to make people hate Volde. You can't admire him. OK you can laugh about Valeriana seducing Snape.
Reiven: No Draco isn't. Re-read "The Chamber of Forever" in THE SEERS' TRUTH: THE BROKEN BEGINNING. I liked Nagini too, and Draco is coming soon a really cool Draco meets Samara's brothers chapter which I just loved writing. Hope you guys love it too.
Adaneth: Thanks for the review. More Draco soon.
Anonymous: Who is the real prophecy child?! Please read THE SEERS' TRUTH: THE BROKEN BEGINNING. I warned you, you would miss some stuff if you decided to read the sequel without the first book.
Emma_Trelawny: Yes, I know it was gross, disgusting, evil, sick but well, let's consider, Voldemort is the evil Dark Lord. Valeriana waited thirteen years. I was kinda hoping people would recognize him as EVIL instead of "He's kinda the bad guy, but kinda cool too."
Silverfox1: This was the very first time that Voldemort has said "Shut up, Tom," so I don't know if it qualifies as a favorite phrase, but I guess Volde has thought it often enough.
Sky: Lots more questions brought up this chapter. Sorry you won't get to know the answers for a while. Keep reading.
Jager: Glad you like the Tom/Salazar stuff. Lots more Tom/Ginny coming including some in the above chapter. Keep reading
Ennui deMorte: So I made your skin crawl. Exactly what I was aiming for—the snake and the ghoul. Interesting that you thought it was A GOOD THING Valeriana came in or Volde would have thought up some diabolical move for Ginny or Harry and company! Enjoy the Draco free chapter. As you know, my dear beta, more Draco is coming. And thank you for putting up with my tearing this chapter apart and putting in back together again and betaing above and beyond the call of duty. Excellent! WATCH FOR ENNUI'S FIC, COMING SOON.
Kemenran: insightful as always.
WesleyPeppers: Let's remember this was a Slytherin marriage. I doubt Valeriana married Desmond because she loved him. Of course, I don't think I'd call whatever Val and Volde have as love either. Thanks for your faithful reviews.
Have you reviewed yet? No? Go do it.
Lady Lestrange