Chapter 11

Her wings were aching as she finally reached the mountains of Scotland. She had been able to fly again without any problems, each bone and feather in her body remembered what it felt like to be airborne, even seemed to have longed to fly again. And yet she tired more easily than she had before her rest. She was totally out of shape.

Raven sighed, searching for a place to rest. Black feathers glistened in the sun as she sank down on the branches of a lonely elm tree. The tree was dying. She could sense the beetles eating their way through the wood, could feel the life slowly trail out of the tree. It hurt. The tree was not exactly sentient, but it hurt. Raven forced back a choked sob. It was exactly why she had decided to disappear, why she had hoped that if she just stayed away from the world long enough death might come to her. She longed to enter the Otherworld. For centuries she had watched the world around her chance and die, only comforted by the heirs, by the family she was sworn to protect. And then?

She hopped down a few branches, quickly catching one of the beetles, which had dared to come to the surface. The last living heir had abandoned the cause. He had turned dark, had subjected himself to a life in the servitude of the Dark Lord and thus damned the world to darkness.

She swallowed, wincing as a foul taste was left in her beak. She had helped his parents to raise him as a protector of the old faith, as a follower of the Great Mother, but Severus had betrayed them all. How could the gods have allowed that to happen? She still could not understand it. It was not just.

And now he needed her. She could feel his presence somewhere in Scotland, could feel that he was in danger and that she was the only one, who could truly help him. But how was she supposed to face what he had become? Years had passed since he had turned dark and she dreaded meeting him again. And yet her visions had been clear. He needed her and she was supposed to help him. The Sleeping King and the Great Mother both demanded it.

With another sigh she jumped, relishing in feeling the wind brush over her feathers, on the soft breeze whispering over her back. She could not disobey. The will of the goddess was clear. The last rays of the setting sun followed her, caressing her feathers as she continued her journey. Severus was close.

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Hermione grimaced as she stared at the cauldron in front of her. How could a single cauldron become this dirty? A sticky, blue mass clung to the metal, littered with some half-cooked roots and other things she could not identify anymore. Maybe she could cast just a quick charm to ban the risk of accidentally poisoning herself?

She threw an irritated glance at Malfoy from under her lashes.

No, she decided. She had this damned detention with Draco and he was sure to tell Professor Snape if she used any magic. After all, they were supposed to serve their detention without magic. She eyed the strange mess for another minute. Snape had assured her, that there was nothing poisonous in the cauldrons they were supposed to clean but what if? There was nothing more dangerous than a potion gone wrong. What if the Professor erred?

"Go on Granger, do it," Malfoy gave her an exasperated glare. "Just do it. I don't feel like cleaning all these cauldrons myself only because you felt more content glaring at the damned things. You can't look the potions away."

"I know that." Hermione snapped. How typical of Malfoy to say something condescending. Suddenly she remembered the first part of what Draco had said. "Go on and do what?"

Draco's eyebrows rose in an almost perfect imitation of Snape. "Come again, Granger?"

"You said I should go on and do it," she explained, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ears as she stood up from where she had been kneeling. "What did you mean?"

"I meant," Draco paused for another suffering sigh. "That you should go on and cast whatever charm you were thinking of doing instead of letting me do all the work."

"I was not going to let you do all the work!" Hermione blushed. "And I'm not stupid. You'd tell Snape."

"No." Draco grabbed a brush and half-disappeared into the cauldron he had decided to start with. "I will not tell Snape. Now get it on."

Hermione blinked a few times. "Why would you not tell Snape?"

"Why would I?" Draco's hollow voice came from inside the cauldron.

"Because..." Hermione frowned. Somehow this conversation was more than surreal. "Because you are a Slytherin." She finished lamely.

"I give you my word as a Slytherin, that I will not tell on you, Draco's head reappeared. Small, blue bits clung to his hair. "My word of honour," he added after a while. "Now, will you start?"

Hermione's jaw was set as she crossed her arms over her chest. "And why should I believe you?"

Draco grinned. "Because Slytherins are clever and cunning, but not necessarily lyres as well."

Hermione stared at him for another minute at last before she finally nodded slowly. Maybe. For some strange reason Draco with blue goo sticking in his hair was much more trustworthy than the usual sneering Draco.

