Chapter 8:

After the ball, Sirius helped a hysterical Kristin back to her room in the opera. Harmony took over for the rest of the night. Sirius wanted answers and knew where to get them. He needed to speak to the only other person who had regular contact with this Phantom. Sirius raced through the dorms until he found McGonagall's room. "Madame McGonagall! Please, I need to talk to you."

The door opened a crack and McGonagall peaked out. Upon seeing the Count Black, she opened the door wider. "Come in, sir," she said. Sirius did and McGonagall motioned for him to take a seat. "Would you like some tea, sir?" she asked, taking a boiling tea pot off the fire in her room's fireplace. Sirius politely declined and she poured herself some tea. She took a seat across from Sirius, blowing on the hot beverage. "What, may I ask, brings you here?"

"Madame, I think you know why I'm here," Sirius said. McGonagall shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Madame, you are the only one besides my fiancée who the Phantom communicates regularly with. Please help me. I have to understand what I'm up against."

"Who," McGonagall corrected. "He is human, Sirius, he is one of us."

"He's not only a composer, but a wizard like us?"

"A wizard? Yes. A composer? Yes. But he is so much more, sir," McGonagall said. She was now standing up, pacing her room, tea still in hand. "He's an architect, sir, he helped make Hogwarts the way it is. You should go see pictures of this castle before Severus came in, back when I was studying to be a ballerina."

"Severus?" Sirius asked. "This Phantom has an actual name?"

"Sir, do I need to remind you that he is human. He had parents, whose only kindness towards their children was naming him. They abandoned him because of his deformity. They sold him to a traveling circus, a roving band of gypsies. They traveled all over and Severus taught himself everywhere he went. He's a published poet, he's written articles published in different papers around the world. He can speak many, many languages. He's a genius, sir, a genius."

"But how does a sideshow in a gypsy camp end up here at the Hogwarts Opera House?" Sirius asked.

McGonagall sighed. "He was treated horrible in the gypsy camp, from what I could tell. They showed off his deformity for paying customers. One such customer was an Indian princess, who was impressed with a model palace the young Severus was building from scrap wood in the camp. She bought his freedom and had him design a palace. There's a rumor that she was sadistic and he designed a torture chamber for her. He won't confirm or deny the story. Once that was done, he asked her permission for her to return to England. She granted it."

Sirius was confused. "He told you all of this?"

"No," McGonagall confessed. "Severus is a very private man, for very obvious reasons. I found out his story from an inspector from Persia. There was some suspicion about a strange death, a worker who had helped built the palace and started the torture chamber rumor. But nothing could really be proven. We meet when he suspected Severus had moved in to the opera house. I was already a ballerina, engaged to a stagehand. The manager at the time, Dippet, wanted to expand the opera and give it a new look. Severus helped, albeit as a shadow. That's how we met. No one, not my husband and for a long time, my daughter, knew that I had befriended him and that I took care of him.

"Then Richard came to be the opera's first violin. That's when Severus first saw Kristin, but he didn't pay her any mind. Richard wanted her to be in the opera company, but I knew she had no hope for a career in a ballet. She tripped over everything, as you must remember. Then her father died and I took her in. I heard her sing and knew that's where her future was. That's when Severus heard her. He started to teach her, but grew more obsessive as she grew older. Please, understand that he hasn't known proper love. He knows nothing else, sir."

McGonagall sat down, placing down her cold tea on the table between her and Sirius. The Count sighed and leaned back. "But my dear McGonagall," he said, "that's where the trouble lies. His inability to love makes him evil. Good night." With that, Sirius left the room.

"He's not evil. Just misunderstood," McGonagall murmured to the noble's retreating back.

The day after the masquerade, the managers were sitting in their office, nursing hangovers from hell. They didn't speak, just angrily pushed papers around on their desks. The libretto of "Don Juan Triumphant" sat on Lupin's desk and he began to read it out of curiosity. Now, Remus Lupin would be the first to admit that he knew hardly anything about music. But even he could tell this wasn't the greatest opera ever written. He remembered running into the Count Black late last night (or maybe it was early this morning?). Sirius said that their Phantom was a "genius." Lupin, as of that minute, doubted that greatly.