"Very well." She glared at him, just for good measure. "But you will suffer if you tell on me."

"Of course I would," Draco agreed, throwing a scrub at her, which she failed to catch. "Snape would hex me for not stopping you."

Hermione just rolled her eyes and, after casting the charm, went to search for the scrub under the worktables. There were a lot of cauldrons to be cleaned and she still had to do some homework. The transfigurations essay was due tomorrow.

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At the same time a certain Ronald Weasley was even unhappier than Hermione. Why oh why did Snape have to give him a detention with Filch? And why had he insisted on supervising Harry's, Hermione's and Draco's detention himself? It made no sense. Unless Snape had a specific reason for letting go of another chance to torture him. But which reason could that be? Was Snape planning to do something even nastier to him?

"Get yourself over here and start cleaning instead of staring holes into thin air!"

"Yes, Mr Filch." Ron sighed, finally picking up the bucket. Life was unfair.

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"Block Potter!" Snape barked angrily. His black robes whirled angrily around him as he once more paced through the empty hall. "You are supposed to block!"

"Yes Sir." Harry's eyes narrowed dangerously as he stared at his potions professor. This so-called lesson was even worse than the usual detentions. Snape had been attacking his mind for half an hour and so far he had managed nothing more than a weak barrier.

"That pitiful excuse of a shield you are putting up is nothing!" Snape continued his tirade. "How do you expect to protect yourself from the Dark Lord? You are supposed to keep me out!"

"I am trying Sir," Harry rubbed his temples. "Maybe if you could explain-"

"Legilimens!" Snape whirled around, his wand once more pointing at Harry.

Harry groaned staggering back with the impact of the spell. He could feel Snape's mind brushing against the surface of his consciousness, could feel the professor's presence probing his memories, digging deeper and deeper into his thoughts. Pictures rose in front of his eyes.

The Dementor that had attacked him in the park, Sirius vanishing into the veil at the ministry, Bellatrix Lestrange casting her curses...

"No..." he whimpered, wrapping his arms around himself. "Get out..."

"Block Potter!" Snape's voice was muffled, as though he was speaking from a great distance. "Shield your mind."

"Cannot..." Harry gasped, staggering back against the cold stone wall. Everything around him was so cold. The shape of the Dementor appeared in front of him once more; the void within the hood drew nearer. Harry could feel the Dementor open its mouth, could feel that it was getting ready to give him the kiss.

"Out!" He yelled, dropping to his knees as a blue flash of light suddenly blinded him. His knees hit the floor with a hollow thud. Pain soared through his legs, numbing his whole lower body. He was still shivering with remembered cold.

Harry looked up, staring in shock at what he saw. He was standing in a cave. There were even some trees and some sort of statue in the middle of it. A blue half-moon glared down from the roof about him with a harsh golden glow. He clutched his stomach, staring incredulously at Snape, who was standing next to a small, black-haired boy and a raven. Snape's face was twisted with rage.

"How could you Potter?" The snarl did not sound even remotely human. "Get out now!"

Another flash of light hit Harry squarely in the chest, knocked him off his feet and sent him flying again. Dumbfounded Harry blinked a few times, staring up at Snape in surprise. He was back in the Room of Requirement, sitting in the middle of the training area Snape had chosen for their lesson. The professor's face was still contorted in anger.

"I don't know how you managed to do this Potter," Snape said in a deadly quiet voice. "But if you ever again break into my mind I will hex you into the next millennium, no matter what Dumbledore says. You are supposed to block me, not to force your way into my mind."

Harry nodded dumbly, still unable to understand what had happened. Somehow Snape's words were just not registering with him.

"And now get out you damned Gryffindor!" Snape yelled, clenching his fists at his sides. His whole body was shaking with anger as he watched Harry scramble to his feet and hurry out of the room. He should have been able to see it coming. The boy had certainly been angry enough.

Snape shook his head at the closed door. Sometimes his teaching methods worked too well. Harry had skipped the defense and instead gone immediately over to the much more difficult counter-attack. The brat was too good for his own good.

"Damn it!" He cursed. Just another little problem he had to inform the headmaster of. Why did it always have to be him?"

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Lucius grumbled something incomprehensible as he paced over the lush carpet in his luxuriously furnished study, every now and then stopping in front of the elegant teak table to stare at a certain parchment. A parchment, whose contents gave him a headache. Draco was getting too close. And Snape was still in the way. He had to get rid of the man. And the only thing he could do was wait.

He paced back to the high windows, glaring out at the lake. His hand tangled itself in the heavy silk curtains. Even the chamomile incense he had lit did not calm his nerves. Draco was in danger. He was not ready for the Dark Lord and he could never be safe as long as he was close to Severus.

Even the old family portraits on the wall seemed to give him pitiful and sympathetic glances as he stalked over to the heavily ornamented fireplace. It was time to contact his agent in Hogwarts.

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"The situation is very dire Albus," Severus repeated glaring at the empty teapot for good measure. "But at least you decided not to force any tea on me."

"Severus," Dumbledore shook his head. "You know that I would not be able to sleep if I drank tea in the evening."

"And here I was thinking that you never have to sleep." Snape answered dryly, grabbing the plate of Oreos Dumbledore had hidden under a heap of parchments and letters.

"I know the rumours Severus," Dumbledore quickly rescued at least one Oreo from the potions master. "But even I cannot go without sleep for a longer period of time." He paused, waiting for the younger wizard to say something. Dumbledore sighed as Severus just continued chewing.

"Now," he leaned forward, resting his chin in his hands. His eyes were doing that infernal twinkling thing again, Snape noticed.

"Could you tell me what went wrong instead of depleting my supplies?"

"I sincerely doubt that a whole army of trolls could pose a serious threat to your stock of sweets," Snape eyed the last Oreo angrily. "I hate these things," he declared. "Potter has skipped the shielding phase."

Dumbledore frowned. "Could you please try to elaborate that?"

"There is nothing to elaborate." Snape gave the Oreo and the portrait of Phineas a last withering glare before he finally refocused his attention on the headmaster. "Normal people have to learn to shield their own mind first, before they can learn to enter other people's memories. It seems that Potter cannot even learn occlumency and legilimency the normal way."

For a moment even Dumbledore seemed surprised. Severus smirked. At least the infernal twinkle had disappeared again.

"Are you trying to say that he managed legilimency without learning occlumeny first?"

"I may have said something to that effect, yes." Severus quickly summoned the Oreo, taking a bite out of it before the headmaster could react. "He is certainly stubborn enough."

"Droll does not suit you Severus." Dumbledore cast a reprimanding look at the potions professor. "How is Harry to protect both himself and our secrets if he cannot shield his mind from Voldemort?"

Snape winced. "I will have to think of something."

"Yes you will." Dumbledore frowned as the other man suddenly became as white as a sheet. "What is the matter my friend."

"The Dark Lord." Severus grimaced, pressing his lips into a thin, white line. "I have been called."

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Severus quickly scanned the cave for a possible threat as soon as he had apperated and then trained his eyes on the floor. He knew better than to raise his gaze in the presence of the dark lord when he was not spoken to. He quickly strengthened his mental shields before taking his place next to the single death eater in the room.

"Lucius, Severus," the figure on the throne hissed. Severus raised his gaze, hiding his disgust as he encountered the sight of a pale, long-fingered hand petting a snake. Nagini. He hated the animal. "You have both disappointed me."

"My lord?" Lucius bowed deeply. "In what way have I disappointed you? I passed on your orders to my son, made sure that he knows how important his task is and-"

"Silence!" Something clattered to the floor. "I did not call you here to question me. What has your son found out?"

"My lord," Lucius gulped, the movement continuing down his whole body. "He has not informed of any progress he has made."

"So he has once more failed me." Voldemort hissed, setting Nagini down on the floor. "And you Severus," he turned, red eyes staring intently at the potions master. "Have you found out what Dumbledore is planning?"

"Yes my lord." Severus stepped forward, knowing that it was expected of him. He had always been bold with Voldemort. It was the best cover he could have. "Dumbledore has decided to teach the Potter boy occlumency."

"Occlumency?" Voldemort repeated, tapping his fingers on the arm rest of his throne. "Interesting. Who has the misfortune of teaching the boy?"

"I have," Severus admitted, risking a glance at Voldemort. "Do you want me to train him?"

"Have you already tried working with him?"