"Here, Dumbledore," Lupin said, tossing the libretto to his fellow manager. "Read it. Tell me that is not the most awful thing you have ever read."

Dumbledore flipped through the book. "Oh, I try to look for the best. But even I have to admit, this is pretty bad."

"Pretty bad? You're being kind. It is downright awful. We can't produce this—the people will walk out. We'll lose patrons!"

"But we can't afford another chandelier! Or to replace anything else!" Dumbledore exclaimed as he sorted through the papers on the desk. His stomach dropped when a familiar seal graced two letters. "It has started again," he said, tossing Lupin his letter.

"Dear Lupin," Remus started. "In regards to my opera, you need to replace on of the bassoons. The man simply should not be allowed to play—he's completely tone deaf. Get someone professional!"

Dumbledore opened his letter. "Dear Dumbledore," he began and then sighed. "My opera—I'm afraid to say that your chorus needs to be remade. Have Flitwick do some actual work and listen to them, find those who can sing properly. Tell him to do it carefully—I have already given a smaller role to someone well deserving."

Dumbledore hadn't the time to start mocking the Phantom's latest attempt to insert himself into their opera when the door burst open. Lupin immediately ducked behind his desk as a very, very angry Narcissa stormed in, followed by the equally upset Fudge. Their entourage blocked most of the door, dashing Dumbledore's chances of escaping. "Remus, you bloody coward," he whispered before turning his attention to the fuming prima donna. "Madame! What a pleasant surprise!"

Narcissa, however, did not find the situation pleasant and told Dumbledore off promptly. "Pleasant? No, it is an outrageous day! I have been insulted—have you seen the size of my part in this Merlin-forsaken opera? It is so small, it's nonexistent practically! I am the diva, not a chorus girl," Narcissa ranted. Suddenly, the Phantom's notes started to make sense to the managers.

"La Cissa, please, we have no control over this opera," Dumbledore explained softly. "If it were up to us, you would have the main part."

"If it were up to us, the opera would not be done at all," Remus snapped back. He turned to Fudge. "Good sir, what is your problem?"

"The same as yours, Lupin. This opera is trash! There are better—what do you call them, sweetie?"

"Call what, darling?" La Cissa replied, curtly.

"Those other shows that include music but you think they are just opera wannabes?"

"Those musical theatre productions?"

"Yes, those," Fudge said. "I have seen better musical productions than this opera. And that is saying a lot."

"I actually liked some of those musicals," Remus replied before turning on Dumbledore. "I wanted to back those. But no, you said it would be better for us in society if we managed an opera house. Of course, we get an opera house with a controlling phantom. If we had done what I wanted, we wouldn't have this problem, Albus."

"Remus, SHUT UP!" Dumbledore yelled as Sirius escorted Kristin into the room. Everyone stopped and stared at her. She began to twist nervously.

Narcissa broke the silence first. "Ah, here's our prima donna," she said, sarcastically. Kristin looked confused until Dumbledore spoke up.

"The Phantom has selected you to be the leading lady in his opera."

Narcissa laughed hollowly. "Kristin Wright will never be able to sing this. I can barely sing this, and we all know how spectacular my voice is."

"La Cissa, please," Remus pleaded, suddenly remembering that the Phantom was everywhere in Hogwarts.

Sirius turned to Dumbledore. "So, you are going to do this?"

"We have no choice in the matter, sir. I wish we did."

Narcissa, however, was not done attacking Kristin. "This is all her doing. Watch out, Count, she's a sneaky little one. She's tricked the Phantom into encouraging her career and ruining mine. She is the one behind this, not the Phantom!"

"HOW DARE YOU!" Kristin exploded. For all the time the people in the room had known her, they had never seen the young opera singer enraged. Now, she was breathing heavily and glaring at Narcissa. "I should hex you right on the spot."

"Go ahead. Try. But I'm not blind to who you are."

"Obviously you are. You want to be the lead, fine, be the lead. I don't care. I don't want to do this opera," Kristin said. Immediately the managers jumped down her throat.

"Kristin, you can't," Lupin said. "You just can't."

"It's your decision," Dumbledore encouraged before doing a one-eighty. "But you should reconsider. You are desperately needed."

"Don't you see?" Kristin pleaded. "I can't do it. I simply can't." Sirius encircled her and began rocking her slowly.