"I have my lord." Snape sneered. "Only once, though. The boy shows no aptitude for occlumency. He is unable of occluding his mind."

"See that it stays that way." Voldemort waved dismissively at him. "At least as far as possible."

"My lord?" Severus bowed again, once more asking for the dark lord's attention. "Dumbledore might begin to suspect me, if my tutoring of the potter brat does not produce any results."

"Teach him some occlumency but make sure that he is unable of using it properly," Voldemort decided. "I only have four agents at Hogwarts and you are still too useful there to blow your cover. Oh, and Severus?"

"Yes my lord?" Snape gritted his teeth, already knowing what was to come. It always did when Voldemort's voice sounded like that.

"Crucio." Voldemort said almost boredly, watching dispassionately as Severus collapsed to the floor, tremors wracking his body. "I expect a little more information the next time I call you."

"Yes my lord," Severus gasped out between bouts of burning pain. "I shall not disappoint you again."

"See that you don't." Voldemort gave him a sneer. "And now get yourself out of my presence. I have some things to discuss with Lucius."

A relieved sigh welled up from Snape's chest as he apparated into the safety of the forbidden forest. He had to get back to the castle at once.

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This time Albus does not appear as soon as Severus entered the castle. He frowned, carefully limping past the statues of the founders. What could be keeping the headmaster? Snape sighed, glaring angrily at the moving staircases. How very Gryffindor. Sometimes he wondered if maybe Godric had been a divinator and had enspelled the stairs simply because he had known how much they would annoy him after the death eater meetings.

A shadow moved to his right, hissing angrily at the wand he pointed at it.

"Abomination," Snape whispered, shaking his head as he recognized Mrs Norris. Whatever propelled the caretaker to keep such a creature? Granted, the students did not like her, but there were better pets a squib could keep if he wanted to scare some children. A cat hardly seemed a fitting familiar for someone like Filch.

Snape shrugged, glaring at a portrait of Gryffindor. The gargoyle in front of the winding staircase looked sleepily at him. Severus frowned, straining his hearing. Were that voices he was hearing? Was someone with the headmaster? Maybe that was why Albus had not come to meet him. But who would visit the headmaster this late in the evening? And why would they be talking so loudly?

"Lemony Snicket," he told the gargoyle with another sigh. He was definitely going to find out.

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His eyes widened ever so slightly as he entered the room. Dumbledore seemed to have been arguing agitatedly with a bulky, square-jawed man. Five other wizards in auror robes were standing a few meters away from them, some of them with their hands already on their wands.

"Severus," Dumbledore gave the potions master a false smile as all gazes turned to the door. "How could of you to join us." The tension in the room was so thick one could probably cut it with a knife.

"Mr Snape, I presume?" The leader of the aurors asked, lifting an inquiring eyebrow.

"Indeed," Snape sneered, quickly shifting his weight so that the pain he was in would not show. "And who would you be?" The angry whisper of one of the aurors distracted him, making his fingers itch for his wand.

"Sturgis Podmore," the man answered, trying to look taller than he w obviously was. "I am in command of this squad and you will come with us."

"I don't think so," Snape gave Podmore the stare he usually reserved for Neville Longbottom. "I have no desire to be bothered by your business."

"You have no say in this," Podmore grinned, an evil flash of teeth. „I have an arrest warrant for you, signed by the minister of magic himself. Consider yourself arrested."

Snape frowned, taking another step into the room. "Albus?"

"I'm sorry, Severus," Dumbledore shook his head. " He speaks the truth, there is nothing I can do." He tried to smile, tried to assure his potions master. "But I will try to get this sorted out first thing in the morning."

Snape gulped, forcing his uneasiness not to show as he sneered at Podmore. "I want to see the minister."

"Why should he bother himself with the likes of you?" Podmore nodded at the auror to his right

"He has no reason for this arrest warrant."

"You are wrong Mr Snape," Podmore grinned again as the auror he had nodded at confiscated Severus' wand. "We have more than enough proof that you are still an active death eater."

Dumbledore watched silently as the aurors led Severus out of the office. He needed to know what had happened, but he knew that there would be no chance to talk to the minister this late.

None of them noticed the pair of shocked green eyes, that had witnessed the scene from the other side of the window.