"I have a note," McGonagall said, disturbing everyone in the room. Once they got their wits, several people lunged for it at the same time. She held it higher. "I will read it, thank you very much. My fond greetings to all present, I have some more pointers before rehearsals begin on my opera.

"Narcissa needs acting lessons. Desperately. Her role, tiny as it may be, calls for more than her usual prancing in fine clothing about the stage. Fudge needs to lose some weight and improve his voice. It won't do for our Don Juan to be so weak, nor can that weight be healthy for Fudge. And as for my managers, please learn to keep yourselves out of the operas and focus on the administration instead. Now for Miss Kristin Wright…our leading lady. She is more talented now than La Cissa ever was, but if she wants to surpass herself, she needs help. If she will just come back to me, I can help her. After all, I am her teacher.

"Your obedient, et cetera," McGonagall ended. There was a moment of silence before Sirius took center stage.

"Don't you see?" he asked. "This is our chance! We have the opportunity to end this Phantom's reign of terror over us. We turn the tables on him and use his opera to catch him. If Kristin sings, he will most certainly be there—in box five."

"You may be onto something," Lupin said. "We ask the ministry for extra Auror protection, ward the doors, and when the opera's over—so is he!"

"Impossible," McGonagall said.

Dumbledore responded. "No, it'll work. Everything will change in our favor!"

"You are all fools! Nothing will change!"

"Are you with us or against?" Sirius asked.

"Sir, I do not wish you harm, but remember—we have seen him kill!" McGonagall said, bringing up memories of Hagrid's untimely demise. Narcissa was still blaming Kristin, joined now by Fudge. Sirius and the managers were still going on about their plot to bring the Phantom's downfall while McGonagall cautioned them against it. Meanwhile, all the noise was circling faster around Kristin, growing louder and louder as she kept hearing Severus' message to her. Finally, she threw her hands over her ears and yelled.

"Will you all SHUT UP before I LOSE MY MIND!" The noise stopped and Kristin turned to her fiancé. "Sirius, I'm scared. I can't do this, you can't make me do this. McGonagall's right, your plans will fail. He's already using his opera as bait—for me! If I perform, I won't ever see you again. He'll always be there. He's there, the Phantom of the Dungeons, inside my head."

Everyone stared at Kristin's admission. Only Narcissa spoke the words many were thinking. "She's a loon."

Sirius shot the prima donna a look before turning to his love. "You said yourself he is nothing to fear. He's human, like us. And until he's six feet under, we won't find peace."

"I'm torn," Kristin said. "What should I do? Should I betray my angel, the man who made me who I am today? But lately, he's not an angel, he's a demon. He kills, he torments, he threatens and he delights in such. If I do this, Merlin, what fate do I face in this opera?"

"Kristin, I love you and don't forget it. But everything—everything, Kristin—is in your hands now," Sirius responded. Kristin slowly backed up and ran from the room, tears streaming down her face.

"I can't," was heard as she fleeted. "I just can't."

Sirius shook his head as her form disappeared. McGonagall pushed past him and ran after her. He turned his face upwards. "You wanted war, Phantom, well then you shall have it!"

And somewhere, up in the ceiling, Severus smiled. He watched Kristin run crying and as much as he longed to comfort her, he needed to stay behind. "Yes," he replied to Sirius' unhearing ears. "It is war. And it looks like I'm winning."

A/N: Wow, it's been a long time hasn't it? Well, unlike the EL trilogy, this one is being written one chapter and then I post it. I'm back at college, meaning the work should be starting soon. As well as club work too. But thanks to all my lovely reviewers:

cerzee: Thank you. And you're right; they are two of the hottest men ever—if not in the tradition sense like all the guys on my college suite's "wall o' hunks"

SarahtheBardess: I see you liked the emoticons. And yes, McGonagall is the realist in the group, worrying about money and other practical things. Of course, Dumbledore and Lupin aren't like this, but they are taking on the personalities of the managers. Probably adding another dimension to the nightmare.

Well, for everyone back in college, I wish you the best luck. For everyone back in school, same thing. For those still on vacation…I hate you, very much. I also found out that Howard McGillin is returning as the Phantom in October. Yay! He was the Phantom when I saw the musical, so that makes it better. Cheers! Mac